Hey ya and welcome back to “God, you have my attention; now what?” Last week we discussed the importance of hearing/reading the word and the influence it has on our walk with God. This week, we will cover how our belief of and faith in God’s faithfulness furthers that walk.
Before we begin, what is the difference between belief and faith, if any?
Belief, by definition, is the acknowledgment and acceptance that something is valid or true based on evidence, logic, experiences or person knowledge. Faith on the other hand, does not require a proven set of criteria in order to merit one’s conviction of what is true or valid. In other words, belief needs proof, but faith does not. Faith is an active, living commitment, oftentimes linked to obedience, where belief, is a mental state that may not necessarily motivate action.
Although both are important to one’s walk, they each play a distinctive role. For example, someone can believe in God, but not actively walk with him. Think about it…how many people have you met in life that believe God is real but don’t necessarily live a “Christian” life style? Their belief alone does not call them “into action” so to speak. It is merely an acknowledgment that the Lord exists based on what they have personally deemed as their source of proof (personal knowledge, logic, experiences, etc.). Faith on the other hand, is the embodiment of one’s belief. Follow me for a sec…
The word embodiment means the representation or expression of something in a tangible or visible form. So…someone who has faith, ACTIVELYlives their life in a way that REPRESENTS their belief. If this is indeed true, is it safe to assume, that belief comes before faith and that both are necessary to successfully walk in the ways of the Lord? If so, what are some things one could do to strengthen the faith behind their belief?
Think back on last week’s discussion about hearing/reading…
Below are some scriptures that will hopefully serve as food for thought as you reflect…
“So faith comes from hearing [what is told], and what is heard comes by the [preaching of the] message concerning Christ.” -Romans 10:17
“Now faith is the assurance (title deed, confirmation) of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), and the evidence of things not seen [the conviction of their reality-faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses].” -Hebrews 11:1
“But without faith it is impossible to [walk with God and] please Him, for whoever comes [near] to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He rewards those who [earnestly and diligently] seek Him.” -Hebrews 11:6
“Jesus said to him, ‘Because you have seen Me, do you now believe? Blessed [happy, spiritually secure, and favored by God] are they who did not see [Me] and yet believed [in Me].’” -John 20:29
“Jesus said to him, ‘[You say to Me,] ‘If You can?’ All things are possible for the one who believes and trusts [in Me]!” -Mark 9:23
“He answered, ‘Because of your little faith [your lack of trust and confidence in the power of God]; for I assure you and most solemnly say to you, if you have [living] faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and [if it is God’s will] it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.” -Matthew 17:20
“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall read [and meditate on] it day and night, so that you may be careful to do [everything] in accordance with all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will be successful.” -Joshua 1:8
“All Scripture is God-breathed [given by divine inspiration] and is profitable for instruction, for conviction [of sin], for correction [of error and restoration to obedience], for training in righteousness [learning to live in conformity to God’s will, both publicly and privately–behaving honorably with personal integrity and moral courage]; so that the man of God may be complete and proficient, outfitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work.” -2 Timothy 3:16-17
If you successfully got through all of the above scripture…you just did something to strengthen your faith…you READ His word.
“For the word of God is living and active and full of power…” -Hebrews 4:12
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