Faith Works part 3
Here's the question: "This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?" (Galatians 3:2). And here's the answer: "Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect in the flesh?" (Galatians 3:3). Its all about faith. Its all about the Spirit. Knowing and believing the truth. Listen, our relationship with God--knowing Him as loving heavenly Father and ourselves as His beloved Son in whom He is well pleased--is the gift of God. And you can't earn a gift. When you try to earn a gift, you end up robbing yourself of that selfsame gift. Because, one more time, you can't earn a gift. And because we have already been given the gift. We already have it. So if we're running around trying to make perfect through the flesh what was started in the Spirit... we're missing out on experiencing and enjoying what we've already got. And, see, the way to experience and enjoy what we've already got... is to know and believe that we've already got it. Faith works because everything works by faith. Look at Galatians 5:6, "For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love." Its not about works of the flesh. Its not about circumcision or uncircumcision. Its not about what you do. Its about who you are. Believing the truth that says, "God is love and He loves you." Believing the truth that He is your Father and you are His Son. When you know who you are, everything else flows from that identity. Everything works by faith. Even love. You can't give what you don't have. And you can only give what you do have. You have to know and believe that you have love--that you are loved--in order to love. Because love is giving. We love because He first loved us. We love Him (back) by loving each other. Receiving and releasing His love. Filling ourselves to overflowing with what He has already filled us with. Not trying to get anything, but giving what we've got. Sharing it. And, in that way, experiencing it. You can't receive something by works of the Law. That's earning. And what you earn is wages. And when the Bible talks about wages it says, "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:23). Wages... no good. Gift? Receive it and release it. Receive it BY releasing it. Release it by receiving it. Fill yourself to overflowing with what you've already been filled with... by giving it away. Don't be foolish. Don't rob yourself of what you have by trying to earn it. Don't try get anything. Just give what you've got. By knowing what you've got. By being who you are. You don't have to try really hard to love people. You just have to know that God loves you. Let Him love the hell out of you. And love Him back by loving the hell out of the people you come into contact with. You don't have to work for it. But, as I'm going to get into tomorrow, sometimes you do have to work AT it. It takes effort. Putting in the time to get to know people and build relationships. Different people have different needs. And while love is the answer, knowing HOW to love sometimes takes a little work.