Does Your Faith "Inform" Your Personal Life?

[Darris McNeely] I'm still thinking about the presidential debates that are going on in the election season here in the United States. There's at least one more before the election on the first Tuesday in November. A few weeks ago there was one between the vice presidential candidates and both were asked a question about abortion. And both being men of faith commented, at least one of them did, that, "Our faith informs us in everything that we do." It was an interesting statement. I think it's a valid statement. I've seen some commentary that has taken exception with fear to this statement because of the impact that it might have through a potential high office electee to maybe turn back social legislation, especially regarding abortion. But in thinking about this comment, our faith informs us in everything that we do, I think that it's a valid point for us all to acknowledge that any faith worth it's substance is going to be something that informs what we do.

[Steve Myers] Yeah, I think it does raise the question, what is it that guides us in our life? How do we base our decisions? And what is it that informs us? Is it the word of God? Is it society? What is the impact of the world around us and what helps us to make those informed decisions? I think we've got to ask that question.

[Darris McNeely] And it's a good thing when one's faith does move one to good works. When I look at history I see some major significant movements for the good of humanity that have come because of personal faith. I think of William Wilberforce, who in the early 1800's - a legislator in Great Britain - moved to end the African slave trade because of his deeply held belief that it was a moral wrong. I think in American history about Martin Luther King who because of his belief that racial segregation was an injustice that needed to be corrected, he launched and carried, literally, a civil rights movement in the United States. Other hospitals and charitable movements throughout modern history have been started because of people of faith have done good things and their faith does inform them and move them to do good works.

[Steve Myers] It has to be that way in a sense if we claim to be God's people, we claim to be Christians. That faith we have ought to be motivating us and be evidenced in the things that we do.

[Darris McNeely]  In Luke 6:45 a statement Jesus made I think speaks to this point. He said, "A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart. And an evil man brings things out of the evil stored up in his heart for the mouth speaks what the heart is full of." If it's in our heart and if it is based on faith and upon the faith in the word of God and the truth of God, then it should not only inform us, but motivate us to good works.

[Steve Myers] It has to be doing that, and in fact a comparison to this, a parallel scripture that's found in the Proverbs, it's Proverbs 21:21. It says, "He who follows righteousness and mercy finds life, righteousness, and honor." And so that faith that we have is going to be evidenced in our life. It will not only inform us, but then it'll be resulting in positive, godly things that are produced through our life.

[Darris McNeely] Don't fear good works that are done out of a good faith based in God's word. It can make life better and it can change the world.

[Steve Myers] That's BT Daily. See you next time.