Responsive faith; Luke 1:34-38

1. When I was young, I really wanted to decorate a Christmas tree at my home, but my house was really tiny, so there was no spot for the tree. This is because there was a big Christmas tree when I watched a Christmas movie on Friday night. I thought that it was a wonderful tradition to celebrate the birth of Jesus. For this reason, I wanted to decorate the tree. I now know that there is no connection celebrating the birth of Jesus between Christmas and the tree. Now I love Christmas because the world can call the name of Jesus in December, whether they believe in Jesus or not. People recall the love of Jesus, his sacrifices, and his birth. This is the true meaning of Christmas, remembering the name of Jesus.

2. While remembering the name of Jesus, we can discuss the meaning of faith last Sunday. I can mention that faith has two meanings: one is saving faith, which is about the knowledge of God, and the other is responsive faith. Once we are saved by faith in Jesus (Saving Faith, receiving the eternal life or the life in the eternal), the next step is the reponsive faith. Today, I want to deal with the latter responsive, faith this morning. Let us read Luke 1:34-38

Luke 1:34–38 (NKJV)

Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible.”Then Mary said,
“Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

3. This part is familiar to us because it is a part of a nativity story. The angel came to Mary, and she accepted the message of God with faith. In verse 38, she responded to the angel that;

Luke 1:38 (M:BCL)

And Mary said, Yes, I see it all now: I’m the Lord’s maid, ready to serve. Let it be with me just as you say. Then the angel left her.

4. Also, when the shepherds heard the message from the angel, they also accepted it with their faith. So, these show us what responsive faith is. When I look at the shepherds and Mary, I could not imagine how they could accept the message of the angel. I believe it is impossible if they did not have faith, especially responsive faith. There is a hymn, the title is Come, Thou long-expected Jesus.

Come Thou long-expected Jesus Born to set Thy people free, From our fears and sins release us, Let us find our rest in Thee

5. How long has Israel waited for Messiah? There were about 400 years between Malachi and the first book of Gospels. It took at least 30 years after the shepherds met the baby Jesus to see the baby truly as Messiah. For me, being a patient is difficult. After I order a product through Internet shopping, it is difficult for me to wait for the product for two weeks. However, the shepherds could wait until they saw Jesus the Messiah because of faith. Because of faith, they can understand the message of God, which is the Word of God. Therefore, responsive faith is not a big thing but the first step of God's people. The word responsive faith is obedient in the Bible.

Hebrews 11:8 NLT

It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going.

6. When Abraham responded to God's call with faith, God vindicated him. Abraham became God's people. Therefore, when Abraham showed responsive faith to God, it was not by his power. Because he had the saving faith in God, he could show the responsive faith to God. Thus, the responsive faith, which is obedient, follows the saving faith, which is the calling of God. When we have knowledge of God, which is the way of salvation and love of God, we can follow his way in faith. That is why there is no merit in the salvation of God because the just shall live only by faith. When living by faith, it is both saving faith and responsive faith in Jesus.

7. What shall we show with responsive faith to God? When we follow God’s law, is it a part of responsive faith? Of course, it is. However, before we follow the Law of God, we should realize that we have a new life in Jesus. We should abandon our old selves. This is the first part of the responsive faith that we should show to God.

Colossians 2:6–7 NIV

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

Colossians 3:16–17 NLT

Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.

8. A great revivalist and theologian, Jonathan Edwards, said that virtue is the attitude of our minds. When I read his words for the first time, I was a little confused because I thought virtue was the accumulation of our behavior. However, when I think of it, his words are correct because we cannot make any good behavior without our attitude of mind. We know we cannot make the right attitude of minds with our knowledge and desire because our desire and mind always want to be against God. Our natural mind always attempts to lead us to the opposite side of God. Therefore, if we have faith in Jesus, we should build and be rooted in Jesus Christ. We should fix our eyes, which is our attitude of mind toward Jesus Christ.

9. If we have responsive faith, we can sing to the Lord and fill our hearts with the Word of God. This means that we cannot worship the Lord if we do not have responsive faith because worshipping the Lord is the first step of obedience to God. Therefore, showing responsive faith in God is to have a new attitude of mind, to praise his name, and to follow his footstep first.

Philippians 4:6–7 M:BCL

Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

10. Responsive faith, which is our obedience to God, is to make Jesus our center of life. Once our worry was the center of our mind, but now Jesus is the center of our life, since we have faith in Jesus. Our responsive faith is to make Jesus the subject of our conversation, as George Whitefield said: If our heart and desire are fixed on Jesus, we can share the love of Jesus and his work for us. If Jesus is not the subject of our conversation, Christmas is meaningless. Because Jesus is our subject of conversation and life, we can celebrate Christmas with responsive faith. If Jesus is our subject of life, as George Whitefield said,

"Do not abuse his mercy, but let your time be spent in thinking and talking of the love of Jesus, who was incarnate for us, who was born of a woman, and made under the law, to redeem us from the wrath to come."

11. It is the Christmas season. What do you want to share with your family or friends when you meet them? What do you celebrate with your family? If we have faith in Jesus, let us share our love and grace. Let Jesus be at the center of our conversation and life. When we make Jesus the center of us, it is Christmas that we celebrate and remember in God. Let us consider his birth. Christ came to the Earth as the Saviour world.