Imagine for a moment you are sailing a boat across the ocean, setting out to explore this wonderful world. You raise the anchor, set your course, raise your sails, and begin to navigate the open water. As long as you pay attention to your course, stick to your training, and keep your eyes on your heading you should arrive at your planned destination. But what happens if you do not plot out your course and instead decide to cut your anchor, no longer pay attention to your heading, and really just let the wind be in control? When you make this kind of decision you are letting the wind take you wherever the wind may blow.
When we look into the Bible we see many great people of faith. We see men and women that faithfully lived for God and were considered as righteous before Him. In Hebrews 11, often referred to by people as the chapter of faith, we see how active men and women were living out their faith in God. In Hebrews 11:4 we see that “Abel offered” a pleasing sacrifice before the Lord. Hebrews 11:7 shows us that Noah “moved with godly fear and prepared the ark”. In Hebrews 11:17 we see that Abraham “offered up Isaac” his son as a sacrifice before the Lord. So many more accounts are given in this great chapter of faith and they all have a similar focus. They all acted and worked because of their faith.
Many people in our world let emotions drive their “faith”. Something feels good so they try it. Something sounds right so they do it. Something is taught that makes them feel comfortable so they accept it. Our faith in God is based on the faith. (Ephesians 4:5) There is but one faith and if we will follow it then we too can be pleasing to God. (Hebrews 11:6). We must pay attention and stay true to the faith. We cannot be like “children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine,” (Ephesians 4:14). We cannot let our emotions get the best of us. When doubts and fear rise up we must put our trust in the faith. “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.”( James 1:6). Our faith in God is not to be driven by our emotions, but that does not mean that as we live for God we will not have emotions. When people recognize they have sinned and need to be baptized for the remission of their sins, like the people there in Acts 2:37-38, it cuts them to the heart. People have emotions and emotions can be a very good thing. But notice that the people there in Acts 2 were saved because they had faith in God and were obedient to His Word. The Lord saved them and added them to His Church. (Acts 2:47). As we live for God let us not be emotionless, but let us always be sure that we “walk by faith, not by sight”. (2 Corinthians 5:7)
Derek Broome