I came across this familiar story from Scripture that reminds me why you and I live in hope- God’s gifts of faith and grace.
Here is an illustration from Luke 23:
“One of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, “Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!” But the other responded, and rebuking him, said, “Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our crimes; but this Man has done nothing wrong.”
And he was saying, “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom!” And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”
The criminal hanging alongside Jesus is guilty, by his own admission, yet forgiven in an instant because of his faith in the mercy of Jesus.
The Apostle Paul explains God’s forgiveness in many places in Scripture. Here is one, from Ephesians 2:
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one may boast.”
Paul proclaims that we all are forgiven by God’s Grace, through faith, not earned by what we do or don’t do but given freely because God loves us.
In another story, “Jesus Heals a Sick Woman (Luke 8),” a suffering woman is likewise freed from misery through her faith in Jesus.
“And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped. “Who touched me?” Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.”
But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.” Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”
The bleeding woman is healed by faith when all else fails.
Faith is like oxygen, it seems to me, a life-enabling element that is as accessible as the air we breathe. If that idea and these stories that illustrate it don’t give us hope, what can?
When I think about these gifts- faith and grace, I picture a team-building exercise where individuals are asked to “trust fall” backwards into the arms of their co-workers. In so many movies, the exercise goes wrong because the group entrusted to catch their teammate is distracted, for one reason or another, and the faithful coworker hits the ground hard. It ends badly for that individual because their trust is misplaced. God assures that if we put our trust in Him, we are supported, loved, and forgiven.
Song pairing: I remember writing this song in the early, “wide-eyed,” giddy stage of my faith journey, like when we first fall in love. It’s packed with its own collection of stories from Scripture that emphasize the importance of faith and is as exuberant as you might expect. Until next time, stay safe, be brave, and keep walking in faith.
We Live by Faith
By faith the walls of Jericho fell
it was faith that kept Noah dry as well
faith raised one man from the dead
and it could have been you or me instead
Now Sara was way past 63
with a little baby rocking on her knee
Who is this man wind and seas obey?
Follow Me, He said, follow Me and see.
We live by faith and not by sight
we are walking steady toward the light
you will see later with your eyes so bright
what you know down in your in heart
what you know is right
Now it’s Easter time, the world is fresh and new
the flowers are pink and the sky is blue
God waits for us, it’s true
open your eyes He said,
your faith has healed you
We live by faith…….
Faith will move mountains He said
then He fed 5,000 with some loaves of bread
He tells everyone who’s living
go in peace, you are forgiven
Why He asks are you afraid?
With some faith, sister you are saved.
Why then are you still afraid?
