…the just shall live
by his faith. Habakkuk 2:4 (NKJV)
God’s has set up this world in such
a way that the only way His people can approach Him and receive from Him is on
the basis of faith. In fact, we can’t even be pleasing to the Lord in any
capacity without faith (Hebrews 11:6).Faith is so much the centrality of the
Christian life that it is the way we come to know God and it is the way we
sustain our Christian walk.
What is Faith?
The Bible says that faith is the
“substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews
11:1). Let’s break this down: First, hope is the knowledge of expected good –
this is what makes up the substance of faith. Secondly, the evidence, that
which proves the substance is unable to be seen. Therefore, faith is the
confidence that comes from knowing that what God has said is greater than what
my eyes can see.
Where Do You Get Faith?
First, the bible tells us that every
person has been dealt a measure of faith by God (Romans 12:3). If God had not
dealt us that measure of faith we could not be saved; for we are saved by grace
through “faith” (Ephesians 2:8). God loved me and you so much that he placed
inside of us what we would need in order to come into his saving grace.
Secondly, we gain faith by hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17). Whenever you
hear the word of God preached, whenever you listen to the bible being read, or
worship to the sound of scripture in your favorite hymn or praise song, you are
gaining faith. Isn’t good to know that what God requires to please him can be
contained in a book or even on our phones?
What Does Faith Do?
Faith is our protection as we walk
through this life (Ephesians 6:16). Notice that faith does not keep the enemy’s
fiery darts from coming at you, but it will extinguish them. Remember, Faith
did not keep Daniel from the den of lions, but it did keep the lions from hurting
him. Faith did not keep the 3 Hebrew children out of the fiery furnace, but it
did keep them from getting burned. It is important for us to know that we will
not always escape the walk in the valley of the shadow of death, but we can
know that the Lord will walk with us when we make that journey.
Scripture to Claim
So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the
word of God. Romans 10:17 (NKJV)
submitted by Sam Nobles
