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| Volume 25 Number 10 October 2023 |
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| Volume 25 Number 10 October 2023 |
Page 4 |
Hiram Kemp
The Bible is a book about faith for the faithful. In fact, faith comes by hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17). On occasion, the word faith is thrown around loosely by people in religion. We may speak of being a person of faith. We might hear someone say that he or she has faith in God. While all of those are good sentiments to express, faith is much more than a verbal declaration that we are religious and believe in God. Faith is described as the victory that overcomes the world (1 John 5:4). This also tells us that those who do not have faith will be overcome by the world. Therefore, we should be clear about what the Bible means when it speaks of faith. In both the Old and New testaments, the idea of faith involves belief in the mind, but it is much more than this. Faith is to trust and to be willing to obey God because we believe that He will do what He promises (Acts 27:25). Faith leads to victory for those who possess it and exercise it in a way consistent with Scripture. Notice a few important things the Bible says on the subject of faith.
We Cannot Please God without Faith
Hebrews 11 has long been considered the great Bible chapter on faith. The word faith is mentioned or implied in just about every verse of the chapter. We are told in Hebrews 11:6 that without faith it is impossible to please God. This must be of utmost importance to every person in the world. Sometimes people ask about those who have never heard of God, Jesus or the Bible, whether one can be saved in a condition of ignorance. All accountable people must possess faith, first of all, in God and His existence before they can be pleasing to Him. The writer of Hebrews further explains why faith in God is necessary. Those who approach God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6).
The fool says God is not there or behaves as if He is not present (Psalm 14:1). However, if we are going to please God, we must first believe that He exists because it is only then that we will approach Him and seek Him out (Isaiah 55:6). Notice also that God can be pleased. He is not a hardened taskmaster with unrealistic demands. While mere faith in God’s existence is not all that is required for one to please Him, it is a good start. Faith matters because pleasing God matters, and we cannot please God without faith.
Faith in Jesus as the Messiah Is Essential
Hebrews 11:6 is a good starting point, but there is more to victorious faith than a general belief in the existence of God. Throughout the Gospel of John, the point is emphasized to the reader that one must believe that Jesus is the Christ (God’s Messiah) in order to be saved (John 3:16). John said the very reason he wrote his Gospel account was so people could come to faith in Christ and have eternal life (John 20:30-31). Jesus clearly stated that those who do not believe that He is God will die in their sins (John 8:24; cf., Exodus 3:14). No one can remain neutral or in opposition to Christ and be saved.
Jesus constantly demonstrated that He is the Son of God and asked others if they believed this to be true (John 9:35-38). Jesus wanted His contemporaries to know that what they thought about Him was the most important thought they possessed. The inspired writers of the New Testament preserved this message and wrote it down so we, too, could reflect on who Jesus is, believe (have faith) in Him and be saved.
The Philippian jailer believed in the Lord Jesus with his house, and they were saved (Acts 16:30-31). The Corinthians also believed, were baptized and were saved (Acts 18:8). Though many in the denominational world misrepresent what the Bible teaches about faith, we must be careful not to shy away from this vital subject. Faith alone is a false doctrine (James 2:24). However, everything in the plan of salvation hinges on whether or not a person has faith with which to begin. Without faith, one will not repent, confess or be baptized into Jesus for the forgiveness of sins. For this reason, Paul summarized the plan of salvation by teaching that we are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). Still, let us keep in mind that it is a very specific type of faith described. The faith that saves is the faith that is linked to belief in Jesus as the Son of God. The one who believes in Jesus as the Son of God has eternal life (John 3:18). Therefore, when someone claims to be a person of faith, the question should be, “Faith in whom? Or faith in what?” Faith in general is no good at all. Faith in Jesus as the Son of God saves.
Faith in Action
Biblical faith is marked by action. No one was lauded as a person of faith in the Bible who simply possessed mental assent about truths. We read in Hebrews 11 of Old Testament faithful witnesses who had faith, and their faith caused them to act. Abraham is heralded as the father of the faith, and rightly so. It is not because Abraham was the first person in the Bible to have faith (Genesis 5:24). Abraham is regarded as the father of the faith because of the drastic steps he took to evidence his faith and the promises made to him by God. Abraham was told to leave his family and go to a land that God would show him, and he did (Genesis 12:1-4). Abraham was later told to circumcise all the males in his entire household, and he obeyed (Genesis 17:9-14, 23-27). The greatest challenge to Abraham’s faith was when he was commanded to offer his son Isaac on Mount Moriah; yet, Abraham was willing to do it (Genesis 22).
When we turn to the New Testament, we read where Paul called Abraham the father of the faithful (Romans 4:16). Abraham did not stagger (KJV) or waver (NKJV, ESV, NASB) concerning God’s promises, but he remained strong in faith because he believed God could do what He promised (Romans 4:20). However, Paul did not mention all of these things about Abraham simply for us to receive a history lesson. Paul concluded that from Abraham, we will be declared righteous by God if we believe or have faith in Jesus (Romans 4:24-25). With all we know about Abraham, it is clear what Paul meant by saying if we trust God and walk with Him in a way similar to Abraham, we can be faithful just like Abraham. Whatever God says, we must be willing to obey. We must do what God commands even when it does not make sense to us or is difficult. Abraham remained strong in faith, and his example is one we need to follow (Romans 4:23; 15:4). Faith is essential to pleasing God. Faith in Jesus is what every accountable person must possess and demonstrate to be saved (Acts 4:12). Our faith should be accompanied by action. Let us remember our faith is the victory that overcomes the world (1 John 5:4)!
