A Simple Faith in God Alone

 A Simple Faith in God Alone How can I please God? Only by faith in God! How can I be saved from sin? Only by faith in God! How can I receive anything from God? Only by faith in God alone! But we complicate things, trying to earn His favor or trusting in our feelings of faith instead of having faith in God alone. God desires a simple faith that believes His word as true, trusts Him to do as He says, and submits to Him by doing whatever He says because we trust Him. There is a story in 2 Kings 5 that illustrates the importance and power of a simple faith in God alone. One of the main characters is named Naaman. In verse one, we read: Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the LORD had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant solder, but he had leprosy. Naaman, at first glance, would seem to be successful. He had an impressive position as commander of the army of Aram, the land we now call Syria, a major rival and enemy of Israel. He had gained great prestige and high social position as a great man in the sight of his king. His military career was a success. He was highly regarded for his victories. He had earned all this by being a valiant soldier, a mighty man powerful in the military arts. But Naaman's success was an illusion. The verse ends with the words "but he had leprosy". As a physical man he faced physical decay. As an exalted leader he faced social rejection. As a courageous warrior he faced inner uncertainty. And he did not know the true God. He did not know that God was the source of his victories. He did not know God's forgiving grace. He was not aware of God's healing power. Without God we are nothing. Human success is an illusion. But simple faith in God alone will bring real success. Listen to the next part of the story: Now bands from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman's wife. She said to her mistress, "If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy." Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said. "By all means, go" the king of Aram replied. She was just a young girl. From man's perspective she was so insignificant that she is not even named in the story. She was a captive of war. Why would she help her captors? She was a servant, just a simple household slave with no influence of position or family. But she had a simple faith in God. Her faith in God's sovereignty overcame any temptation to be bitter. Her faith in God's love taught her to care for her master. Her faith in God's power enabled her to expect God to heal. And her simple faith moved mighty men to act. She inspired Naaman to approach the king. This caused pagan King Ben-hadad to send Naaman to Israel. Faith moves mountains. Her faith moved great men and would bring glory to God. But human reasoning complicates things. Listen to the attitudes of two kings in verses 5 - 7: "By all means, go," the king of Aram replied. "I will send a letter to the king of Israel." So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold and ten sets of clothing. The letter that he took to the king of Israel read: "With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you so that you may cure him of his leprosy." As soon as the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his robes and said, "Am I God? Can I kill and bring back to life? Why does this fellow send someone to me to be cured of his leprosy? See how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me!" The trouble was caused by King Ben-hadad's reasoning. He tries to buy the healing with 750 pounds of silver and 150 pounds of gold. That seemed to him a reasonable way to receive healing for his general. Then he works through human channels by writing to King Jehoram, not to Elisha the prophet. His man centered approach almost starts a war, not a revival. But we would expect little more from a pagan king who does not know God. King Jehoram's unbelief makes things worse. As king in Israel, he should have been aware of God's power. He should know that God and God alone can heal leprosy. But in his unbelief, he concentrates on his inability rather than on God's power. He incorrectly guesses Ben-hadad's motive instead of seeking God's will. He chooses angry distrust of Ben-hadad instead of simple faith in God alone. Elisha hears what has happened and quickly understands the problem. To bring correction, he rebukes his king for foolish unbelief. Elisha is bold in exercising a simple faith that God will prove Himself mighty. But simple faith will be a challenge for Naaman. Elisha puts him to a test in verses 9 and 10: So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha's house. Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, "Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed." Naaman arrives in pomp, pride, and glory. Elisha, probably deliberately, offends his pride by not personally greeting him. Instead he sends only a servant with instructions to wash in the Jordan seven times. Elisha treats him as an inferior and gives orders to the man who is used to giving them. Healing is offered but only on God's terms which requires only simple faith, not proud action. Naaman's pride almost prevents his healing. In verses 11 and 12 we read: But Naaman went away angry and said, "I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. Are not the Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than any of the waters of Israel? Couldn't I wash in them and be cleansed?" So he turned and went off in a rage. Naaman expected more respect for his greatness. He expected a different response from God and His prophet. He even thought he could pick better rivers than God did. But God was requiring a simple faith: Believe God's word is true; trust God to keep His word; Yield to God and follow His word. But it took his pagan servants to get him to accept God's wisdom. Naaman's servants went to him and said, "My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, 'Wash and be cleansed'!" So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy. His servants pointed out that he would have been proud to DO some great WORK to EARN healing. Is it too hard for him to RECEIVE healing by HUMBLY SUBMITTING? So, Naaman humbles himself and submits with a simple faith in God. He chooses to believe that God's word through Elisha is true. He trusts God to be able, willing, and faithful. In humility, he yields to God and obeys His word. And he was healed! But he received more than physical healing. He also came to a saving faith in God. Listen to his words to Elisha in verse 17: "Please let me, your servant, be given as much earth as a pair of mules can carry, for your servant will never again make burnt offerings and sacrifices to any other god but the LORD." So how do you please God? Believe that His word is true. Trust God to be able to always keep His word. Submit to God to live in obedience to His word. And how do you receive salvation and forgiveness from sin? Believe that Jesus is God's Son who died for you and rose again as God's word tells us. Trust Jesus to remove your guilt and make you God's child as promised in His word. Submit to Jesus as your Savior and your Lord with a simple faith in God alone, not relying on your own efforts. And how do you receive any of God's other blessings, such as healing, baptism in the Holy Spirit, or other provision for your needs? Believe that God's promises in the Bible are true. Trust God to be faithful to His word. Submit to God and receive His grace by faith. Believe! Trust! Submit! Come to God with a simple faith that relies on Him alone!