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. (Hebrews 11:6)
INTRODUCTION
The second of the foundation doctrines is "faith toward God.” "Faith toward God" refers to your attitude toward God. Some men hate God and rebel against Him. Others are afraid of Him. Your attitude should be one of faith toward God. Faith and repentance are both necessary for genuine conversion. If you turn to God without forsaking sin is not true repentance and to try to forsake sin without turning to God in faith ends in failure. The ministry of Paul to the unsaved was about both repentance and faith toward God being necessary for salvation. I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus. (Acts 20:21)
What is faith? Faith means to believe and have assurance of something. To believe means to have trust. The words "faith, believe, and trust" all mean the same thing when we use them in relation to God. The Bible defines faith as: Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. (Hebrews 11:1)
The Amplified Bible adds to this definition: Now faith is the assurance, the confirmation, the title deed of the things wehope for, being the proof of things we do not see, and the conviction of theirreality. Faith is perceiving as real what is not revealed to the senses.(Hebrews 11:1)
Faith gives assurance that the things promised in the future are true and that unseen things are real.
What is hope? Faith differs from hope. Hope is a desire or attitude of expectancy concerning things in the future. Faith is belief in something you cannot see but have assurance you already possess. Hope is in the mind. Faith is in the heart. But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. (I Thessalonians 5:8)
In this verse faith is associated with the region of the heart as a breastplate. Hope is a helmet associated with the head. Hope is a mental attitude of expectancy about the future. Faith is a condition of the heart producing belief in God: For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.(Romans 10:10) It is not enough to accept the Gospel with the mind. This is not true Scriptural faith and does not produce change in your life. True Scriptural faith, believing with the heart, always produces change in your life. The result is something experienced in the present, not something hoped for in the future.
MIND OVER MATTER:
Faith is not the same as "mind over matter" which is taught by some religions. "Mind over matter" teaches that man can overcome all problems in the real world [the world of matter] by using his mind, reason, or willpower. These teachings are man-centered. They rely on self and not on God. "Mind over matter" is not based on the Word of God. Faith is God-centered, not man-centered. It is a gift of God, not something man produces through self-efforts of his own mind.
TYPES OF FAITH
There are many different types of faith. There is natural faith. This is a natural trust in things that have proven stable. For example, faith that the chair on which you are sitting will support you. This faith is not "faith toward God.” It is natural faiths in certain things around you that you have learned by experience are usually dependable. The following types of faith are what we mean when we speak of "faith toward God":
Sanctifying faith enables the believer to live a holy life after conversion. You will learn more about sanctification in the last lesson of this study as we discuss going on to perfection. Faith toward God includes sanctifying faith which is believing you can live a holy life. You do not do this by your own strength but through the power of God which dwells within you.I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)
Defensive faith is one of the weapons for defense against your spiritual enemy, Satan. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. (Ephesians 6:16) Satan will try to attack your faith by sending "darts" of unbelief into your mind. Having faith toward God provides a spiritual defense to these attacks.
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, (Romans 5:1) Faith toward God, combined with true repentance, is ‘saving faith’. Salvation is knowing, believing, and personally accepting the Gospel message. Saving faith requires a personal response toward God. No person can respond on behalf of another, each person is saved by his own response to the Gospel. Faith is a fact. It is the gift of God to men to enable them to be saved. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God. (Ephesians 2:8)
But faith is also an act. Each person must act upon the faith given him by God. Faith toward God is your response, your action by faith toward Him.After you have experienced "faith towards God" and become a believer, the spiritual fruit of faith and the gift of faith both increase your faith toward God. The gift and fruit of faith are discussed in detail in a future series entitled"Ministry Of The Holy Spirit.”
MISPLACED FAITH
The doctrine you are studying is called "faith toward God.” It is not just faith in general,but it is directed faith. You can have misdirected faith. Misdirected faith can be in natural weapons, I put no trust in my bow, my sword does not bring me victory. (Psalms 44:6) in great men, Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save.(Psalms 146:3) or in yourself. Those who trust in themselves are fools, but those who walk in wisdom are kept safe. (Proverbs 28:26) Many others put their faith in idols, But those who trust in idols, who say to images, ‘You are our gods,’ will be turned back in utter shame. (Isaiah 42:17)false prophets, Do not trust in deceptive words and say, “This is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD!” But look, you are trusting in deceptive words that are worthless. (Jeremiah 7:4,8)or in natural powers. Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. (Psalms 20:7)In this present age, more then any other we tend to put our faith in wealth, Here now is the man who did not make God his stronghold but trusted in his great wealth and grew strong by destroying others! (Psalms 52:7) and in the people who we call our friends. Even my close friend, someone I trusted, one who shared my bread, has turned against me. (Psalms 41:9) Having faith is not enough. Your faith can be misplaced. True faith is directed faith. It is "faith toward God.”
THE IMPORTANCE OF FAITH
There are two reasons why faith toward God is required. The first reason faith toward God is important is that it is necessary for salvation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. (Mark 16:16) For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God. (Ephesians 2:8) Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. (Luke 8:12) The second reason faith is important is that you cannot please God without it. 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. (Hebrews 11:6)
LEVELS OF FAITH
The Bible reveals that there are various levels of faith. Jesus spoke of people who did not use their faith as being "faithless" (Matthew 17:17). He spoke of those with little faith (Matthew 6:30; 8:26; 14:31; Luke 12:28) and of those with great faith (Matthew 8:10; 15:28; Luke 7:9). The Bible teaches that each person has a certain amount of faith which is given to him as a gift of God. For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. (Romans 12:3)Each believer has some faith because it is through faith you are saved.
HOW TO INCREASE FAITH
Sanctifying faith enables you to live a holy life. Increased faith will help you go on to perfection. Defensive faith shields you from the attacks of the enemy, Satan. If you increase your faith you increase your spiritual defensive forces. The Bible tells how to increase faith: Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. (Romans 10:17)
You increase faith toward God through hearing the Word of God, and you must first hear the Word of God in order to repent of sin and receive Jesus as Savior. Saving faith comes by hearing God's Word. After you are saved, Biblical teaching and preaching will continue to increase your faith. The more you hear the Word of God, the more your faith will increase. The more faith increases the easier it will be to live a holy life and defend against the spiritual attacks of the enemy. Just a small amount of faith is very powerful. Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you. (Matthew 17:20) Nothing is impossible if you have even a small amount of faith.
FAITH AND WORKS
Faith is a gift of God, it cannot be increased by works. By faith we mean "that which you believe,” and by works we mean "that which you do.” For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9) Faith is the gift of God to believe. This does not mean that works are not important. Faith comes first, as a gift of God, works are the test of whether or not your faith is real. James wrote: What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. (James 2:14-18) Your works...how you live and react to the needs of those around you...are a test of the reality of your faith.
James sums up the connection between faith and works by the example of the relationship between man's body and spirit. The Bible teaches that when a man dies, his spirit leaves his body. James says that... As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead. (James 2:26) Your actions should reflect the living faith within you. Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because “the righteous will live by faith.” (Galatians 3:11)
AN EXAMPLE OF FAITH
Hebrews chapter 11 lists the names of many people who were great examples of faith. But there is one man in the Bible who is called "the father of all them that believe" (Romans 4:11). His name is Abraham. Christians are those who walk in the steps of faithful Abraham (Romans 4:12) and are spoken of as the children of Abraham (Galatians 3:7). Because of his faith toward God, Abraham was justified. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. (James 2:23)
When Paul wanted to illustrate faith toward God, he used Abraham as an example. The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification. (Romans 4:23-25) Paul said that the record of Abraham's faith which resulted in justification was not kept just for him. The record was kept so that we also, by believing the Gospel message, could be justified.
Here are just some of the reasons Abraham was an example of faith. Abraham listened to God’s promises and heard His Word.It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. (Romans 4:13,21)
He not only heard the promises of God, he believed, Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”(Romans 4:18) Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls. (I Peter 1:8-9)and believing, he turned from his hopeless condition which resulted in a change in Abraham’s life. Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead.(Romans 4:18-19) Just as men and women lost in sin, Abraham faced a hopeless condition in the natural world. The promise to become the father of many nations could only come through God because Abraham and Sarah were too old to have children.Yet Abraham accepted God’s promise as a fact, Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, (Romans 4:20) this is faith toward God.
Salvation comes only through Jesus Christ. There is no other way you can receive the promise except by faith in His plan of salvation: So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. (Ephesians 3:17)
AN EXAMPLE FOR US
The faith toward God demonstrated by Abraham is an example for us all to follow. We must:
-Hear the Word of God.
-Believe the Word of God.
-Turn from your hopeless condition (change through repentance from dead works).
-Accept God's promise as fact. His promise is that you are justified by repentance and faith toward God through Jesus.