29/07/11

Faith perfected in works

James 2:22 - Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?

The salmon fish is partly a fresh water fish and partly ocean fish. It lives in the ocean but when breeding it swims upstream the river to lay eggs. One should see the efforts it takes to swim against the water flow to reach its destination. It sometimes travels 900miles (1,400km) and slowly and slowly climbs heights of up to even 7,000 feet to lay eggs. In the ocean it is a sliver blue fish while navigating upstream to lay eggs it even changes it colour to a darker shade making a complete transformation to its self.

Faith does not mean just believing in something. People mistake belief and trust to faith. Faith means believing in something that does not change. The only things in the whole of creation which do not change are God and His Word. Only God and His Word is Truth, thus faith simply means believing in the Truth. Believing in anything that is fact cannot be termed as faith for fact is dependent on situation or environment and can be termed as belief or trust. Faith is unchangeable or unshakeable.

We need to realize unless the Truth is in us we cannot have faith. It is also true that till date no man has had the complete knowledge of the Truth, yet many had and have the knowledge of the Truth. It is only in the end days that the whole Truth will be known to us and man will stop prophesying.

In the Old Testament, Truth was symbolized by the pomegranate fruit. Each aril (unit of the pomegranate seed with its fleshy cover) has a unique shape and going only in its unique place. The whole fruit has sections like how Truth has different areas of understanding, for us it is body, soul and spirit. A Truth (aril) cannot be put in any place other than where it belongs, if put anywhere else it will misaligns all other Truths. Therefore in every Truth all scriptures need to be fulfilled. As we come to know more and more Truth(s) and as we put them in its proper place we will know more of the whole Truth until all Truth(s) are complete.

Understanding comes either from experience or by revelation from God. Works help us to grow in understanding of the Truth and thus is directly connected to faith. If we need to grow in faith we need to work for the Kingdom of God. Therefore working on our own inner selves, working for the people of God and also for others helps us in our faith walk.

Truth comes from God and we the children of God too come from Him. Like the salmon fish we too need to seek our source and some may have to go over long distances and difficult heights for that. But in the process of these works we all will get transformed completely when the whole Truth comes in us and our faith become complete.


[ Prayer Starter ]
Lord God, when Adam and Eve disobeyed You they lost the Fruits of Holiness, Righteousness and Truth, became spiritually corrupt and were no longer called sons of God. You in your mercy expect man to gain back only one Fruit so that corrupt man can be made incorrupt through the gifts of the 2 Fruits paid for by the sacrifice of your Son. Knowing it is just impossible for man to earn the fruit of Holiness and Righteousness You made available your Spirit of Truth so that we may know the Truth by the working of your Spirit in us. Holy Spirit, strengthen us when we put our faith in action in our work and grow in understanding of the Truth...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.


[ Reference Scriptures ]
Exodus 39:24-26
24 And they made upon the hems of the robe pomegranates of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and twined linen.
25 And they made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates upon the hem of the robe, round about between the pomegranates;
26 A bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, round about the hem of the robe to minister in; as the LORD commanded Moses.

Luke 13:20-21
20 And again he said, Whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God?
21 It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

1 Corinthians 13:9-12
9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part.
10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.
11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.

1 John 3:2
2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.

Zechariah 13:2-5
2 And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD of hosts, that I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they shall no more be remembered: and also I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land.
3 And it shall come to pass, that when any shall yet prophesy, then his father and his mother that begat him shall say unto him, Thou shalt not live; for thou speakest lies in the name of the LORD: and his father and his mother that begat him shall thrust him through when he prophesieth.
4 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the prophets shall be ashamed every one of his vision, when he hath prophesied; neither shall they wear a rough garment to deceive:
5 But he shall say, I am no prophet, I am an husbandman; for man taught me to keep cattle from my youth.



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