Faith towards God
In our previous series, we learned about how to truly repent from dead works (works that do not glorify God because he doesn’t give you permission to do them). After having true repentance, you need to turn in the opposite direction. But to what? – I’m sure you are wondering. We must repent unto faith. Faith towards God! Anything done outside faith does not please God (Hebrews 11:6). Now let’s look at how best we can do this.
WHAT IS FAITH?
The whole of Hebrews 11 is dedicated to the topic of faith. The first chapter gives a beautiful definition to it.
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Hebrews 11:1 KJV
Faith is the response of our spirit to the Word of God. It is our conviction, persuasion, way of thinking, and trust concerning what God has said and taking His facts as our reality. Faith is trusting and believing in what God has said concerning your life. Faith is an act and attitude.
HOW DO WE HAVE FAITH?
Our born again experience was not our own exercise of faith. Faith was brought to us through the Word of God that came to us. As believers, we are saved by grace and not by might or ability.
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.
Grace is God at work through His word which comes to us by faith and it gets us saved. Christ died on the cross for us and so all that we have to do is to accept that fact and receive Christ into our lives. We can only do that through the grace of God at work in us.
KINDS OF FAITH
1. Measure of faith
Romans 12:3
For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according to as God hath dealt with every man the measure of faith.KJV
Everyone gets a measure of faith when they become born again. The faith we received on the day we were born again was free and it must continue and grow. It is now our duty to grow our faith and strengthen it to produce the kinds of results God wants us to produce.
2. Like precious faith
We do not buy faith or work for it. It is God’s gift to us and He has given us the faith of equal value and honor.
2 Peter 1:1 KJV
Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.
3. Common Faith
This is the kind of faith shared by all of a general feature. All Christians all over the world share a common faith, which is our belief in Jesus our Saviour.
Titus 1:4 KJV
Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.
4. The faith in the operation of God.
Colossians 2:11-12 KJV
¹¹ In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the
body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:
¹² Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye rise with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
God brought faith to us. The faith we have has nothing to do with us but everything to do with
God and that faith are expected to grow not by works but by grace. Many Christians have left what God has done for us (saving us through grace) and want to work out their own righteousness.
Righteousness is the ability of man to stand before God without any sense of condemnation or guilt or shame but with boldness. We must believe this by faith to be able to walk in it and produce fruits of righteousness. Not the other supposed way (Doing righteous works to obtain God’s righteousness).
Philippians 3:8-9 KJV
8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
9 And be found in him, not having my own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.
FAITH AS A DUTY
As believers, we are expected to walk in faith.
Romans 1:17 KJV
For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall
live by faith.
Hebrews 10:38 KJV
Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draws back, my soul shall have no pleasure in
him.
This means that every believer is to conduct his life by faith. Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith; He is the one who can help us grow our faith so we must involve Him in our lives. Repentance from dead works goes hand in hand with having faith towards God. The way not to work dead works is to walk in faith by the Word of God.
WHAT IS FAITH TOWARDS GOD?
- Faith towards God is trusting God and His ways irrespective of your earthly lot and whether or not your prayers are answered. This is different from acting out of faith. Faith can be used to gain earthly materials like cars, houses, businesses and many more.
Having faith towards God is learning to trust God completely. This is the kind of faith Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had. (Daniel 3) Many believers fail to believe and trust in God’s decisions. They tend to use God as an ATM machine and they like to dictate to God. Whenever they do not get their wants, their attitude towards God changes and they set limits for God. As believers, we must believe in God even if our prayers seem unanswered, knowing that he knows what’s best for us at every point in time.
- Faith towards God is having a revelation of God. It is believing that God exists and it is trusting His word. It is also having a personal revelation of God for yourself.
Hebrews 11:8 KJV
By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.
Faith’s Hall of fame
There are people who demonstrated so much faith in God. They did not use their faith for amassing earthly possessions, rather, they used it to accomplish the purpose for which God called them.
- God Himself.
God was the first person to demonstrate faith. God created the world through faith by His word for His own purposes.
Hebrews 11:3 KJV
Through faith, we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
2. Abel
He obeyed God by offering an excellent sacrifice to God. Cain did not bring rotten vegetables as most people think. He brought the best from the earth. However, God was not interested in what came from the earth because the earth was cursed. He was interested in the blood of an animal and that was what Abel gave.
Hebrews 11:4 KJV
By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.
3. Enoch.
By faith, he was translated that he shouldn’t see death. He walked with God and he had so much faith in Him.
Hebrews 11:5 KJV
By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God
had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.
Enoch’s faith came from what his elders had taught him and from his knowledge of what was to come, I.e, the flood. Enoch was the father of Methuselah and he had a revelation about the flood. This increased his faith in God. The flood began the very day his son, Methuselah, died.
4. Noah
Noah built an ark in preparation for the flood even though there were no signs of the flood. God called him righteous because of his demonstration of faith.
Hebrews 11:7 KJV
By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith
5. Abraham
By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son.
Abraham did only what God Himself could do. This pleased God so much that He committed so much more into his hand (The entire nation of Isreal came out of him)
6. Sarah
Hebrews 11:11 KJV
Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised.
Sarah bore her first son by faith. She knew that all she needed was the Word that had come from God.
7. Isaac
Hebrews 11:20 KJV
By faith, Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.
Isaac spoke words that would direct his sons’ lives and those words were according to God’s plan, amazingly. He trusted God to see them through life according to His plan.
8. Jacob
Hebrews 11:21
By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff.
Jacob also spoke words that came to pass. Those words were spoken in faith and were according to God’s plan.
9. Moses
Hebrews 11:28 KJV
Through faith he kept the Passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them.
Moses was hesitant in circumcising his son because of his wife but he did it out of faith and respect for God and His law. (Exodus 4:24-26).
Conclusion
We know now, how God operates in faith. Even the very earth and the entire universe came out of His Spirit by faith. This shows that we must not joke with faith but include it at every step of our journey with God in this life. May you flourish as you live by faith.
