Hands and Feet of Faith
In Luke 1 after the birth of John the Baptist, his father, Zechariah, is filled with the Holy Spirit and prophecies:
68 “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,
because he has come to his people and redeemed them.
69 He has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David
70 (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago),
71 salvation from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us—
72 to show mercy to our ancestors
and to remember his holy covenant,
73 the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
74 to rescue us from the hand of our enemies,
and to enable us to serve him without fear
75 in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
Verses 74 and 75 are powerful. God is going to rescue us from the hand of our enemies and enable us to serve him without fear. I John 4:18 tells us that fear has to do with punishment and that those who fear have not been perfected in love. However, "perfect love casts out fear." That perfect love our hearts are longing for is only found in Jesus Christ. His unconditional love and acceptance of us allows us to rest in Christ's perfect holiness. We no longer have to rely on our own "goodness." We know we are unholy, but Christ is holy and his holiness is imputed to us. The amazing peace that comes when we rest in what Christ has already done allows us to demonstrate that love to others.
This Christmas season, look for opportunities to give to others. Don't look for grand gestures to feed your own ego. Really see the people God places in your path. Give a cup of water to someone who is thirsty. God isn't looking for big, grand gestures from us; he wants us to care for others in the everyday opportunities he places before us. Look for those moments; see people who are in need and meet that need. If your neighbor needs a jump start, help him or her. Put hands and feet to your faith. Live the words your mouth speaks.
In Him,
Pastor Boyd
68 “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,
because he has come to his people and redeemed them.
69 He has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David
70 (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago),
71 salvation from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us—
72 to show mercy to our ancestors
and to remember his holy covenant,
73 the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
74 to rescue us from the hand of our enemies,
and to enable us to serve him without fear
75 in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
Verses 74 and 75 are powerful. God is going to rescue us from the hand of our enemies and enable us to serve him without fear. I John 4:18 tells us that fear has to do with punishment and that those who fear have not been perfected in love. However, "perfect love casts out fear." That perfect love our hearts are longing for is only found in Jesus Christ. His unconditional love and acceptance of us allows us to rest in Christ's perfect holiness. We no longer have to rely on our own "goodness." We know we are unholy, but Christ is holy and his holiness is imputed to us. The amazing peace that comes when we rest in what Christ has already done allows us to demonstrate that love to others.
This Christmas season, look for opportunities to give to others. Don't look for grand gestures to feed your own ego. Really see the people God places in your path. Give a cup of water to someone who is thirsty. God isn't looking for big, grand gestures from us; he wants us to care for others in the everyday opportunities he places before us. Look for those moments; see people who are in need and meet that need. If your neighbor needs a jump start, help him or her. Put hands and feet to your faith. Live the words your mouth speaks.
In Him,
Pastor Boyd
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