Faith That Touches with Love

Faith doesn’t push—it reaches in love.

Devotional Source Credit: In Christ by E. Stanley Jones
Photo Credit: Unsplash

E. Stanley Jones presents a vision of Christian faith that transcends outward markers and religious rituals. Circumcision, once a defining sign of covenant belonging, has been eclipsed in Christ by something deeper. While some may substitute baptism today as a dividing line between who is “in” and who is “out,” Jones challenges us to go further—past the surface and into the substance. It is not religious status or external rites that matter, but the reality of being a new creation in Christ.

Paul offers a three-tiered understanding of what counts in the Christian life. First, obedience to God’s commandments matters. Second, being made new in Christ matters more. But the greatest is this: faith expressing itself through love. Not a combative or argumentative faith. Not a faith that obsesses over doctrinal boundaries or wins debates. True Christian faith is faith that touches others with love. The nature of that faith is relational, kind, sacrificial—because it flows from God Himself, who is love.

Jones then gives us a helpful framework for spiritual maturity. Many live by instinct—just reacting to life. Others operate by duty—doing what is right, but with little joy or vitality. Still others have discovered grace and live by faith. But there is a fourth and higher plane: faith working through love. This is where the indwelling life of Christ is not merely received but radiated. In this realm, all interactions become love-contacts, where faith doesn’t contend, but compassionately connects.

This isn’t a call to abandon doctrine or obedience—it’s an invitation to rise above cold correctness into Christlike warmth. Faith working through love doesn’t compete, compare, or criticize. It gently moves through the world like light and salt, bringing restoration and grace. In Christ, we are not measured by symbols or systems, but by the outflow of His life expressed in love.

Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture

I dwell in you, not to form a new religion, but to bring forth a new creation. In Me, the outward signs are eclipsed by the inward reality. The flesh boasts in symbols—circumcision, baptism, traditions, tribes. But I look at the heart, and I rejoice where faith has found its root and expresses itself in love.

You are not called to merely obey from afar, nor to strive for identity through ritual. You are Mine, and you are made new. From this newness, let your faith breathe—not as a list of convictions to be defended, but as a river of love poured out through you.

Let every step be faith working through love. When the world criticizes, let your response be gentle. When others are hostile, let your answer be peace. You are not assigned to win arguments but to bear fruit. I have poured My love into your heart through My Spirit. Let it be seen.

Your instincts are no longer your master. Your duty is no longer your driver. You now live by faith, and that faith expresses itself—not through performance, not through pretense, but through love. Love that listens. Love that endures. Love that does not envy or boast. Love that never fails—because I never fail, and I am your life.

So rest in Me, and let love be the outflow. Let your confidence be in My work, not yours. In this moment, yield—not to impulse, not to pressure, but to My indwelling Presence. This is the life of abiding. This is the way of faith that touches with love.

Scripture References: Galatians 5:6; Galatians 6:15; 1 Corinthians 7:19; Romans 5:5; 1 Corinthians 13:4–8; Galatians 2:20; Romans 6:4–11; 1 John 4:16–19; John 13:35; Colossians 3:12–14; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 4:1–2

Real-Life Analogy

Imagine a gentle hand reaching out to adjust a crooked picture on a wall. It doesn’t slam or scold—it quietly straightens what’s off-center so others can see the beauty again. Faith working through love is like that. It doesn’t insist, it doesn’t accuse—it simply restores.

In the grocery store, when a cashier is overwhelmed, or at home when a family member is short-tempered, your natural instinct may be to react. But faith that flows through love will yield to the Holy Spirit in that moment. Trust Him to express patience through you. Let your tone reflect His peace. Let your eyes hold His compassion.

You can say in your heart, Lord, You live in me—be my response right now. In that trusting moment, love becomes more than a word. It becomes your way of being.

Prayer of Confidence

Father,
You have already made me new in Christ. I am not bound by outward signs or religious benchmarks. In You, I’ve been given the very love that defines true faith. I no longer live by reaction or obligation—I live by Your indwelling life.

Thank You that my faith is not a weapon but a vessel—meant to carry Your love into every encounter. I trust You to make my responses soft, my words seasoned, my presence healing.

May my life today be one long expression of what You’ve already done in me: faith that loves, because You first loved me.

Amen.