“…faith works through love.”

Galatians 5:6b

Faith is a primary force to live by. Hebrews 11:6 says that people of God must, “live by faith.” The Bible says that faith is what pleases God (Hebrews 11:6).

Faith is believing in our heart and declaring what we believe out of our mouth (Mark 11:23). Faith is believing that God is faithful to His Word and to His Promises. Faith is putting our trust and reliance on God. Faith is having a steadfast conviction that God’s Word is true and is the final authority over every circumstance.

This God kind of faith can remove the “mountains” that seem to be the impossible situations of our lives and cause them to change for the better. BUT this God kind of supernatural faith only works when it’s founded on and motivated by THE LOVE OF GOD. Galatians 5:6 says that, “Faith works through LOVE.” This LOVE of God that’s working in us (Romans 5:5) as believers requires us to forgive and release what has hurt or offended us and place everything into God’s hands.

Mark 11:22-24 is the description of exercising “mountain moving faith”, and Mark 11:25 says, “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.”

When we are praying for the “mountains” to be removed from our lives, we must FORGIVE! And FORGIVENESS is not a feeling but rather a decision that we make because God said that we must forgive! Jesus said, “FORGIVE 70 times 7” (Matthew 18:22). This simply means WE MUST ALWAYS FORGIVE AS A CHOICE! God has forgiven us by what He did on Calvary and pouring out His Blood for us. He forgives us continually when we acknowledge our wrong and ask Him by faith to forgive us (1 John 1:9).

LOVE and FORGIVENESS are synonymous! We can’t walk in God’s LOVE or exercise God’s LOVE in our lives without also walking in FORGIVENESS. LOVE and FORGIVENESS are essential for us to be motivated by and to live by in order for our faith to operate!

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT
Years ago, when I was in college, I was working part-time on campus. I had been walking with the Lord for about one year. I was attending a Life Group every week and was being taught about “walking in love and forgiveness.” I was encouraged to be quick to forgive those who hurt me, and those who seemingly were taking advantage of me. I was encouraged to love these individuals by faith, not based on my feelings. I was encouraged to express my love and forgiveness by blessing these individuals instead of wanting to “get back” at them for their wrong. And I was being taught that walking in love and forgiveness was directly correlated to my walk of faith. It was how I would see the impossible become possible!

One day, while I was on my lunch break, I decided to ride my bike off campus to my bank. It was a 10-minute ride. I parked my bike on the bike rack outside the bank and went in to do my banking. I was in the bank for about 15 minutes. When I went to get my bike, it wasn’t where I left it. I began looking throughout the bike rack and as I lifted up my head, I saw my bike being walked across the street by a young boy. I yelled at him, “Hey, you’ve got my bike!” He turned around and looked at me and then started running across the street, then he jumped on my bike and rode away.

I had an opportunity right then to exercise my faith in my walk of love and forgiveness.
I quickly declared, “Lord, I choose to forgive that young man and I pray for him to come to know You. I pray that you send laborers into his path. I choose to express Your Love that you poured into my heart for him now! I choose to give him my bike! I choose to bless him, in Jesus Name! The enemy will not steal, kill or destroy from my life! I choose to extend God’s grace and mercy to this young boy! Thank You Lord that you have a better bike for me and even a car coming to me, in Jesus Name!”

I had to walk back to my job and ended up being 30 minutes late. My supervisors were Christian women who God had used to give me my job there and had invited me to Christian meetings on campus where I heard different Christian leaders share God’s Word. I wasn’t even qualified for the job, but they hired me because the Lord told them I was their assignment!

When they asked me why I was late, I told them because I had to walk back. They asked, “Where’s your bike?” I told them I gave it away! I told them that I had been learning about walking in love and forgiveness and I chose to bless the young man that took it. I said, “I didn’t let the devil steal from me. I gave my bike to him!” They wanted me to put in a police report. But I told them that wasn’t necessary because I believed that God was going to provide! They told me that they were humbly learning from me, a young Christian girl how to live for Jesus! I didn’t get a new bike, but soon a car was given to me! I was blessed that I had something bigger and better to provide rides for people who I could now take to church. (Pastor Kuna Sepulveda)

TODAY’S DECLARATION
“Lord, I choose to walk in Your Love and Forgiveness every day of my life with everyone around me. I will keep my faith strong and see your supernatural interventions manifested in my life!”

TODAY’S BIBLE READING

• Old Testament: Esther 9-10; Proverbs 17:15-28
• New Testament: Luke 20:20-26; Philemon 1:12-25