Berry Patch Blog: !010 – November 1. – Faithless Faith

Study from God`s Word_ Accounts from the Gospels around the "last supper" and Jesus` preparing to get the Lamb of God from Matt 26, Mark 14, and Luke 22 as well as John 12 _ Passage for Reflection: John 12: 42 - 43 _ NIV 42 Yet at the same time many even among the leadership believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not openly admit their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue;

43 for they loved human praise more than praise from God.My Journal for Today: As sometimes we say when incongruities are apparent in someone`s story or the story of a set of circumstances, like the one in today`s devotional text, "What`s wrong with this picture?"Supposedly we have Jewish leaders in these latter days of Jesus` life on earth who "trust" in Jesus. Yet, they are unwilling - or unable - to stand in the gap for that desire by confessing their beliefs to the Pharisees, who were the so-called guardians of the Temple, because of fears that they`d be excluded from worshipping in the Temple, which would have shunned them from inclusion in the community of Jewish faith there in Jerusalem. So, as my title implies for my devotional entry today, these men had somewhat of a "faithless faith." Today, we Christians might have called them "nominal christians," because the depth of their faith was only intellectual and not a deep/abiding/living faith in Christ.And that brings up our application challenge from Dr. Smith from reading and meditating on the text for today. Dr. Smith asks, "In what ways have I denounced my faith by refusing to openly acknowledge what I actually think?" I would ask that the answer to this question catches many of us coming up short in the depth of our faith over the age of our walk as Christians. It certainly has me.There are any bit of times in my walk of faith where I`ve been "chicken" and unwilling to stand openly for Jesus in the world area of life. Quite a number of times, I`ve heard people mock Christ or Christianity; and I kept my mouth shut. There have been times in my past when I heard people spelling out their beliefs FOR abortion; and I didn`t stand up for surviving the way I should get through as a Christian. And perchance you have had times when you were a part of "faithless faith," not standing forth as you should have.Well, fortunately we get a forgiving Lord and Savior, Who in the verses following today`s text declares (see John 12: 47), 47 "If anyone hears My words but does not restrain them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to measure the world, but to sustain the world." No, when Jesus walked the earth as the God-Man, He was not there as a JUDGE. He was there as the Lamb of God, to take His life so that those of us who own REAL faith in Him will be eternally. It is one day, when He will happen again to be the Judge of mankind; and so all will apply to bear in the gap for our hope in Him. And it will scarce be those who hold true faith who will be worthy of His saving grace.But once that saving faith has been expressed - truly from the heart; and we become Christian, receiving the saving grace offered by the origin of Christ, it will never be satisfactory to support still and refuse to see our faith. No, _ the Holy Spirit, residing in me now as a Christian, rumbles His conviction when I am quiet, knowing I should address or stand for my faith. And I don`t think - and I certainly pray - that I would now be unwilling to bear in the gap for Christ in circumstances which called for my witness. I hope and beg that anyone reading here would step forward with me when and if the time presented itself to be a see for our faith, never again living in a "faithless faith."My Request for Today: Lord, give us the faith of our faith to be witnesses for our faith. Amen