More Than Mere Belief

Tell me, when someone comes up to you and asks you to define faith for them, how would you do so?

Maybe we would say “Belief”, maybe we would say “trust”, maybe we would say “obedience”. Maybe, we would come to remember a fairly popular verse about faith.

Hebrews 11:1–3 CSB

Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen. For by this our ancestors were approved. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible.

I have seen many people come to the conclusion that those under the Old Law system of the Old Testament were saved strictly by their works. They’ll say they were saved by their strict obedience to the Law! But, that isn’t true, is it? But what does our text say: The forefathers were approved through their faith!

In fact, the writer of Hebrews goes on a little further to say Heb. 11.6

Hebrews 11:6 CSB

Now without faith it is impossible to please God, since the one who draws near to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

Faith has absolutely always been essential to being pleasing to God.

I have heard it said by those whom I suppose are “spiritual” as they say, yet they are not Christians by any means. They talk about learning to pray even if you don’t believe in God! How ironic is that? They placebo themselves into feeling like praying with no faith in God Almighty would make them feel better in any degree.

Why is this so absurd for them to do?

God says that if you would even come to God (if you would even seek to be in fellowship with Him, be in agreement with Him) you must believe (or trust) that He is (not just existent, but that He is eternally so!)

Is it possible that we sometimes would come to God with no faith?

Do we have problems with trusting God, though He has proven Himself trustworthy?

Brethren, any wavering in our faith mustn’t be so! If we would please God at all, we must have faith because that is the only way! Enough of doing church work without the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit, enough asking God to bless what we decided to do without consulting Him beforehand — The Church must ask herself, “Have we really and truly put our entire weight into our trust in God?”

What does the Author tell us faith believes? (v. 3))

By faith, it is empirically proven to us that God worlds by His spoken word (rhema not logos)

By faith we believe that what God has made was not created by what is seen, but that He created what is visible to us was created by the invisible.

What else do we believe by faith?

Promises of God — “Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness”

We follow God against the edicts and the pleasures of men (Moses, Heb. 11.24-27).

We believe God’s commands are good and true, and by faith obey them (Heb. 11.8)

The point of the matter is this: The whole life of the Christian should be defined by faith in God! Never should we do anything based on our own strength or wit. Rather we ought always to trust the one who created the worlds and live in every respect by faith!

After all, Paul also says we walk by faith and not by sight! Why then, does it seem like many Christians walk and live their lives based on tangible evidence of the seen, and not the evidence of the invisible by faith?

Faith been explained to me this way:

You’re up in a tree and you have a choice to stand on a limb. Faith in this picture is when you step onto that limb with your whole weight and trust it to hold you up. Lack of faith if when we might just lightly put a single foot onto that limb, then get too scared to stand on it.

If Christ is the One we stand on, what does standing on Christ look like?

Believing His promises over the words of men and self

Obeying the commands; disobedience is a lack of faith

Being bold to talk about the Truth. Many believers will say, “I’m not comfortable talking about religion,” or “I’d rather not discuss religion here, it’s private.” Family, we’d better not be keeping Jesus private! Just to say it frankly, to be afraid to talk about Jesus (of which I myself have been guilty at times) is not only a lack of faith — it is cowardice!

So, do we really want to please God? If so, then we must live by faith! Without faith, whatever we do will not be pleasing to God. The only way to make God happy, to give God of ourselves what He wants, is through faith!

I don’t know where your faith needs work — but I’m very aware of my own. My challenge to us this week is this: Wherever in your life you struggle to fully have faith, go all in with Jesus there! We cannot love Jesus with all we are if we do not fully trust Him! So, brethren, i