Sometimes the unknown is scary or difficult to deal with. That’s not the case with faith! The author of Hebrews defines faith as: “confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” (Heb. 11:1, NIV) Our faith is a confident and assured faith, and the entire chapter in Hebrews 11 gives us Biblical figures that lived faithful lives as an example for us.
Faith begins in our lives at the moment we surrender to Christ in repentance and obedience. This faith extends to all areas of our lives.
If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.
Romans 10:9-10
Faith is not just internal. This is faith that transforms! When we come to Jesus sincerely, our relationship with Him will transform our life. As we submit to Jesus and His word, we turn from sin, learn about God’s will, and believe His truth. Then, our priorities, our lifestyle, our actions will all begin to show evidence of the great work that God is doing in our hearts.
God saved us to restore us to Himself, and He also saved us for a purpose: to show His love and do His will on the earth. In James, God’s inspired writer talks about the balance between faith and works:
“What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” (James 2:14-17)
| Throughout scripture, God calls us to be consistent with our words and our deeds, or our faith and our actions. True faith encourages and calls us to see the needs in the world and to take part in God’s blessings to the world. In fact, Ephesians 2:10 says that God prepared good works in advance for us to do! | For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. – Ephesians 2:10 NI |
We were created to love God and to love others. As we continue on our faith journey, we must be careful with the testimony, the story, that our lives tell. If we tell the whole world that we love God, but we do not follow His words or we walk in disobedience, we are lying to ourselves and misrepresenting God before watching eyes.
Jesus warned His disciples about the religious leaders of the day. They had a long list of everything a person should do to follow God, but they did not follow their own list! Matthew 23:3 says, “Do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.”
Recommended Reading: Hebrews 11 (whole chapter), Matthew 8:5-13, Psalm 31:23; 33:4,
Think on this and see if you can find examples in your own life: Have you had a boss who demanded everyone to be on time for meetings, but showed up late? Have you known people who claimed to be Christians, but still enjoy and applaud the sins of the world?
Today, pray and ask God to deepen your faith, to help you obey, and to show you ways to live a faith full of action. Pray that God would reveal ways in your own life that need to better represent Him. Stay in God’s word and start with just 1 page a day.