Fearless Faith: Faith is the Essence

As it turns out, our faith is at the very core of who we are in Christ. The New King James Version translates Hebrews 11:1 as: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Some scholars say that this word “substance” actually means substantial matter, the real nature of a thing which underlies and supports its outward form or properties.¹

            I hope you realize that your faith—the faith you put in Jesus Christ, your Lord and Savior—is at the very core of who you are. It is this faith that secures your eternal life with Him. This should also clearly show us that our identity belongs with Jesus. Therefore, everything we do should stem from the heart of who we are.

 

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is what sets Christianity and our faith apart from all other religions. The Newsboys sing about this truth in their song God’s Not Dead: “My God’s not dead, He’s surely alive. He’s living on the inside, roaring like a lion.”² Let me say that the more activated our faith becomes, the more the Holy Spirit will roar like a lion inside us.

 

I may not be convicted of an earthly crime and sentenced to jail, but before God, I am just as guilty as anyone else of one major offense: sin. In referencing the holiness of God, Habakkuk 1:13 says, “Your eyes are too pure to look on evil.” But of course, God made a way to be able to look upon us. At the moment we put our faith in His Son—in His mercy and grace—He removed the penalty of our sin. We became His righteousness. Pondering what this means for me, here’s the picture in my mind: He took a dirty ragged slave and transformed her into a beautiful princess dressed in the most elegant gown she has ever worn. A true Cinderella story! Can you visualize this?

 

No doubt, Paul’s writings indicate what was at the very center of his life (Phil 1:12-18). Everything he did was to bring glory to God. He looked at every aspect of his life—whether good or bad, whether chains or free—as a way for Jesus Christ to reign. He clearly shows us that no matter what, God would use all these things for the furtherance of the Gospel. I believe that what Paul learned about his faith is what governed the way he chose to live: relentlessly abandoned to Christ. Some words that would describe relentless would be: determined, undaunted, unwavering, faithful, fixed.

 

Oh my, imagine how different our lives would be if you and I would choose to live with such resolution. Imagine the work God would choose to do in and through us for the furtherance of His kingdom if He was truly at the heart of all that we did.

 

Fearless Faith: Explaining Faith

I’ve never been to France, but I know the Eiffel Tower exists. I have never stepped foot in China, but I know the Great Wall exists. How do I know? Because I’ve seen pictures of both of these wonders and I’ve talked to others who have seen them—eyewitnesses. Recently, I went to Italy for the first time. Before leaving home, I knew I wanted to see the Coliseum. In fact, I was positive I would walk through these ancient ruins because I had seen pictures and I had read information about this site. So, how can we know for certain that God exists even though we cannot see Him? Well my friend, Scripture explains this phenomenon. It may boil down to faith, but the Bible tells us where that faith comes from. Let’s look at these things together.

Our faith comes from…

             1. Nature! (Romans 1:20)

            We don’t need to stand on the highest peak of a mountain or sit on a cliff overlooking the majestic ocean to see God’s invisible qualities, His eternal power, or His divine nature. No! All we have to do is walk to the window in our house and look outside. So here’s an assignment. Step outside for a moment. Look around. Observe nature: the ground, the grass, the trees, and the sky. What do you see about God? What is God revealing to you?

Our faith comes from…                       

            2. The Word of God! (Romans 10:17)

            This truth is visualized in Acts 16:11-14 when the Apostle Paul preached the gospel in Philippi and Lydia responded to the message. This is where her faith came from. It’s not enough just to hear the message—we need to respond to it and accept it as our own.

                Somewhere along the way, God sent a messenger to you. Perhaps it was a Sunday school teacher, a parent, a friend, a pastor, or a neighbor. Or it could have been the Holy Spirit Himself. I first heard the gospel many years ago at a church outing. I may not remember what we did on that outing, but I remember going forward to receive Christ. For both my kids, I was the messenger God sent. What a thrill it was for me to be there when Betsy and Matt received Christ as their Lord and Savior. Our text clearly shows us that our faith comes from responding to the message brought to us. That is the beginning. But God doesn’t want our faith to lay dormant. It’s important we allow Him to develop that faith in us. In the weeks ahead, we will explore our faith in greater detail, while we ask God to give us an exuberant faith.

Our faith comes from…

            3. The Holy Spirit! (1 Corinthians 2:6-16)

 





At one time, the disciples had Jesus walking among them. They witnessed some spectacular things, they heard His voice, and they looked into His eyes. They saw how He loved. But as wonderful as that was, the greater gift was when God came down from heaven and chose to live inside them. Since the day of Pentecost (Acts 2), the Holy Spirit has descended upon every heart that has bowed at the cross and received the free gift of salvation.
 

I would say believers are wealthy, wouldn’t you? According to our text in 1 Corinthians 2, God has given us wisdom that many rulers don’t even possess (verse 8), God has revealed His secrets to us (verses 9-10), and God gives us understanding (verses 14-15). And here’s the best part: “We have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16). Therefore, we look at the world out of different lenses than unbelievers. We can know what is on God’s mind. That’s why we can see the truth and others cannot. Answering the call to follow Jesus seems absurd to the world because Jesus tells us what a true follower is: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Matthew 16:24).

         You see, my friend, our faith comes from the Holy Spirit. He is the one who helps us understand what God is thinking and what He is asking us to do. He shows us the deep things of God. He reveals to us the inner parts of God’s heart. I think that’s amazing, don’t you?

            Please invite your friends to join me on this journey as we examine our faith and how we can have an fearless faith.