365 Days with God - Day 145: The Purpose of Faith

I'm giving myself a challenge. Read the Bible each day for a whole year, following the ESV Study Guide 1-year plan. Each day, I will post whatever God has revealed to me in His Word, and how it is changing me. A friend of mine once said that nothing has changed her life as much as reading the bible each day - and I'm excited for how this will change me. Join me on an adventure into the heart of God - and day by day, we can learn more about who He is and what that means to us!

- Andy Catts

Day 145, May 14, 2014

Readings: Psalm 144, Numbers 29, Numbers 29, Obadiah 1:1-14, 1 Timothy 1

Why do we believe? Who should we become because of our belief? What did we do to deserve such grace, and how do we bring that grace to others? There's lots of ideas floating around about Christianity, and who it's followers should be, and why we choose this path.

Some choose it for a measurement of morality, some for social justice, some for a seal of righteousness. These are not bad things, but they are certainly not the ultimate reason.

The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.

The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. (1 Timothy 1:5-7, 15-16)

Jesus saved us so that we could save others. So that through our faith lived out in life, others would come to believe in him and live lives devoted to him. It's not for our own morality, or salvation, or even for the social good of the world. It is so others would come to know the saving grace of Jesus.

Now, morality, salvation and social justice may be side effects of this transformation in our lives and in the lives of others, but they are not the ultimate goal. We do not follow Jesus for these reasons, we follow Jesus for his reasons. We follow Jesus and live for Jesus so that others can know him.