Faith In What?

 

            The word for faith is pistis in the Greek. It is a credence; a moral conviction of the truthfulness of God or a religious teacher. It is a reliance on something or someone other than oneself. It is the assurance that you have the answer.

            Therefore, it is important to answer the previous questions of whom or what do you have faith in? For the purpose of this book I will be comparing faith to Christ. Why? Because faith in Christ is substance with evidence. Prayerfully, by the time you finish reading this book, you will agree that there is no reason to have faith in anything or anyone else. Everything else, other than Jesus, is fleeting and unstable.

            Jerry is a member of our congregation at Meadowbrook Baptist Church in Rockdale, Texas and has asbestosis. Asbestosis is a chronic inflammatory and fibrotic condition of the lungs usually caused by inhaling asbestos fibers. Every year Jerry gets a check up to be sure the fiber in his lung has not dislodged and caused additional damage which could result in surgery or death.

            One Sunday Jerry came into my office and told me that the doctor called him and asked him to come in the following week. The doctor was concerned because of a spot on his lung. Prepared for the worst, Jerry came to me for prayer. Lest you think it was my prayer that did the healing, he went to his Sunday school class as well. We all lifted him up and believed the Lord for his healing.

            Jerry called me the following week to tell me that everything was OK. He said the doctor said the technician must have made a mistake, because the previous shadow on the previous x-ray was no longer on the existing examination.

            Jerry then told me that as he was sitting in the evening service, he felt something happen in his body. He said that he knew there was something different about him and told his wife on the Sunday evening before the examination that he was going to be alright. He believed the Lord had healed him. Sure enough, the doctor confirmed the healing.

        Even though the doctor explained it away, Jerry knew where his healing came from and he gave the glory to God. God is still in the miraculous business today. It is up to us to have the faith to ask him for his blessings. I believe it is possible that is what Jesus meant when he said, “Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you (Matthew 7:20).” All the faith required to receive what God has promised is to ask. However, because of the unbelief of the nation, no one is taught to ask. Therefore, you do not receive.

            Our culture relies on everything except God. We rely on doctors, the government, the banks and even ourselves before we ask a loving God who wants to be included in our life. What will be your response to him as your faith grows?   

 

Ultimate Power

 

            I have ministered to many who are sick. The family is looking for the ultimate healing. They are looking for the miracle that will keep their loved ones with them here on this earth. They are seeking to see God’s wondrous hand at work; partly for the reason of keeping their loved one and possibly for the reason of trying to see if God is real.

            Christians who have accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior need no proof of his existence. The Holy Spirit has confirmed it to them in their hearts.  Nevertheless, it is only natural to want to keep the one you love near you. Still, it is through faith that we allow God to make the decision for life and death.

            Human beings look at death as the worst thing that can happen. Conversely, God views the death of this mortal body to be the best gift he can give. When we die in Christ, the limitations will be lifted. We will no longer be confined to this temporary structure we call a body. Paul said, “So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord.   For we walk by faith, not by sight.   We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8).”

            Therefore, if we are creatures of faith, we know what ever God has for us is best for us. This is a difficult concept for unbelievers. If one does not know his or her destiny in Christ, death is the end. However, for the believer, death is the beginning.

            God is patiently waiting for your decision to have faith in him. He has managed this world since before it was created. He has loved you for the same amount of time. Have faith in him and he will give you rest. 

What is Faith?

            What is faith? Much is said about faith in the world today. “If you are going to be able to get through a crisis you must have faith?” “You must have faith to believe that America will survive what it is encountering today.” “Stand on faith and you will be strong.” These are but a few sayings that we hear today. However, there is one very important ingredient left out of the equation: Faith in who or what?

Are we to have faith in our fellow man? Man has continuously fallen into corruption and continues to take advantage of the less fortunate. It is not difficult to watch the news and discover that yet another power is taking advantage of unfortunate people.

Should we have faith in the government? Governments are full of men and women who are as corrupt as the previously mentioned individuals. America, for example, seems to produce men and women who seek to make America a better place to live. They seem to get into an office seeking to serve the people by whom they were elected. Nevertheless, the allure of the office soon turns to power and they forget the very people they claim to serve.  They remain in the “Glass Capital” and lose track of common individuals who make up America.

Faith has no power if one only has faith in Faith.

            Maybe we should have faith in the preachers. After all, they are called men of God who seek to serve him with all of their heart. Surely they would not lead anyone astray. Unfortunately, they too are men and tend to forget the calling in which God has placed on them. And even if they remember, their congregations are made up of people who are subject to failure and degradation.

As stated above, Hebrews says that faith is “substance.” Many look at faith as something that cannot be grasped; something that cannot be possessed. It is merely a comfort that men and women have to get them through a struggle or a hope for something they are seeking. The reality is that is true if you are only having faith in faith itself. Faith holds no answers. Faith does not give comfort. Faith does not solve problems. Faith on its own is merely a word. It is a crutch to rest on one’s shortcomings.

However, the Bible speaks of faith as “substance.” How can that be? Isn’t faith just a hope that one cannot be sure of? Perhaps it is best to go to the Word and discover what is told to us from the Author of Faith, Jesus Christ.

My purpose in writing this book is simple. The other day I was reading Facebook and there was someone testifying that there have been testimonies of people being raised from the dead in South America. Of course, there were many comments that followed, but one caught my attention in particular. One young man said that all of the miracles stopped with the death of the last Apostle. God could no longer do miracles in our time, or he chooses not to. Therefore, my purpose is to ask you to look at God’s Word with an open mind. Come to him knowing that God is still the same yesterday, today and forever.

Basically, what most people who don’t believe in miracles are saying is, “I have never seen a miracle, therefore they do not exist.” The arrogance of such a statement might be obvious, but most likely most people don’t know how or where to look.

As we look at faith and its role in the life of the Christian, perhaps you might begin to understand that there is more to faith than simply believing there is an almighty God. Faith is all encompassing in the life of a Christian. Faith must fill every aspect of the follower of Jesus Christ.

Faith is truly the substance we stand on to know that we have a loving Savior who cares about every facet of the life we lead on this earth and to guide us to the life we will live with him throughout eternity.

Chapter eleven of Hebrews begins with “Now.” It was written to Jews who were considering turning away from the faith. This chapter is a continuation of the previous chapters which explain that Christ is better than Judaism.

The author was writing to those who had “been in the church,” but had not accepted a relationship with Christ. They were simply testing the waters of Jesus and trying to decide if they should devote their life to him. The author of Hebrews says they had even gone through persecution (Hebrews 10:32-34). However, the author makes it clear if they do not persevere it will prove that they were not saved. The author of Hebrews is encouraging them to make the final step and accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

1 John 2:19 says, “  They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.” In other words, if they had been saved they would not have left. But they were not saved so they left. Even though they were in the church, they did not have a relationship with Christ.