We find ourselves in a noisy world, where both tragedies and busy schedules take their toll. We can easily be left 'faithless'. As doubt, worry, stress, trauma, etc. creep in, we depend more on our knowledge or self-reliance. You would think these things would drive us to faith, but faith seems to be one of the first things to go. Why? First, we operate in a 'faithless' world. The world does not support cultivation of our faith. It's about 'me' and what 'I' can do or get. Second, we have a 'man' problem. The world continues to emasculate the character of a man to a very diluted, feminine version of the original design. We have a great need for men of strong, pure character, full of faith. We need real, true Father-figures-good examples, or dare I say, God-examples. Ha-Ha! Needless to say, this is His idea, not mine. Oh, and just for the record, I'm talking about faith in Christ, and no one else. Oooohhh. Yep, I said the 'C' word. May we not be ashamed of representing the purity of Christ in this crazy world. Ironically, the world is sure to look upon us as 'crazy' for exercising faith in Christ. So be it.
And so begins a study on Faith. And we will use The Word to define 'the word'! We will use the Bible to reveal God's original design for the strength of Man. We will discover the character of a true God-example.
Faith is the substance of things hoped for; evidence of things unseen. I want to start by focusing on two important elements of our faith: 1. God's omnipresence, and 2. God's dwelling within us.
1. It is time we begin living as if God was right here with us. The impact of realizing His presence is unimaginable. On the negative side, think of all the self-deprecating things you wouldn't participate in if you considered Him right next to you! On the positive side, think of the peace you could have during trying times. Think of the courage you could have to accomplish your mission. Think of the personal relationship you could have with the most powerful force in the universe! His omnipresence is an amazing truth to not only believe in, but participate in. This is where we start: faith is of no good unless you apply it. We must begin by applying our faith to this truth. He is right near you. He is right near me. He is right near the orphan in Ukraine. He is in the most remote jungle with the most isolated tribes. Now, we must live it out, exercising and practicing our daily faith in this fact. I believe the result will be a more solid, stable, ordered life. A life of peace. A life of strength. A life of truth. A life of purity. It is really, the only 'good life'.
2. God is interested in dwelling inside us, in our spirit. He says He wants to be 'one' with our spirit. He can pull this off by the power of the Holy Spirit. Somehow, He is knocking on our spirit's door, and, if we open the door, He will come in and make a home there. Can you believe that? He calls our bodies 'temples': churches that house the Holy Spirit Himself! Do you realize who I'm talking about here? I'm talking about someone way more important than the most important guest you've ever had visit your physical house. The most important being in the universe wants to come in and make a home with you. Wow. So, does that help motivate you to take care of it? It is said that the more you hang out with someone, the more like them you become. I believe this is possible with this miracle of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. We can truly see Godly character developed over time if we apply the faith of realizing His presence. We CAN live by the power of the Holy Spirit if we apply ourselves to this truth on a daily basis. Like anything you want to get good at, you must practice it. This is how we are going to become Godly men in a faithless world. You might say, 'you are what you eat'. Think about it.
