According to the wisdom of the Scriptures, there are many things that the believer is by faith. The believer is born again by faith. He is righteous by faith. He is holy by faith. He is forgiven by faith. He is healed by faith, and so on and so forth. In fact everything is by faith. Such that if we misunderstand faith then we misunderstand everything.
My desire is that we rethink faith. My desire is that we re-examine our understanding of
faith. Why? Because a lot of what we believe about ourselves as Christians is hinged on our understanding of faith. Everything that we are and will ever be is by faith. This means if we misunderstand what faith is then we are likely to confuse many of the things in the scriptures about the Lord and the believer. However if we understand what faith is then we understand what is written about the Lord and the believer’s relationship with him.
Now faith is the substance (confidence) of things hoped for, the evidence (proof) of things not seen (cf. Hebrews 11:1).
This statement on faith seems a little complex upon first read that is why I have put further explanation in parenthesis. It is simply being confident of the possibility of what one is hoping for and having proof of what has not been seen. This simply describes the relationship of the believer with the word of God. It is the word that sets our hope and gives us proof of what we have not seen. Faith therefore is in the word and it begins with hearing the word.
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Ro. 10:17)
Faith begins with hearing the word. But it ends with doing it. The beginning alone is not
faith. It is the beginning and ending of it that makes it faith. What am I saying? Faith, even though, it begins by hearing the word is not faith until it results in a life according to what one has heard.
But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.(Ro 10:18)
This scripture follows the initially stated one. It speaks of how they heard but still had no
faith. It means that it is not just in hearing but in receiving and retaining what one hears.
For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.(Heb 4:2)
To receive and retain is in doing what one hears.
Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;(Joh 8:31)
If we only hear but do not what we hear we do not receive or retain it. Receipt and retention is in doing.
The unbelief of the Israelites was revealed in their lives. You will notice that they seemed to agree with anything God said but in the face of temptation where they actually needed to hold on and do what they said they believed, they turned away from the word.
Beloved faith is not just in speech, but rather, it is in deed. If there is no corresponding
deed in the face of temptations, there is no faith. Suffice it to say that the word you do in
the face of temptation is the word you truly believe. The rest is just memory knowledge and does not constitute saving faith.
For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.(Jas 2:26)
Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.(Jas 2:17)
Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.(Jas 2:18)
The proof of the presence of faith is the works that go with the word received.
But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.(Jas 1:25)
The blessing of faith is realized with the deed of faith. This is a faithful saying worthy of all consideration and consequent acceptation. Indeed…this man shall be blessed in his deed.
What is the blessing of faith? Everything that the believer is by faith constitutes this blessing: righteousness, holiness, forgiveness, healing, salvation, et cetera. It means righteousness as the gift or blessing of those who have faith, is in the deed. Once we understand that righteousness is the blessing of the believer’s faith [in the word of God], then we will understand that this blessing is evident in the lives of those who do that word and not those who do not.
Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.(1Jo 3:7)
Even as the Lord is righteous, by receiving His words and doing them (faith), we also are
declared righteous. It is the same with holiness which speaks of the doing away with the filth of the flesh. It is the same with salvation which is being saved from sin and therefore hell. And also being born again.
Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.(Jas 2:19-24)
Beloved when you think faith, I want you to think the works of faith which is the doing of the word. It is in obedience. There is a difference between the works of faith and the works of the law. This we will discuss in the next publication. Shalom.
Amen
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