He/She/They Were of the XXXXXXXX Faith

Of the many weird things that I do on a daily or weekly basis, one of the strangest is perhaps the reading of obituaries.  I read them when I have access to the Oklahoman and I regularly check the website of the funeral home of my home town which is Seminole, OK.  Someone once asked Yogi Berra why he went to so many funerals and his reply was something like "so that when I die they will come to mine!"  As I was growing up in the country north of Seminole at a place called Little (consisted of a grocery store with gasoline pumps and a feed store and a church and not much else), funerals were of great importance and noone explained why.  As I have gotten on in years, I realize that funerals are for the living and not the dead and to show respect for the life of the deceased and to provide comfort for those still alive.

By reading the obituaries, I avail myself of opportunies to minister to the living if the deceased was someone of my acquaintance.  Perhaps time and circumstance have kept us apart over the years but bonds of friendship are long-lasting.  Last month I attended a funeral in Chickasha of the 31-year-old son of a man that I had went to high school with.  I probably had not seen James in over 50 years and would not have recognized him on the street.  However, in the receiving line beside the coffin containing the body of his son, he responded with a hug when I told him who I was.  I expressed my sorrow for his loss and he thanked me for coming.  We may never meet again on this side but I beleive that the Holy Spirit was in charge of that event.

Anyway, on to the reason for the strange title of this blog.  The first time I recall hearing this phrase in person was June, 2011 at the funeral of my neice's husband, Travis Boles.  I beleive the preacher said that "He was of the Baptist faith."  I watch for a similar phrase in the obits that I read and will usually find it in one out of ten or so.  He was of the Pentecostal faith.  She was of the Methodist faith.  What does that mean?  Are there different kinds of faith?  In the case of Travis, and probably most of the others, it means something like "He didn't go to church but if he did it would have been a Baptist church".  Travis's daughter's pastor was present when Travis confessed Christ as Savior two days before he died and he baptised Travis so his salvation is in the hands of God just as everyone's is.  But during the last few years, when I witnessed to Travis about Christ, he had no interest and I am not aware of any church involvement during his marriage to Glenda.

I realize that we are never to say something untoward about people at their funeral so perhaps this phrase soothes the loved ones but is it misleading?  The following is one of the finer articles that I have read lately about faith.  I hope it ministers to you as it did to me.

An excerpt from "An Introduction to St. Paul's Letter to the Romans"
Luther's German Bible of 1522 - By Martin Luther: 1483-1546
Translated by Rev. Robert E. Smith from Dr. Martin Luther's Vermischte
Deutsche Schriften
Johann K. Irmischer, ed. Vol. 63 (Erlangen: Heyder and Zimmer, 1854),
pp.124-125. [EA 63:124-125] August 1994

Faith is not what some people think it is. Their human dream is a delusion. Because they observe that faith is not followed by good works or a better life, they fall into error, even though they speak and hear much about faith. "Faith is not enough," they say, "You must do good works, you must be pious to be saved." They think that, when you hear the gospel, you start working, creating by your own strength a thankful heart which says, "I believe." That is what they think true faith is.  But, because this is a human idea, a dream, the heart never learns anything from it, so it does nothing and reform doesn't come from this "faith," either.

Instead, faith is God's work in us, that changes us and gives new birth from God. (John 1:13). It kills the Old Adam and makes us completely different people. It changes our hearts, our spirits, our thoughts and all our powers. It brings the Holy Spirit with it. Yes, it is a living, creative, active and powerful thing, this faith. Faith cannot help doing good works constantly. It doesn't stop to ask if good works ought to be done, but before anyone asks, it already has done them and continues to do them without ceasing. Anyone who does not do good works in this manner is an unbeliever. He stumbles around and looks for faith and good works, even though he does not know what faith or good works are.  Yet he gossips and chatters about faith and good works with many words.

Faith is a living, bold trust in God's grace, so certain of God's favor that it would risk death a thousand times trusting in it. Such confidence and knowledge of God's grace makes you happy, joyful and
bold in your relationship to God and all creatures. The Holy Spirit makes this happen through faith. Because of it, you freely, willingly and joyfully do good to everyone, serve everyone, suffer all kinds of things, love and praise the God who has shown you such grace. Thus, it is just as impossible to separate faith and works as it is to separate heat and light from fire! Therefore, watch out for your own false ideas and guard against good-for-nothing gossips, who think they're smart enough to define faith and works, but really are the greatest of fools.  Ask God to work faith in you, or you will remain forever without faith, no matter what you wish, say or can do.

Since Luther did not look upon the book of James favorably because of the "Faith without works is dead" theme, I think he expresses it beautifully here.  We will work the works of God if we have been given the gift of faith and we can't stop doing it.  It will become part of our nature as a follower of Christ.  May it never be said of me that "He was of the XXXXXX faith".  May it always be said of me that He received the gift of Faith from God and it was manifested by his love for God and his fellow man.  What flavor is your faith?

How to Know You are a Christian

Have you ever doubted that you would go to Heaven when you die?  To me, the doubts are fewer and occur less seldom as the years roll along.  I ran across the following thoughts while cleaning out some files.  It is in my handwriting but that does not mean that I didn't plagiarize some of the thoughts and phrases from someone else's teaching.  I prefer abiding by the laws of the government especially after the last few sermons by our pastor on Romans, chapter 13.  Keep in mind that this is from a sinner saved by grace alone.  There are two lists: the first is a list of traits and actions that, in and of themselves, prove nothing.

List I - No confirmation of anything.

1. Visible morality - go to Matthew 19 and read about the rich young ruler.  Outwardly he was very moral and claimed to have never broken the law yet he wasn't willing to give up his riches to follow Christ.  Was any group more outwardly moral than the Pharisees in the New Testament?  Probably not but Jesus rebuked them over and over for their outward appearance without have an inward (spiritual) change.
2. Intellectual or Biblical knowledge - Knowledge puffs up according to the scripture.
3. Religious involvement - I think again of the Pharisees.  They were very involved with the teachings of the Jewish law.  Jesus speaks of saying to such as these:  Depart from me, I never knew you.  You can read about this towards the end of the 7th chapter of Matthew.
4. Active ministry - How many "church leaders" have fallen into the snare of adultery, etc.
5. Conviction of sin - if you have not repented and turned from your sin, there is no comfort for you in God's word, the Bible.
6. Assurance - If you are not a believer but think that you are, you are deceived.
7. Time of decision - If you base your salvation on something you did or an event that happened, this proves nothing.  You may say:  I walked the aisle and was baptised or I signed the card, prayed the sinner's prayer, joined the church, etc but without a changed life, none of this matters.

Now on to the next list.  These traits and actions tend to confirm from scripture the fact that one has indeed passed from darkness into the light of Jesus Christ.  Each of these will have one or more scriptures attached but the list is by no means comprehensive.

List II - From scripture.  Positive test of salvation.

1. Love for God (He must be your first love.)  Matt 10:37-39  "He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.  "And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.  "He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it. Ps 73:25-26 Whom have I in heaven but You?  And besides You, I desire nothing on earth.  My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.  Ps 2:1-2  As the deer pants for the water brooks, So my soul pants for You, O God.  My soul thirsts for God, for the living God;  When shall I come and appear before God?
2. Repentance from sin - Ps 51:2  Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity And cleanse me from my sin.  Ps 51:7 Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;  Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.   2 Cor 7:1 Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. 1 John 1:8-10 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.
3. Genuine humility - I often heard that this trait disappears once you acknowledge that you have it.  Ps 51:17  The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;  A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise. Prov 15:33 The fear of the Lord is the instruction for wisdom,
   And before honor comes humility.  Eph 4:1-2 Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,  with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love
4. Devotion to God's glory (as opposed to our own glory) - Matt 5:16  "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.  Phil 1:20-21 according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I will not be put to shame in anything, but that with all boldness, Christ will even now, as always, be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.   For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 
5. Continual prayer - 2 Thess 1:3  We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brethren, as is only fitting, because your faith is greatly enlarged, and the love of each one of you toward one another grows ever greater; 1 Thess 5:16-18 Rejoice always; pray without ceasing;  in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. James 5:16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed.
6. Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 1 John 3:14-15  We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death. 
7. Separation from the world - James 4:3-4  You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.  1 Cor 2:12  Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God,
8. Spiritual growth - Matt 7:16-20  "You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they?  "So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.  "A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit.  "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  "So then, you will know them by their fruits. Eph 4:22-24 in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.
9. Obedient living - Keep his commandments.  Ps 119:1 How blessed are those whose way is blameless, Who walk in the law of the Lord.  Ps 119:15-16 I will meditate on Your precepts
   And regard Your ways.  I shall delight in Your statutes;  I shall not forget Your word. Ps 119:33-35  Teach me, O Lord, the way of Your statutes,  And I shall observe it to the end.  Give me understanding, that I may observe Your law And keep it with all my heart.  Make me walk in the path of Your commandments,  For I delight in it.  Matt 22:37-39  And He said to him, " 'you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and will all your mind.'  "This is the great and foremost commandment.  "The second is like it, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'
10. Longing for Christ's return - not just to end your misery here below but because of your love for him.  2 Tim 4:7-8  I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.  

As you examine the second list, keep it mind that each of these should be a part of the sanctification process and we should be moving along the continuum of each of these.  We will never 100% attain any of these but we should be progressing to become more Christ-like.  If you have a prolonged absence of any of the traits in the second list, you should repent from your sin and focus on your walk with Christ.  A Christian will not be comfortable for long if these traits are missing. The Holy Spirit will convict and convince if you only pray and seek wisdom from God.