Helping the Skeptic to See the Power of Faith (Post #62)

"This means, He sees my yesterday, today, and all of my tomorrows, with the same clarity as you see this post.  This means that He knows that what I want today, may not be beneficial for my tomorrow."

Moment of Truth:  There are a few issues that cause people to become hesitant in their decision to become a follower of Jesus Christ.  They question their ability to “measure up” (which isn’t a real thing by the way), they question their need for “church and religion” (which we will definitely have to unpack soon), and most of all, they question the reliability of the Bible and the existence of God.  

The last inquiry challenges the seeker to question or consider the concept of faith.  I love the Amplified Bible’s rendering of faith in Hebrews 11:1, “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].”(AMP).   Challenging?  Yes, I know, but that’s faith.  And, when you get to know faith, you’ll find that it’s better than good.
 
Concerning the Bible’s description, the dictionary agrees.  By definition the word faith means “complete trust or confidence in someone or something.”  If you’d ask for the most challenging part of the faith definition, for some, it would be the words “complete trust.”  These words are the reason why “faith” became the deal-breaker for many in their refusal to follow Christ.
 
Now, it’s not as if the people who oppose faith, are able to live lives without faith, because you can’t.  Fact is, faith is required every time you board an airplane, fill a prescription, or eat at your favorite restaurant.  Your actions (boarding, filling, eating) demonstrate your faith.  You’re doing these things with confidence that they will lead to a change of destination, remedy of an illness, or the satisfaction of hunger.  Certainly, things could go wrong, and sometimes they do; however, you took an informed chance in spite of it all. 
 
This is faith

"Fact is, faith is required every time you board an airplane, fill a prescription, or eat at your favorite restaurant.  Your actions (boarding, filling, eating) demonstrate your faith."

In my life, I’ve made some good choices, and I’ve made some bad ones.  However, when I consider, what’s the best decision I’ve ever made; hands down it was my decision to become a follower of and believer in Jesus Christ.  When I made this decision it required faith, and I’d like to share with you 6 reasons why faith is more than enough and all that you need.
 

• Faith Is One Of The Few Requirements Of God:  If you’re at least familiar with the Word of God, then you know that God has done so many wonderful things for us.  In return, He only asks for 2 things from us:  He requires obedience and (you guessed it) faith.  The Bible says in Hebrews 11:6, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, for he who comes to God must believe that He exists and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”(MEV).
• True Faith Moves You Into Much Needed Action:  One of the misunderstandings of faith, is that people who live by it, only live by IT.  In other words, it’s the false notion that having faith in God means you live a life waiting for your answers to fall out of the air.  This represents one of the many grave misunderstandings of faith.  The Bible says in James 2:26, “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”(NKJV)  You see, faith is my assurance that God will work things out for me.  Therefore, I manifest my conviction, in this assurance when I move, act, and behave in agreement with my belief.  By moving toward solution, I profess with my deeds that I trust that things will indeed work out.  If you remove the work from faith, you essential nullify faith. 
• His Promises Cannot Fail:  One of the many things that separates God from us, is His impossibility to tell a lie (cf. Titus 1:2).  Thus, if He said it, we can guarantee it.  Often times, God is questioned and doubted because we craft expectations, for things that He never promised.  He never assured you “that job” or “that car.”  Therefore, when we put Christ on trial, it is imperative for us to ensure that we have a knowledge of His promises.  I urge you to consider the Promises of God and then ask, “has He ever failed you?”
• Faith Is Trusting That God Will Give You What’s Best, Even If It’s Not What You Want:  This is by far, one of the greatest reasons why people are hesitant to rely on faith.  He said, “I prayed for my grandmother to get better, and she didn’t.”  Or, “I prayed for my job, and I lost it.” Faith teaches me that God isn’t my “genie in a lamp.”  Rather, faith teaches me that my God is Omniscient or All-Knowing.  This means, He sees my yesterday, today, and all of my tomorrows, with the same clarity as you see this post.  This means that He knows that what I want today, may not be beneficial for my tomorrow.  So, I trust that even when He says no, His no is in agreement with my best.   
• Faith Is Intensified By Intimacy And Awareness:  Some of our troubles with faith are eased when we consider how we increase faith in our human relationships.  You wouldn’t just give your wallet to just anybody.  No, you’d have to know them, spend time with them, and develop a deep and sincere relationship with them first.  Well, the same is true for God.  It’s the time you spend in prayer and the study of His Word, that enables you to know Him better.  As you obtain greater knowledge in Him by faith, it intensifies your reliability and dependability in Him.  The Bible says in Romans 10:17, “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.”(NIV)
• I Have Faith In Him, Because He’s Proven Dependable: I have faith in Christ for the same reason why I have faith in anything, He’s stood the test of time.  No, I didn’t get all I wanted, the way I wanted, when I wanted.  But, I’m still standing.  My existence and survival through my difficulties reminds me that He’s a dependable Way-Maker.  The Bible tells us in Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”(NKJV)

 
In closing, for those who are struggling, I pray that you know that reading about faith, won’t stop faith from being faith.  In other words, living by faith, still requires you to step out on faith.  However, I pray in faith, that this post about faith, has begun the removal of some of the negative stigma you may have placed on faith.  Therefore, I will continue to pray in faith, that your faith will increase. 
 
Until next time.  

Kevin D. Jones, Sr.

Author and Publisher of Perfectly Imperfect Perfectionist
(@kevindjonessr)
(@imperfection360)