FULL FAITH AND CREDIT

This phrase comes from the U. S. Constitution, Article IV, Section 1. It is intended to mean that any evidential records recognized in a state court should be extended to the federal court. In essence what is deemed trustworthy at one level should be held trustworthy at the higher level.

This concept made me think about the different levels of trustworthiness that the Word of God should have in our lives. Just as we profess the supreme authority of the Word of God at the lower level of profession by the mouth, so this authority should hold true at the level of our practice.

For instance, we profess that God’s Word has authority over what we watch, but how many times to we entwine ourselves in the lustful and ungodly and unholy images of the television or the shopping mall, or the computer?

We also profess that God’s Word has authority over our speech and thoughts, but how many times do we entangle ourselves in a lie, or defile ourselves with profanity, or hold on to evil and unholy thoughts that manifest themselves in unholy behavior?

These questions are rhetorical, but they demand that we confess them to God and, if necessary, to our pastor or the one we offend, in order to receive forgiveness and cleansing (1Jo 1v9).

It’s time we start putting full faith and credit to practice in our lives, living in a manner worthy of the gospel (Eph 4v1, Col 1v10, 1Th 2v12, 3Jo 1v6), so that all levels of our being prove trustworthy.