FAITH OR NO FAITH IN HIM [pg 1]
When ever I share that, ‘For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith’ (Ephesians 2:8), I always run into those that find the concept a little too good to be true. Somehow, in their minds, they feel that it is way too easy to just believe and they must do more. There are probably multiple possibilities on why they think this. But I will make the assumption that this came more because they do not really know God too well and what He wants.
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. [Hebrew 11:6]
The dictionary defines faith as ‘complete trust or confidence in someone or something’.
It is said that…
Every body has some type of faith, people have faith in many different things, when we get into our car we have faith that it will crank and get us to our destination, we have faith that our doctor knows what he or she is doing, every body has this mindset of faith of some kind or another. No one can live a single day without exercising faith. [by William D. Brown – sermoncentral.com]
When we see a chair, do we hesitate to sit? Of course not. In fact, even when a chair does fail, we are prone to find another chair and with no hesitation sit in it. Faith in objects had always been easy for us. We know deep down that chairs are mostly dependable. Take note that the our trust to use these objects with no hesitation came from familiarity of constant use.
The same way we put faith in objects is somewhat the same when we put faith in people. The difference is that we are a lot more reserved on whom we place such trust on. That trust is dependent in how much we know about them.
– For a gal to trust a guy, she gets to know him by spending extended time with him.
– Professionals like teachers and doctors are hired based on their credentials which reflects their extensive training.
– Politicians who seek to be elected spends millions so that the masses can get to know them.
Trust in people comes because we got to know their history and test their reliability. But because people are fallible, we can’t help but be wary. So, we continue to watch and reassess.
God desires us to have faith in Him and Jesus Christ whom He sent.
How does one believe in a being whom we can not even see? By ourselves, it is impossible unless God made Himself seen and known. Did He? Yes He did. Allow me to cite 3 ways for you to get to see Him and know Him.
Creation shows His Qualities
In the epistle (letter) of the Apostle Paul to the believers of Rome, he wrote…
The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. [Romans 1:18-20]
When I first read the verses above, I wondered why I did not see Him in nature before. I was intrigued to test it in my scrutiny of a tree. At first, I did not know what to make of it, until I learned to ask humbling questions. Can I make a tree? I can grow one by planting a seed then watering it, but that is as far as I can go. I can’t cause the seed to sprout nor could I will it to grow tall. Can anyone?
I always love recalling a poem about a tree by Joyce Kilmer who wrote…
Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.
I truly believe that Joyce Kilmer got it right. Who could make a tree except only God? At that matter, whenever I look at a plot of flowers of the same kind, I mean, closely comparing one flower to the next… I can not help but see one mind (a mind of a designer) behind them. Look around. Appreciate the maker of all living creatures that fly, walk, crawl and swim. Let’s not forget the cosmos.
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. [Psalm 19:1]
Then, there is ourselves. Just look at our own bodies.
For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb… I am fearfully and wonderfully made… [Psalm 139:13,14]
So, whenever I look around and appreciate nature, my faith gets a boost of His glorious work. By the way, we (that is, all human beings) have built-in us the ability to see God’s invisible qualities, because He created us in His image. So, if anyone say that they don’t see, it is more than likely that they refuse to see.
I pray that you would look closely at nature with humbling eyes and discover our God. I pray that you would believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him. [Hebrew 11:6] And God does want you to seek Him out.
In my next post, we will cover more on how God revealed Himself to us, so that we all will be a people of FAITH. I offer the Bible verse below as basis for my next post.
From infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work… [2 Timothy 3:15-17]
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Well, where ever you are right now, know that God is listening for you. Talk to Him with no delay and express your faith in Jesus Christ and receive Him into your heart as your Lord and Savior. You only have to pray the prayer below once, but with sincerity, because when He enters your life, He will never leave you.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank you so much for loving me. I confess that I am a sinner worthy of eternal punishment. Thank you for dying on the cross to pay for all of my sins. With your help, I am turning away from all my sins. Today, I put my trust in you as my Lord and Savior and I receive you into my heart. Thank you for forgiving my sins and for coming into my heart. I accept your free gift of eternal life. Thank you that one day, I will go home to be with you in heaven. From this day on, I will follow and obey you. Amen.*
* Note: It is not the prayer that saves us but faith in Christ. The prayer is a way express belief.
Johann Quisumbing 