by Richard Mansel

Food is the fuel that keeps our bodies running. Without it we become sluggish and weak. Spiritually, we must also feed or grow too weak to go through life.

Peter wrote, "Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever" (1 Peter 1:22-23, NKJV).

As Peter teaches, when we "obey" our souls are "purified" through the process of being born again (John 3:1-5). We stay purified through loving and fellowshiping our brethren and staying connected to God. Since we are born "through the word of God," we endure in it forever. Cultivation of this word in our heart is the most important way to prevent the withering of faithlessness.

In Ephesians 1:15-23 we read Paul encouraging the Ephesian brethren because of their strong faith. He instructs them in how they can increase their faith and how they are blessed because of their faith.

First, the power is given only to the faithful. Paul writes, "and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power" (Ephesians 1:19).

Rechargeable batteries are a marvelous invention that illustrate the power of God. Batteries are worthless on their own. They provide power and then when the power has dissipated, they are discarded. With rechargeable batteries they are plugged into the power source and become renewed. When the power is gone, the batteries are worthless again until they are returned to the power source. The power is not in the battery but in the charger. To have the power God wishes for us to have, we must be in Christ (Romans 6:3-4; Galatians 3:27).

When we become a child of God we gain access to this renewable power source, by the grace of God. We are simply tools, not the source of the power. Without God's power we begin to fade until we are lifeless.

Second, the power results from the Word. David Dewitt writes, "Many years ago a woman in a remote area went to great expense to have electricity installed in her home. She was the first one in her area to do so. A few months after the wiring the electric company prepared her bill and noticed that she had hardly used any electricity. They sent out a repairman thinking something was wrong. He noticed that the meter was running and asked her if she used her electricity. She said, ‘Of course we do. We turn on the lights every night so we can see to light our lamps and then we turn the lights off.' Doesn't that sound ridiculous? Having all of the power that you need and the ability to tap it all of the time but only using it enough to get by."

We have an even greater power through the Word of God and we neglect it and futilely try to make our own light. This "power" of God is in the "glory" which is through the "knowledge of Him" which was "worked in Christ" (Ephesians 1:18-20). This power comes from Christ and it is renewed in Scripture. Jesus said, "I am the light of the world; He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life" (John 8:12).