One minimalist definition of biblical faith is “expecting God’s best.” Unpacked, it means that faith is believing “that God exists, and that He rewards those who sincerely seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6 NLT) The direction we choose determines a lot about how life unfolds before us.
Eeyore, the friend of Winnie the Pooh, wanders upon a stream, looks at his reflection and mumbles, “Pathetic…” He then wanders to the other side of the stream and mumbles again, “Just as I thought, no better from this side.” A lot of us live life that way. We expect the worst no matter what angle we see it from. But the Bible presents to us a God who is perfectly good and trustworthy.
Let’s talk about what faith ISN’T. Faith isn’t merely thinking positively. It’s not wishful thinking or superstition. And contrary to what George Michael sang in the 80’s, it’s not an ambiguous self-reference as in, “just have faith.”
Within Christianity, faith has an object – Jesus Christ.
There are two vital questions we need to answer for ourselves if we want our faith to grow bigger and bolder.
QUESTION #1: What are you willing to BELIEVE about God?
Isaiah 43:11 declares, “I alone am the LORD, and there is no savior except me.” (GW) There are certain things we must affirm about God because He is God. He is self-sustaining and self-sufficient. He is holy, awesome, powerful, and infinitely wise. I choose to believe these things because I believe that my Creator has spoken through His Word and this is what He has revealed about Himself.
We also need to believe certain things about how God relates to us. This is where it gets personal. Romans 10:13 promises, “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (NLT) So I believe that He IS, but I also believe He keeps His promises toward us – that He saves us when we call upon Him.
The second question can’t really be answered without the first, but it has much more profound implications.
QUESTION #2: What are you willing to DO about what you believe about God?
Hebrews 11 is often referred to as the “hall of faith” because it is a stack of brief biographies of people who demonstrated great faith toward God in the past. As my eyes run through the list, I’m brought to an interesting conclusion. See if you can spot it…
Abel brought a sacrifice…
Noah built a large boat…
Abraham offered Isaac…
Isaac blessed his sons…
Moses’ parents hid him…
Israel went through the Red Sea…
Rahab welcomed the spies…
There is a pattern. “By faith” he or she acted boldly and courageously in response to God’s revelation of Himself. Faith acts. We aren’t saved by works but by a faith that works.
Three Observations About Acting In Faith:
- Sometimes, faith brings immediate victory.
- Sometimes, faith endures trials and waits for ultimate victory.
- Faith ALWAYS ends in victory.
Now, what’s your next ACT?
