April 23, 2020
Brothers and Sisters,
This week we are dealing with the subject of “Faith”. I recently heard Bro. Joe Arthur make the statement “Faith honors God and God honors Faith”. Faith is such a vital part of who we are as Christians. The Word of God instructs us to “Walk by faith and not by sight”. Our faith will give us the victory that will overcome the world. (1 John 5:4)… and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. So, no matter what we face in this world, our faith will see us through to victory.
In Luke chapter 8, we read a very familiar story about the time when Jesus went into a ship with his disciples and He said unto them, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake”. On this occasion, Jesus fell asleep and a storm came up and filled the boat with water. The disciples then went and woke up Jesus and He stepped out and calmed the storm. In Luke 8:25, notice what Jesus said to the disciples. (Luke 8:25) And he said unto them, Where is your faith? …
That is the thought for today’s devotional. “Where is your faith?” The best Biblical definition we have for “Faith” is found in Hebrews 11:1, Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. I mentioned the other day that Moses endured the hardships that he faced in life by seeing Him who is invisible. Our theme for these recent devotionals has been that we walk by faith and not by sight. Hebrews 11:1 puts all these verses into perspective because faith combines both “the substance of things hope for”and “the evidence of things not seen”.
Someone might be thinking “Where is MY faith?” The Bible says that “faith” is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. (Ephesians2:8) For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. Some people believe that they have “faith” because of the good deeds they have done over the years, but the Bible tells us plain and simple that we cannot earn our faith. (Ephesians 2:9) Not of works, lest any man should boast.
We know that all good and perfect gifts come from our Heavenly Father. (James 1:17) Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
The Bible tells us the method that God uses to give us this gift of “faith”. (Romans 10:17) So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. I’m glad that God made it so simple that a country boy like me could understand. It is so simple that the highly educated will oftentimes look right over the simplicity of the gospel. The natural man’s intellect cannot fathom how that God can take something like “faith and salvation” and make it to where a small child can understand. The intellectuals and some of the religious crowd want to make it so complicated that all the Theologians can do is debate over it . Jesus said in Mark 10:14-15, “…Suffer the little children to come unto me and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein”.
“Where is your faith?” Is your faith based on the good works that you have done in your life? or Did you receive your faith as a gift from God?
Bro. Rick
