“The
life I now live…
I live by faith
in the Son of
God who loved me
and gave his
life for me” - Galatians
2:20
Seeing the glory of
God
Steve Clark, in the
introduction to his book, Growing in
Faith, illustrates the goal of faith
in our personal lives.
“Didn’t I tell you that if you would have
faith, you would see God’s glory?” These were
Jesus’ words to Martha just before raising
Lazarus from the dead. And Martha did see the
glory of God when Lazarus walked out from the
tomb.
God is glorified when he works in a powerful
way that men can see and appreciate. When
Jesus healed people, cast out demons from
them, and even raised them from the dead, men
saw God’s glory before their eyes in a way
that they could not easily miss. And the glory
of God is what we are looking for when we want
the life of the Spirit. We want a life which
is lived by the power of God, a life in which
God is at work in a way that can be
experienced and seen. We want to see the glory
of God in our own lives, and we want to be
glorified among other people.
The key to seeing the glory of God is
illustrated in the story of Lazarus. Jesus had
heard that Lazarus was sick, close to death.
He deliberately waited until Lazarus died, and
then came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus and
his sisters, Mary and Martha. Once there, he
went to the tomb:
“Deeply moved once more, Jesus went to the
tomb, which was a cave with a stone placed
at the entrances. ‘Take the stone away!’
Jesus ordered. Martha, the dead man’s
sister, answered, ‘There will be a bad
smell, Lord. He has been buried four days!’
Jesus said to her ‘Didn’t I tell you that if
you would have faith [believed], you would
see God’s glory?’ They took the stone away,
Jesus looked up and said: ‘I thank you
Father, that you listen to me. I know that
you always listen to me, but I say this
because of the people here, so they will
believe that you sent me.’ After he had said
this he called out in a loud voice,
‘Lazarus, come out!’ The dead man came out
with his hands and feet wrapped in grave
cloths, and a cloth around his face. ‘Untie
him,’ Jesus told them, ‘and let him go.’”
(John 11:38–44)
Sometimes we think that faith is only needed
for beginning the Christian life, for getting
into a relationship with the Lord. Faith is
for the beginning of our Christian life, but
it is also meant to be a part of our lives as
Christians all the way through. Saint Paul
says:
As therefore you have received
Christ Jesus the Lord, so live in him, rooted
and built up in him and established in the
faith, just as you were taught, abounding in
thanksgiving. (Col. 2:6,7)
Whenever we want to see God do something,
whenever we want to experience his presence or
see him improve a situation, we need faith. If
we want to live the life of the Spirit, we have
to live the life of faith. Faith makes it
possible for the Holy Spirit to live in us and
work through us.
In this issue
This issue
focuses on growing in faith in our
personal relationship with the Lord
Jesus and our growth in faith and unity
together as brothers and sisters in
Christian community.
Steve Clark's
first article examines “What
is Faith?” He distinguishes three
kinds of faith – believing faith,
trusting faith, and expecting faith. His
second article, Growing
in Faith, examines practical steps
for maturing in faith.
Carlos Mantica, founder
of the City of God community in Managua,
Nicaragua reflects on his experience of discovering
and growing in faith through a vital
personal encounter with the Risen Lord
Jesus.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
speaks about the gift
of faith to youth in Germany on the
occasion of their confirmation and
profession of faith as young adults.
Jim Berlucchi, a
seasoned evangelist and Christian leader,
offers sound wisdom for person-to-person
evangelism – helping individuals
encounter a personal relationship with the
Lord Jesus.
