What is Faith, Really?
Have faith in God. We hear that a lot. But what is faith, really? For Christians, faith is central. Without faith, we are not saved and without faith, it is impossible to please God. For unbelievers, faith in an unseen God is impossible to understand. I remember wondering “how is it possible to be so sure of something I can’t see.” Faith didn’t make sense to me. I thought that only the truly desperate would put all they are into a God they couldn’t see. As I began my journey toward the Truth, my perception began to change. The more convinced I became that the Bible was true, the more I began to desire to possess the same faith that I had once looked down on. But to be honest, deep inside, I doubted that I could ever truly have the faith I now so desired. We all practice faith in one way or another every day. We turn on the tap and drink, knowing that the tap water won’t make us sick; we board an airplane and travel, believing that it won’t crash; and we pile into elevators and ride, knowing the doors will open and let us off. We don’t question these things. We know by experience that the water is regulated, the pilot has been properly trained, and the elevator must meet certain codes in order to operate. We can see and verify all these things. This is an easily explainable type of faith: one that everyone can relate to. Biblical Faith Biblical faith is different. It is not natural, it is supernatural. Unlike the everyday kind of faith, the biblical kind of faith requires that we trust in the unseen. “No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.” John 1:18 The writer of Hebrews describes the biblical kind of faith as “the assurance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen.” Hebrews 11:1 Trusting in the unseen is not something that we, as humans, naturally tend to do. If we cannot perceive something with our senses, then verify it through experience, we question if it is real. God is revealed through the Bible, His Word, but we still can’t see Him. We can intellectually know the Bible to be true, but until our hearts are convinced of its truth, this knowledge is just knowledge, it does not change us. That’s where I was at: intellectually convinced that the Bible was true, but still not truly believing in my heart that it was. I felt just like the father in Mark 9:24 who said: “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” God did not leave me in unbelief. He does not leave anyone there who seeks Him with all of their heart. [pullquote]God did not leave me in unbelief. He does not leave anyone there who seeks Him with all of their heart.[/pullquote] “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13 Measure of Faith God has given us all a measure of faith (Romans 12:3). It is a gift from Him (Ephesians 2:8). This measure of faith is enough to cause us to believe when we hear the truth of the Gospel. Just because God has given us a measure of faith, doesn’t mean we will respond. God has also given us free will so we can choose whether to respond. I heard the Gospel as a child and as a teenager and for many reasons chose not to respond. But God didn’t give up. He did not leave me there. No matter how far I tried to run, He was there. 2nd Peter 3:9 says “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” Thank God for this truth. Thank God that I started seeking His Truth. As I discussed in The Bible: Fact or FantasyTruth or Lie, my intellect kept me from responding to the truth. For me, it was important to find logical arguments that supported the truth of the Bible. These arguments began penetrating the wall of my intellect. At some point while seeking God and the truth, my intellect stepped out of the way and I stepped out in faith. I cannot tell you the exact moment that the measure of faith God gave me was activated and I believed – I just know it was and I did. Jesus describes it like this ” So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.” John 3:8 It is supernatural. There is no explanation. We all have faith. It is a gift from God. He makes it available to everyone. It is up to us to choose to accept His gift. Sometimes all it takes is to step out in faith and say “I believe God, help me overcome my belief!” Barlow Girl sings a song called Never Alone. This song is about choosing faith. Choose faith today. “And though I cannot see You And I can’t explain why Such a deep, deep reassurance You’ve placed in my lifeWe cannot separate ‘Cause You’re part of me And though You’re invisibleI’ll trust the unseen If there are obstacles in your path that are keeping you from choosing faith, pray this prayer: Lord, I ask you to move my heart towards you today and to remove any obstacles from my path that are keeping me from choosing faith and choosing You. I choose to believe You today and tomorrow and for the rest of my life.
The Bible: Is It the Inspired Word of God?
No Ordinary Book The Bible is not just any ordinary book. Its message has caused people from all generations, all walks of life, and all nationalities to change the direction of their lives radically. Written words on their own do not have this kind of power. However, if the Bible is the inspired word of God, then its words have the weight and power to affect such profound change. In The Bible: Is It Really Accurate and Reliable?, we concluded that the Bible is truth and not fiction – that it is historically reliable and its authors are credible. For those reasons, we can look to the Bible to answer the question: Is the Bible the inspired Word of God? God Breathed The Bible was written by ordinary men with no extraordinary power or authority. The authors did not claim the words they wrote as their own, but rather attributed them to God. Paul, in 2nd Timothy 3:16 says that “All scripture is inspired by God.” Inspired comes from the Greek word theopneustos, which means God-breathed. Over and over again, both the Old and the New Testaments refer to Scripture as the Word of God. Prophecy In the Old Testament, God spoke through prophets like Moses and Jeremiah. God chose these prophets to communicate His message to the world. Jeremiah provides a great example of how prophets were chosen and used by God. Jeremiah 1:5-10 says: “The Lord said to me, ‘Before I formed you in your mother’s womb I chose you…I appointed you to be a prophet to the nations.’ I answered, ‘Oh, Lord God, I really do not know how to speak well enough for that’…The Lord said to me…’But go to whomever I send you and say whatever I tell you…’ Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, ‘I will most assuredly give you the words you are to speak for me. Know for certain that I hereby give you the authority to announce to nations and kingdoms that they will be uprooted and torn down, destroyed and demolished, rebuilt and firmly planted.” The Old Testament is filled with prophecies relating to the rise and fall of nations and kingdoms. Prophecies in the Old Testament were written hundreds, if not thousands, of years before they came to pass. An example of an Old Testament prophecy relating to the fall of a nation is recorded in Ezekiel. Between 587 and 586 B.C. Ezekiel predicted that many nations would come against the city of Tyre and that eventually Nebuchadnezzar would destroy it. In Ezekiel 26:12, Ezekiel predicted that the stone, timber, and rubble of the ancient City of Tyre would be thrown into the sea. “They will plunder your wealth and loot your merchandise; they will break down your walls and demolish your fine houses and throw your stones, timber and rubble into the sea.” This prophecy came to pass when Alexander the Great attacked Tyre in 333-332 B.C. His armies threw the stones, timber and rubble of the City into the sea to make a land bridge. This bridge is still there. There are hundreds more prophecies recorded in the Old Testament that later came to pass. The accuracy of these prophecies is uncanny and the likelihood of them coming to pass is low, unless of course, they were given by God to the prophets supernaturally. In addition to prophets predicting the rise and fall of people and nations, the prophets predicted the coming of Jesus Christ. There are over 300 prophecies concerning Jesus. Some prophecies tell when he would be born, “A period of seventy sets of seven has been decreed for your people and your holy city to finish their rebellion, to put an end to their sin, to atone for their guilt, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to confirm the prophetic vision, and to anoint the Most Holy Place. Now listen and understand! Seven sets of seven plus sixty-two sets of seven will pass from the time the command is given to rebuild Jerusalem until a ruler—the Anointed One—comes…” Daniel 9:24-25 his lineage, “When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with a rod wielded by men, with floggings inflicted by human hands. But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.’” 2nd Samuel 12-16 that he would die and rise again. “I keep my eyes always on the Lord.With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;my body also will rest secure,because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,nor will you let your faithful one see decay. You make known to me the path of life;you will fill me with joy in your presence,with eternal pleasures at your right hand. Psalm 16:8-11 Can One Man Fulfill All These Prophecies? What are the chances that one man would fulfill these prophecies? College students decided to conduct a scientific study to help answer this question. They used only 8 of the prophecies concerning Jesus. Upon completion of the study, they determined that the chance that one man would fulfill just 8 of these prophecies was 1 in 1017. I have trouble imagining that number, so I’m going to use the visualization that Peter Stoner, in his book Science Speaks, used:Imagine that we took 1017 silver dollars and laid them across the entire state of Texas. By the time we got done, they covered all of Texas
Mercy and Grace: What Is The Difference?
Mercy and grace: we hear these words tossed around, but do we really understand what they mean? Mercy as defined in the dictionary is “compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one’s power to punish or harm.” After considering this definition for awhile, memories of my teenage years come to mind. As a teenager, I was a terrible driver. I was inattentive and basically exercised bad judgment. I crashed into my house, I backed over a mailbox, and to make matters worse, I got pulled over (a lot). Honestly, I don’t remember all the reasons why I got pulled over, but I do remember that I never got a ticket. Instead of receiving the punishment that I deserved, I received the police officers’ mercy in the form of a warning. It was certainly within their power to write me a ticket and to call my mom and dad. But they did neither. Because of their mercy, I did not have to endure the well-deserved wrath of my mom and dad. Those officers did not give me what I deserved, they gave me mercy. Grace is defined as “approval, special favor or a temporary exemption”. When I think of grace, one particular instance comes to mind. During the first years of my marriage, my husband and I barely made enough money to get by. We were first time homeowners and new parents. One month we did not have the money to pay our mortgage. We got a call from the mortgage company checking in on us. When finding out our situation, the company offered to allow us to skip that month’s payment without any penalty. We were thrilled. We had done nothing to deserve or earn that treatment from the mortgage company. They gave us grace – a gift we did nothing to earn. Although I am thankful for the mercy of the police officers and the grace of the mortgage company, nothing compares to the mercy and the grace God has given us through his son Jesus Christ. Without God’s mercy, I wouldn’t be writing this right now, and you wouldn’t be reading it. Every day we deserve God’s wrath, but instead we get His mercy. Not only does he withhold his wrath, but He showers us with His grace through Jesus Christ. Without God’s mercy and grace, there would be no Gospel and without the Gospel, we would have no hope. We are all born of sin: by our very nature, we are spiritually dead in sin and deserve God’s wrath, judgment and eternal punishment. We have “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23) and the punishment for sin is death (Romans 6:23). After sin entered the world, God could have easily washed his hands of us and walked away. But instead, God chose to show us mercy. He withholds judgment and gives us a way out. He gives us grace. God’s grace was displayed on the cross when God gave His only Son, who was sinless, to be sin for us. Because of His grace, we can live as God created us to live, in relationship with Him for eternity. All we have to do is look to Jesus and believe in His name. Yes, Romans 6:23 makes clear that the punishment for our sin is death, but that’s not how it ends: it goes on to say “but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23) Because of God’s love for us, he sent Jesus, and with Jesus came God’s grace (John 1:17) There is nothing that we can do to deserve or earn God’s grace. ”For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves – it is the gift of God – not by works so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8) So while I am thankful for the earthly type of mercy and grace in the form of warnings instead of tickets, and deferred mortgage payments instead of late fees, I am so much more thankful for a God that loves me so much that while I was still a sinner, He died for me. Although I once rejected Him, he gave it all for me. That is a grace, I cannot live without.
Rain
“Rain, rain go away come again another day”. I’d say most of us have heard or even sang those lyrics at some point in our lives. During a recent rain shower, that was pretty much my attitude, “rain go away!” I started to complain, “ugh rain!” or something to that effect and while I was in the middle of complaining, I had a nudge from the Holy Spirit, reminding me of the adage “April showers bring May flowers” and to be thankful for the rain. Would you laugh if I told you I’ve recently asked for rain? My husband and I put out two hundred pounds of grass seed and fertilizer. Not to mention planted a variety of flowers. All of which need rain. I enjoy flowers immensely. The different colors, shapes, smells, each bloom being beautiful and unique. I look at them as little treasures. And yet will still complain sometimes when I need to water them throughout the season, wishing ironically, it would rain. Let’s think about what rain does. It cleanses. It nourishes. It helps flowers bloom. It helps crops grow. It relieves drought. And much more… The Bible speaks of rain in various scriptures to help remind us, to not only be thankful for rain but to show us tangible ways rain is needed. Hebrews 6:7 “For ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God.” Isaiah 55:10 “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,” Zechariah 10:1 “Ask the Lord for rain in the springtime; it is the Lord who sends the thunderstorms. He gives showers of rain to all people, and plants of the field to everyone.” Psalm 147:8 “Who covers the heavens with clouds, Who provides rain for the earth, Who makes grass to grow on the mountains.” Did certain words jump off the page for you like they did me? “Who provides?” “Bud, flourish?” What about Zechariah 10:1 when it says to ask the Lord for rain? Remember the adage mentioned, ‘April showers bring May flowers?’ The rain helps nourish the soil so the flowers bloom. The same way a rainy season may cleanse our hearts and help us let go of unforgiveness or when we sit silently for a moment, listening to the rainfall and hear the voice of God, or when the rainy season starts to clear and we see the same situation with a fresh perspective. When we find ourselves in a season of rain, let’s be encouraged that those seasons help us grow. Now, there’s the crux in the rainy season. It’s up to us what our attitude is while we’re waiting for the beauty of the bloom. We can complain about the rain or make the decision to keep an attitude of praise, knowing that God is intentional with every raindrop and that our bloom won’t happen without it. No rain, no flowers. Lord, I praise You for the rain and thank you for all it provides. When I find myself in a rainy season may I trust that there is a purpose. You alone create the beauty of the bloom within our hearts and lives, and it is worth it. Hallelujah grace like rain! May this be a constant praise of my mouth and heart. In Jesus’ Name. Amen This week’s playlist: Grace Like Rain Todd Agnew Fresh Chance River Valley Worship Clean Natalie Grant
Faith: What Is It, Really?
Faith. That word is tossed around a lot. We are told to “have faith,” “take a leap of faith,” and that “faith is blind.” Some people think that faith is simply believing in someone or something. That is true, but faith is so much more than that. So what is faith, really? There are no human words that can adequately describe faith. Faith is supernatural. Only faith can explain faith. When you have faith, you know that you know that you know. Clear as mud, right? The writer of Hebrews, moved by the Holy Spirit, described faith like this: “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things unseen.” Hebrews 11:1 ESV To better understand this verse, let’s break it down by looking at the words in their original language, Greek. Faith Faith is the Greek word “pistis” and means confident trust. The root word of faith is peithô, which means persuade, be persuaded, to come to trust. Assurance Assurance is the Greek word “hupostasis” and means a foundation on which you can be assured of something, a guarantee of a promise. Hope Hope is the Greek word “elpizó” and means actively waiting for fulfillment of a promise, expect. Conviction Conviction is the Greek word “elegchos” and means proof that persuades and brings confidence that you will receive the things you hope for. From these root meanings, we can conclude two things about faith: Faith is God’s guarantee that we will possess those things we hope for; and Faith persuades us and gives us confidence, bringing into sight those things we hope for but do not yet see. I like how the International Standard Version puts it: “Now faith is the assurance that what we hope for will come about and the certainty that what we cannot see exists.” ISV And the Passion Translation: Now faith brings our hopes into reality and becomes the foundation needed to acquire the things we long for. It is all the evidence required to prove what is still unseen. FAITH IS NOT BLIND Believing without seeing is challenging, especially in a culture where people are conditioned to believe that if you can’t see it, touch it, taste it, or hear it, you can’t be sure it exists. They think faith is foolish and causes people to believe in something, even when it is unreasonable or doesn’t exist. They say faith is blind. But that’s not the case. Recently, I heard an analogy that helped explain what faith is and is not: Imagine the following: A stranger, or at least someone you have no reason to trust, takes you to a swimming pool blindfolded. This person leads you into the pool area to the high dive ladder and tells you to climb up. You climb up. Then they ask you to “have faith” and take a leap off the high dive. If you jump, that is not faith; that is downright foolishness. Why? Because you have no idea what you are leaping into – maybe there is, maybe there isn’t water in the pool, you just don’t know. You have no foundation for trusting that there is water in the pool. BUT, if someone you trust, someone you know and can rely on, tells you there is water in the pool, leads you to the high dive ladder, tells you to climb up and jump, and you do, that is faith. Although you can’t see the water, you don’t have to wonder whether there is water; you are certain of it. You have a foundation for trusting that there is water in the pool. You have the word of the person you trust, know, and rely on. You jumped because you knew there was water in the pool. This is faith. FAITH IS BASED on KNOWLEDGE. It is not blind or just a shot in the dark. Faith is not believing or trusting in something or someone you are unsure of or can’t see. FAITH COMES FROM HEARING Ok, we have established that faith is based on knowledge, but where do we get this knowledge that helps us have faith? The Apostle Paul in Romans 10:17 tells us that “…faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” Faith comes through God’s Word! Faith has a foundation, and that is the WORD OF GOD. The more we hear or read His Word, the more we have faith in the author, God HIMSELF! God’s Word is filled with His promises, including the promises God made Abraham, who we call the “Father of Faith.” ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD Faith is not just believing in God but believing God. Abraham believed God. Believing means trusting in, relying on, and having faith in someone or something. Oh, how Abraham trusted in, relied on, and had faith in God. He was one of the heroes of faith that “won God’s approval” through his faith. Hebrews 11:2 HCSB Most of us have heard the story about Abraham and Isaac (Genesis 22). This story is difficult, no doubt. But as you read it, remember that before God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son, Abraham had walked with God for a long time. Through smaller tests, God had stretched and grown Abraham’s faith. Sometimes Abraham’s faith failed, and he made a mess of things. He was human just like you and me. The writer of Hebrews describes Abraham’s act of faith like this: “It was by faith that Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice when God was testing him. Abraham, who had received God’s promises, was ready to sacrifice his only son, Isaac even though God had told him ‘Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted.” Hebrews 11:17-18 Abraham offered up his son as a sacrifice. Many people think Abraham acted foolishly, that his faith was blind, causing him to believe something he couldn’t be sure of. They think Abraham blindly lept off that high dive without having any way of knowing there was
Promises: God the Ultimate Promise Maker & Keeper
When my kids were little, I used to say “pinky promise” to them as a way of noting I was sincere and serious in making the promise. I spoke to my now-adult son and asked him if he remembered this gesture and what it meant to him when I did it. He said, “I knew you were serious and would keep your promise.” Have you ever found yourself wanting a “pinky promise” from God? That little extra assurance that He means his promises and will keep them. Sometimes we desire this despite his perfect record of promise-keeping. Let’s look at just a few examples in God’s track record, starting with the Old Testament. God promised to bless Abraham and, through his descendants, the whole world (Genesis 12:2–3). This promise, called the Abrahamic Covenant, pointed to the coming Messiah for whom Abraham looked (John 8:56). God promised that if we search for Him we will find Him (Deuteronomy 4:29). God promised that His love will never fail (1 Chronicles 16:34). He is faithful in every way. The New Testament continues to highlight God’s perfect record in promise-keeping. God promised to finish the work He started in us (Philippians 1:6). God does nothing in half measures. He started the work in us, and He will be sure to complete it. God promised new life in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17) God promised peace when we pray (Philippians 4:6–7) These are just a small measure of the hundreds of promises God makes and keeps. I’m thankful for how my son remembers the pinky promise gesture and what it meant to him at the time. I wish I could say with absolute certainty that I had a perfect promise-keeping track record with him and his sister, but truthfully, that’s not the case. That’s the beauty and comfort of God being the ultimate Promise Keeper because it’s in part how we know He is faithful and trustworthy and has no need to “pinky promise” because he has a flawless record, we know God is sincere and serious with all his promises. Lord, thank you for being the ultimate promise maker and keeper. May the words of my mouth and beat of my heart be to praise You for every promise you have given and kept. Help me be a promise keeper like you. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen. This week’s playlist- Kim Walker-Smith – Hurry (Official Live Video) – YouTube Reason To Praise (Lyric Video) – Cory Asbury feat. Naomi Raine – YouTube Your Love Never Fails – Chris Quilala / Jesus Culture – Jesus Culture Music – YouTube