Faith is describe in the dictionary as belief, confidence, trust, security, and in keeping faith is describe as having obligation, verbal pledge, word of honor, promise, and loyalty. Lets look into the Bible and see what faith really is and how faith is accomplish. Look at 2Chronicles 20:20 it says Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Listen to me, Judah and people of Jesrusalem! Have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful. After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying; Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever. Look in Habakkuk 2:1 The Lord answer habakkuks complaint it says Then the Lord replied: Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that herald may run with it. For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay. See, he is puffed up; his desires are not uprightbut the righteous will live by faithindeed, wine betrays him; he is arrogant and never at rest. Now look a Matthew 9:27 it says As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, Have mercy on us, Son of David! When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, Do you believe that I am able to do this? Yes, Lord they replied. Then he touched their eyes and said, According to your faith will it be done to you; and their sight was restored. Look at Matthew 17:19 it says Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, Why couldnt we drive it out? He replied, Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, Move from here to there and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you. Now look at Mark 11:22 it says Have faith in God. Jesus answered, I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, Go, throw yourself into the sea, and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins. Look at Luke 12:27 it says Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow it thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Now look at Romans 1:16 it says I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes; for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness form God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from the first to last, just as it is written; The righteous will live by faith. Now look at Romans 10:12 it says For there is no difference between Jew and Gentilethe same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How, then can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And can how can they preach unless they are sent. As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news! Now look at verse 17 it says Consequently, faith comes form hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. Look at Romans 14:22 it says So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves. But the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin. Now look at 2Corinthians 13:5 it says Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in youunless, of course, you fail the test? And I trust that you will discover that we have not failed the test. Now we pray to God that you will not do anything wrong. Not that people will see that we have stood the test but that you will do what is right even though we may seem to have failed. For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. Look at Hebrews 11:1 it says Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at Gods command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. Now look at 1Peter 1:3 it says Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fadekept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trails. These have come so that your faithof greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by firemay be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Look at 2Peter 1:5 it says For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. In closing look at 1Corinthians 16:13 it says Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love. Your Sister in Christ, Mellody Davis |
