Seeing is believing, or believing is seeing? Which one compliments faith? In the book of Mark, verse five of chapter two, “When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven of thee.”
Jesus saw the faith within the four men on display for the paralytic man. They could not get the sick man through the front entrance and went the only other route shows their faith in more ways than one. These men had wisdom, determination, sacrifice, courage, humility, love, and activity mixed in their belief for this disabled man. The men bring the lame man to the only one they believe could heal. They did not let the crowds fluster them from their quest to get their friend to Jesus. The men took their own time to help someone in need. The men had to bring the lame man upstairs to the roof to lower him down to Jesus. They did not make a loud, disturbing entrance to get the sick man inside. The men did not ask for anything in return for their help towards the paralytic man. This activity, along with ingredients of wisdom, determination, sacrifice, courage, humility, is a prime example of how faith works. Faith works by love. In the book of Galatians, verse six of chapter five, the last part states, “faith which worketh by love.”
Many people today do have faith and works to follow it up. Believers are aware of how faith works as declared in the Holy Book, attempt to exercise it, and most do not see the results as the Bible indicates. Why? Well, Jesus saw their faith in the men who helped the lame man through the roof. Their heart of love made God work on their behalf to have the sick man delivered from his illness. If our faith does not involve love, then chances are it will not work. Why? If there is something you want miraculously done in your life, Jesus can see right through your heart and know if there is love. If the thing or situation we may ask God to intervene upon is eventually for selfish reasons, how do we expect that to work? For example, say I wanted an expensive two-seater sports car from God. I channel my faith towards it by doing the leg work with calling dealerships, social networking, thanking God, doing the right things, all the good stuff that goes with it, and waiting for a favorable outcome and nothing. Maybe God sees the heart will end up creating sin and no love on top of that. If God sees the car will be helpful to others and not just ourselves, the results will weigh in our favor.
Faith works by love with consideration for others in need and has no association with greed. There are different ways of getting what we want but not from God. By other means may not last or give up something to have it.