Is Faith Blind?

Image result for faith is confidence
Hebrews 11:1,6 

 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 6 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.

 You often hear people say, "You just gotta have faith!"  Well, what does that mean?  Is faith wishing something would happen?  Some people talk about "blind faith".  Today the author of Hebrews gives what I believe is the best defintion of faith given in the bible.  Remember the author is encouraging the Hebrews to "keep the faith"!  In this chapter he gives a long list of faithful people in the Old Testament including: Noah, Abraham, Moses, Joseph and Jacob.  

 So what is the essence of faith to the writer?  To describe faith he uses the word, "confidence".  He uses this word in conjunction with hope.  Confidence is not blind faith but based on the object of your confidence.  We develop confidence in someone when the consistently do what they say they will do.  This is the author's argument, God has been faithful all throughout the ages, so why would he stop now?  So when we step out in faith we don't exactly know the outcome, but faith is trust that with God it will turn out okay.  Faith is a such a strong trust in God's promises that it is willing to step out and take risks.  A question we might ask ourselves is, "Do I have a risky faith?"  Do I have enough confidence to take a risk and step out and follow God wherever he leads me.  

 Then, the writer says something very bold.  He says, "Without faith it is impossible to please God!"  What does he mean by this?  If you take the inverse, "faith pleases God".  When we step out in confidence and trust in God's promises it is pleasing to God because it shows that we REALLY TRUST him.  We trust in him enough to act like it. When we put our faith into action it makes our faith come alive.  It pleases God!  As you step out in faith, you will be rewarded with an even deeper faith. Your confidence and trust will grow and you will experience a deeper and more intimate relationship with God.  Faith is a gift from God let's use it!       

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Acts 22 - Paul Sees the Light

Image
6  “About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me.   7  I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me,  ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?’  8  “‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked.  “  ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth,  whom you are persecuting,’  he replied.   9  My companions saw the light,  but they did not understand the voice  of him who was speaking to me.  10  “‘What shall I do, Lord?’ I asked. “  ‘Get up,’  the Lord said,  ‘and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do. This is the famous story of the apostle Paul's conversion on the road to Damascus.  Paul was going there to persecute Jewish Christians and throw them into prison and he meets Jesus is a spectacular way.  Not only is he blinded by a briliant light, but he hears the Lord's voice audibly.  And the Lord asks him, "Lord, Lord why are you persecuting me!"  Paul thought he was serving the Lord, but he was persecuting him b
Read more

2 Timothy 4 - Fight the Good Fight! Finish the Race!

Click Here to Read or Listen to 2 Timothy 4 4 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. Paul gives a closing charge to Timothy. First of all, he is to preach the word. God's Word speaks to all situations and seasons. The Word of God will sometimes correct us. Our lives can get of out alignment with God's will as outlined in
Read more

Hebrews 6 - Have You Graduated From Elementary School of Faith Yet?

Click Here to Read or Listen to Hebrews 6 6 Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, 2 instruction about cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And God permitting, we will do so. The author once again picks up with the theme of moving on to Christian maturity.  He teaches them to move on from the "elementary" teachings about Christ. What does he mean by that?  He gives clues by citing repentance, faith, cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, and teaching on the judgment and resurrection from the dead. We might call these the basics of the Christian faith. If you read through the Apostle's Creed, which our church confesses in our 8am service, it contains many of these core doctrines.  Click here to see the Apostle's Creed Written Around “When we consider the
Read more