By Faith

As a believer (a Christian, follower of Christ, born-again, a person of The Way) faith is something that is always at the front of my mind.

My relationship with my Heavenly Father and His son, Jesus, are nothing without faith.

My faith is what I rely on in my daily life to get me from waking to sleeping and awake again the next morning.

In this world we live in, it is easy for our faith to be shaken on a daily basis. Wars, tragedy, natural disasters are all occurring more and more it seems. Sometimes it's hard to look at the world around us and believe this is all part of the plan.

One thing I know is this, my God never changes. I can rest on that promise. The God who created the universe is the same God who holds my hand today. I am reminded of the hymn, "I don't know about tomorrow I just live from day to day. I don't borrow from it's sunshine for it's skies may turn to gray. I don't worry o'er the future for I know what Jesus said. And today I'll walk beside Him for He knows what is ahead."

What an amazing thought! What power in those words! And if we believe, by faith, what we are singing, then there are no limits!

Faith is actually a verb. Did you know that?  Faith is active trust. Complete devotion.
The key here is active.

We know that we are saved by faith, through the blood of Jesus. There is nothing we can do to earn that salvation. It is all on faith. "Not by works." However, we are saved for works. Our faith in action is what shows the world that we are set apart. It's by our actions that we live out our salvation.

Hebrews 11:6 says, "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." (italics added for emphasis).
Even here we see that faith requires action by seeking what God's will is and the purpose He has for us.
Go over a few more pages in your Bible to James 2:14-26. That entire section of scripture is all about how important and vital works and deeds are to a life of faith.

If we ever plan to make a difference in this world and impact lives around us and our communities, we must put our faith to work. That's not always an easy thing to do. Many times, most times, it will require us to stretch beyond ourselves. To move past the logical and into the illogical. Sometimes, it even may hurt a bit. But if we press on through the fear and put our full trust in the One who is calling us, there is nothing we can't do and think of the lives that can be changed!

So, call yourselves whatever you wish. Christian, believer, born again...if you aren't actively trusting and completely devoted to God by putting your faith to work, then what's the point?