Faith
He leads me …
As Christians we know that we must have faith in God, but do we know what this means? Most of us are familiar with the Bible definition which reads -
Now faith means putting our full confidence in the things we hope for, it means being certain of things we cannot see. Hebrews 11:1 (PHILLIPS)
But what does this mean?
What do we hope for? We hope that God is everything that the Bible says He is. That He is The Truth (John 14:6) and that He honours all His promises. (2 Corinthians 1:20), especially His promises of our salvation (Hebrews 2:10: Luke 2:11), and eternal life (John 17:2-3).
The second part of this definition says that we are confident of our faith in the invisible God, and all that He stands for. Our confidence is what is not seen by anyone. What is seen is the end result. It could a progressive improvement in our attitudes to life and how we behave. As a result people realise the changes have occurred on account of our faith in a life changing God.
Faith is also active as we are looking to God for the answer to our prayers. We may also get a conviction or peace that our prayers will be answered, which then gives us the added faith and confidence to start thanking the Lord for what He is doing. This is the journey of faith until the prayer is fulfilled.
This is the way that it is meant to be. The Bible tell us in Hebrews 11:6 - it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. (NLT)
The result as Paul told the Corinthians, is that in our Christian journey we walk by faith, not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7 (NKJV)
Faith is trust, assurance and confidence in the Godhead (our Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit) as they bit by bit make us more Christ like. Living faith is not just believing that God exists. It shows in our service and obedience to the Lord in response to all that He has done for us.
This too is the correct biblical response. As James 2:24, 26 says - So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone.
Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works. (NLT)
Where does faith come from?
Faith is not automatically a part of us at birth. Faith comes from God. As 2 Peter 1:1 says -
The faith I speak of is the kind that Jesus Christ our God and Saviour gives to us. How precious it is, and how just and good he is to give this same faith to each of us. (TLB)
God gives it to us as we start seeking Him as non-believers. Romans 10:17 tells us -
So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ (NLT)
It started when someone told us about Jesus Christ and all He has done to save us. We listened, and progressively we began to understand that we could receive God’s gift of salvation. The more we heard about Jesus and what He said and did, the more we opened up to wanting what He had to offer. Eventually we reached a point where, by faith in response to what we had heard, we spontaneously asked that Jesus would come into our lives, and be our Lord.
Part of this is due to the new gift of faith that we received and the rest is due to the power of the Word of God. This is what brings the conviction that we cannot truly succeed in life without the Lord’s help.
With my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it. Isaiah 55:11 (NLT)
For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Hebrews 4:12 (NLT)
This is why sermons became a foundational part of church services. The spoken Word of God has supernatural power to convict the lives of the Christian listeners. It is then over to them to respond in faith to what the Word has said.
General Faith
We do not have to be Christians to have faith. When we go to the doctor we have faith that they will be able to treat us, so that our problem will go away. When we get our car serviced, we have faith that the work will be done thoroughly, and for a reasonable price.
The difference with this faith is that we are relying on a human outcome. Can we guarantee that the doctor will provide a means of healing us? No. Can we guarantee that the mechanic will fix the car properly? No..
It is so different with God. As it says in Numbers 23:19 -
God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? (NLT)
God’s way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection. Psalm 18:30 (NLT)
Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT)
This is why we can have confidence with our faith in the Lord. As we progress in our Christian walk – through the good and not so good - we experience God working in our lives. As we do, we find that He is just as the Bible says He is, and that as a result we can trust Him completely.
So let us put our trust in the One who really deserves it. Let us go to our Heavenly Father with confidence and faith, and offer Him our worries and burdens, along with our praise and thanksgiving.[1]
[1] Parts of this blog have come from –
What Is Faith? Jim Haeffele, https://lifehopeandtruth.com/change/faith/what-is-faith/
How Does the Bible Define Faith? Faith is the fuel of the Christian life Mary Fairchild, https://www.learnreligions.com/what-is-the-meaning-of-faith-700722
What Is Faith and Where Does It Come From? Bibles for America, https://blog.biblesforamerica.org/what-is-faith/
What Is Faith and Why Is it Important? Carrie Lowrance Crosswalk Contributor, https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/what-is-faith.html
