What Part Does Your Faith Play In Your Life

What Part does your Faith play in your life?

2 Peter 1:1-4

What is faith? Webster defines faith as a belief in a value, or trustworthiness of someone or something.

We all exercise a faith in one form or another. When we drove our cars here, not only did we use our faith that our vehicles would make it here, but they would return us home as well?

When you arrived here you exercised you faith that the chair you are sitting in would support your weight. Little did you know that Mitch has been repairing a few of them?

Sometimes our use in faith is not so obvious. The doctor tells us we have a disease that we’ve never heard of. So they write a prescription that we cannot read, for a medicine whose name we can’t pronounce. Which we take to a pharmacist who we don’t know, who gives us a bottle of liquid which tastes like poison and then we go back for more!

But the faith that I wanted to talk to you about this morning is your faith in God. At the last presidential debate the question was asked to the candidates, “What part does your faith play in your role as President?”

John Kerry talks about being a Catholic, growing up as an altar boy. But he separates his faith from his position. He says he does not believe in abortion himself but would not agree to any law that would prevent pro-choice. I believe in pro-choice myself. It’s made before conception. You choose not to engage in sex. That is the pro-choice I support.

Gorge Bush on the other hand says that he prays. “I pray for strength. I pray for wisdom. I pray for our troops in harms way.” There was an article in this past Sunday’s paper entitled; “Bush’s faith is his strength”. And this writer did not approve of the Presidents faith but he gave me encouragement with his statement that our President is the most “aggressively religious president” of his lifetime. It gives me comfort to think that this county is ran by someone who goes to a higher power for advise.

So the question that I ask you this morning, much like the one in the debate is, “What part does your faith play in your life?” Is you faith like a coat that you put on when needed? Or do you wear it all the time? Do you just go through the motions looking like you have the faith, or do you have a genuine faith in God? This morning I want to talk to you about your faith and the proper use of it.

Your Faith in God

There was a young woman teacher, fresh out of college and very liberal in her tendencies that began to introduce herself to her second grade class. She told them that she was an atheist. She asked the class if they were an atheist too. Not knowing what atheism was but wanting to be like the teacher, their hands began to raise. All but one little girl, who choose not to go along with the crowd raised their hand.

The teacher asked the girl why she decided to be different. “Because I am not an atheist” she replied.

The teacher asked her, “Well what are you?” She said, “I am a Christian”. The teacher was a little put out by her response and asked the little girl why she was a Christian. She replied, “I was raised to believe and love God. My mom is a Christian. My Dad is a Christian. So I am a Christian.”

The teacher said, “That is no reason to be a Christian. What if your mom was a moron and your dad was a moron. What would you be then? “ The little girl paused, and smiled, “Then I’d be an atheist”.

Now if you are not an atheist and you believe in God that does not mean that you still have the faith in God that I am talking about.

James 2:19, You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe and tremble.

You need to do more than just believe in God. You need to receive Him as your Savior. The faith that I’m talking about is one that is associated with a relation and not a religion.

Ephesians 2:8-9, For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works lest anyone should boast.

Being good or being religious or being brought up in religion does not get you a free pass into Heaven. Salvation is not inherited. You can’t get it because your dad was a preacher or your parents always took you to church.