Where sin and all of its ramifications were exposed by the law, grace came in abundantly to deliver us from the consequences of sin—death, separation from God forever. Without the law, we never would have known the extent of sin and of how much God despises sin. Adam’s corruption was complete; he was made in the image of God, but his behavior was the opposite of what God wanted for him. God wanted fellowship and allegiance from Adam, but Adam chose division and self-interest. Adam wanted to determine what was best for him. By deciding to tweak creation when he ate of the tree of knowledge, he chose his wisdom over God’s wisdom. His wisdom, ever so weak and incomplete, became his guiding force. The Bible says, For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. (1Corinthians 3:19) What man can understand creation and God himself? We are all hopelessly and helplessly caught on this little planet in the midst of timeless space, not truly knowing anything but what our senses can determine is real or consequential to us. But Adam was given a gift. All human beings have received this gift that transports us to the very heart of God, a golden path that leads us past the wonders of creation—the universe, the galaxies—to the very presence of God. That avenue to God himself is faith, a powerful gift internalized in our being. If we use this gift to recognize and to honor God, we will be accepted by God and blessed with eternal life. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, THROUGH FAITH—and this is not from yourselves, IS THE GIFT OF GOD — not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:3-9) All humans have a choice whether to activate this gift or not. Faith that leads us to God is readily available, but faith has to be put in action. We might sense in our spirits that there is a Creator, but without faith in God’s salvation plan through Jesus Christ, we remain lost in our sins. God’s plan is perfect. Through our faith in Christ and our resulting perfection comes allegiance to God and unity with him. Since we place our faith IN CHRIST’S WORK and not our own, we boldly approach the inner sanctum of God’s presence, hidden in the works of Jesus Christ: He in us, we in him. Because of Jesus, we have the grace, mercy, and peace of God in us. We who are imperfect in ourselves are justified through faith in Christ’s sacrifice.
Sometimes our faith becomes inactive. We seemingly hit the doldrums in the sea of life. With our sails slack because we don’t feel the wind of the Holy Spirit, situations, events, and relationships are not as blessed as we desire. Our spiritual lives are adrift without clear direction. The gift of faith in us seems to be inactive; we wonder if God has stopped speaking to us. Our coveted relationship with him seems weak. Too many hardships in our lives, too many unanswered prayers, too many lost friendships, too much sickness and sadness. “Where is this God in whom I have put my hopes and desires? Why am I in the doldrums of my life?" As believers, we must know that if we seek God in these times of stagnation and inertia and listen for his still small voice, He is always there. God has said, Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you. (Hebrew 13:5) These spiritual valleys can be times of pruning and new growth where we hear the voice of God anew: “Where is your hope, my dear daughter or son? I love you! I have not abandoned you. My joy is your strength.” Today’s scripture points us to a place of victory when we feel we are going nowhere in the Lord. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more. We might say during these times of lifelessness, no action, no wind in our sails: Search me, Father God? Show me where I have wandered from your paths. I believe in your grace. I still believe you are my Creator. I believe you possess eternal life and raise the dead. Why am I here with no direction in my life, no fire in my spirit? These are often our questions when we are in the midst of a doldrum: when the Bible becomes just words to us, does not inspire us, when church attendance and worship seem a perfunctory activity, when the encouragement of our friends falls to the ground. But the answer is always Jesus. We must fall at his feet, no matter how we feel, for we are his servants. We must arise in the morning with praise to him and seek his will and his direction. That is what Paul did after he was stoned, after the people thought he was dead. He got up and went back into the city where the people hated him and rejoiced in God at his stoning. This is our prayer: "Where have I sinned, Lord? Where have I gone astray? Bring me home to a safe harbor in you.” We must seek the wind for our sails, the blessed Holy Spirit. The grace of God will increase in our lives when we feel the most weak. For his strength is made perfect in weakness. When we seem unable to hold onto a strong faith, Jesus Christ fills the gap, and He gives us more grace when the burdens grow greater.
The Israelites found themselves in the doldrums when they failed to get up and enter the Promised Land. Even though many miracles had been performed before their eyes, they could not believe that God could conquer the people who possessed the land God said was theirs. They saw themselves as weak in the face of the giants and fortified cities. They counted their own numbers and knew there were more forces in the inhabited land than in their own midst. They looked with human eyes, not eyes of faith. How could they accomplish the task that God had assigned to them? They failed to enter into the Promised Land at that time. Circumstances and their knowledge overwhelmed their faith. The wind went out of their sails, and they sat listlessly unable to move forward. Dear friends, our lives are often difficult in this world. We do not always understand what God is doing with us. But where unbelief or sin abounds, grace abounds more. When Paul was left for dead, he went back to the city and then went to Derbe where he had a profitable ministry. He did not say, “This ministry work is too much for me. Why has God forsaken me?” You too will have a profitable ministry if you go back to speak truth into other people’s lives with the eternal story of God’s grace and mercy. You are temples of the living God. People in the Bible times went to the temple to find mercy and grace. Give that mercy and grace from your temple. If so, the wind will pick up in your sails. You will once again find the Bible alive; your fellowship with other Christians will inspire you. Your voice in worship will sound forth loud and clear. Knowing that you are the temple of God is important. Through faith in Jesus Christ, you continuously inherit the grace of God and function as a dynamic force in other people’s existence. They will know God because you know God and shine in a dark world for him. Others will want to leave this lethargic existence as they see your vibrant walk with God. They will want what you have! The law pointed to the myriad of sins of the flesh, but faith in God reveals that his grace and mercy are efficacious for all people. We know we have a Savior who is Christ the Lord! Therefore he (Jesus) is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. (Hebrews 7:25)
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