Genuine Faith

Scripture: Matthew 7:16..'By their deeds you will know them.'
What are some signs that someone has ' genuine faith'? Our
behavior is the only indicator of true faith. If a person sincerely believes
from his heart and wants to truly emulate the heart and person of Jesus
Christ, he will walk the walk and talk the talk. His behavior will emulate
the works of the presence of God in his life. He will follow John l3:34-
35...'A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another. By
this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have 'love for one
another'. Through their very actions, you will see and discern the Holy
Spirit working in them and through them and that they are living by faith.
Always keep your eyes open to what people DO, and less to what
people say.

Action is character. You have to ask yourself and discern,
do they act more like the evil world or the Risen Lord by their actions,
words, and deeds? Words are just words that can be spoken by
anyone to display false piety or false belief. Actions ALWAYS speak
louder than words. In fact, actions prove truth in every way. If you want
to discern true character of one's faith, watch what they DO.

Those who have truly given their lives and totally surrendered their
lives to the Lord Jesus Christ will show forth the fruits and true faith of
their salvation. Their faith springs up from their hearts like living water.
Those who are sincere in their faith will always be found walking the
walk and making it easier for others to discern their true sincerity (or
lack thereof). Many claim to follow Christ, but it is their actions, not
words, that give their true heart away.

Even Satan quotes the Bible and yet his character and actions show
that he is far from God. 'Beware of Wolves in Sheep's Clothing'.
Along this same line, in Matthew 23:27, Jesus spoke of the Pharisees
and Sadducees. At that time, tombs were caves or rock piles scattered
across the countryside. They were beautifully painted or washed with
white lime to make them appear white and clean. Those tombs were
lovely on the outside but we know what rested within, death and decay.
Jesus called the Israel leaders hypocrites, saying they went above
and beyond to 'falsely appear' to be so full of God and faith on the
outside when 'darkness, death, and decay, dwelt in their hearts. In this
case, even in their outward demeanor, they didn't have 'genuine faith'.
They were not genuine in their worship or teachings. We should not
follow in their footsteps as we move forward and mature in our faith but
show forth the genuine faith and rid outselves and our hearts of any
anger, divisions, or besetting sin.

In closing in I Samuel 6:7, it says...'But the Lord said to Samuel, 'Do
not look on one's appearance or on the height of his stature, because I
have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as a man sees, man looks at
the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart.'
Genuine faith comes from the heart of man. John l3:34-35 says,
'Let me give you a new command: Love one another. This is how
everyone will recognize that you are my disciple - when they see the
love you have for each other.
Ezekiel 44:23 says, 'They are to teach my people the difference
between the holy and the common and show them how to distinguish
between the clean and the unclean.
So, in obedience, we say that 'genuine faith' is not a long list of
performances we do to impress others. It is about maintaining our
relationship with God as our best friend, our pearl of great price. This is
the secret of the Christian life. Perhaps you've been trying to do all this
work yourself on a hit and miss basis. If you and I will daily stay
connected to our source, then the natural outcome will be a simple life,
filled with Christ by our side, and a life of 'genuine
faith'.

Amen.

The Wilderness Preacher