Faith

Ok, here's a little bit of background info before I jump into this. I've been wondering what I'm going to do with my life recently. And hence, I wrote those last two entries about God's will. But it's coming down to this, I'm out of work, and almost out of money. I'm living with some friends, so I don't have any expenses, but I do have bills to pay. The area that I'm in doesn't have very many job openings. And I've been rejected for a job, that I was well qualified for (I'm in the midst of trying to decide if God's trying to tell me to go somewhere else, or if He's just trying to tell me to wait on Him).
Now we get to the main part. I have faith that God will protect and care for me, comfort and guide me. But, I was reading in James today this passage:

You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe--and shudder! Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness"--and he was called a friend of God. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

Although I have faith in God, that He will open and close doors, and guide me to His perfect will as long as I'm am trusting in Him. I'm at a stand still, this passage literally says that my faith is dead. (and this faith is different from salvation, I believe that there are numerous passages in the Bible that teach that salvation cannot be lost) The analogy that I came up with is this:

I see a bridge, on the other side of the bridge, is, uh, let's say treasure. I really want that treasure, but I just stand at the edge of the bridge, I test it, but I never put my full weight on it. Someone comes up and asks me what I'm doing. I say, I'm looking for a way to get that treasure over there. They look at me funny, and say there's a bridge right here. I say that I know. They say, don't you trust the bridge? I say, of course I do! No doubt! But...I still don't put my weight on the bridge.

Does that sound like faith to you? But that's what I do all the time, I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one. My new goal, is to not only have faith that God will provide for me, but act on it.

The One Step to God's Will

As I was writing my last post, 'God's Will Anyone?' I came across some interesting verses and I figured I share them with you. These verses are for those of you who want to know God's will. (I'm using the ESV translation)

1 Thess. 4:3
For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality;

So according to this verse God's will is our sanctification. According to the dictionary 'to sanctify' is 'to set apart to a sacred purpose or to religious use.' Well, how do we go about being sanctified?

Rom. 12:1-2
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

According to this, we are to be transformed by renewing our minds. And with our renewed minds, we will then be able to discern what the will of God is. And for the record, renewing your mind is not an easy, and, it's a never-ending process. As long as we are on the earth, our minds are going to need renewal. And without the Holy Spirit, it would be impossible.

So to summarize, be set apart (holy) by renewing your mind, and God's will is going to be clear.

God's Will Anyone?

I know that finding God's will is a very important issue for many Christians. I know that I have spent a lot of time in prayer asking God to reveal His will for my life. And I know that I've spent a lot of time wondering why God hasn't said, "Matt, this is what I want you to do." Now I know that it would be nice if God did that, but that's not how it works.

A few months ago I was planning on getting an apartment with some friends. My parents were moving and I felt it was time to move out. I spent a lot of time in prayer, but I must confess, my prayers were more, "God, please let this work" than, "God, is this Your will." And in the end it didn't work out. And I at first I was very disappointed, but as I look back, I am so thankful that God closed that door. I can't remember if it was the same day, or the next day, but God opened another door. I was given the opportunity to be a summer missionary in Texas working with Gospel Ministries to Children. I prayed about it, and I really felt God's call to go down. I had no idea what God wanted me to do after the summer program was over, but I came down anyway. And I believe wholeheartedly that it was God's will for me to come down here.

This is a roundabout way of saying it, but my point is. God's will is not a secret. If you are submersing yourself in God's word, and pursuing Him, God's will is going to follow that. God's will isn't going to suddenly appear to someone who's sitting on his couch praying for God's will to drop out of the sky on him.

So what I have to say to you is, are you seeking God's will? If the answer to that is no, then that's a whole different issue that I'm not going to cover in this entry. But if the answer is yes, than I would ask, when is the last time that you did something in your church besides warm a pew on Sunday?