The world's system is set up so that just about everything requires money in exchange for something else—clothing and homes. Services, even some so-called places of worship, try to convince their followers to somehow exchange money for salvation, healing, deliverance breakthroughs, etc.
Today, I want to teach about faith and its necessity. Most people who attend church do not fully understand its importance. Some follow because of tradition, some believe they'll score brownie points with God, and some just seek a change in their situation.
Whatever the reason a person may attend church, it is essential to understand the Biblical reason for not only attending church but also what God requires of us to please him during our times of attendance.
Please pay close attention to what I'm about to say. It could change your perspective on your faith theology. Our Bible is unequivocally clear: "It is impossible to please God without faith" (Hebrews 11:6). From this, we can understand that whatever we ask from God must be accompanied by faith. We can also infer that faith appears to be the spiritual currency in exchange for what we seek from God.
Considering that it is impossible to please God without faith, it is only logical that we discover the Bible's definition of the word "faith." For Christians reading this, Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.” But what does all of that mean? Evidence, substance, hope—is this a cryptic code or a language only Christians understand? To the average person, it is yet to be defined.
To understand faith, one must first understand what it is not. Faith is not just about believing. When asked to define faith, the average person will say that you must believe in something to have faith. This is partly true. However, faith encompasses more than just belief.
Here is the biblical meaning of that scripture: The scripture begins by saying, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for.” "Now" indicates something immediate, and "substance" is defined as a material or source of something; "hope" is to expect something. The scripture continues its definition of faith by stating that it is the evidence of things not seen. Evidence of anything is to provide proof that it exists.
So far, we must agree that faith is more than a belief. To understand the entire concept, one must eliminate what one knows faith to be naturally because its meaning is entirely spiritual. So, faith is the actual source of what I am expecting, and this same faith is the proof of what I am hoping for. Wow! Sounds crazy, doesn’t it? Remember I told you the meaning was entirely spiritual.
Here is the revelation of the spiritual meaning of faith. Firstly, the Bible states that faith comes by hearing God's word. If faith comes only by hearing, then what I hear must be God’s word. So, in essence, faith must be the word of God, folks. So, yes, faith is to believe, but specifically believe the word of God.
Okay, let’s bring it all together now that we understand the definition of faith. Remember, it is impossible to please God without faith or belief in his word. Secondly, faith is the substance, or God's word is the material of things that I am expecting, and the belief in God's word is the proof of the things I don’t see. As a convinced believer of God’s infallible word, I am not focused on what I don’t see but somewhat concerned about what God’s word says about what I expect to see. I love this revelation!
With this valuable knowledge, isn't it clear why the Bible said it is impossible to please Him without faith? Faith is His word—He is the word—the word is faith.
"Jesus said to the man who wanted to be healed from blindness, 'According to your faith, be it unto you.' The Bible says that the just shall live by faith."
"Once again, we are reminded to live according to our faith in God's word rather than relying on what we can see. Everything that we receive or achieve from God is based on our faith in His promises." expecting from him.
BY: KEVIN L A EWING
