Fearless Faith: Believing God

In her Bible study Believing God, Beth Moore said, “The Bride of Christ in our generation is nearly paralyzed by unbelief.”¹ I couldn’t agree more! I’ve been a Christian since I was nine, graduated college with a degree in Bible, and have been writing and teaching Bible studies for twenty plus years. Yet as I approach this week’s topic, I am asking myself, “Do I truly believe?” Of course, I have always believed in God. I do love God. And I know Jesus as my Savior. But, have I believed God? Like you, I will need to confront my “unbelief” in order to fully believe.

            If we could pick a key verse within the eleventh chapter of Hebrews, it would probably be verse 6. You may want to read it again several times because what we believe about God is fundamental to our faith. In fact, faith and belief go hand-in-hand. The heroes in Hebrews 11 would not be listed in this chapter if they didn’t believe God.

            In referencing Genesis 1:1 which states, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth,” Warren Wiersbe says: “No scientist or historian can improve upon, “In the beginning…” This simple sentence refutes the atheist, who says there is no God; the agnostic, who claims we cannot know God; the polytheist who worships many gods; the pantheist, who says “all nature is God”; the materialist, who claim that matter is eternal and not created; and the fatalist, who teaches that there is no divine plan behind creation and history.” The scientist may claim that ‘matter just came into being,’ that life ‘happened,’ and that all complex forms of life ‘gradually evolved’ from lower forms, but he cannot prove his claim.”² Hence, you and I need to believe that God is the Creator. There is no room for doubt. And here’s another important truth: He blesses those who believe this fully.

             Here are three vital things we must know and believe about God...

            1. God is God!

            2. God is seated on the throne!

            3. God has spoken!

            According to many passages, there is no doubt that God is God and He alone is worthy of our praise, our worship. He is above all things. Therefore, He should be the one exulted above all things in our lives. Thus, our lips should praise His Name (Hebrews 13:15). Our knees should bow to His sovereignty (Philippians 2:10). Our hearts should be opened to His ways (Psalm 25:4). Our words should bring glory to His Name and encourage others (1 Timothy 4:12). Our actions should always seek to make Him proud (1 Corinthians 10:31). And we should live every day in a state of worship (Romans 12:1).

            For more on this topic, look for our new Bible study FEARLESS FAITH: DOING GREAT THINGS FOR GOD coming out this fall…

Fearless Faith: A Shield of Faith

You and I know that we live in a world dominated by sin. We may not be present in those “corrupt” circles, but we read the newspaper, watch the news, and hear about horrible atrocities in our world via the Internet. Jesus also told us that Satan is the “prince of this world” (John 12:31). We would probably agree that the 21st century is far more depraved than previous centuries combined.

 

            Therefore, it’s hard to imagine that at another time, centuries ago, the world could be so evil-filled that God wanted to do away with man. But it’s true! All the way back in Genesis, the Bible tells us of such a day. In fact, our text identifies Noah as the only one who was found righteous, blameless. Noah is certainly an example of how you and I can stay on God’s pathway even if all those around us are veering off. And because Noah stayed faithful to God, He would choose to save him—protect him—from the impending wrath. His family too!

 

                As the writer of Hebrews began to jot down names of Biblical patriarchs who exemplified a life of faith, God wouldn’t let him overlook Noah. Hebrews 11:7 says, “It was by faith that Noah built a large boat to save his family from the flood.” The ark was a mammoth structure and it took him 120 years to build. Day after day, year after year, while the land was dry and the people walked in rebellion to their God, Noah trusted God. It was inconceivable that such monstrous water could ever fill up the land. I imagine that the people laughed and mocked him. His family may have doubted too. Yet our text clearly points out that “by his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith” (Hebrews 11:7). Hence, not only did Noah’s faith bring God’s favor upon him as he was found righteous, but it also served as a shield to protect him from death.

            Noah’s story certainly shows us an important feature of our faith: that it acts as a shield. Satan is our enemy and he is always throwing spears, arrows, and fiery darts at us as well. He is a good shot, too, and never misses his target. He aims directly at our most precious organs: the heart and the mind. Those darts are in the form of lies, hateful thoughts, doubts, temptation, deception, etc. I believe that each of us has at one time or another felt the invasion of Satan’s sharp daggers and the devastating repercussions—the damage they have wreaked upon us. But God tells us specifically how you and I can extinguish those darts—even the fiery ones: by taking up the shield of faith (Ephesians 6:16).

            To understand how we can do this, we need to go back to the original subject of today’s lesson: Noah. We learn that he trusted God. He believed what God said and he obeyed, even if it was an unbelievable request. Let me remind you what Genesis 6:9 said about Noah: “[He] was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God.” We learned in our previous lesson two ways to pass God’s tests: 1) Trust Him in each circumstance, and 2) Obey Him at all costs. If we could sum up these two things in one phrase, we might say that we need to walk with God. Just like Noah did.

Fearless Faith: The Testing of Faith

Our topic comes from Genesis 22:1-14, the story where Abraham is asked to sacrifice his son on the altar. You may want to read this passage of Scripture before proceeding.



 



            If we could choose one of our forefathers who embodied a life of faith it would certainly be Abraham. He stood heads taller than all others when it came to faith. While there were several requests made of Abraham, none pulls at my heart more than this request. I’m sure every parent would agree. Abraham waited a long time to have a son. The promise of an heir came years before Isaac was born to Abraham and Sarah. I remember seeing the smile on my husband’s face at the birth of both our children. Actually, I couldn’t see it on his lips because he was wearing a surgical mask, but I could see the gleam in his eyes. I knew he was proud. I knew he would love this child no matter what. Imagine Abraham entering the tent after his son was born. Picture him taking Isaac, his long-awaited son, in his arms. I wonder if he whispered in his baby’s ear, “My child, I love you. I will do whatever it takes to protect you. I will never let you down.”

            Then one day, a powerful voice came to Abraham with a request. Not just any request, I might add. He was instructed to take his son and offer him as a sacrifice on the altar. In no uncertain terms, Abraham was told to kill his son. Imagine if that had been you. How would you respond? We learn immediately that this was a test. Really God! Why would you give Abraham a son and then take him away?

            While this story took place centuries ago, God still works in similar ways in our lives as well. The Bible is clear that we too are sometimes tested: “For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow” (James 1:3 NLT). Hence, the testing of our faith grows us. And maturity is what all believers should strive for. So we might ask ourselves, “How can I pass God’s tests?” Here are two specific ways:

            To pass God’s test, we need to…

            1. Trust Him in each circumstance!

            Abraham surely trusted God. He knew God had a purpose in the request and, even if he didn’t understand what it was or he didn’t like it, He trusted God. He walked up that mountain with his young son by his side believing that God had a purpose in all of it. 

            I would say that many of us have a hard time with trust. Perhaps it’s because we have been hurt, misled, lied to, rejected, or taken advantage of. And these things have probably happened by people we at one time trusted. But what we need to remember is that Jesus is not just another person in our life. He is God, and we can trust Him fully. We read in Hebrews 13:5 that “[He] will never forsake [us].” Specifically, He will never let us down.

            Therefore, let me ask you: Are you trusting God right now in the midst of your situation? Have you surrendered everything over to Him? Do you trust that God has a purpose? Or are you worrying, are you griping, or are you filled with distress?

            To pass God’s test, we need to…   

            2. Obey Him at all costs!

            I must tell you that following this command is crucial to passing God’s tests. So, let’s think about this for a minute. When we are facing difficulties or trials, we often act in our humanness and respond emotionally. It is during these times, we are most apt to not follow God’s rule. But Abraham clearly shows us that obeying God in all situations is possible. I doubt that any other circumstance in his life quite compared to this one. Imagine how easy it would have been for him to just disregard it and not obey. Certainly he could have believed that he had the right to do as he wanted. Thank goodness he didn’t though. And out of his complete obedience, God blessed him.         

            In conclusion, passing God’s tests not only reaps earthly benefits, but certainly profits us glorious eternal awards. How will you respond to your situation today? Will you trust God? Will you obey Him?