EPHESIANS CONTINUES TO unfold: “For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints” (Eph. 1:15). Here faith and love are connected. They are connected time after time: “Timothy . . . has brought us the good news of your faith and love” (1 Thess. 3:6). “Your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you . . . is increasing” (2 Thess. 1:3). Why are they connected—by chance? No, as cause and effect. The love comes out of the faith. To urge people to love without faith results in futility. Love must have its roots in faith.
It is not faith in faith. That makes you strain to have more faith, which makes you have less. It is faith in the Lord Jesus. When you center your attention on Him, faith grows with the attention. “Whatever gets your attention gets you.” Your attention centered on Jesus, you begin to love what He loves and you begin to love with His love.
Dr. Massie, pastor of Tremont Baptist Temple, Boston, past ninety and vigorous, said to the writer, “I will pass on to you my philosophy of life: In view of the resources of God, I refuse to accept my limitations.” He did not look at his own limitations; he looked at the resources of God, and as he did so his faith grew.
A Belgian government official said to the Rev. Mr. Gonjola, head of the amazing Belgian Congo revival, “We’ve been beating these people to make them clean up, and nothing happens. You make them clean up of their own accord.” They looked at Jesus and wanted to clean up—from within. You look at Jesus and your faith grows and out of your faith love grows and out of the process you grow—effortlessly. The Rev. Mr. Gonjola said: “Before the Holy Spirit came I was so proud I wouldn’t greet anyone. Now I love everyone.” The Holy Spirit got his attention fixed on Jesus, and out of that attention love sprang—love for the very unlovable.
O Holy Spirit, shed abroad in my heart the love of God, so that I can love what I can’t love, and believe in people I can’t believe in. Then I shall be a constant miracle to myself and others. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
AFFIRMATION FOR THE DAY: Faith and love shall be the alternate beats of my heart this day in everything.
