Effective Series: Faith

"His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us to His own glory and excellence, by which He has granted to us His precious and very great promises, so that them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For this very reason make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue..." (2 Peter 1:3-5).

If you're like me, you might walk through life and relationship with Christ wondering how best to please the Father. It might be a weird thought, but it's one that certainly comes up often in our actions. Many of us strive to pray or read every morning or to go to church every Sunday or to be a "good Christian" for the sake of those around us; to take it a step further, there are many of us who do all this for the approval of somebody—our parents, our friends, perhaps a romantic interest, but most certainly God. There are many truths that could be spoken into such an attitude if it's one that you do carry. One of my favorites is this that my mentor gave me, it was along these lines: "God couldn't love you any more or any less than He does right now, and He loves you more than you can fathom." The author of Hebrews gives another simple piece of advice:

"Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him" (Hebrews 11:6).

"Faith" is the first of the traits that Peter names in this first chapter of his second letter. A broad term on its own, but an excellent starting place, a foundation for the effective believer in Christ. The author of Hebrews devotes an entire chapter (and then some) to faith. Hebrews 11 is one of the more popular sections of Scripture, especially when faith is the topic of discussion, and it gives us many great examples of what faith looks like in action. The book of Hebrews actually provides a lot of good context for the topic of faith, so we'll jump around a bit starting with a definition.

What is Faith?

Faith is one of those words that we use to describe a few different, though closely related, things; one of the more common ways is as a term to describe a relationship with Christ or a personal association with the "religion" of Christianity—"the faith." The definition at the beginning of Hebrews 11 is the sense spoken of in this essay:

"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the Word of God, so that what is seen was made out of things that are visible" (Hebrews 11:1-3)

In other words, faith is a complete trust in the Lord, even when the outcome or impact of our actions is unknown, even when we are unable to see Him moving or feel His presence. This complete trust in the Lord and His Word is foundational and necessary for proper relationship with the Father and for the execution of our call.

Why Start with Faith?

As Hebrews 11 states, "it's impossible to please God without faith"; and just as important to add is that without faith it's impossible to act in the Lord's will. The way I see it, faith is the gateway to everything that the Lord has to offer. Without faith, there is no belief in or relationship with Christ (a man who, I'd assume, most of us have never met in person). Without faith, there's no heavenly treasure to look forward to. In his first letter to groups of exiles, Peter says this about faith:

"In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith—more precious than than gold that perishes though it is by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 1:6-7)

Not only is faith necessary, but it's precious. It's something to be held onto; and in the arena of effectiveness, it's absolutely vital to the mission—who would faithfully serve a leader that they had no faith or belief in?

Go Faithfully

There isn't too much that I could say about faith that hasn't been laid out extensively in Scripture. Hebrews 11 provides a great map of stories to look back on: Cain & Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob; I could add Moses, David, John the Baptist, Mary & Joseph. Faith is powerful, and it's necessary. If anyone wishes to be effective in their walk with Christ, for the sake and Gospel of Christ, they need to start at Step 1 (and be reminded of its importance often): A foundation of faith. It's the backbone of everything that we do as sons and daughters of the Most High. It's too long to add to this entry, but I would strongly encourage that you all read Romans 10:1-17; it speaks to many layers which go into faith and salvation. I couldn't possibly stress it enough: Faith is absolutely necessary as a foundation for effectiveness. It doesn't matter what kind of life the Lord has called you to live if you don't believe that He is who He is, and that you are best served fully in His hands. So go faithfully. Take time to build a relationship with Him so that, when called upon, you'll be ready to act with all you've got. Be blessed, seek wisdom, and enjoy.

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Verses to Look Back On:

2 Peter 1:3-11*

Romans 10:1-17*

Hebrews 11

1 Peter 1:6-7