A church member was going on a vacation. He had worked himself up into a terrible state of worry and consternation because he hadn’t ever done much about personal evange lism. Going to his pastor, he told him of his fears. The pastor reassured him, “Well, just simply relate how the Lord has led in your life.” When the fellow returned home several weeks later, he seemed quite relieved. His minister wanted to know how things had gone. The carnal Chris tian didn’t hesitate to explain, “Oh, just fine. Do you know, during those whole three weeks, not one single person ever found out I was a Chris tian!” Again, this isn’t the kind of faith Paul’s talking about. The apos tle had heard of the Ephesian faith that maketh not ashamed! Then, as we use the word faith, we should use the three words insepara ble and vital words that follow, “in the Lord Jesus.” This is because our faith must be directly tied into some thing which is a living organism. There are people who have faith in cults, faith in the teachings of men (and women), faith in this system or that. Yet none of these things are sufficient. It is only when our faith is resident in the Lord Jesus Christ that we can have victory over sin and assurance of life eternal. The second thing for which the Ephesian Christians were known is love. In Romans 5:5 we read: “Hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” Notice that the love is for all saints. This doesn’t have reference to saints in Heaven. This means living saints. You see, Scrip ture points out that when an individ ual by faith receives Jesus Christ as His Saviour, he literally becomes a saint of God. He doesn’t have to wait 350 years to be canonized or beati fied. He is immediately sanctified, set apart, and called a saint. But again, the one word that which
stands out here in a pronounced man ner is but one syllable and three let ters: all. Paul is saying that we should have love for every one of the saints. It reminds me of the old, but true couplet, "To love the whole world is no real chore, My greatest •problem is with the fellow next door” There are many people who know all the doctrines. They are thorough ly evangelical and completely funda mental. Yet the dimension of their lives that is sorely missing is that of love — a deep and abiding concern for others. In I John 4:20 we read this pronouncement, “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar; for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?” If a person says he loves God and can’t get along with other Chris tians at church, God says that man is a liar. That’s very strong lan guage! Love, you remember, in Gala tians 5:22, is the very first of the fruit which the Spirit gives through true Christian character. When we possess, the first fruit, we possess the eight other attributes which natural^ ly follow. Love is the key. It was said of the early Christian church mem bers, “See how they love one anoth er!” I wonder if people can say that about our church today? How tragic it is that the Christian should be known as a disgruntled individual! I think of a sign stand ing at the boundary of a northwest ern Texas City. It reads on this wise, “Welcome to Stanton, home of 1603 of the friendliest people in all the world, and three or four sore heads.” That sign, with certain modifications, might fit some churches. The question comes, “Does my life of faith and love cause someone else to give thanks to God and to pray?” It was true of the Ephesians. Does someone in a far off city know of my faith, as Paul in Roman knew of 19
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker