Confident Faith
“For we walk by faith, not by sight.” II Corinthians 5:7
There were only two times in the New Testament where Jesus marveled at the genuine faith of a person, and both of them were Gentiles. In Matthew 8:5-13, we find a centurion, a Roman officer who was in charge of 100 soldiers. He had come to Jesus because his servant was very ill. Jesus offered to come to his home and heal the servant, but the officer felt unworthy for Jesus to enter his humble home. He told Jesus that if He would only speak the word, the servant would be healed. He began to explain how those men who served under his command were always obedient to do whatever he asked. At that, Jesus marveled and said, “Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.” Jesus then told him to “Go your way; and as you have believed, so be it done unto you.” His servant was healed in that same hour. The other person with great faith was a mother from Canaan, also a Gentile, whose daughter was very ill. The mother came to Jesus with her request for healing, but He did not respond to her immediately. He told her that His mission was to the Jewish people. She understood that, and even though she was not Jewish, she worshipped Him and pleaded with Him to help her. She recognized Jesus as One who had enough power, mercy, and compassion to fulfill her request. He said to her, “O woman, great is your faith: be it unto you even as you will.” Her daughter was then immediately healed (Matthew 15:21-28).
Faith is not some abstract notion, some ambiguous idea or feeling that something could take place if you think it will. Real faith is an undoubting trust and belief not in an idea, but in a Person, the Person of Jesus Christ and in the promises of God. The Christian writer and pastor, David Roper, wrote in his book, “Jacob, The Fools God Chooses”: “Faith must be informed–grounded on a clear understanding of what God has actually said. Faith has no power in itself. It counts only when it is based on a plain and unambiguous promise from God. Anything else is wishful thinking.” The question may arise, if faith requires a clear understanding of what God has actually said, then how can a person say they have faith if they never dig into God’s word and discover what He has truly said? How can a person claim to have faith when they do not know, in a personal way, the only One who provides the way of true faith? If a person believes that there are many paths to God, how does he or she know in which one to place his or her faith? How could anyone trust in a god who has nothing to back up any promises that his followers believe that he has made? Have they been able to see evidence of the faith that they place in whatever god in which they claim to follow? Did Mohammed die for the sins of people? How about Buddha? What do they and all other man made gods possess to deserve the faith of people? Real faith is that which is placed in Jesus Christ, God’s only way of salvation. I know that, not just because the Bible tells me so, but because I have experienced the results of faith in Christ in my life many times.
Hebrews 11:1 gives the Biblical definition of faith: “…the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” If we can physically see it, we don’t need faith. Faith is for what we cannot see, but know, without a doubt, that what God has promised, He will absolutely make good on. And again, how do we know what God has promised if we don’t rely on His written word? Hebrews 11:6 tells us that “…without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” This same chapter in Hebrews goes on to list several Old Testament saints who are known as heroes of the faith because they all died believing that God would send a Savior to free men and women from the bondage of their sin. We have the evidence that God fulfilled His promise in sending His own Son, Jesus Christ, to bring salvation to as many as would repent and place faith in Christ and His atoning work on the cross. These Old Testament believers died looking forward to the time when God would deliver His people. We are alive and looking back at the fulfillment of God’s promise, and, at the same time, we are now looking forward to the promise of His return when Christ will rule the world in peace and righteousness. We have every assurance that He will come just as He promised because He came the first time, and He will come again.
In his first letter to Timothy, the Apostle Paul urged him to “Fight the good fight of faith…” (verse 12). Faith is like a weapon. We use it to fight off temptations, worries, doubts, and fears. Faith in Christ is really the only thing that works against Satan’s attempts to distract us from our commitment to the Lord. When we do physical exercise, work out, run, play sports, etc., we strengthen our muscles. To be a couch potato only makes our muscles weak and unable to provide the strength we need for vitality and energy to live our daily lives. It is the same with faith. We must exercise it if we want our faith to strengthen in order to face the daily challenges in the spiritual realm. Faith is the only thing that will get us through this world and into our eternal home. The Apostle John wrote in I John 5:4: “For whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world: and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith.” Don’t leave home without it.