Defining faith

After Galatians 3:7-14 

Faith is knowledge,

knowing things, and

faith is conviction,

believing the things

are true, believing

even when it’s hard

to believe, perhaps

especially when it’s

hard to believe. Even

when knowledge is 

easy, conviction

may be hard, living

our knowledge

because we know

it’s true. And faith

is trust, abandoning

reliance upon self

and embracing 

reliance on the one

cursed, the one who

died, the one nailed

on the judgment tree.

 

Photograph by Guilherme Stecanella via Unsplash. Used with permission.

Curse

After Galatians 3:7-14 

The curse dragged me

across a barren land,

a landscape like desert,

alone, cast out,

abandoned. To walk,

or perhaps crawl,

that landscape is

to hunger, to thirst,

to ache, to hurt,

to despair, to die.

It’s a journey we

cannot make ourselves;

only our substitute 

can take that walk,

can make that journey,

taking our place.

 

Photograph by Daniel Jensen via Unsplash. Used with permission.

Live by works, or...

After Galatians 3:7-14 

Live by works, or

live by faith – that’s

the choice we make.

And it’s clear:

live by works, and die,

because works are

never enough, insufficient

to compensate, bridge 

the gap, close the chasm.

It takes more to lift

the curse, this curse

we live under. Only

by One becoming

the curse could it be

lifted. And all we’re

asked is to have faith,

and believe. Choose

faith.

 

Photograph by Jessica Delp via Unsplash. Used with permission.

It is faith

After Galatians 3:7-14 

It is faith

that makes you

sons, heirs,

Abraham’s heirs,

and it’s clear

all nations

will be blessed

by the faith

of Abraham,

the word knowing,

anticipating,

understanding

what was to come,

that all nations,

not only one, 

would be blessed

by the faith

of one man.

 

Photograph by Billy Pasco via Unsplash. Used with permission.