Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1 Dr. R. A. Torrey, founder of the Montrose Bible Conference in Pennsylvania, gives this definition of faith: “To believe God, is to rely upon or have unhesitating assurance of the truth of God’s testimony, even though it is unsupported by any other evidence, to rely upon and have unfaltering assurance of the fulfillment of His promises, even though everything seems against fulfillment.”
Friend, faith has a fourfold association within a person’s life: Hearing – Romans 10:17 tells us that, "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Isaiah 55:3 says to "Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David." Looking – Did you know that we are to look for faith? God's Word tells us in Isaiah 45:22 to "Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else." Receiving – In John 1:12 we are told, "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name." Believing – The word "believe" is found in the New Testament 247 times and faith is found 244 times.
Sunday School children across the world have learned the little acrostic of FAITH: Forsaking All, I Trust Him. Beloved, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is never blind and relies upon a full knowledge of the Lord as given in His perfect Word. Verse 6 of the 11th chapter of the book of Hebrews states, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." Despite all of the great accomplishments or contributions we may make in our lives, we cannot please God unless we have faith. It is impossible to please Him in any way, word or work without faith. As a matter of fact, without faith we are actually living in Sin. Hebrews 3:16 reads, “For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses." The suffering of Israel was solely due to their lack of faith in God. The misfortunes of an entire nation were the result of their lack of the one ingredient, faith, that would please Elohim. Their afflictions that befell them were "Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation" (Psalms 78:22). Without faith it is impossible to please God and without faith it is impossible to refrain from the disobedience that arises from the dark and sinful nature we are all born with.
Faith, my friend, is the key that unlocks the door to God. There may be thousands of ways we can please Christ, but not one of them is without faith! We know where our sinfulness comes from and we know that without faith, we will rely on our sinful nature rather than upon the Spirit of God in all of our decisions. Let’s look upon Faith’s Source. Simply put, our source of faith is GOD! Faith is a gift of God and a product of God’s grace. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:” (Ephesians 2:8). Read the verse carefully and you will understand that it is not just salvation that is a gift from God, but the very faith that is required to be saved by grace is a gift as well. It is the gift of God! What is “THE” gift? The grace that saves through faith! It is a threefold and unified gift from God and we can not remove one part or we will lose them all.
It was Peter that said to the council in Acts 15:11, “But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.” Faith is both human and divine. Man has the capacity for faith and is responsible for it’s use and exercise. Faith becomes divine as the Spirit of God moves within our souls. For I know in WHOM...! There is your source of faith, beloved. There is the avenue and the crosshairs for our faith, the very entity, whose glorious name is Jesus, who is needed for salvation. It is Faith from where we draw our Strength. Faith becomes our anchor in the storms of life and enables us to look from the ‘"crisis" to the Christ (Read Acts 27:18-25). Faith is the catalyst that enables us to be strong in our Saviour and it is that strength that is needed in this life. We must ask ourselves daily what or whom we are trusting in for our strength. In whom do we stand? The Apostle Paul said, "That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God." (I Corinthians 2:5) In Luke 17:5, the disciples said to Christ, “Increase our faith." Jesus' reply was given in the poignant "mustard seed" parable. So often people will pray for strength in their lives, the reason being is that we need it! In fact, people probably need it more today than ever and not because the world is harder, but because life has become so convenient. When hard times roll in, most people are not acclimated to them and don't know where to turn. We would like our strength to be increased just as we want our faith to be. But the only way our faith will ever be increased is if we exercise it! It must be worked. It must be utilized and practiced, otherwise, it will grow weak and die. This is what Paul meant when he said “…work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” (Philippians 2:12) The result of faith is the strength that enables us to be "more than conquers".
The power and blessings that comes from faith is not the faith itself, but rather the Divine Object of our faith! Friend, you may have a strong faith that has been placed in a weak object, much like thin ice on a frozen lake. No matter how strong your faith is in that thin, crackling ice, it is not going to hold or support you. It is important to recognize that while our faith may be valid, the object of our faith cannot support it unless it is in Jesus Christ. Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ has and will stand the test of time awarding each one of us: Boldness to witness: “We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;” (II Corinthians 4:13) Steadfastness in a time of fear: “As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe.” (Mark 5:36) Eternal and glorious future: “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:” (John 11:25) Now faith is the substance of things hoped for...
Older
Top
