For [if we are] in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith activated and energized and expressed and working through love.
Galatians 5:6 AMPC
Have you ever wondered why your faith seems not to be producing results as you expect? Are you tempted to say like some people will say that “this faith thing” does not work?” I believe this short piece will open your eyes to what has been missing in the equation.
As strong and powerful as faith is, it is important to know that it is a virtue that does not work alone if it must produce results. Among other kingdom virtues that must go along with faith is the virtue of love. If your faith must produce the needed result you desire, it must work through love. Faith must pass the channel of love before it can deliver the needed result.
As great and valuable as the virtue of faith is, you must understand that in God’s kingdom, love is greater than faith. (1 Corinthians 13:13).
Galatians 5:6 tells us that faith works through love. And that the only thing that counts in Christ Jesus is the faith that works through love. It implies that the virtue of love and faith are very vital for everyone that is in Christ Jesus.
If you are like me who wants to do great exploits for the Lord by raising the dead, healing the sick and working in the miraculous, then it is important to understand how faith works through love.
Faith works through love because:
· Love gives faith the power to operate.
· Love energises and empowers faith to work
· Love is what activates faith.
· Love is the driving force behind faith.
And this love is no other love but agape love, which is the God’s-kind-of-love, that is what is spoken of in Galatians 6:5.
How Faith works through love
When you have faith for something, it is important to know that it is not your “faith” that produces the result you desire. Rather, it is God Himself who acts to bring to pass your godly desires. The Lord is the One who gives us what we have “faith” for. And don’t forget that “God is love” (1 John 4:8).
Since God is love, then we can say that Love (God) is what acts on our behalf to make our faith productive. Thus, you can see that when there is no love, nothing works just by faith.
And don’t forget that God never fails (Zephaniah 3:5) even as love never fails (1 Corinthians 13:8). You will not fail to have the answer to your prayers when your faith is working through love. This is because God is love and when you walk in love, you exhibit God even in your prayers and command His manifestations.
I have heard this same testimony from many leading healing ministers like Curry Blake, and Benny Hinn. They said that some persons who come to give testimony of how God healed them in a meeting said that when they stopped focusing on themselves (even though they were seriously sick) and started praying for another person who is sick in the meeting, they themselves miraculously get healed even before the healing minister calls up their case. That is an example of faith working through love.
Most times, we are so engulfed in our problems and challenges that we don’t see the windows of opportunities that God brings our way to show acts of love to others. Taking advantage of such opportunities is an act that will definitely strengthen our faith.
When love is absent, faith will be weakened. Your faith becomes effective when you are firmly established in love. You can see why the devil does everything he can to stop you from walking in love with your neighbour. The devil understands that if you are made to start hating another man, your faith will become paralyzed.
But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and WALKETH IN DARKNESS, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that DARKNESS HATH BLINDED HIS EYES.
1 John 2:11
Not walking in love will spiritually demoralise and disarm you from walking in God’s fullness.
Are you harbouring hatred against your spouse and expecting God to hear your prayers? Could this be the reason why your prayer for your marriage is not yielding results?
Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.
1 Peter 3:7.
Considering the fact that there is hatred and anger in the hearts of many Nigerians against our nation and our leaders, most believers are not left out in this net of hatred and anger. Could this be why our prayers for our nation Nigeria is not yielding much results?
So I want men everywhere to pray with holy hands lifted up to God, free from sin and anger and resentment.
1 Timothy 2:8 TLB
I realised that when I am bittered against another person, I hardly have faith to help the person. But on the other hand, I observed that I easily get words of prophecy or words of knowledge for people that I love whom I pray for consistently.
Walking in love was one of the secrets of Jesus’ exploit on earth. Before he does miracles our Lord Jesus always exhibits the virtue of compassion which is one feature of love. The signs, wonders and miracles He did were first activated and energised by the love He had for men.
And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.
Matthew 14:14
Before Jesus gave sight to the two blind men, He had compassion on them.
So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him.
Matthew 20:34
You have seen that the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ worked through the channel of love and compassion. And just like Jesus, we will do great exploits with our faith if when our faith passes the love test.
