Faith

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” Heb: 11:1

FAITH…TO BELIEVE OR NOT TO BELIEVE

The popular adage Seeing is believing implies that before one can truly accept that something really exists, one must first see it in order to believe. Jesus however stated in John 20:29 “…blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed”. Evidently, there is a conflict between worldly and Biblical perspectives of what true faith really means. Whilst some may consider unwavering faith in things unseen as naivety and gullibility, Jesus referred to such persons as blessed. Thus, from a spiritual standpoint, it is clear that the opposite is also true. Believing is seeing and countless instances in the Bible illustrate this.

THE HEROES OF FAITH

“For we live by faith, not by sight” 2 Cor 5:7

From a worldly perspective seeing precedes believing. Concrete evidence is necessary to believe since we rely solely on our physical eyes. Contrary to this, unyielding faith in God helps us to see with our spiritual eyes. Now, believing comes prior to seeing. “…blessed are your eyes, because they see…” Matthew 13:16

Eyes that see spiritually mean that one is able to see beyond the natural and believe in the supernatural. To have faith in the impossible even when the general consensus is that it is illogical to do so. The Biblical Heroes of Faith opened their spiritual eyes, trusted in God’s Word, and dared to believe in the extraordinary in spite of how far-fetched it was.

“By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family” Heb 11:7

“It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance” Heb 11:8

“…by faith, even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise” Heb 11:11

The above-mentioned are just a few of the outstanding people in the Old Testament who deserve to be recognized and remembered because of their strong faith in God.

“DOUBTING” THOMAS

“Unless I see…I will not believe” John 20:25

Thomas, one of Jesus’ twelve disciples, is infamous for his open skepticism regarding Jesus’ resurrection.

“Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe” John 20:25

He was headstrong in his refusal to believe without seeing Jesus in the flesh, thereby inadvertently earning himself the moniker Doubting Thomas. However, after encountering Jesus a week later and seeing His wounds with his physical eyes, Thomas then believed. In response to this lack of faith, Jesus said:

“Because you have seen me, you have believed…” John 20:29

BELIEF VS UNBELIEF

Great faith brings great favour.

“…the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised. Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him” Gen 21:1-2

Unbelief hinders God’s work.

“And because of their unbelief, he (Jesus) couldn’t do any miracles among them (in Nazareth) except to place his hands on a few sick people and heal them. And he was amazed at their unbelief” Mark 6:5-6

Unbelief, the enemy of faith, can potentially stop God’s children from receiving extraordinary spiritual blessings. This is clearly illustrated in the Bible. God promised Israel the land of Canaan, but their unbelief prevented them from possessing it for forty years! The first generation was forbidden to enter the Promised Land because of their lack of faith. In spite of God’s promise, they viewed themselves as grasshoppers and feared the giants who possessed the land even though they were God’s chosen people.

“…all those Moses led out of Egypt…were not able to enter, because of their unbelief” Heb 3:16-19

Of an entire generation of people, only two, Caleb and Joshua, were allowed to enter the Promised Land because they trusted God. These men had a different report.

“The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land…and will give it to us…do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them…the Lord is with us” Numbers 14:7-9

GOD PROMISES AND GOD FULFILLS

“God is not a human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?” Numbers 23:19

God’s precious, flawless, holy word is everlasting and true. He will never deceive his children and he will never leave any of his promises unfulfilled. God’s nature is to always be truthful to us and he will never go against this. Humans may choose to manipulate others and have hidden agendas but God’s promises to us are always true. Contrary to God, the adversary Satan, is a liar and he does everything in his power to mislead and deceive God’s children. Jesus said:

“When he (Satan) lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies” John 8:44

THE FATHER OF LIES

Jesus’ statement teaches us that deception is inherent in Satan’s nature. His sole life’s mission is to continuously oppose God and hinder his work. The Bible clearly indicates that the enemy works overtime to try and prevent us from receiving God’s promised blessings.

“Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” 1 Peter 5:8

Consequently, it is of vital importance that one is aware of his main tactic, LIES. As Christians, we are engaged in spiritual warfare and Satan’s goal is to kill and destroy God’s children. Such knowledge, however, if utilized wisely, can enable us to stand firm in our faith. Ultimately, there is no need to fear because Satan has already been defeated through the crucifixion and resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. The mind however is the battlefield and the devil will do everything he can to convince us that he is most powerful, but this is yet another lie. Let us not fall victim to his ploys by arming ourselves with God’s Word of Truth in order to gain victory over him!

NOW THE CHOICE IS YOURS…CHOOSE CAREFULLY…

The Biblical Heroes of Faith chose to trust and hope in God. They all stretched their faith beyond human intellect and dared to believe in the extraordinary. Their actions, which were a departure from the norm, led to incredible victories and spiritual blessings. On the contrary, those who lacked faith in God’s promises lost their opportunity to receive such favour. So, let us not follow in the footsteps of Doubting Thomas but rather be inspired by the members of the esteemed Hall of Faith.

Open your spiritual eyes. Depart from the norm and dare to believe in God’s promises! Remember, God is not limited by what limits us. Let us all try to imitate the unwavering faith of the men and women of the past and receive every blessing that God has in store for us!