Our Impossible Faith

It has been said that the Christian life isn't hard, it's impossible. Think about this revelation for a moment. We can easily understand this statement in terms of our salvation, for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). There is absolutely no way for people to come to God apart from His grace to us through Jesus Christ (cf. John 14:6). However, if we take this idea even further, our daily walk should also be viewed as impossible without divine intervention.

To clarify, Jesus said in Matthew 5:16, "Let your light shine before others so that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven". I have always understood good deeds to mean practical acts of kindness to others- i.e. sharing, giving, encouraging, etc... But I am beginning to see the limitations of this view. How do my good works differ from those who may not necessarily be Christian? Do people praise God when they see the service of a Boy Scout, Rotary club, or even the Red Cross? Many non-believers seem to live more righteous lives than people of faith. What is the distinction of Christians from others who do good works? I believe it is because we serve the God of the impossible. Our good deeds should not be limited to things we do on our own strength, but include supernatural acts through the Holy Spirit. Jesus' ministry was characterized by miracles, healing, casting out of demons, and raising the dead in order to bring people closer to God. He wants us to carry on his work. It takes faith to believe this is possible for us today and great risk to strive after it. Our Heavenly Father receives praise when people realize only God can do the miracle and not us. May we truly let our light shine as we advance the Kingdom of God through the power of the Holy Spirit!

"I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name,
and I will do it." John 14:12-14

This is one of Isaac's favorite praise songs, also very appropriate for this post: Hillsong Kids "Let Your Light Shine". This is dedicated to everyone from SMCC VBS '08!