Faith Life 33 (Engaging Faith)

GRACE ABOUNDS ONLINE BIBLE STUDY
THEME: FAITH LIFE OF CHRISTIAN BELIEVERS (Part33)
TOPIC: ENGAGING FAITH
SPEAKER: Peter Ayoola Fakeye (PAF)

From the above scripture, we’ll see that Abraham didn't have his mind set on where he was called from by God, and he wasn't thinking about what he might have left behind, and the bible told us that this is the reason he was not tempted to go back to Ur- where God called him from

The truth is that the bulk of temptation we are faced with today is just a result of what we set our minds upon. The bible says that; ‘he that is tempted is drawn away by his lust’ (James 1:14). The source of most temptation is due to where we set our affections upon. Someone may say; “well I am not thinking about immorality, why then am I always tempted with immorality?” Yeah! It's true, you may not be particularly thinking immoral thought, but where is your affection set upon – on things above or beneath? Where do we find immorality, above or beneath? When you are occupied with the worldly system and its belief system, you will take up many of those things that are associated with that system, knowingly or unknowingly. Your life moves according to the environment you choose to stay in. Moreover, when you start focusing on Christ and what He has done, you will find out that long-standing problems are resolved, addictions are broken effortlessly and there is always a supply of grace at different points in your life. 

Many times, what I am not even praying to God about, I will just discover that they are resolved. This is an experience of a sincere faith walk with Christ. By the grace of God, I have seen bad habits, addictions broken unknowingly, just because my mind is stayed on CHRIST. I have seen sicknesses and diseases give way when I’d even stopped praying about them, just because my mind stays on Jesus. So, also when you decide to stay beneath – the system of the world; you open yourself up to the ministration of the devil because that's where he rules and reigns. 
Friends, we have been called into a higher calling in Christ Jesus!

So, how then do we get engaged? I will be sharing a vital scripture that we all need to daily meditate on. 


The first thing I want us to consider from the above scripture is the first phrase: “Behold what manner of Love the Father has bestowed on us…” So, the first way our mind can be engaged with the faith of Christ is by BEHOLDING THE FATHER'S LOVE. We find it easy to discuss the Father's Love, but much more than the knowledge, I am trusting the Holy Spirit to take us to a point where we continually behold this great love.
To behold the Father’s love means that we are always mindful of the Father's love for us.
Another meaning of beholding means to picture and perceive things. In other words, we need to start engaging our imaginations to the fact that the Father loves us. If you are mindful of the Father’s love, you will not be disturbed by anyone who hates us. I usually used to make this statement, “if God who made the whole universe loves me with an unquenchable Love, who cares whether someone accepts me or not.” When we understand the Father’s love, we will not be seeking the approval of men at the expense of God's instructions. We find it easy to compromise because we are not mindful of the Father's love. 

Having considered the word ‘behold’ I will also love us to look at the meaning of bestowed as used in that passage. There are two ways you can view that word ‘bestowed’ such that when you bestow something to someone, it means you are not expecting anything in return from Him. Some people think that the reason God loves them is because of what He can get from us. That is entirely untrue. Excuse me, what can you expect from a sinner and so the bible says while we are yet sinners, God commended His love towards us. God didn't wait for us to be righteous before He loved us – He just loves us like that. Maybe you are tempted to think because you have fallen into sin, God is not in love with you like before. It is not true; God loves you Just Like that.

Bestow simply means one-sided giving or lavish. So, another way you can see bestow is that we are lavished with God's love. Friends, you can't be thinking of these things, and you will be comfortable staying beneath. Brethren, He loves us to the extent that no one would say well I don't know about it because He has lavished us with LOVE.

As I conclude, how much do we engage our mind to imagine the Father's love? Do you just allow it to stay on the pages of the bible? Or do those scriptures leap out of their pages and cause an uproar in our hearts? I discovered that pride and ego don't make us accept the Father's love just the way he has expressed it. Many times, we just want to prove ourselves worthy of the love of God. Although understanding of God’s love takes time to sink well into us, the danger is to think we have fully comprehended it. This is why we need to be intentional about it. We need to genuinely communicate to the Holy Spirit about it just as Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians Church in Ephesians chapter three, he said that; “they may know the love of Christ which passes human understanding.” This must also be our constant and consistent prayer.

Shalom!

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