Each night during our 9 day trip we discussed a word that corresponded to a letter of the word FAITHFUL(L). The first night's word was the root word, Faith. A few questions posed were:
What is faith? Who is your faith in?
How are we supposed to make sure it is solid, firm, and unshakable?
How do we have a life-long faith that we don't abandon?
Satan is prowling around wanting to do night more than weak our faith. He wants us to doubt our faith, question it, and, ultimately, give it up. How are we supposed to stand up against his scheming and lying? How do we make sure our faith is solid every day, all day, no matter what Satan throws our way?
Only by the Spirit working in our hearts can we even have faith and keep that faith. God calls us, directs us, and guides us through His Word.
Let's go back and address that first question.
What is faith?
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1
"What we do not see"? Satan and the sinful world love that part! At times it can be easy to convince us that it is foolishness to believe in something we cannot see. After all, the world loves to say, "I'll believe it when I see it". For you WHOLE life the world will question you about why you believe in something you cannot see. According to the world this belief in what we cannot see is foolishness. Why put hope in an "imaginary" figure when you can do it for yourself? Beware! Satan will use specific, seemingly innocent, situations in your life so that you doubt your faith and in whom it is rooted. How certain are you in your faith and can you withstand the biggest trials and persecutions for your faith?
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Hebrews 12:1-3
We are told to "throw of everything..." Are we truly heeding that message and throwing off all those things that hinder our faith? Or are we clinging to them instead of removing them from our life?
"Let us run with perseverance" The youth defined perseverance as never giving up, going on even though it is hard, not quitting even when you want to. Perseverance is fairly easy when life is fairly easy; when we're sheltered and safe, when Satan doesn't appear to be actively knocking on our door. What happens when life turns sour, when tragedy strikes, and the hardships arrive? Does perseverance take on a new meaning then?
The only way to persevere is to fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. Jesus persevered and faced a shameful death on the cross for YOU and for ME! Because of Jesus' death and resurrection there is nothing we cannot overcome with Him.
Do not grow weary and lose heart when faced with the sinful world we live in. Focus on Christ, every day, all day, for He is your strength; the author and perfecter of your faith.
Now let's tackle that second question.
Who is your faith in?
For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God. 1 Peter 1:18-21
Peter makes it perfectly clear that our faith and hope are in God, NOTHING else and NO ONE else. So how often is that really true in our lives? Think about how many times you have put your hope in something or someone of the world. At what times are you most likely to do that? Why do we put our hope in something or someone other than God? How does it help us to look to others, things, or ourselves for hope, for faith? We agree with people when they say, "You gotta have faith" but faith in what? in who?
Only 1 man was made perfect, without blemish or defect and that man is the Son of God. He is the only one who fulfills the prophecies. The only one who has kept all His promises. The only one who has defeated death and can save us. He is the only way to heaven; our one source of life eternal. Our faith is in CHRIST and no one and nothing else!
Now we know what faith is and who we have our faith rooted in but...
What does faith do?
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith -- and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God -- not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:8-10
When the world questions our faith and who it is in we have the answers! Through faith we're saved! By God's grace we have a home in heaven. Nothing you or I have done can produce a life eternal with God.
What else does Paul say in the previous passage? He says that we are God's handiwork and that is a special gift. God created us to do good works which He prepared in advance for us. Even the good deeds we do aren't ours but God's. He prepared us for the works and the works for us. He has called us and saved us to fulfill those good works!
What does the world preach instead? Live YOUR life, do what makes YOU happy, YOU are in control, YOU did it so brag about it, boast, be proud, etc...
Wait! We are saved by grace, through faith, only made possible by Christ. This is a gift from your Father, nothing you have done, so that we can't boast. How very humbling! We are completely powerless without Christ and THAT is who our faith is in.
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. 1 John 5:1-5
What a wonderful passage and one that we, as Christians, should keep close for encouragement when we feel that it is us vs. the world. We are born of God and love is keeping God's commands. His commands are not burdensome as the world would have us think. God's commands are written out of love, in place to keep us safe, to keep us living in God's Will. In short, God's commands keep us from destruction.
Our guarantee in life is that Christ has overcome the world. We are born of God and have faith in God, in Christ Jesus. Therefore through Christ, this faith, we also overcome the world. We have the absolute certainty that we are God's children and we are saved. By our faith we are able to do good works, to serve, and to be called by God. Right now, focus on and celebrate your faith. Pray it is never shaken or lost.
