How To Activate Your Faith

How to Activate Your Faith

He was born in Columbus, Ohio, 1890, the third of eight children. At eleven he quit school to help with the family expenses, and got his first full-time job at $3.50 per week. At fifteen he got interested in automobiles and went to work in a garage at $4.50 a week. He knew he would never get anywhere without more schooling, so he subscribed to a correspondence home study course on automobiles. Night after night, following long days at the garage, he worked at the kitchen table by the light of the kerosene lamp. His next step was already planned in his mind—a job with Frayer-Miller Automobile Company of Columbus.

One day when he felt ready, he walked into the plant. Lee Frayer was bent over the hood of a car. The boy waited. Finally Frayer noticed him. “Well,” he said, “what do you want?” I just thought I’d tell you I’m coning to work here tomorrow morning,” the boy replied. “Oh! Who hired you?” “Nobody yet, but I’ll be on the job in the morning. If I’m not worth anything, you can fire me.” Early the next morning the young man returned to the garage. Frayer was not yet there. Noticing that the floor was thick with metal shavings and accumulated dirt and grease, the boy got a broom and shovel and set to work cleaning the place.

The rest of the boy’s future was predictable. He went on to a national reputation as a racing car driver and automotive expert. In World War I he was America’s leading flying ace. Later he founded Eastern Airlines. His name—Eddie Rickenbacker.

Mr. Rickenbacker believed he could make something for himself. That believe motivated him to act.

(SOURCE: Bits & Pieces, December, 1989, p. 22ff. Citation: as quoted by Paul Fritz in Why Jesus Taught People If They Want To See God Work in New Ways They Must Be Willing to do New Things on SermonCentral.com)

This time of the year many people are deciding things that they believe. Some believe that they need to diet in order to lose weight. Some believe they need to stop smoking in order to be healthier. There are some that believe they would like to be in a marathon again.

But, one’s belief is only determined sincere by one’s actions. Three months into the year we will know who really believed. We’ll see the one’s who believed that they needed to diet lose weight. We’ll see those who believe they need to stop smoking actually stop. We’ll see if the individual that wants to run another marathon actually continues running.

What do you believe in the beginning of 2003? With regard to your relationship with God the Father, Jesus His Son, and His Holy Spirit what do you believe? How strong is your faith in 2003?

James 2:14–26th

We can say something about our beliefs or our Faith today, but will it match up with our actions three months from now?

Faith without deeds is dead

Every Christian must have activity that corresponds with their beliefs in order to have true faith.

If a Christian is not exercising their faith by being active then they will not be considered righteous.

How does a Christian activate His/Her faith?

How do Christians activate their faith?

We’re going to look at a couple of practical directives given to us in James 2:14–26 that instruct us how we are to activate our faith.

Keep in mind, we don’t adhere to a doing for the sake of doing, or a doing for the sake of repayment , we believe we are to be a people who do things in response to what has been done for us. We are motivated to do things because of the relationship we have with God… which is a two way relationship. He loves us and we respond to Him.

How does a Christian activate their faith?

The first thing that a Christian does to activate their faith is:

1. They get involved with others (14–17)

This is something we’ve talked about before. Our need for involvement with others.

We’ve talked about how we were commanded to Go and make disciples and that the only way of seeing this responsibility fulfilled would be to involve ourselves with people.

It’s a reoccurring theme that we will see through out God’s word because of the second greatest command.

“Love the Lord God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:37–40.

In order to respond to God’s love for us in a way that God desires we need to involve ourselves with others. We need to love others as we love ourselves.