The Daily, Practical Life of
Faith
Imagine the joy that filled the heart
of Ali and his wife and children when they moved out of the miserable
hovel where they had lived, into the comfortable mansion he was able to
buy with the money from his treasure box in the field. (See chapter 1.)
No more wearisome toil for a mere pittance; no more wearing patched rags
for clothes; no more cooking with battered pots and pans; no more eating
from chipped and cracked dishes, with bent and rusty cutlery. Ali’s
decision to sell all he possessed in order to purchase the field and the
box of treasure was applauded by all who had previously doubted his
sanity.
What kind of practical, day by day life
do we live once we have chosen by faith to "purchase" the
treasure of true religion?
We live a life of inner peace of heart,
of joy that is worth more than all the money in the world. Jesus
described this life as follows: "I am come that they might have
life, and that they might have it more abundantly."1 The
reason this is true is that the source of anxiety and fear has been
removed from our hearts by true religious faith. "Perfect love
[agape] casteth out fear."2 Our standing in the great Day of
Judgment is not dependent on our own acts of righteousness, but on the
righteousness of Christ whose love is that of Allah, a Father of grace
and compassion.
It is impossible to describe the joy
that fills the human heart when the fear of Judgment is taken away. It
is as though a great burden one has been carrying has been lifted. The
judgment and condemnation of sin is lifted by the sacrifice of Christ.
The joy of heart reconciliation with Allah is as though Paradise begins
here and now. As a budding flower unfolds its petals in the sunshine,
our life begins to unfold with a new beauty.
The inspired Word of God becomes our
guide and rule of faith and life. The traditions of men are as nothing
— all that counts is a "Thus saith the Lord." And the Bible
itself can be understood by the common man, for rightly understood, it
explains itself.3
You choose to believe that Allah loves
you personally more than the best father can love his child; it is he
who is seeking and calling you, not you who must painfully search for
him. He is not playing a game of hide and seek with you. You come to
Allah as one who had been invited to a feast — you don’t have to
knock on his door for admittance for he has already called you. Your
coming is a response to his invitation. Since he already gave Jesus as
the sacrifice for your sins, you know how much he loves you! As the
prodigal son, you are coming home. Feel welcome, for you are.4
You accept Allah’s invitation to talk
with him in secret prayer, opening your heart to him as to a friend. You
tell him all that is in your heart, for the surest way that your secrets
will not be known to the world is for you to give them to Allah. In
prayer you give your heart to him and accept Jesus as your only Saviour
from sin. He promises that "thy Father which seeth in secret shall
reward thee openly." That means that God will rejoice that you
accept him as your Father and your Saviour, and will honour you as his
child. "The Father seeketh such to worship him."5
You believe Jesus’ promise to give
you the true gift of the Holy Spirit, who will "abide with you for
ever," so that you will never again be lonesome. By the Holy Spirit
you are in union with Christ, and you know that he is real. You know and
believe that he sustains you in your trials and troubles, for Jesus has
promised, "Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.
Amen."6
You watch for God’s leading to bring
you into fellowship with others "of like precious faith."
Christ has a "body" on earth, of which he is the
"head," and all true believers are the "members of the
body." This "body" is composed of those who are
"called out" from the wickedness of the world. Their
fellowship is a blessing to each other, and through them Jesus continues
to reveal his love and grace to the dark world. What joins you to this
"body" is true, living faith. The "body" is composed
of all races, cultures, and languages.7
You seal your commitment to the Lord by
following Jesus in baptism, in obedience to his commandment. This
signifies that by faith you share in his death, burial, and
resurrection, recognizing your identity "with him." He takes
upon himself your sins and your weaknesses, and you receive from him his
righteousness and his strength — he gives a new heart and spirit, as
the prophet David also prayed for.8 Baptism unites you with him
by faith. Baptism is a divinely ordained experience that speaks to our
senses — being buried in the water for a moment impresses on us
unforgettably that the Saviour was buried in a tomb after dying for our
redemption; we "die" with him by faith; our old life of
selfishness and sin is buried in the grave; we rise to newness of life
even as he rose from the dead.9 An ordained elder or pastor
administers baptism.10
In fellowship with others who believe
in Jesus, you will remember his death by the Lord’s Supper, which is
the symbolic meal of unleavened bread and unfermented grape juice that
represents the symbolism of his broken body and his spilt blood.11
Many sincere believers, including Seventh-day Adventists, understand
that the feet-washing is celebrated in conjunction with the Lord’s
Supper, in harmony with Jesus’ command.12
As a member of the "body" of
Christ, you will "grow up into him. " You are like a branch
united to the Vine. By faithful attendance at worship on the holy
Sabbath day, the true "Lord’s day," you gain an ever greater
knowledge of his holy truth, and a closer, warmer fellowship with others
of your brothers and sisters in faith. Thus, as a branch united to the
Vine, you will "bear fruit" in holiness and purity of life,
and in winning others to eternal life through faith in the Saviour.13
When you appreciate the Redeemer’s love for you, you automatically
find it possible to love others, even those who are unlovely, yes, even
your enemies.14
We live in a world of confusion and
distress. Evil is all around us. But a new quality of life has already
begun in our hearts, a life which is eternal because it is rooted in
Jesus Christ who has the keys of hell and of death. He is the Head and
each of us becomes a part of his Body on earth; each is important for he
is a link in Allah’s chain of salvation, let down to save the world.
Each believer is living for a new purpose, to honour and to glorify his
Redeemer, who says:
These things I have spoken unto you,
that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have
tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.15
In him, we too overcome.
You have discovered the treasure chest
which surpasses all worldly wealth. Are you willing to purchase the
field that it may for ever be yours?
The price is the giving of your heart.
|
