Bulletin Articles
Pen Points 11
Faith Works
Faith is nothing if it is not trust. Just believing something for the sake of believing it is pointless. Faith requires action; there is no real faith without the trust of acting upon it. The word of God works effectively in those who believe (1 Thess 2:13), but this is not mere mental assent. If it works, then it … well, works, and it changes those who imbibe it. This is why we are to take God’s word into our hearts and become doers, not merely hearers (Jas 1:21-22). Just hearing and not doing means 1) we are deluding ourselves, 2) we are foolish people building on sand (Matt 7:24-27), and 3) we are showing that we do not trust God. True faith, rather, is the demonstration of our conviction in the reality of what we cannot see (Heb 11:1). This, in turn, is why we have hope, not just because we have a mental belief, but because we have a trust that is demonstrated in what we do. This is wholly supported by the grace of God (Titus 2:11-14).
Deep Grace
If we cannot fully grasp the depth of our sins (we cannot), then neither will we fully grasp the depth of God’s love and mercy. Indeed, it is in the context of God showing mercy to all (Rom 11:32, i.e., both Jews and Gentiles) that Paul exclaims, “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!” (Rom 11:33).
Let us, then, not think we can quantify His grace. Rather, let us be amazed and thankful that the One whose ways and thoughts are not ours would actually think enough of us to want to reconcile us to Himself. Our response should only be that of gratitude, which will necessarily include seeking Him and His will.
A Reminder to Trust the Lord in Troublesome Times
1. The world is always going to act like the world. Don’t be surprised by what we already know.
2. Kingdoms of the world will rise and fall. Wars and conflicts will continue until the Lord comes.
3. The Christian’s mission never changes, regardless of what is happening at any given time in the world. That mission is set and endures to the end.
4. This means, as servants of God, we are to be devoted to prayer, dedicated to holiness, and committed to reaching out to people from all nations and tongues.
5. The kingdom of heaven will endure through all threats and problems associated with the world.
6. The Lord conquers all nations by means of His own shed blood.
7. Judgment will come in the Lord’s time. Jesus’ resurrection is the assurance of our resurrection. Look, then, for the new heavens and new earth in which righteousness dwells.
Your Worldview Matters
To truly value others, we must know who we are. How can we really value others if we do not know our own nature and, by extension, theirs? If I understand that people are made in God’s image, then I will see the inherent value in that and seek to treat them with the respect that this entails.
More than that, to see people as those for whom Christ died takes this to another level. “From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh” (2 Cor 5:16).
Think of the implications of this: We are made in God’s image and Christ died for all of us.
That is a very different worldview from one that says human beings are products of mindless processes and that thinking the death of Jesus saves anyone is foolish.
This is why your worldview matters.
