Testament to Faith

I am what our Pastor recently described as a “cradle Christian.” I was a part of the Christian church before I knew how to tie my show laces. My home growing up was a model of what Christ discipleship should be. My parents participated in the life of the church. They instilled in me a need to know God, follow His command. Yet with all of that, I still became lost. I knew of God, I thought that he existed. I attended church and Sunday school, sang his praises in choirs. I studied his word in youth groups and Bible studies, but it simply didn’t fully engulf my life, I struggled to truly understand. One of the main issues was an apparent contradiction in the Bible. James 2:26 says, “Faith without works is dead.” Yet in Ephesians 2 we read, “For by grace we are saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” These two verses did not seem to fit together. This tragic confusion has cost many their faith; I too was on that road. My loss of understanding came to a climax while in a small group Bible study in college. The leader explained that “once we were saved, we could not loose that salvation.” Or at least that is what I had heard. But I am a sinner, how could God accept me? From that point forward, I began to search for what I defined my faith to be. Years past and I simply gave up on understanding and attempted to continue my walk with this gapping hole in my faith. I covered it well, even being elected to our church Council without a complete understanding of the relationship between faith and works. Again, I thought God existed, but I wanted to define him.

Then one Saturday morning about two years ago, I was led to a Men’s Breakfast Bible Study. I had not attended in more than a year, yet I woke up and went. The discussion centered on the very topic of “defining God and faith.” What I learned was that the flaw is with me defining God. In all that I do in relationship with God, God should be the focus. Not me or my faith. This understanding was monumental to my walk with Him. I opened my eyes to the self-centered way I had been living out my faith. I came to understand that what I needed to do was to bring myself closer to God. Until that morning I had been attempting to bring God into my life. Instead, I should have brought my life to God. In one simple moment, my faith had been renewed. I soon came to understand that faith and works are related. They are cohesive, not contradicting. My salvation is in Christ Jesus. In His death, I am renewed. I am not saved by my faith or by my deeds. I am saved by His grace. It is through my faith and my works that I show my Lord that I trust in Him. The Apostle Paul describes faith as “being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” It is this faith through which we stand and proclaim our salvation through our Lord, Jesus. A proclamation made by our works.

Moving forward from that day, I now know that I am saved. I am secure in that faith. I know that I need Him. I am learning to lean on Him more, to study His Word, to work for His mission, and to pray to Him always. To give Him thanks in all things, to allow Him to work through me and in me, and return to Him the glory. I struggle every day at this task. I fail every day. Yet I wake up anew, come back to Him who is all things. I leave to Him my worries and my shortcomings, my failures and my offenses. I try to praise Him in all things, overcome my own ambition and pride. Through these works I proclaim my assurance of salvation; assurance that I have through my faith in a salvation that I have by His grace and nothing more.