Wednesday, April 16, 2014
A Life of Faith
No matter how long I go between having a serious set of Quiet Times, or spending good time with God, I am always drawn back to, or in to, the essence of Faith. For most of my adult life I have been a rather strong believer in a religious-free lifestyle of faith. As I perceive it, the world and countless lives have been harmed or destroyed in the wake of religion. Yet faith... faith exceeds the confines of religion and frees us from the controls and constrictions forced upon us by dogma and pontifs. Faith is found within us, religion exits outside of us.
It is in faith that we hope for the future. It is in faith that we find forgiveness, grace and mercy. Religion gives us none of those things. In fact, as Paul points out in Galatians, religion (the law) only convicts.
"For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because “the righteous will live by faith.” - Galatians 3: 10-11
Paul's point is that none of us is able to live by the law because no one can uphold all that is in it in order to be saved by it. But our faith in Christ, our faith in God and in what He has promised, done, and will do for us saves us. I am reminded of this: "People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”- 1 Samuel 16:7.
We (man) love religion... it gives us a way to say to each other "look how good I am, see what I've done." And it gives us a way to judge, control and remove those who threaten us, who don't do what we like, or who are different than us.
The difference between a life guided by faith and one guided by religion is striking to me.
I want to explore this in greater detail.
No matter how long I go between having a serious set of Quiet Times, or spending good time with God, I am always drawn back to, or in to, the essence of Faith. For most of my adult life I have been a rather strong believer in a religious-free lifestyle of faith. As I perceive it, the world and countless lives have been harmed or destroyed in the wake of religion. Yet faith... faith exceeds the confines of religion and frees us from the controls and constrictions forced upon us by dogma and pontifs. Faith is found within us, religion exits outside of us.
It is in faith that we hope for the future. It is in faith that we find forgiveness, grace and mercy. Religion gives us none of those things. In fact, as Paul points out in Galatians, religion (the law) only convicts.
"For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because “the righteous will live by faith.” - Galatians 3: 10-11
Paul's point is that none of us is able to live by the law because no one can uphold all that is in it in order to be saved by it. But our faith in Christ, our faith in God and in what He has promised, done, and will do for us saves us. I am reminded of this: "People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”- 1 Samuel 16:7.
We (man) love religion... it gives us a way to say to each other "look how good I am, see what I've done." And it gives us a way to judge, control and remove those who threaten us, who don't do what we like, or who are different than us.
The difference between a life guided by faith and one guided by religion is striking to me.
I want to explore this in greater detail.
