“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6
A life of faith in God is marked by a sense of clarity of purpose for our lives. We live to glorify God and to fulfill His Kingdom purpose. We are empowered by faith to be witnesses of Jesus Christ and to shine as lights of Truth in a world of lies and darkness.
Every step we take should be a step of faith, because we are created to walk by faith and not by sight. The walk of faith is marked by choosing the pathway to life that tracks with Jesus, not the ease and self-indulgence of this world, but by the righteousness of imitating Christ in our words and our actions, walking counter culturally to the dictates and death dealing ways of this present age. Now, faith in God demands four things; knowledge of God’s Word, sacrifice, submission and resistance.
First, Knowledge of God’s Word. Jesus said, if you continue in my Word, then are you my disciples indeed
“Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. John 8:31-32
We have faith in what we know. The more we know of the Word of God, the more we know of the will of God, and our faith then, rests on the knowledge of God’s will for our lives. If Jesus has said that continuing in His Word marks us as His disciples, and if being His disciples brings us to Truth, then we have faith to be made free, by knowing the Truth. And the Truth is Jesus.
The woman with the issue of blood came to Jesus by faith in Him based on what she had heard about Him.
“And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, 26 And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, 27When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. 28 For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. 29 And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.” Mark 5: 25-29
The key to her faith was what she heard and what she believed about what she had heard and what she did because she believed. Thousands of people heard about what Jesus was doing and many were hoping to see a miracle or to receive healing from Him, and many did. But this woman heard about Jesus, and against the press of the crowd and even in her weakened state, had faith to believe that her healing was tied to her touching the hymn of his garment. So, nothing could dissuade her from getting to Him.
Second - the Sacrifice of our ways, our rationalizations, our pleasures, and our human perspectives in favor of His ways, His Godly perspectives, is the beginning of wisdom, because it is in denying ourselves and choosing His life that our faith finds its fullest realization, and we find the joy of fulfilling our highest purpose.
Third - a Submission to the Word and will of God, whether we or the culture agrees with Him or not. Submission is surrender of our agenda to fully embrace His. But such surrender does not come easily. God does not share His Lordship in our lives with our broken sin-ruled human nature. We are called to die to ourselves in order to live in Him and for Him.
“Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” Romans 5:12-14
And fourth, a resistance to the inclinations to doubt God’s Word and give-in to social and peer pressures to the contrary. God tells us that His ways are not our ways. GOD IS GOD, AND WE ARE NOT! So, we don’t get to set our own agenda in His name. His Word, His will, His way is the first and final Word and authority on any subject. Faith in Jesus means we deny ourselves and take up our cross daily and follow Him.
Our ways are not His ways. We are, by our fallen human natures, driven to sin and to self-indulgence without restraint. Without the knowledge of God we are easily led toward self-destructive behavior in the pursuit of satisfying yearnings and agitating passions even when we know they are not good or profitable for us.