Hebrews 11: 1 teaches that faith is the assurance of things hoped for and the evidence (proof) of things not seen. In other words, faith is having complete confidence in the accomplishment of God’s promises, although they are not yet tangible.
But where do we find these promises our faith should be based on? In Romans 10:17, we learn that true faith is based and anchored on scriptural facts. Every single promise given to us is found in the Word of God.
True Faith is a gift from God, it is an unrequested item given to us by God without the expectation of payment or anything in return. How do we treat this gift called faith? Firstly, we must be thankful and appreciative of God, the gift- giver. Secondly, we must keep our gift clean, we shouldn’t allow other sources to corrupt our faith. Finally, we need to protect our gift. As a Christian, our faith will constantly come under attack; when it does, let us defend it.
True faith is a logical and personal choice. No one can force us to believe in God and His promises, it is our personal choice. Faith is a logical decision because it is based on logical factors, evidence, God’s revelations to us, witnesses, testimonies and human history. Your faith in God makes sense, let no one deceive you!
True Faith is not the same as mere belief. In James 2:19-24 we learn that even demons believe in God’s existence. Hence simple belief is equivalent to dead (passive) faith. In this scripture, we also learn from Abraham that true faith is active! It demands a response! Passive faith relies on our five senses (touch, sight, hearing, smell and taste), while active (true) faith relies on the unseen promises of God. Passive faith is dependent on self while active faith is dependent on God. Active faith believes that we are not self- made but rather, we are formed by God, in His image and for His purpose. Passive faith says, ‘I believe’. Meanwhile, active faith says, ‘I believe and I respond’.
What is the correct response in faith? To choose to obey and surrender to the will of God. We see an excellent example in Genesis 22:9-12, where Abraham chooses to obey God’s instructions of using his only legitimate son, Isaac, as a sacrifice. In this scripture, we see Abraham yield ownership of his son to God because he acknowledged that what belonged to him belonged to God first. This included himself (Romans 12:1), his properties, his son, his time and other resources. The same applies to us.
One of the main obstacles to faith is familiarity. As the saying goes, ‘familiarity breeds contempt’. Have we grown too familiar with God in our lives? Do you only pray when you need something? Do you only pick up your bible in church? Do you only worship when you are in the mood?
Another obstacle is a lack of knowledge. We have learnt that active faith is believing in God and acting accordingly. How can we believe in a God we haven’t spent enough time with?
-M.
