Expressed Faith in God is NOT always real Faith

In the christian world there are catch phrases that pass for expressions of faith.  Here are some familiar ones:

• I have faith in God almighty
• I trust in the promises written in His word
• I believe in the Father, Son and Holy Ghost
• I have faith in the word promised me
• I have faith that moves mountains
• With the Faith of a Mustard Seed I can do all things
• I'm Trusting in Jesus alone
• I have faith in the will of God for me
• I have faith to make it thru
• I have faith that it's all gonna work out
• I have faith that God is in control

Yet those who believe in Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam and even secular humanists have faith that fits these expressions.  They may believe in Karma, or the will of Allah as faith.   It's hard to say that their beliefs are different than many who have different but as valid expressions of faith as Christians do.

There is ONE major difference however and it is essential.  While all of the faith expressions I listed are valid they all lack one consideration.  That faith can be in a God of Vengeance, a God who sends people to Hell, some distant unseeing God.  A great deity of some kind.  The man upstairs.  Not much different than many major religions of the world.

Faith in the True and Living God can be best boiled down to this as it was by the Apostle John, The one who by his own description was the one Jesus Loved.  He wrote this later in his life as his Faith matured.

1 John 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another, because love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9This is how God’s love was revealed among us: God sent His one and only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him.…

 So if we extrapolate that a tiny bit it is fair to say that to say you have faith in God means you have Faith in LOVE.  That God's intentions towards you are always and ever in LOVE.  He loves you more than you can comprehend.  You are outside the capacity to grasp the complete irrational committeemen he has to you.

That is why when you see hate, when you see violence, when you see things happening around you and many time by people who at the same time recite the kinds of faith confessions I listed, you know they do not truly KNOW the true and living God.. the God of LOVE, the God who IS LOVE. 

Have faith in God might better be translated have faith in LOVE.  That helps us grasp who and what is the focus of our faith.

When I see the world gyrating and twisting in iniquity, even those who call the name of Jesus are manifesting all the fruit of the Flesh.  They are demonstrating who their father is and where their faith resides.  Even if they sing shout and dance in Church every Sunday Morning, if this is what we see.. we know they do not have faith in LOVE.

^{Galatians 5:19} When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, ²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, ²¹ envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

 Have faith in GOD, have faith in LOVE, It's perfect.. your flesh is your enemy.  Shun the manifestations of the Flesh and your Sin Nature, and Cling in Faith to LOVE.  You will find yourself in a new place.. I know..  Have Faith.. His name is LOVE!!