Spurgeon said, "When I am perfect in faith, I shall be perfect in everything else..." Romans 14:23 says, "For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin." Living with a clear conscience before God and within ourselves is a truly happy place. It is a place of faith. If a believer is struggling with an issue being approved by God then they aren't ready to participate in that thing. That is why it is such a delicate thing not to push someone beyond their comfort zone in participating in a certain action. If they aren't confident in doing something we need to be very careful to honor that hesitancy and not pressure them. It is a matter of personal faith. Again, as Spurgeon said, "when I am perfect in faith, I shall be perfect in everything else." We need to get to a place of peace before God in a decision or else we are not in faith. Everything we do needs to be motivated by faith. I have been talking a good bit of late with people about not violating that inner peace that comes from right relationship with God. If peace isn't present then you aren't ready. Peace is a byproduct of a right relationship with God. Sin brings about trouble and fear. Fear is a result of an uncertainty of the blessing and approval of God. Man never knew fear until he sinned in the garden. When the Lord approached for his normal fellowship with man, man ran and hid. Fear was now introduced into mankind. Fear is the absence of faith. Faith is peace that comes from certainty and the approval of God. We adopted a Cocker Spaniel once that came from a home of daily beatings by a teenage boy. That poor animal ran every time my son approached him because he looked a lot like the boy that beat him daily. He never really got over the fear and trembling. He never truly had confidence in our love and acceptance. In essence the never gained inner confidence. His fear was too great. Too many people living the Christian life still haven't entered that place of peace and rest in God's presence. They still live their relationship with God from a posture of fear trying to gain the Father's Love.
Not everyone who professes that they have great faith is motivated by faith. Their motivation to know God, to live a Christian life, to pray and even to preach can be motivated not by faith at all, but by fear. Fear should never be our motivation in serving God. Faith motivated by love is the motivation God wants for us.
May we bring our heart out in the open before God and allow Him to bring healing and restoration. We must begin by being honest with ourselves that our faith may not be pure but may be mixed with fear. Allow the Lord to heal you and bring you to a truly joy filled place of faith.
