What is Faith

I’ve been reflecting on faith lately. What it is. What it leads to. I think one of the most used illustrations of faith from the Old Testament that is referenced in the New Testament is Abraham. God’s commands and promises to him and Abraham’s faith and obedience occurred over many years. His faith journey was layered throughout his lifetime. So is ours.

The book of Hebrews says that “faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Faith is a deep-set belief and assurance of something. The object of the Christian’s faith is always in God and His promises. As the Word says, “Now without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

One of my pastors once said it this way, “Faith is taking God at His word.”

The Seeds of Faith – How The Placement of Your Faith Determines Your Destination

Faith correctly applied is the very thing that unites us in relationship with Jesus Christ. This is the same from the Old Testament to the New. The Old Testament saints understood, however dimly, that there was a Savior coming, and they believed God for His promises. The scripture says, “Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

The Savior did come in the person of Jesus Christ. He was God. He was man. He laid down His life to die the perfect sacrifice for our sins and rose again, proving His deity. He offered Himself as “the way, the truth, and the life” and said that “no one comes to the Father except through Me.”

The way to salvation and right standing with God is plain. If we take God at His word, then we place our faith in Jesus  and in His promises. Who are you trusting? Are you trusting the Lord for your salvation, or are you trusting yourself? The scripture says “the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” When we try to do enough good to “make up” for the bad we’ve done, we’re placing our faith in ourselves for salvation. This path sadly, ends in destruction. It is only faith in the Lord that saves us from the wages of sin and grants us eternal life with Jesus Christ.

The Yield of Faith – Inner Faith, Outer Results

James said, “Faith without works is dead.” Why is that? Could it be because our beliefs about the world around us drive our actions? If this is the case, it follows that faith in God would result in a change of behavior that reflects our belief in Him and His promises and commands. (We must be careful here. It is faith that gives us right standing before God, not works, but in the field where faith grows, there is always a harvest of works.) In addition to this, when we place our faith in Jesus, He makes us new inside! He gives us an identity in Christ, the Holy Spirit to dwell in us to help us, and His word to guide us. Faith in Christ has its outworking in changes in our character, our interactions with others, our lifestyle and even sometimes, as in the case of Abraham, a change in our location.

Here’s how the book of Hebrews puts it, “Abraham, when he was called [by God], obeyed, by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance.”) Abraham lived in Ur of the Chaldeas, a bustling city of idolatry. Yet when God called him he responded in faith which resulted in obedience. His faith compelled him to move in the direction that the Lord had told him to go. He left everything except what they took with them. The Bible says, “and he went out, not knowing where he was going.” Whoa. Now that’s faith in action!

Seasons of Faith- When Faith Requires Waiting

Many of God’s promises require waiting. Abraham was promised a son through whom all the nations of the earth would be blessed. This promise was indicating that the Messiah, the Savior, would come from Abraham’s descendant through the son that God promised him. But the son didn’t come that year or the year after that. It was roughly a decade of waiting before the promised child was born. During that time Abraham’s faith was tested. Our faith will be tested also. In addition to the things we are waiting on God for the fulfillment of in this life, we are also waiting for the promised return of our Lord, for the fulfillment and full rights of our redemption in Heaven. Take heart friend. What God has promised He will fulfill.  For now, we keep our eyes on Jesus, and we wait.