Faith Toward God
Hebrews 11:6
“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is,
and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”
God responds to faith, not feelings. ‘Faith’ and ‘Repentance’ are inseparable in effecting a genuine conversion. See Acts 20:21, “testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.”
The result of such preaching is recorded concerning the Thessalonians who turned to God (faith) from idols (repentance).
1 Thessalonians 1:9 “For they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God,”
To attempt to forsake sin without turning in faith toward God ends in failure and despair.
1- What is the meaning of the word faith?
The root words from which we get ‘faith’ (noun) and ‘believe’ (verb) and its derivatives are found in the New Testament 619 times.
Faith – (pistis) – faith, belief, firm persuasion, assurance, firm conviction, honesty, integrity, faithfulness, truthfulness.
Believe – (pistueo) – to trust in, put faith in, confide in, rely upon, have a mental persuasion, to entrust, commit to the charge of, or power of.
It is the act by which a person lays hold on God’s proffered resources, becomes obedient to what God prescribes and abandoning all self-interest and self-reliance, trusts God completely.
Charles Finney said – “It is a receiving of Christ for just what He is represented to be in His Word; an unqualified surrender of the will and of the whole being to Him.”
2- How does the bible define faith?
Hebrews 11:1 (Amplified Bible) NOW FAITH is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses].
(J.B. Phillips) – “now faith means putting our full confidence in things we cannot see.”
Faith links us with God and is the assurance that the revealed things promised in the Word are true and that the unseen things are real. Faith is certain that what it believes is true and that what it expects will come. It is not the hope which looks forward with utter certainty, it is not the hope which takes refuge in ‘perhaps’, it is not the hope which is founded on conviction. The future and the unseen can be made real by faith.
If you are operating out of fear you won’t get anything. When you have a change of heart and a change of mind that is faith towards God. Religious people say ‘I hope’ so or ‘I think so’ but that is not biblical faith.
3- The importance of faith.
No person can be saved without faith. See the Scriptures below.
Mark 16:16 “He who believes and is baptised will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.”
Luke 8:12 “Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.”
1 Corinthians 1:21 “For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.”
Ephesians 2:8 “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God”
No person can please God without faith. See Hebrews 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”
4- How do we believe?
The mind is informed
See Scriptures below:
Romans 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
John 12:38 that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke: “Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?”
Acts 4:4 However, many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.
Acts 8:12 But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptised.
Hebrews 4:2 For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.
An informed mind does not guarantee saving faith.
James 2:19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!
The emotions are stirred
In repentance one experiences the emotion of Godly sorrow. See Scriptures below:
2 Corinthians 7:10 “For Godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.”
This is understandable since repentance has to do with sin which has estranged us from God and wrought such havoc in our lives.
In faith we experience joy and gladness. This is proper since through faith we enter into all the rich blessings of God’s great salvation. The evidence of repentance is joy.
Acts 2:41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptised; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.
Acts 8:8 And there was great joy in that city.
Philippians 1:25 And being confident of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy of faith,
1 Thessalonians 1:6 And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit,
1 Peter 1:8 whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,
The will is committed
Romans 1:5 Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name,
Romans 15:18 For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ has not accomplished through me, in word and deed, to make the Gentiles obedient—
Romans 16:25-26 Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began but now made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith
We believe with the mind, the emotions and the power of decisions, the will must be involved.
Note: An informed mind and stirred emotions do not guarantee saving faith you must decide to believe and act upon it. Faith without repentance is not faith. Repentance cleans out your heart to have faith towards God.
5- Who are our biblical examples of faith?
There is one man in the bible who is referred to as ‘the father of all them that believe’:
Romans 4:11 and 16 “And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also, 12 and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of the faith which our father Abraham had while still uncircumcised. 16 Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all”
Christians are those who walk in the steps of their father, Abraham. We are considered the children seed of Abraham and the seed of Abraham.
Galatians 3:7 “Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham.”
Galatians 3:29 “And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”
When Paul wanted to illustrate saving, justifying faith, he recounted Abrahams relationship with God in Romans 4. Obedience is an act of faith, to preach the Gospel is an act of faith. Here are some bullet points of Abraham obedience counted as faith:
He heard the word
Romans 4:13,21 For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.
He turned from his hopeless condition.
He Had a hopeless condition but God told him he was going to have a child. Contrary to hope in hope he believed!!!
Romans 4:18-19 who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb.
He embraced the hope expressed in God’s promises
Romans 4:18 who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.”
He did not waver in his commitment to them
Romans 4:20 He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God,
He rejoiced in the word as he accomplished fact
Romans 4:20 He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God,
You must get the Word of God into your life, receive the promise and do what Abrahams did. Hear the word, and then believe the word, then do the word. Remember Romans 10:17, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
In conclusion
If you have got a hopeless condition, rejoice! Because there is a promise in God to have hope. Once we have a promise from God we hold onto it and we stand on that word from God in Jesus’ Name.
God will never do anything to decrease your faith, only the devil does that. God will always be there to help you have more faith, this is why the Holy Spirit is called the Helper. Spending hours and hours praying in the spirit is not going to harm you. On the contrary your faith will be built up as Jude 1:20 tells us, “But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,”
We are to pray to in the Holy Spirit at all times and stir up the Gift of God in us. You will be surprised what the Holy Spirit begins to bring to your mind as you begin to pray in the spirit more.
We are to develop a practice of praying in the Spirit because Faith is like a muscle, it can grow and develop.
Ps Karina Maile