Faith Is The Substance -Testing of your faith

What is faith? Why must we have it?

Faith is crucial in our walk with God, we must never under estimate the power of faith. Our whole premise and existence is based on faith. What is it that you hope for that seems so far out of reach from your grasp? Only faith can help you reach that dream and goal.

However, when the Bible speaks of hope, it is not referring to a desire for a future outcome that is uncertain, but rather a desire for a future outcome that is absolutely sure. Based on our trust in the promises of God, we can be fully confident about the outcome. When God gives His people a promise for the future, and the church grasps it, this hope is said to be the “anchor of the soul” (). An anchor is that which gives a ship protection against aimless drifting in the sea. The promises of God for tomorrow are the anchor for believers today.

So Sproul RC says it like this; In a real sense, hope is faith looking forward. The word faith carries a strong element of trust.We are not talking about blind faith, but God faith, tangible faith. Faith that serves as evidence to God’s promises. Sproul RC

In a real sense, hope is faith looking forward. The word faith carries a strong element of trust.

We are not talking about blind faith, but God faith, tangible faith. Faith that serves as evidence to God’s promises.

This is the faith of Abraham,

Abraham was looking for a place because God had told him that He was going to show him that place. He trusted God for what he had not yet seen, and by doing that became the father of the faithful.

Sproul, R. C. (2010). What Is Faith? (Vol. 8, p. 9). Lake Mary, FL: Reformation Trust Publishing.

See Abraham understood that his only strength was in God and His promises, he did allow his wife to talk him into helping God, but in the end God never needs our help because all we do is make a mess time and time again.

So in the end it’s not about believing in God, it’s about:

Believing God - That is the Christian Life.

Our faith needs to be childlike , It is about living by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. It is about following Him into places where we’ve never been, into situations that we’ve never experienced, into countries that we’ve never seen—because we know who He is. He is God our Father and we are his children. We must trust our Daddy.

1500 Illustrations for Biblical Preaching Faith, Example Of

At a burning building in New York City’s Harlem, a blind girl was perched on the fourth-floor window. The firemen had become desperate. They couldn’t fit the ladder truck between the buildings, and they couldn’t get her to jump into a net, which she, of course, couldn’t see.

Finally her father arrived and shouted through the bull horn that there was a net and that she was to jump on his command. The girl jumped and was so completely relaxed that she did not break a bone or even strain a muscle in the four-story fall. Because she trusted her father completely, when she heard her father’s voice she did what he said was best.

living by every word that proceeds from His mouth (; ). It is about following Him into places where we’ve never been, into situations that we’ve never experienced, into countries that we’ve never seen—because we know who He is.

This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”

Live through God - That is the Christian Walk.

17 This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”

God is pleased when His people live by trusting Him. “Look at the proud! They trust in themselves, and their lives are crooked. But the righteous will live by their faithfulness to God.

4 “Look at the proud! They trust in themselves, and their lives are crooked.

They trust in themselves, and their lives are crooked.

But the righteous will live by their faithfulness to God.

17 This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”

This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”

Testing proves the genuineness of faith

1 Peter 1:6–7 NLT

So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

See also

Testing develops Christian character

We must not be like the world who trust in their own abilities and wisdom, they are proud and arrogant with much worldly wisdom, these are mans ways and not God’s. says: The greater my wisdom, the greater my grief. To increase knowledge only increases sorrow.

James 1:2–4 NLT

Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

The greater my wisdom, the greater my grief.

See also

Well Minister are you saying that schooling is foolishness? No the opposite, schooling givings you understanding and that is where in lies the problem. because 2 + 2 = 4 in the natural world, but in God’s world it never adds up to what you think.

To increase knowledge only increases sorrow.

Matthew 14:15–21 NLT

That evening the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away so they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves.” But Jesus said, “That isn’t necessary—you feed them.” “But we have only five loaves of bread and two fish!” they answered. “Bring them here,” he said. Then he told the people to sit down on the grass. Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he gave the bread to the disciples, who distributed it to the people. They all ate as much as they wanted, and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftovers. About 5,000 men were fed that day, in addition to all the women and children!

Testing purifies God’s people

Matthew 14

Pray to God - That is the Christian Talk

God Blesses our faith in Him and Jesus demonstrates this with the feeding of the 5000 men plus women and children! But in mans finite mind, in our knowledge the disciples should have only been able to feed about 2 men, but because of Jesus faith and obedience to the Holy Spirit everyone saw the miracle of God. (side note, God loves to show who He is) He will always out due himself since He loves to be the center of attention. That is a beautiful thing since we reap the benefits of this action and get an opportunity to proclaim his goodness through a testimony of our faith in Him.

Isaiah 48:10 NLT

I have refined you, but not as silver is refined. Rather, I have refined you in the furnace of suffering.

Give to God - That is the Christian Love

Here is a question for you to think about and to be honest with yourself. Do you invest into God’s Kingdom or your own Kingdom? Gods _______ Mine _______.

Now this next statement is not meant to offend you or make you feel guilty but there is an old saying; look at a persons checkbook and that is where their heart is. What are you willing to give to God? I challenge you to give him the 3 T’s .

Time - It’s not just enough to come to church, we must be the church.

Ephesians 5:29 NLT

No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the church.

Talent - It’s not just enough to sing the songs in service, we must contribute during the service.

Ephesians 4:16 NLT

He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.

Ephesians 4

Talent - It’s not just enough to sing the songs in service, we must contribute during the service.

Tithe - It’s not just enough to eat the food we have, we must contribute to the food for others.

Matthew 19:21 NLT

Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

Matthew 19

So where does your faith lie? Ask yourself can you have a little more faith? I’m sure the answer is the same as mine. Yes.

Let me close with this last comment

The degree of faith that one places in a given object is directly proportional to one’s knowledge of the object. For example, consider a man terrified of flying. When he first arrives at an airport he buys insurance at those coin-operated insurance-policy machines. He has his seat belt buckled twenty minutes before take-off and is sure to listen carefully to the routine “emergency instructions.” He has no faith in the ability of the plane to get him to his destination. But, as the journey progresses, this passenger begins to change. He first unbuckles his seat belt, then has some lunch, and pretty soon is talking to the person next to him and joking. Why the change? What happened? Is there more faith at 36,000 feet? Of course not. The more he learned about the object of faith, the plane, the more faith he exercised in that object. So it is with believers. The more we learn of the Lord, the more faith we can place in him.

So it is with believers. The more we learn of the Lord, the more faith we can place in him.

Closing Prayer.

Examples of God testing faith

Abraham is told to sacrifice Isaac:

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God tested Israel in the desert; God reduces Gideon’s army; Jesus Christ appears to discourage the Canaanite woman; Jesus Christ delays going to Bethany when Lazarus is ill.

Means by which faith is tested

God allows Satan to test faith

Job 2:7 NLT

So Satan left the Lord’s presence, and he struck Job with terrible boils from head to foot.

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Difficult circumstances test faith

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Persecution tests faith

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Discouraging people test faith

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God’s promise of help during testing

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God’s help through the encouragement of others

1 Thessalonians 3:2–3 NLT

and we sent Timothy to visit you. He is our brother and God’s co-worker in proclaiming the Good News of Christ. We sent him to strengthen you, to encourage you in your faith, and to keep you from being shaken by the troubles you were going through. But you know that we are destined for such troubles.

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The response to trials

Rejoicing at sharing Jesus Christ’s suffering

1 Peter 4:12–13 NLT

Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world.

Praying for God’s help

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Persevering

James 1:12 NLT

God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

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Examples of faith victorious through testing

Abraham; Elisha’s servant; Job; Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego; the apostles; Stephen; Paul