Faith, Action, and the Love of God
“The Example of Gods Faith in Action and his Word to us on this matter”
by the Watchman
Dana G Smith
keywords: faith, action, love, God, Son of God, calvary, brethren, commandments
1 John 3:16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
Agape love, God’s love is shed abroad in our hearts, coming to us free. Yet if God said he “loved us”, how would we really know it? I say “I love my wife or my kids”. I might say “I love ice cream”, and by that statement people would know that he really likes to eat ice cream. There are many things about ice cream to love I suppose. Yet if I never ate ice cream you would wonder how could I love Ice cream if I never tasted it? You might even come to understand that even though I said “I love ice cream”, really I did not. Why could you come to that conclusion? Because the words I spoke become meaningless. Action associated with words, bring the fruition of the idea spoken.
Romans 5:5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
6 ¶For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Again, God loves us. How do you know it? Well you could say “I read the bible and it says he does.” That’s true, but how do you really know it? Then you might say well it says that “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son.” Now you come to the point of action. Here God loves the world, meaning men and women who after the seed of the flesh, i.e. Adam are lost. They need redemption. So God gave his Son not just to be given to us, but to die in our place. This is action combined with the word of God. It is here God’s love for us, being Agape, is combined with an intent of Gods heart to do something about it. For in Gods love, it is meaningless to just say you love. It is meaningless to just convey you love. What makes it poignant is that God actually did something about that love in his heart. So from the foundation of the world, He had planned to give his Son as a token of that love for all those who would receive that love, which we call ‘love of the truth’. This combining of Gods love with the act of giving his Son to die for the sins of all mankind is called faith. We also call it redemption, calvary, and salvation. But these words describe the results of the act of God putting his faith in action with his love for the purpose of saving those who would repent and believe.
Hebrews 11:1 ¶Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
It is that substance of Gods love, which we could not see, but became a reality when our Lord came and died on the cross for all the sins of mankind. It is this same substance that makes faith possible. For without faith, it is impossible to please God. When we come to him, we must believe that he is, i.e. he actually exists and will hear our plea. We know he exists because this God who loves us, sent his love, to prove he really did love us. He then commanded all men to repent so that they can receive this love. Now we just don’t blindly believe this! We have the supernatural power of Gods presence, his Spirit.
1 John 4:7 ¶Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
1 John 4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
1 John 4:9 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.
It is the Spirit who sheds abroad in our hearts this love that God has for us. It is the result of that love flooding our hearts which gives us a love that passes all understanding. It is that love which will put in our soul true peace. It is that love which allows us to believe and have hope. Why? Because Gods love was put into action and came to us. Without Gods action of faith and love, we would of never known of calvary for he would just be sitting upon his throne being a tyrant. But the True and Living God is not that, he is full of mercy,love, and compassion. It is this same God who revealed to Moses who he was really!
Exodus 34:6 And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,
7 Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation
Moreover, today Americans love many things. Americans truly love their cars. They love their houses. They love their savings, retirement, and their pleasure. Americans today love technology, knowledge, and all it has created. Americans love their cities, their armies, their abilities. They love their movie stars and starlets. Americans love their bodies for the most part. They worship the creature more than the creator who is blessed forevermore. We put up both sexes on pedestals to watch and gauk at, which becomes worship. We love in three areas, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. We believe today it is a God given right to enjoy all these things. Now Americans are not alone in this, for in many nations today the people in those countries have their own things they love. This is the natural man!
James 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
Furthermore, other nations and peoples have been jealous of our riches and wealth. There are many from all over the world that want a piece of the proverbial American life. There are many enemies of America who think if they can just get their hands on this nation they will have these blessings. Many of these enemies envision a time when they see this nation as their own. They see the White House flying their flag, and the armies of this land carrying their banner. Yet they fail to see that Americans did not make America great, for it was not by accident nor by mans effort. Indeed man was a tool in the founding of, building, and ongoing management of this place called America. But it was God’s blessings on this nation that made it great and for his purpose. Without God’s blessings, you have his curse. His curse becomes judgment and in the midst of judgment, the nation is no longer America, but one whose skirts has been raised because of her idolatries and sins. She is a Harlot. God says to his people why suffer her sins and receive of her plagues. John the Revelator says in Revelation 18:4 “Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues”. Gods people are to be in the world but not of it. They are to affect the world by his light, not become infected by the world. Jesus said in a prayer to his Father, “I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.”
John 17:14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
17 ¶Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
In addition, men can say they believe in God. But if that belief has nothing connected to it in real action, then that belief is dead. The devils believe and know there is a True and Living God. Yes, they also tremble! Man does not tremble! Man worships man and mans ways. We have been given a brain to think, a heart to feel, a conscience to guide us. Yet for all this, we are worse than a mule in our stubbornness to believe, repent, and allow God to lead us in his ways.
Psalms 32:9 Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee.
Simply put, if you say you believe, you must repent of your sins. In this you turn around from following man’s ways and follow God’s ways. It is here that in faith, turning around from your sins and believing in your heart in the Lord, that Salvation comes. Jesus went to his own and they did not receive him, but as many as did receive him he gave them the ‘power’ to become the sons of God, even to them that believe [Greek word here means trust in, rely upon, cling too] on his name. Paul says further if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe [same as other word] in thine heart that God has raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
John 1:11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:Romans 10:8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
If we say we believe, How does God know it! If we say we follow the Lord how do people know it! If someone says they are a believer yet walks in darkness, is he still a believer? All of what we do brings us to this point, which is, faith is combined with action. If you say you believe and do nothing, it is still action. You may be doing nothing, but by doing that, in reality you are doing something. It is showing God and men that what you say you believe in, is in reality false. Why? Because you do not follow the one in faith and action. You call him Lord but do not do what he says!
Moreover, John connects ‘keeping Gods word’ with this being “the love of God perfected”. This is ‘faith’ combined with ‘action’. By this action of ‘keeping Gods word’ and saying in faith ‘we believe and love God’, this becomes proof, of which, we can say “hereby know that we are in him.” Further John says “he that abideth in Him ought himself also to walk, even as he walked.” Jesus simply said it this way in Matthew 7:24 “Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock.” This house did not fall because it was built upon the Rock of ages, Jesus Christ, the chief cornerstone. We find Jesus in John 14:24 saying further on this subject, “He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine but the Father which sent me.” All of what we know in scripture both faith and love is directly connected with action. Our actions, not just to say “we believe but to do.”
1 John 2:5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.Matthew 7:24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.John 14:24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.
Yet for many Americans what we know is religious denominationalism. Our faith in America is filled with divers doctrines of men and people who say they have faith, but fail in the little things before God to be faithful in what he has called us to do. What we have developed in this nation and in many others for centuries is a religious experience. Now not all Christians are like that, nor have they been. But today we have seen the true evidence of going our own way. We are a divided house before God. We have failed to keep biblical ways of the early church. In all this, we make excuses and present before God and man the reasons why we do so. In the end, we still fail to keep and do as the Lord says. In short we are ‘rich and in need of nothing and do not know we are wretched, poor, blind, and naked.’
In conclusion, let me add we must repent and turn from our ways to Gods. We must evaluate before God our hearts and motives for judgment is near. This will start at Gods house and his people.
Here is a short reminder, Love! May God grant you wisdom and knowledge into this and direct your steps into the fullest of his purpose for you, your family, and brethren.
God’s Example, “He loved us first so that we would love one another”
1 John 4:10 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 4:11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
1 John 4:12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
If we love God because he first loved us, “yet if we hate our brother, we are liars”1 John 4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
1 John 4:17 ¶Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
1 John 4:19 We love him, because he first loved us.
1 John 4:20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
1 John 4:21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.When we love God and keep his commandments, We know we love the children of God!
1 John 5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
1 John 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
