It's been said that love isn't love until you give it away, and the same goes for faith. The biblical faith will create a burning desire within to express itself to others so that they in turn can experience its transforming effect.
In the short letter from the Apostle Paul to Philemon, he expresses this thought:
"I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ. " (Philemon 6 New International Version)
Apparently our fullest Christian experience is dependant upon sharing the faith with others. As we express to others the unfathomable grace of God in Jesus we grow in our personal appreciation of God's grace.
I've never been one to "collar people for Jesus" and force-feed them the Gospel, but there is an internal unction that wants to give expression to the faith that has profoundly changed me. Increasingly my burden grows for those outside of Christ; fueled by the joy of leading others to saving faith in the past.
I've talked to far too many believers over the years who lamented their lukewarm and lackluster Christian experience. They were painfully aware of some deficiency in their life but unclear as to its cause. Based upon Paul's words to Philemon, I now see more clearly that the deficiency was likely in the area of sharing their faith.
The true faith must find expression. All should not feel a compulsion to ring doorbells or hand out tracts at shopping malls but all should find some genuine form of expression - writing, web publishing, video, radio. A "personal faith" is truly only that when it finds an appropriate avenue of expression.
I'm new to my neighborhood and have only met a few of my neighbors, but the two that I know by name are on my personal evangelism prayer list. I'm praying for a burden for their spiritual condition and for an opportunity to express my faith through circumstances that I'm trusting the Lord to orchestrate. My own faith experience is already enriched through anticipation of the expression opportunity that will come.
There are countless ways to express our faith, but the prerogative is that we do so. Not only are the spiritually destitute dependent upon it, so is our our personal spiritual vitality.
May we each be open to the wonderful opportunities for faith expression that the Lord will orchestrate today.
Steve
In the short letter from the Apostle Paul to Philemon, he expresses this thought:
"I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ. " (Philemon 6 New International Version)
Apparently our fullest Christian experience is dependant upon sharing the faith with others. As we express to others the unfathomable grace of God in Jesus we grow in our personal appreciation of God's grace.
I've never been one to "collar people for Jesus" and force-feed them the Gospel, but there is an internal unction that wants to give expression to the faith that has profoundly changed me. Increasingly my burden grows for those outside of Christ; fueled by the joy of leading others to saving faith in the past.
I've talked to far too many believers over the years who lamented their lukewarm and lackluster Christian experience. They were painfully aware of some deficiency in their life but unclear as to its cause. Based upon Paul's words to Philemon, I now see more clearly that the deficiency was likely in the area of sharing their faith.
The true faith must find expression. All should not feel a compulsion to ring doorbells or hand out tracts at shopping malls but all should find some genuine form of expression - writing, web publishing, video, radio. A "personal faith" is truly only that when it finds an appropriate avenue of expression.
I'm new to my neighborhood and have only met a few of my neighbors, but the two that I know by name are on my personal evangelism prayer list. I'm praying for a burden for their spiritual condition and for an opportunity to express my faith through circumstances that I'm trusting the Lord to orchestrate. My own faith experience is already enriched through anticipation of the expression opportunity that will come.
There are countless ways to express our faith, but the prerogative is that we do so. Not only are the spiritually destitute dependent upon it, so is our our personal spiritual vitality.
May we each be open to the wonderful opportunities for faith expression that the Lord will orchestrate today.
Steve
posted by steve @ 10:57 AM
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