Faith Expressed Through Love
In the last few decades the Body of Christ has come a long way in learning to put faith in God. However, we still must learn to operate in the love of God to the degree that is spoken of in I John. There is more involved in moving in the supernatural than simply having enough faith. Faith is important, but it only works through love (Galatians 5:6). Sincere people frequently say that they want to be “a man or woman of great faith,” or that they "want faith to come to its fullness,” or that they want to be “mature in faith.” If this desire is to ever be fulfilled, then we must first deal with the issue of love. Countless times throughout the Gospels, Jesus instructs us to believe Him, or to have faith. Interestingly enough, Jesus never operated in faith. Faith was required by man due to the fall. Jesus operated on a higher level. He lived according to John 3:16. The love of God was the motive of His life. Jesus would look upon a person, or situation, and compassion would arise in Him. When love is present, the miracle is automatic. God can see Himself in the midst of the situation (because God is love), and He acts promptly. Do you look at people and situations in the world through the lens of love? This is where being in Christ is vital. Your faith is limited apart from love. If you are not pursuing the love of God, then you could end up doing the “Christian thing” and never grow up into God. There are many well-meaning people who attend their local church, serve coffee, are a part of a small group, volunteer at camps, go to seminary, preach the Word, take notes in service, and never truly pursue love. That is a frustrated follower of Jesus, which is unscriptural. You cannot be a believer apart from love.Thankfully, love is who God is. Which brings me back to my point of being in Christ. Ephesians 3:14-19 brings it home:
“For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven is named, the He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge; that you may be filled with the fullness of God” (NKJV).
Notice how the objective is for Christ (the anointed One and His anointing) to dwell, or live continually, in our hearts (where the issues of life flow from) through faith, which stems from being rooted and grounded in love. This enables us to know the love of Christ and be filled with the fullness of God. All of this is not just in theory, but in real life practicality. Also notice how faith is rooted and grounded in love. We see in the life of Jesus that love is self-sustaining, but faith is not. Faith is dependent on love, so that it may have its full expression in a believer.
Think of I Corinthians 13:2:
“...and though I have all faith, so that I could move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing”
(NKJV).
Nothing is the result of faith apart from love, according to Paul. There must be a place for faith to land, and love is the perfect soil. It yields an eternal-fold. This is what growing as a follower of Jesus is. Yes, it is faith alone that saves you. Faith alone is the entry way into the Kingdom of God, but it is to be matured in love as you walk out your salvation. The love of God, that our faith is rooted in, produced the Kingdom of God here on earth in the life of Jesus. It looked like feeding thousands, healing the sick, befriending the sinner, opposing the religious, casting out demons, and ultimately, laying down a life. Faith apart from action is dead.
We see this in James 2:15-17:
“Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes or daily food. If one of you says to him, ‘Go, I wish you well; keep warm and fed,’ but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead” (NIV).
One of the major points of the Cross is that the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church (Ephesians 3:10), that we would be the fragrance of Christ unto God among those being saved and those perishing. Action is the result of our surrender. Faith fully expressing itself through love makes this a reality. We have the decision every day to love not our own lives unto death, believe our Father, and live out the love that Jesus filled us with.
To read more on Perception of Love, be looking out for more blogs like Faith Expressed Through Love being posted every Monday up until the book’s release.