Faith

Faith

By Rev Samuel S Konjah from Ghana

Faith: confidence, firm conviction, complete trust, absolute dependence, reliance

Faith is a strong belief, trust and absolute reliance on one whose trustworthiness in a particular situation has not yet been proven

Faith says I am convinced about the existence of something, though I do not see it

What is faith?

*Everyone has natural human faith

If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, for this is the testimony of God that he has borne concerning his Son.  (1 John 5:9, ESV)

*Faith is the substance of things hope for, the evidence of things not seen

*Faith says we're confident of what we hope for, convinced of what we do see

*Faith is now

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.  (Hebrews 11:1, ESV)

*Faith believes with the heart, and confesses with the mouth

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.  (Hebrews 11:1, ESV)

*Faith is action

So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.  (James 2:17, ESV)

For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.  (James 2:26, ESV)

By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son,  (Hebrews 11:17, ESV)

Two kinds of Faith

*Man's kind of Faith (Thomas) seeing is believing

24 Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came.  25 So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe."  26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you."  27 Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe."  28 Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!"  29 Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."  (John 20:24-29, ESV)

*God's kind of Faith (Abraham) believing before seeing

17 as it is written, "I have made you the father of many nations"-in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.  18 In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, "So shall your offspring be."  19 He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah's womb.  20 No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God,  21 fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.  22 That is why his faith was "counted to him as righteousness."  (Romans 4:17-22, ESV)

*We walk by faith and not by sight

for we walk by faith, not by sight.  (2 Corinthians 5:7, ESV)

*Without Faith it is impossible to please God

But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.  (Hebrews 11:16, ESV)

*Choose God kind of Faith

20 As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots.  21 And Peter remembered and said to him, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered."  22 And Jesus answered them, "Have faith in God.  (Mark 11:20-22, ESV)

How do we get Faith

* God has dealt to every man the measure of faith

For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.  (Romans 12:3, ESV)

*Faith comes by hearing the word of God

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.  (Romans 10:17, ESV)

*Hearing the word produces Faith for salvation

13 For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."  14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?  15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!"  16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?"  17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.  (Romans 10:13-17, ESV)

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.  (Romans 1:16, ESV)

*We are saved through faith

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,  (Ephesians 2:8, ESV)

Example of Faith for salvation

13 And he told us how he had seen the angel stand in his house and say, 'Send to Joppa and bring Simon who is called Peter;  14 he will declare to you a message by which you will be saved, you and all your household.'  15 As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us at the beginning.  16 And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.'  17 If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God's way?"  18 When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, "Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life."  (Acts 11:13-18, ESV)

*Example of Faith for healing

And he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease."  (Mark 5:34, ESV)

Faith versus Hope

*Faith and hope are not to be confused one with another

For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.  (Romans 12:3, ESV)

*Faith comes by hearing the word of God

4 Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due.  5 And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness,  6 just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works:  (Romans 4:4-6, ESV)

* Faith says, it is done,I have now

as it is written, "I have made you the father of many nations"-in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.  (Romans 4:17, ESV)

*Hope waits for some future manifestation

*Faith receives in the present the thing we hope for

Faith sees answers

*The eyes of faith see the answer as having already happened

Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.  (Mark 11:24, ESV)

*Looking at the word, makes us see the answer, not the problem

20 My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings.   21 Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart.   22 For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh.   (Proverbs 4:20-22, ESV)

*Faith contradicts circumstances

19 He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah's womb.  20 No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God,  21 fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.  22 That is why his faith was "counted to him as righteousness."  23 But the words "it was counted to him" were not written for his sake alone,  24 but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord,  (Romans 4:19-24, ESV)

* Faith says the answer

Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and thrown into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him.  (Mark 11:23, ESV)

Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.  (Hebrews 4:14, ESV)

God bless you all.