Finding The Hover Button

 “Enoch walked faithfully with God” – Genesis 5:24

“Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God because the righteous will live by faith” – Galatians 3:11

How do you listen to sermons on Sunday? For me, I listen for the Spirit’s voice through the preacher’s words. “Lord, speak to my heart” And so there will be a few thoughts to come to my mind – revelations or I suppose, more correctly, re-revelations. Being reminded of some truths that I know but perhaps I need to be refreshed. When I was in the Army, if I had been away from the cockpit of a helicopter too long I would go back to Ft. Rucker for a refresher course. Things I once knew and did, almost without thinking were not so “autonomic”.  I couldn’t find what we called the “hover button”. But after a few wobbly hovers – there it was – like it was never gone.

And so, in a similar way, that is the way it is in my faith walk.  There are principles having to do with my new life in Christ that get “stuffed” in the back of my mind. Principles that I must be reminded of. Not that I have fallen into sin, but then again to miss God is to sin – to miss the mark. 

Something that I was reminded of this past Sunday was that my being right before God had to do with faith and not sin management. Abraham, Moses, Enoch, Noah, the list is long … were righteous before God because of their faith in God. These men were not sinless. But they loved God – the greatest commandment – Matthew 22:37-38. Do you remember Ephesians 2:8-9?

“For it is by grace you have been saved through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is a gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.”

It is my faith that is the prism through which God sees me as righteous. Not because I am a nice guy. Not because I am not guilty of doing any major sins. Only because of my faith in God, the Father and Jesus, the Son.

Does this sound simple – like something Christian knows. Like hovering a helicopter – you get away from it – in this case – not keeping it at the front of your mind, then you might well find yourself covering your sins with “fig leaves”. That is symptomatic of a faith problem. A “not loving God enough” problem.

When we do sin – and we will sin in some way – God made a provision for us.

“If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” – 1 John 1:9

Are you guilty of “stuffing” your sin as if it does not matter to God or man? It may not matter to man – but it hampers your faith walk with God. To confess is to agree with God that you have chosen the way of the first Adam and not the Last Adam – that being Jesus. (1 Corinthians 15:45)  It doesn’t have to be a special time or a special place. It can be any time and any place.

 “Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God because the righteous will live by faith” – Galatians 3:11

How do you listen to sermons on Sunday? For me, I listen for the Spirit’s voice through the preacher’s words. “Lord, speak to my heart” And so there will be a few thoughts to come to my mind – revelations or I suppose, more correctly, re-revelations. Being reminded of some truths that I know but perhaps I need to be refreshed. When I was in the Army, if I had been away from the cockpit of a helicopter too long I would go back to Ft. Rucker for a refresher course. Things I once knew and did, almost without thinking were not so “autonomic”.  I couldn’t find what we called the “hover button”. But after a few wobbly hovers – there it was – like it was never gone.

And so, in a similar way, that is the way it is in my faith walk.  There are principles having to do with my new life in Christ that get “stuffed” in the back of my mind. Principles that I must be reminded of. Not that I have fallen into sin, but then again to miss God is to sin – to miss the mark. 

Something that I was reminded of this past Sunday was that my being right before God had to do with faith and not sin management. Abraham, Moses, Enoch, Noah, the list is long … were righteous before God because of their faith in God. These men were not sinless. But they loved God – the greatest commandment – Matthew 22:37-38. Do you remember Ephesians 2:8-9?

“For it is by grace you have been saved through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is a gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.”

It is my faith that is the prism through which God sees me as righteous. Not because I am a nice guy. Not because I am not guilty of doing any major sins. Only because of my faith in God, the Father and Jesus, the Son.

Does this sound simple – like something Christian knows. Like hovering a helicopter – you get away from it – in this case – not keeping it at the front of your mind, then you might well find yourself covering your sins with “fig leaves”. That is symptomatic of a faith problem. A “not loving God enough” problem.

When we do sin – and we will sin in some way – God made a provision for us.

“If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” – 1 John 1:9

Are you guilty of “stuffing” your sin as if it does not matter to God or man? It may not matter to man – but it hampers your faith walk with God. To confess is to agree with God that you have chosen the way of the first Adam and not the Last Adam – that being Jesus. (1 Corinthians 15:45)  It doesn’t have to be a special time or a special place. It can be any time and any place.

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone