What does "love with faith" mean in our daily walk with Christ? \Setting the Scene: Paul’s Farewell Blessing\ “Peace to the brothers and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Ephesians 6:23) Paul closes his letter by wishing the believers two inseparable gifts—peace, and “love with faith.” The phrase is short, yet loaded with meaning for everyday life. \Unpacking “Love with Faith”\ • Love is the self-giving, sacrificial affection demonstrated by Christ (John 13:34). • Faith is confident trust that God is who He says He is and will do what He has promised (Hebrews 11:1). • Paul does not say “love and faith,” but “love with faith,” welding the two together. One fuels the other. Just as a tree needs both trunk and sap, the believer needs both faith’s trust and love’s action. \Scripture’s Consistent Pairing\ • Galatians 5:6 — “The only thing that matters is faith expressing itself through love.” • 1 Thessalonians 1:3 — “Your work of faith, your labor of love.” • James 2:17 — “Faith by itself, if it does not result in action, is dead.” • 1 John 3:18 — “Let us love not in word and speech, but in action and truth.” These passages affirm that authentic faith always blossoms into tangible love, and genuine love stands on the foundation of unwavering faith. \Why the Two Belong Together\ 1. Faith roots love in God’s character, not shifting emotion. 2. Love proves faith’s reality before a watching world (John 13:35). 3. Together they guard against imbalance: • Faith without love becomes cold orthodoxy. • Love without faith drifts into mere sentimentalism. \Living It Out Daily\ • Morning mindset: “Lord, I trust You (faith); show me whom to serve today (love).” • Conversations: Listen first, speak truth with grace—faith that God’s Word changes hearts, love that respects the person. • Finances: Faith gives security in God’s provision; love releases resources to meet needs. • Trials: Faith says, “God is working”; love keeps kindness alive even when pressured. • Church life: Faith embraces sound doctrine; love welcomes the weak, bears burdens, forgives quickly. \Strength for the Walk\ • Romans 5:5 — “God has poured out His love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit.” • 2 Corinthians 5:7 — “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” The Spirit supplies both love and faith. We receive, then release. \Practical Steps for Today\ 1. Read a Gospel scene daily to refresh love’s pattern in Christ. 2. Memorize a promise of God each week to anchor faith. 3. Ask before each decision: “Will this choice trust God and benefit others?” 4. Keep short accounts—confess quickly when faith falters or love cools. 5. Celebrate small victories: note where trusting God empowered you to serve someone yesterday. \Closing Thought\ “Love with faith” is not an occasional burst of kindness or a mere mental assent; it is the steady rhythm of a heart convinced of God’s truth and compelled by His love—moment by moment, choice by choice, until we see Christ face to face. |
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