How Faith Blesses Our Lives on Earth

[Josiah]

We often discuss how Sola Gratia - Solus Christus - Sola Fide blesses our ETERNITY. But here I'd like to focus on how our Christian faith blesses us here and now....

I LOVE to talk with people about their faith, and while I may disagree with their theology (how they articulate doctrine), I often can totally relate to how faith works in our hearts and lives. I think that too often we get off into how we intellectually disagree and too little affirm the spirituality that we share.


Below is something I found that I posted several years ago. Surprisingly, it's still pretty descriptive...

I have come to treasure Christ more than anything. It's hard to put into words or to find words adequate to express it - but the totally awesome thing is that as I'm talking to other believers, they seem to know and understand, even when I'm failing to really express it. Whether Catholic or Baptist, Fundamentalist or Liberal, Episcopalian or Greek Orthodox.


There are so many aspects, all different and all just different ways of looking at exactly the same thing...


Presence. "Lo, I am with you always." "He is the Immanuel" (that means "God with you"). This is the single most powerful aspect of my faith. I can't shake the awareness of His presence, and not just in some locational or physical sense but here - for me. I once memorized that "Footprints" poem. It's part of why I treasure the Sacrament and a powerful aspect of worship for me.


Loved. The concept of LOVE (agape) is the starting point, the hub of the entire Christian religion. Everything in the Christian religion all comes back to this point: God loves us. The unconditional, no-matter-what LOVE. Even when I can't stand me, God loves me. I feel that always. It is the one thing in life I KNOW. It's extremely affirming and renewing and life-giving. John 3:16, 1 John 4:8, 1 John 4:10. As childish as it sounds, I sometimes sing "Jesus Loves Me" . It's okay to be a child. That's what I am. (Galatians 4:5, 1 John 5:1)


Family/Relationship. Christianity is all about our RELATIONSHIP with God, and how that impacts our relationships with others and with ourselves. God calls Himself "Our Father." He calls us "My son, My daughter." It's a living, loving, abiding REAL relationship with the living, loving, abiding REAL God. When I pray, I can call God "Abba" (Galatians 4:5, Romans 8:15) - it means "Daddy." And the more I know that (relational "know" not didactic "know"), the more it seems to impact how I relate to myself and to others. Forgiveness is easier when we know we are forgiven, acceptance is easier when we know we are accepted. When we HAVE love, so we can GIVE love...


Peace. This is totally hard to put into words. There is, of course, that objective peace - the end to the war - that Jesus secured for us on the Cross. Romans 5:1-11. But it isn't just objective and historic, it's subjective and present. "The peace that passes all understanding," the Bible says somewhere. I've known this for a long time, but it's beginning to grow some deep roots. When I was a little boy, I had surgery (no need to go into that). I was just old enough to understand that I could die - and what that meant. I remember - for the first and probably only time in my life - I considered that in very real terms. And I remember feeling at peace with that. It didn't have too much to do with Heaven, really, it had a lot to do with relying on His heart and will, in knowing my small hand was in His big hand - and that's all that mattered. I understand that more today. I could give seperate things about JOY and COMFORT but they are really just different ways of looking at the same thing. "Joy is peace dancing, peace is joy at rest."


For ME, faith isn't about trying to find a lost god, it's about God finding ME, and loving me more than I'll ever be able to comprehend.


For ME, faith isn't about my somehow satisfying God by jumping through a bunch of hoops, it's about what HE did for me. For ME. Try reading the Passion Story in the Bible and put your own name in there whenever the crowd or soldiers or whoever is mentioned. Yeah. He did it for ME. And for YOU. We are the ones in the crowd. We are the ones with the hammer. It's about what HE did for ME.


For ME, faith isn't so much about obedience to a demanding God, it's about the opportunities He gives me to be a blessing; "blessed to be a blessing" as Roman Catholics are so fond of saying. The times I can touch someone with just a TINY, TINY bit of what He blessed me with. It's how we love Him back (John 13:34). It's how we share His love with others. And it ends up blessing us more than the other, which is the odd thing about God's economics. You can't out-love Him.



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How about YOU?


This isn't about doctrine or theology or thinking or denominations..... it's about your heart/soul/life as a Christian.



Pax Christi


- Josiah




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[Confessional Lutheran]

We often discuss how Sola Gratia - Solus Christus - Sola Fide blesses our ETERNITY. But here I'd like to focus on how our Christian faith blesses us here and now....

I LOVE to talk with people about their faith, and while I may disagree with their theology (how they articulate doctrine), I often can totally relate to how faith works in our hearts and lives. I think that too often we get off into how we intellectually disagree and too little affirm the spirituality that we share.


Below is something I found that I posted several years ago. Surprisingly, it's still pretty descriptive...






How about YOU?


This isn't about doctrine or theology or thinking or denominations..... it's about your heart/soul/life as a Christian.



Pax Christi


- Josiah




.

I call myself a " Confessional Lutheran," for that is what I am, but I am a Christian first. For me, the Lord's Presence is in fact a given, here and now, most fully in Word and Sacrament. Jesus Christ is my Lord as well as my Savior. That means that I am bound to obey His Commandments, which are best expressed in the Ten Commandments, but I can't obey them without the Holy Spirit's prompting, so I pray. The communication I have between me and my Lord is the most precious thing anybody could ever ask for. I pray, I read the Bible and I consider the Lutheran Confessions. As I am not an orphan, the Lord has left me a community, a congregation of saints and sinners we call the Holy, Christian and apostolic Church, where I fellowship with my brothers and sisters, receive instruction as well as the sacraments. We are all part of the Body of Christ and as such, we help and support one another with our time, our talents and our treasures.

Grace, which originates with God, gives me Faith, which is the root of love and good works emerge as fruits of that love. I fall and sin many more times than I can even say, so I can observe the rite of personal Confession and Absolution. Once forgiven, I can leave those sins behind and move forward with strengthened faith.
My relationship with God penetrates to every part of my life. It's part of my motivation to do well at work and to be generous to those who may be in need. Discussing faith with people outside of my faith community gives me a broader perspective and maybe a little understanding about the outlook that others may have.

Hope in Jesus Christ as my Savior gives me hope for life eternal and the resurrection, yes, but it also informs how I live my life now, how I relate to people and it motivates me to try to improve how I might relate to others. This Hope that leads me daily is one that makes the sun shine a little more brightly for me and makes life a tad more refreshing, even when hardships and temptations assail me.

Love is probably the best part of all this. The feeling of being a part of a larger family whose Head is God Himself can be very liberating and it can inform one's compassion for those who might not be doing as well as one is. The desire to help and make a difference then emerges for me. As that deepens, so the desire to share my faith with others grows and translates itself into actions as well as words.

 

[Tigger]

I realize that we live in a fallen world. Sometimes trials come at us from natural means like disease and storms. Other times trials come from people for no good reason other than motivated by meanness. If it wasn’t for God’s goodness and wisdom I’d be highly motivated to turn inward and act out of revenge. Which in the end leaves you in a worse state than what initially came against you.

To God be the glory!

 

[NewCreation435]

Let's see. There are numerous ways that being a believer and having faith blesses me now. Knowing that I am not alone and that God is with me is a big one. Knowing that He loves me and put me on earth for a purpose. Knowing that he is using me to accomplish His will. Knowing that I am a part of something bigger than myself and a part of His church. His presence and the hope that he gives me that there is more to life than what I can see and hear.

 

[popsthebuilder]

Faith gives me strength each day and brightens my outlook. It keeps things in perspective and helps to guide me from the words and actions I would take of myself. It helps me to focus on what is good and right when seeing all around, and inside, what is wrong. It gives hope and solace and life to an otherwise dead meaningless existence. It leads to the good Way in steadfast direction when one might otherwise go their own way, to no avail but destruction. Though wilted and crooked, it waters and shines upon, allowing for and constituting growth. It allows one to hope on the Lord because of the truth of the Word that was heard and is everpresent. Faith is given by GOD as all is, and all thanks is to our Lord GOD.

An interesting topic.