Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
What is Faith? Did you know everyone in the world has a natural faith? . It does not matter if your Christian or an atheist, you still have faith.
Faith by definition simply means what you have chosen to believe or what you have been persuaded to believe or to put your trust in.
Many have been persuaded to believe, that God really does not exist and that the Bible is just a good story book written by men, while others believe that God is the creator of all things and the Bible is the Word of God.
My first real encounter with the Bible didn’t come until I was about18 years old. I remember reading a book in high school called the "Late Great Planet Earth" and to be honest, this book scared the begebees out of me. The Late Great Planet Earth was mostly written about the last days according to the Book of Revelation. I remember after reading the book, I began to believe that just maybe their was something to the Bible beyond what I was seeing and believing. This book was the beginning of my quest to look deeper into the scripture.
I also remember a time when I was about 12 years old, looking up at the stars one night and thinking, where does this all end? and why am I here? what is my real purpose in life?
You know that even the most devote atheist at one time of the other will ask himself these same questions and even during extreme times of crisis many will even call out to God to help them!
The bible says that God reveals His glory in all of His creation so that really no one is without excuse. Everyone deep down knows that their is a God.
Romans 1:19-20
They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.
Now, I believe as Christians it is vital for us to understand what faith is according to the Bible .
The Bible says that, we the just should always live by faith and in Hebrews 11:6 it says that without faith it is impossible to please Him , for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarded of those who diligently seek Him.
One of the simplest definitions of Faith is "Trust " When the Bible says that we should have faith in God , it is really telling us that we should Trust God! It is telling us that we should Trust what God says is true, or you could say "that God is True to His word."
One of the biggest reasons that many Christians struggle with faith is that many have been persuaded to believe (through wrong teaching) that God is a harsh, strict and angry God and that God almost gets more pleasure out of judging us, then He does from blessing us, but this is not true and this is not the God of the Bible.
The Bible actually teaches, that God loves us like no one else loves us and that it is always His utmost desire and will to bless us , forgive us, pardon us, reward us and to give us fullness of Joy and Abundant life. In John 10:10 the Bible says "it is the thief that comes to steal, and to kill, and to destroy, but Jesus said "I have come that you may have life, and that you may have it more abundantly"
Galatians 5:6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.
The Bible tells us that faith only works through Love. If we have a wrong view of God then our faith will be affected as well. We must see God for who God really is and that is Love. God is not Judgment, God is Love.Faith only works as we see God for who God really is, often times religion has painted a very dismal picture about God, that has caused many of us to actually draw back from God instead of drawing near to God.
Many churches preach more about the wrath of God and the judgment of God, then on the Love of God and the Mercy of God, but faith does not work through Judgment, It works through Love.
true faith according to the Bible teaches that we should always feel free to run toward God, not run from Him. How can we really walk with God, if we feel that God is always somehow angry with us or disappointed with us ?
Those who teach this kind of faith do not have a proper revelation of the cross, righteousness and the goodness of God. When the prodigal son came back home after his life of debauchery, what did God do?
The Bible says that God ran to him, embraced him and completely restored him. This is the kind of faith that God is most pleased with. A faith that draws near to God, a faith that believes God is a God who is abundant in love and mercy and always ready to restore.
In fact the Bible says "His mercies are new every morning!" So guess what? , if you blow it one day, you have the very next day to start all over again!
True Faith believes that God is always ready to pardon us, forgive us, to bless us and that God wants to walk with us , talk with us, spend time with us and enjoy us everyday. Listen , If your children or grand children ever shrank back from you when they saw you because they were afraid of you, how would that make you feel? probably sad right? This is how God feels when we do not draw near to Him it saddens the heart of God.
God finds no pleasure in those who shrink back from Him . God has provided the way through Jesus Christ for us to always draw near to Him with full assurance of faith and enjoy a fruitful, blessed and joyful life knowing and walking with Him.
Heb 10:19-23 tells us this:
Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.
We need to understand that faith is not only trusting in God's word but trusting in God's Faithfulness to keep His word! God is Faithful to do all that He has promised to do.
our Faith will become very effective as we acknowledge and believe all that God IN Christ has already created us to be .
Philemon 1:6 That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.
Now , as we said in the beginning everyone has natural faith, but their is also a faith that is a gift from God. A faith that is a fruit of the Spirit. A faith that God gives to us that is a super natural kind of faith! It is a faith that can speak to mountains and see mountains move. This faith comes to us as a gift from God and it rides like a surfer on a wave on the word of God.
Every time that the Gospel or the word of Christ is preached then faith is right their with the word to help those who hear believe what is spoken.
Romans 10:7 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
God is so loving and so good not only does he give us the gift of Grace but He also gives us the Gift of Faith. The good news is that true bible faith is not something that we have to try and muster up! neither is it a formula. True faith is a gift. it is a fruit of the Spirit and it comes to us as we simple receive Christ. Today I don't try and muster up faith, I express faith and faith is communicated and made active as I close to believe all that God is and who God has already created me to be in Christ. Faith is a fruit that I bare as I abide in Christ and Faith is a Gift form God.
Today, I don't live by my faith but I live by the Faith of Christ.
Today, I don't live by my faith but I live by the Faith of Christ.
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