Faith is one of the most widely discussed concepts in Christianity. However, it is not always described in the way it is presented in the Bible. This three-part series aims to, in the most biblically accurate way possible, explain faith to us. In this first part, we will learn the basics of faith.
What is faith?
There is no point in giving my own definition when the Bible itself already defines it. Faith, according to Hebrews 11:1, is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction og things not seen.
Faith to receive.
To receive anything at all from God, you must have faith. It is the means through which we obtain and lay hold of heavenly blessings. People often talk about how Sarah laughed at the promise that she would conceive, but the story doesn’t end there. In Hebrews 11:11, we are told she received the ability to conceive by faith. If her faith was eventually lacking, perhaps her miracle son wouldn’t have come. Sarah had faith in God’s promise, considering Him faithful, and because of this, she was able to conceive.
Without faith, you cannot receive from God.
“But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.”
James 1:6 NIV
I believe the secret to obtaining by faith is to declare your victory ahead of it. Before David killed Goliath, he declared exactly what he was going to do as if he already had the victory (1 Sam. 17:45-47). Despite being significantly small in stature and battle prowess when compared to Goliath, he had faith in what God would do through him, and he gave no room for doubt.
Likewise, Daniel, when he was faced with the dilemma of having to decipher what the king dreamt about and its meaning, gave an emphatic and definitive reply that he would be back with the answer. He didn’t doubt that maybe God would not answer or that he might be wrong. He was so full of faith, and he declared his victory ahead of time (Dan. 2:16-24).
Faith is displayed in obedience.
Faith will many times require your obedience. Or rather, it will be displayed in your obedience. Noah’s obedience was a testament that he had faith in God—faith that what God warned him about was really going to happen, despite it never happening before, and that the ark was his way to salvation (Heb. 11: 7). Therefore, if you truly have faith in God, you will obey His instructions, no matter how unusual they may be. The Israelites struggled a lot with obedience because they lacked faith.
Abraham also displayed his faith through obedience. He even took his faith a step further by believing that God would raise Isaac eventually. He had so much confidence in God’s promise that Isaac would be the son through whom his descendants would be counted (Heb 11:18). So when the instruction came, in a heartbeat, he obeyed.
Without faith, your obedience will be faulty, or worse, like the children of Israel who kept manna overnight, lacking (Exo. 16:19-20).
Faith vs. Time limit.
Many of us have a deadline for our faith. We believe that if it doesn’t happen by a certain time, it is best to believe that God has forgotten about it or that it won’t come to pass. However, that is not how faith operates. The men of old were very familiar with this. God had promised to deliver the children of Israel from the land of Egypt and take them to a promised land. But even up until Joseph’s dying moments, that promise was not fulfilled. Nevertheless, Joseph’s faith remained, and Scripture records that by faith, he gave instructions for his bones to be carried when the Exodus eventually occurred (Heb. 11:22).
Faith transcends time, and that is why we still hold on to God’s promise of transformed bodies, despite it being a promise for eternity. Contrary to popular opinion formed by the first part of Hebrews 11:1, faith is not always now. In fact, many times, faith comes with a waiting period.
Faith is more than a word we toss around in prayers. The men and women of old understood this mystery. They knew it as a currency to obtain, a guide into obedience, and a force that strengthens us during the wait. We, too, must understand this. Stay tuned to the series because there’s still so much more to unpack.
Faith+blog 