WHAT IS FAITH?

Faith.....now here is a word that can bring about all sorts of emotions. To some, faith is a system of religious beliefs...to another it is something that is believed with strong conviction. How we interpret this word AND apply it to our life can make a huge difference in our response to a Loving God.

 The bible says "Without faith it is impossible to please God for he that cometh to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him" Hebrews 11:6 The Greek word in this passage is the word "pistis", meaning a persuasion.....especially a reliance upon Christ for salvation..... When I used to hear the word "faith" what I understood it to mean is that it was "my ability to appropriate God's promises, His word over circumstances that may appear contrary to a life of peace, joy, provision, and so on.

 Somehow the emphasis in my mind came back to the subconscious belief that it was based in "my ability". And so, my role was to memorize enough scriptures and strive to carry myself in a manner worthy of Christianity. This would include but is not limited to being kind to all, love my enemies, don't lose my temper,confess a bible verse frequently that pertains to whatever situation I found myself struggling with, remain positive in a negative environment, don't speak ill of anyone, check my giving records because my checkbook truly revealed my heart, reflect on the way I have been treating my wife/children/co-workers/boss and so on and so forth.

 Sure sounds like a whole lot of work and responsibility on my end. And why shouldn't it? I mean think about it, God did His part.....He loved me when I was yet a sinner....He sent His only Son into the world to die upon a cross for me....and then if that wasn't enough, He sent His Holy Spirit to dwell in me...to teach me....to guide me...the Comforter as the bible describes Him....One called along side to help me in times of distress.....sure seems as though God has done His part so c'mon.....I have the easy part, all I have to do is believe and behave!

 Yet, at times that can seem to be an daunting task. Why is that? Well I believe that somewhere along the line I came to a fork in the road....and that fork was the understanding and application of FAITH. One way leads to my persuasion in Christ, and the other speaks of my persuasion of self. By what basis am I forming my "persuasion". Remember, faith is a persuasion.....especially a reliance upon Christ for salvation. If my persuasion is based upon my ability to POSSESS AND PERFORM all the characteristics of what we believe Christians should portray constantly, my persuasion is going to falter quite frequently. For to be persuaded of a matter, one must hold no conflict in mind that rises against that belief....in other words, if I believe that God is love and I also believe that God will take a young child from it's mother through disease, then I won't find myself persuaded that God heals. There is a conflict in my beliefs and therefore, my faith or persuasion about a matter is compromised.

 So how can we please God by our faith? Our faith must be founded in God's word, not man's circumstances or experiences. If if you say that God's word seems to contradict itself, simply look at the Gospels and the life of Jesus.....Jesus said, "If you have seen Me, you have seen the Father". I don't recall any time that Jesus took a life....or refused to heal, deliver or provide for anyone He came across. Start there....start by trusting in Him.

 He didn't come to this earth to teach us how to live....He came to offer Himself as the wages for our iniquities so that we can boldly come to God's throne of Divine Influence (Grace) and receive help in time of need.

 God loves you....be persuaded of that fact today!