ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

 TU’APULELULU ‘EPELELI 2, 20226

1 SAMIUELA 21-24; ‘EFESO 3:14-19

Biblical faith involves not just your mind; it also requires a commitment of your heart that radically changes the way you live.

Ko e tui ‘oku faka-Folofolaa, ‘oku ‘ikai ko ho ‘atamai pe; ‘oku kau ki ai mo tukupa ‘a e loto pea iku ki he liliu mo’ui.

Theology is a life activity. When you say you believe something, you are not just mentally assenting to that truth. True belief is always demonstrated by how you live. Every doctrine of Scripture is meant to set a culture for living. Every truth in the Bible calls you to a certain lifestyle. If biblical truth doesn't radically change the way you act, react, and respond, then you probably don't truly believe what you say you believe. This means that we should never be comfortable with a disharmony between our confessional theology (the things we declare that we believe) and our functional theology (the way we live). It surely is much easier to assent mentally to biblical truths than it is to carry those truths into your situations, locations, and relationships in a way that is life shaping. I am persuaded that the enemy of our souls would gladly concede our formal theology if he could control the way we live. Theology is much more than an intellectual world; theology is spiritual warfare. Our theology defines our identity, meaning, and purpose, and therefore it controls how we live.

The stakes are high because theological belief really is a matter of life and death. Because theology is not just a mental activity, but rather a set of life-shaping commitments, God has graciously given us practical, living examples of what true belief looks like. We see faith in action in how David responded to the murderous jealousy of Saul. Saul's anger against David was completely unjustified. Saul was so jealous that he lost his mind. Where did Saul imagine this story was going to go? Did he actually think that if he killed David, he would get the throne back? Did he think he could live with murderous intent and God wouldn't notice? Did he expect God to say, "Oops, you're right, Saul. I did give my anointing and power to the wrong man"? Truly, Saul was insanely jealous.

What about David? We find him in the same cave as Saul. His men think it's his chance to mete out vengeance against this man who had wronged him so. But David says, "The LORD forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, the LORD's anointed, to put out my hand against him, seeing he is the LORD's anointed" (1 Sam. 24:6). If you really do believe in the sovereignty, wisdom, presence, power, and love of the Lord, then you can be both resolute and at peace in the face of evil. God had met David with his grace, empowering him to continue to do what was right, even in the face of wrong. If you believe God rules and is with you too, then you can do what is right in the face of wrong. Knowing that, by grace, he will empower you to live by faith as well.