“I will search with lanterns in Jerusalem’s darkest corners to punish those who sit complacent in their sins. They think the LORD will do nothing to them, either good or bad. [Zephaniah 1.12]
According to this prophecy of Zephaniah speaking for the LORD, we find here a look into God and what He requires of us.
Reflecting on my post yesterday, "Obedience of Faith," I thought about the complacency in my own life to live without necessarily being a "faith person."
And it is impossible to please God without faith. [Hebrews 11.6a]
If we are not pleasing to God, what are we? Displeasing maybe? Or, would it not be sin?
You see, devotion to God is faith. It is not just going to church and reading the Bible.
Devotion to God is not just being good and telling people about Jesus.If that were the case, then Jesus would not have performed miracles. If that were the case, Jesus would not have told His men, "Have faith in God!" If that were the case, Jesus would not have instructed those who follow Him to heal the sick and raise the dead. If that were the case, Jesus would not have declared, as an example to us, "The Spirit of the LORD is upon me..."
But Jesus DID encourage faith. But further still, He demanded it. The only thing Jesus ever "marveled" about was faith. Jesus knew that faith was the only hope for mankind. Without faith, man could not be transformed from his default sinful nature and be saved. Without faith, man remained under the control, power, and authority of Satan. Without faith, God cannot be glorified in our lives.
So, it is not acceptable to live complacently in a faith-less life. Even as "Christians" we must continue, on a daily moment-by-moment basis, to grow our faith. We must continue to exercise our faith. We must continue to glorify God with our faith.
How do we do this? First and foremost, we must consciously choose to believe God instead of the the things we see and hear. We must choose to face life's challenges with the power of God, not technology and knowledge. We must avoid, AT ALL COST, making idols of man and man-made things, putting them first in our lives and God second.
It is not enough to "acknowledge God" as if to throw Him a bone to say "God uses medicine "when we first seek medicine instead of praying (King Asa might have a lesson for us there).
If Jesus had not come to earth demonstrating the miraculous, we would not be so responsible to do likewise - especially since Jesus Himself stated very clearly that we would likewise (and greater).
We should not, however, chase miracles for the sake of miracles alone! Miracles are reserved for God's glory and the work of the Kingdom of God. We should be so focused on the Kingdom of God that we don't even recognize the miracles left in our wake! A miraculous faith-walk should be the norm in every believer's life. Why? Because Jesus said so...
“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. [John 14.12]
To say miracles have passed, it to say salvation is past. It is the same as saying, "God is dead." And, it is the same as saying, "I am dead too."
Faith has been given to every man. And, it is not given without purpose - to be used - to glorify God - to do the same works as Jesus - to do the work of the Kingdom of God.
I will go so far as to state here that "Kingdom work" without miracles is no Kingdom work at all. It is however religion. Man loves religion. Religion allows a man to be complacent. But God does not allow us the luxury of religion and complacency! Faith IS our obedience to God.
Again, Faith IS our obedience to God.
How does God measure our faith? Jesus said:
“You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.” [Matthew 17.20]
If Jesus defined faith in this way, what business does religion, doctrine, or theology have to describe it in more complacent terms?
Father, forgive us for our complacency in faith. Forgive us for being content with faithless, powerless lives. Forgive us for calling ourselves Christians and looking nothing like Christ!
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