Faith Activator: Love

Faith Activator: Love

By Apostle Felix

5  For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. 
6  For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love. 
7  Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth? 
8  This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you. 
9  A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. 

Galatians 5: 5 – 9

Love gives. God is a giving God. Salvation was made possible because God decided to give His son, Jesus Christ as a sacrifice for our sins. Every good and perfect gift is from God because He is a giver. God is love. He does not have love, but He is love. And it is impossible to separate giving from love. The real expression of love is seen in the action of giving.

16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 3: 16

Because God loved man so much, He had to give His Son to express His love towards man. His love activated the faith to give for the salvation of man. Faith works by love. You cannot love and never give. And you cannot claim to be of faith when you are struggling to give. Love is a compelling force in us to give. James said that faith without works is dead. He was referring to the love walk of a believer.

14  What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
15  If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
16  And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
17  Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

James 2: 14 – 17

So many believers are loud about their faith but less works, or nothing at all. They can be loud and very boastful about their faith but when it comes to demonstrating it, they are found wanting. Faith is demonstrated in our acts of love. Believers shy away from sharing and giving to the cause of the gospel and yet are loud about their faith in God. The early church was a giving church. They gave because they understood the love of God and what the Lord had for them. They were appreciative.

37  Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet. 

Acts 4: 37

The church was born out of giving and continued growing and thriving because of giving.  The Father gave Jesus to the world as the Lamb of God to take the sins of the world. Throughout Jesus’ ministry while on earth, He gave and shared with the people around. He healed the sick, raised the dead, and gave food. And finally gave His life to be the propitiation for our sins. That’s love.

9  In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
10  Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 

1 John 4: 9, 10

Faith is not only a confession but is also action oriented. If you say that you are a believer, let it also reflect in your conduct. You cannot say that you are a follower of Christ and yet exhibiting a different nature from His. God does not withhold from us. He has given us everything we need for life and godliness.

32  For God has proved his love by giving us his greatest treasure, the gift of his Son. And since God freely offered him up as the sacrifice for us all, he certainly won’t withhold from us anything else he has to give. 

Romans 8: 32

The nature of God is the giving nature. We may have other reasons for not giving or not sharing with others, but the word of God remains true. It cannot be compromised to fit today’s narrative that they are false guys around manipulating people into giving. Those things will always be there, but the truth remains the truth. God is the giving God, and we ought to give because we are born of God’s seed.