Faith

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:
Colossians 2 (click the link)


KEY VERSES:
Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude. (Colossians 2:6-7, NASB)


REFLECTIONS:
The first few phrases in this verse to jump out at me are: “so walk in Him” and “established in your faith.” The more I meditate on this verse the heavier it seems to become. 

“So walk in Him.” Keep moving in Him because He is my Lord now, not fear, not pain, not inadequacy, not sorrow, not anything else. So why then be held up by any of these?

“Established in your faith.” Let’s define "establish":

verb (used with object)

1. to found, institute, build, or bring into being on a firm or stable basis: to establish a university; to establish a medical practice.

2 to install or settle in a position, place, business, etc.: to establish one's child in business.

3. to show to be valid or true; prove(remove doubt): to establish the facts of the matter.

4. to cause to be accepted or recognized: to establish a custom;She established herself as a leading surgeon.

5. to bring about permanently: to establish order.

6. to enact, appoint, or ordain for permanence, as a law; fix unalterably.

7. to make (a church) a national or state institution.

8. Cards. to obtain control of (a suit) so that one can win all the subsequent tricks in it.

Faith. It seems we always associate faith with belief, almost as if it’s something we can muster up from our own will; however, let’s look at it from a different angle. Faith, to me, is knowing what is true about God and living out of that knowledge. The more we know that God is good the more we will trust Him. More specifically, when we understand—and I mean understand with heart and head—that we only need the approval of God, and have it, the less we will strive for the approval of men. 

James talks much about faith. He says that “Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself” (James 2:17). With this new perspective on faith, I hear this verse like this: So I know what is true about God, but I don’t act like it is true therefore that knowledge is dead/useless. 

James says: “and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up…” (James 5:15). Seems that if we pray from the perspective of our knowledge and understanding of God, the Kingdom comes.

Now let’s picture being established in faith. I love words and their meanings and have really been drawn to the word establish recently. Mainly because I feel the Lord has been establishing me in Him. The part of the definition that hit me was, to remove doubt. Read over the definition a few times and then re-read Colossians 2:6-7. Use all the definitions and focus on the phrase “established in your faith.” Also look up definitions to know/knowledge and understanding is a good one too.

POINT OF ACTION:

So here is an action step to aid us being established in faith. First recognize that we have nothing if not for God and his provision, not even faith. List what you know what is true about God. What does the bible say about Him? What does your spirit testify about Him? Be aware of the ones that are easy to say but do not resonate deep within you. Invite the Holy Spirit to search those out. It is easy to say God is good but do we know it? Do we live it? Take the list a step further and read it out loud, yell it if you’d like.

What I know about God is that He does not disappoint. Where has He not kept His word? Where has He been unfaithful? It is not in Him to disappoint. That is what I know.

WHO AM I?

I am Justin son of James, son of God, fathered by many, brother to all. I like to be outside. I’m a nomad at heart and an avid chess player. I love my Jesus more than anything.