A tightrope walker preparing to cross Niagara Falls asked onlookers if they thought he could successfully make it across while pushing a wheelbarrow. Most said they thought he could.
Their attitude reflected their "belief" in his abilities. The showman then added a unique challenge.
He asked the gathering crowd, "If you believe that I can make the trip, then will you get into the wheelbarrow?" Every spectator declined his invitation. They lacked the "faith" to support their belief.
A Step Beyond Belief
The Bible says that even the demons "believe" that God exists (James 2:19
You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God.* Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror.
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). And Jesus pointed out the importance of believing in God (John 10:37-38
Don't believe me unless I carry out my Father's work. But if I do his work, believe in the evidence of the miraculous works I have done, even if you don't believe me. Then you will know and understand that the Father is in me, and I am in the Father."
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But Jesus also asked His followers to go even further and exercise their faith by standing firmly on His promises for eternal life (John 14:1-6
"Don't let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father's home.* If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?* When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. And you know the way to where I am going." "No, we don't know, Lord," Thomas said. "We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?" Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.
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). It is not enough simply to hold beliefs about God. The real question we must ask ourselves takes us a step beyond belief, to the realm of faith.
God's Kind Of Faith
Faith is not some fluffy feeling. It is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1
Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.
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). Faith puts us in touch with God's best for our lives. It takes hold of God's promises, no matter what circumstances we may be facing.
Faith also requires us to take action as God directs. These actions will vary. In fact, there are as many "acts" of faith as there are people and situations. For example, the widow at Zarephath was directed by God through Elijah to take a drastic step of faith, using the last of her visible resources to feed the prophet before she received God's blessing to sustain her and her son ( :
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However, King Jehoshaphat was instructed simply to take up positions on the battle lines as the Lord delivered the Israelites from their enemies (2 Chronicles 20:12-22
O our God, won't you stop them? We are powerless against this mighty army that is about to attack us. We do not know what to do, but we are looking to you for help." As all the men of Judah stood before the LORD with their little ones, wives, and children, the Spirit of the LORD came upon one of the men standing there. His name was Jahaziel son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, a Levite who was a descendant of Asaph. He said, "Listen, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Listen, King Jehoshaphat! This is what the LORD says: Do not be afraid! Don't be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God's. Tomorrow, march out against them. You will find them coming up through the ascent of Ziz at the end of the valley that opens into the wilderness of Jeruel. But you will not even need to fight. Take your positions; then stand still and watch the LORD's victory. He is with you, O people of Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out against them tomorrow, for the LORD is with you!" Then King Jehoshaphat bowed low with his face to the ground. And all the people of Judah and Jerusalem did the same, worshiping the LORD. Then the Levites from the clans of Kohath and Korah stood to praise the LORD, the God of Israel, with a very loud shout. Early the next morning the army of Judah went out into the wilderness of Tekoa. On the way Jehoshaphat stopped and said, "Listen to me, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Believe in the LORD your God, and you will be able to stand firm. Believe in his prophets, and you will succeed." After consulting the people, the king appointed singers to walk ahead of the army, singing to the LORD and praising him for his holy splendor. This is what they sang:"Give thanks to the LORD; his faithful love endures forever!" At the very moment they began to sing and give praise, the LORD caused the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir to start fighting among themselves.
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A Foundation For Life
The Scriptures teach us that without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6
And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.
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). Faith is the foundation for everything else we do in life, a foundation that is built first and foremost on surrendering our lives to Jesus Christ.
This is what Jesus called being "born again'' (John 3:3
Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, unless you are born again,* you cannot see the Kingdom of God."
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). If you have not given your life to God, all you have to do is confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead and the Bible says you will be saved (Romans 10:9
If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
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It's so simple; a child can do it. But that's the beauty—and the wonder—of God's greatest gift. As Jesus said,
"Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it" (Mark 10:15
I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn't receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it."
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Simply ask the heavenly Father for this greatest of all gifts, yield your life to Him, and you will have eternal life.
Just as we are saved through faith, God expects us to live out our lives walking by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7
For we live by believing and not by seeing.
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). The daily walk of faith will lead us to grow to full maturity in Christ (1 Corinthians 14:20
Dear brothers and sisters, don't be childish in your understanding of these things. Be innocent as babies when it comes to evil, but be mature in understanding matters of this kind.
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, :
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Peter 2:2), advancing His kingdom here on earth and demonstrating the good works that are the surest marks of faith (James 2:20-24
How foolish! Can't you see that faith without good deeds is useless? Don't you remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete. And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: "Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith."* He was even called the friend of God.* So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone.
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We don't have to have large quantities of faith to see God's power at work in our lives (Luke 17:6
The Lord answered, "If you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, `May you be uprooted and thrown into the sea,' and it would obey you!
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). It is not the amount of our faith that is important, it is the object of our faith—our reliance on God—which makes the difference (Matthew 8:5-10
When Jesus returned to Capernaum, a Roman officer* came and pleaded with him, "Lord, my young servant* lies in bed, paralyzed and in terrible pain." Jesus said, "I will come and heal him." But the officer said, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed. I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, `Go,' and they go, or `Come,' and they come. And if I say to my slaves, `Do this,' they do it." When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to those who were following him, he said, "I tell you the truth, I haven't seen faith like this in all Israel!
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Building Your Faith
Men and women of God who truly know Him desire to grow in their faith. Jesus' very own disciples asked for help in this area (Luke 17:5
The apostles said to the Lord, "Show us how to increase our faith."
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). Here are some guidelines that can help you experience an ever-increasing walk of faith.
Examine your heart: If your faith is not as strong as you would like it to be, take an honest look at your life to discern if there is any sin which is blocking your faith (Psalms 32:1-7
Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! Yes, what joy for those whose record the LORD has cleared of guilt,* whose lives are lived in complete honesty! When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat. Interlude Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt.I said to myself, "I will confess my rebellion to the LORD." And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone. Interlude Therefore, let all the godly pray to you while there is still time, that they may not drown in the floodwaters of judgment. For you are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory. Interlude
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,Hebrews 12:1
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.
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Once you have identified sin, confess it and begin to walk in the faith of His forgiveness (1 John 1:9
But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.
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Focus on God, not yourself: (2 Corinthians 4:18
So we don't look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.
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,Ephesians 1:17-18
asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom* and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.*
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,Hebrews 12:2
We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.* Because of the joy* awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God's throne.
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). One day while in a boat on the Sea of Galilee, Peter heard Jesus' call to walk to Him on the water. Immediately, he left the fishing boat, and acting on faith he began walking on the water. When Peter took his eyes off the Lord, he began to sink (Matthew 14:25-31
About three o'clock in the morning* Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, "It's a ghost!" But Jesus spoke to them at once. "Don't be afraid," he said. "Take courage. I am here!*" Then Peter called to him, "Lord, if it's really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water." "Yes, come," Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw the strong* wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. "Save me, Lord!" he shouted. Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. "You have so little faith," Jesus said. "Why did you doubt me?"
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). If, like Peter, your own fears and the circumstances around you distract you, cry out to the Lord and ask Him to renew your faith.
Tune in, and obey! God speaks to us in a variety of ways, including His Word and the "voice" of the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 30:21
Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say,"This is the way you should go," whether to the right or to the left.
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). As you read your Bible, pray, and fellowship with other believers, listen carefully to what the Spirit of God is saying to your heart—and then obey His voice. Remember, faith apart from works is dead (James 2:26
Just as the body is dead without breath,* so also faith is dead without good works.
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As You Pray
"Lord, I desire to know You more deeply. Forgive me for times when I have lacked faith to do Your will, and increase my faith so that I may serve You and worship You more fully. Thank You for the daily encouragement of Your Word. And please help me to walk by faith in all areas of my life. In Jesus' name. Amen."
God's Word On Faith
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.
... And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. (Hebrews 11:1
Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.
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-2, 6 Niv).
For Further Study
God's Word provides faith (Romans 10:9
If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
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Justification through faith in Jesus (Acts 13:23-39
"And it is one of King David's descendants, Jesus, who is God's promised Savior of Israel! Before he came, John the Baptist preached that all the people of Israel needed to repent of their sins and turn to God and be baptized. As John was finishing his ministry he asked, `Do you think I am the Messiah? No, I am not! But he is coming soon—and I'm not even worthy to be his slave and untie the sandals on his feet.' "Brothers—you sons of Abraham, and also you God-fearing Gentiles—this message of salvation has been sent to us! The people in Jerusalem and their leaders did not recognize Jesus as the one the prophets had spoken about. Instead, they condemned him, and in doing this they fulfilled the prophets' words that are read every Sabbath. They found no legal reason to execute him, but they asked Pilate to have him killed anyway. "When they had done all that the prophecies said about him, they took him down from the cross* and placed him in a tomb. But God raised him from the dead! And over a period of many days he appeared to those who had gone with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now his witnesses to the people of Israel. "And now we are here to bring you this Good News. The promise was made to our ancestors, and God has now fulfilled it for us, their descendants, by raising Jesus. This is what the second psalm says about Jesus:`You are my Son. Today I have become your Father.*' For God had promised to raise him from the dead, not leaving him to rot in the grave. He said, `I will give you the sacred blessings I promised to David.'* Another psalm explains it more fully: `You will not allow your Holy One to rot in the grave.'* This is not a reference to David, for after David had done the will of God in his own generation, he died and was buried with his ancestors, and his body decayed. No, it was a reference to someone else—someone whom God raised and whose body did not decay. *"Brothers, listen! We are here to proclaim that through this man Jesus there is forgiveness for your sins. Everyone who believes in him is declared right with God—something the law of Moses could never do.
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,Galatians 2:16-21
Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law."* But suppose we seek to be made right with God through faith in Christ and then we are found guilty because we have abandoned the law. Would that mean Christ has led us into sin? Absolutely not! Rather, I am a sinner if I rebuild the old system of law I already tore down. For when I tried to keep the law, it condemned me. So I died to the law—I stopped trying to meet all its requirements—so that I might live for God. My old self has been crucified with Christ.* It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die.
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Works wrought by faith (Ephesians 2:8-10
God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
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,James 1:4-26
So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do. Believers who are* poor have something to boast about, for God has honored them. And those who are rich should boast that God has humbled them. They will fade away like a little flower in the field. The hot sun rises and the grass withers; the little flower droops and falls, and its beauty fades away. In the same way, the rich will fade away with all of their achievements. God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, "God is tempting me." God is never tempted to do wrong,* and he never tempts anyone else. Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death. So don't be misled, my dear brothers and sisters. Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens.* He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.* He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.* Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger* does not produce the righteousness* God desires. So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls. But don't just listen to God's word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don't obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don't forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it. If you claim to be religious but don't control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless.
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The power of faith (Matthew 17:14-21
At the foot of the mountain, a large crowd was waiting for them. A man came and knelt before Jesus and said, "Lord, have mercy on my son. He has seizures and suffers terribly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. So I brought him to your disciples, but they couldn't heal him." Jesus said, "You faithless and corrupt people! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me." Then Jesus rebuked the demon in the boy, and it left him. From that moment the boy was well. Afterward the disciples asked Jesus privately, "Why couldn't we cast out that demon?" "You don't have enough faith," Jesus told them. "I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, `Move from here to there,' and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.*" After they gathered again in Galilee, Jesus told them, "The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of his enemies.
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,Luke 5:17
One day while Jesus was teaching, some Pharisees and teachers of religious law were sitting nearby. (It seemed that these men showed up from every village in all Galilee and Judea, as well as from Jerusalem.) And the Lord's healing power was strongly with Jesus.
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:6)
The hall of faith (Hebrews 11)
Scripture is quoted from the ESV, except as noted.
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About The Author
Beth
Patch
Beth Patch is a writer and senior internet producer/editor for CBN.com. She's been writing and producing web content for CBN since 2008. Her empty nest now homes a German shepherd named Princess Leia and a hound dog named Rufus.
