Faith, Fire, and Fidelity
Dr. R. A. Forrest
The New Testament is filled with examples of men and women whose lives and habits of life were completely changed by the same Christ, who we know as our Savior. If our lives are not changed then our foundation needs to be examined. I believe there are three “F’s†that characterize the life of a true believer.
The first is Faith. “Without faith it is impossible to please God.†Before we can receive an answer to our prayers, we must believe He is who He says He is. A friend recently told me that he was afraid of God. I understood what he meant. I wish everyone felt this way because I believe the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. This is the type of fear my friend was talking about—fear that motivates us to worship the Lord of lords and the King of kings with our entire lives. Faith reveals the level of our true commitment. It gives substance to a person’s character, and it is the evidence of his or her dependency on Jesus Christ.
The second is Fire. A locomotive has a powerful and unyielding appearance. To some it is even beautiful, but it is useless without fire under its water. Committees and organizations are helpless without the fires of enthusiasm. There are two kinds of Christians: conventional, which means correct but cold. Then there are fervent believers, who are alive and on fire with zeal for the Lord and His work. If you think your fire has gone out and all that burns within you are a few smoldering ashes, draw near to God and ask Him to ignite within you a burning desire to know Him and to tell others about His saving grace. The Lord’s biting criticism of the Laodicea church was this: they were neither hot nor cold. It was the lack of serious passion for Him that God despites. He wants us to have an unquenchable fire within our souls for Him and His work on this earth.
The third is Fidelity. There are times when a person seems to be faithful and even have a fire burning within, but he is not completely devoted or loyal to Jesus Christ. Many people doing many good works but they have little eternal value because the hearts involved are set on earthly things and not on the things of God. Make sure the compass of your life is pointed in the right direction. Ask the Lord to try you and test your commitment to Him. This will prove whether you are faithful unto death and ready to receive His crown of eternal life and blessings.
(Taken from the 1947 sermon preached by Dr. R. A. Forrest entitled: Faith, Fire, and Fidelity.)