Faith in Action

Heidi concluded her faith statement writing, “When I feel alone, I know God is always with me.”

Please read Hebrews 11:1-3.  For a little context, Hebrews was written to sometimes discouraged Jewish Christians who needed to be encouraged as they transitioned to life in Christ.  Before God sent Jesus to take away the sins of believers, temple priests mediated between God and God’s people performing sacrifices for atonement; they were constantly looking for ways to maintain a relationship with God.  When Jesus was on the cross, he cried out, “It is finished.”  There was no longer any work necessary to attain God’s goodness; the final payment for humanity’s sins were covered, providing forgiveness for all who believe.  Forty days later, Jesus ascended to Heaven and sat down at the right hand of the Father.  Church, that action represented rest; let us strive to be at rest, trusting in God.  When we submit, we find peace, a peace that thwarts worry, frustration and stress.  Yes, we are going to have challenging situations, but it is our response to the circumstances that matters.   

     Faith is central to the Christian doctrine of salvation.  The Bible defines faith as an assurance and conviction in God's promises and God’s character, even when things cannot be seen, understood or appear uncertain. Faith is an unwavering trust – certain that God exists and that He will fulfill what He has promised.  Living a faith-filled life encompasses an obedience to God’s word and living a life according to His promises. Simply, faith is depending on God for our needs and circumstances.  God urges us to depend on him.  Again, we are reminded of Proverbs 3:5-6.

      Part of Ryan’s faith statement emphasized the importance of loyalty.  The biblical concept of covenant loyalty is pivotal in our relationship with God. Because God has been loyal/faithful to us, we are called to be loyal/faithful to God.  Heidi and Ryan were held accountable, as we all are, to make specific promises to God, ourselves, and the church.   Questions I encourage each of us to reaffirm.  It is when we understand who God is through Scripture and understand how He has acted in the past, that we can confidently trust in God’s promises even in the face of uncertainty with assurance. 

      So how is your faith these days?  On a scale of 1-10, where do you stand?  A possible gauge to help you respond might be how often you are taking a seat and resting in turbulent times, or praying for rain and prepared with your umbrella.  Are you sharing your situation with God and then moving on?  Are you boldly believing in a response to the prayers?  Conversely, how often are you taking the situation in your own hands, spiraling out of control, projecting “what if” scenarios and losing sleep?  

     Faith increases as we experience God. Like the Jewish Christians of the first century AD, we need to share our faith, tell others about our God moments and point them out when they happen.  Trusting in God empowers our actions, when we look beyond our current situations and focus on God’s supernatural realities we meet our extraordinary God. 

     We need to trust.  Is your trust deeper than that of a hungry baby’s trust?  We need hope.  Every night we set the alarm with anticipation of tomorrow.  We hope for tomorrow, but we have hope in eternity, Christ is our hope.  We need confidence.  Despite our knowledge of the future, we make plans.  At times we have more confidence in our flawed self than we do in our perfect God.  Let’s be mindful of where we put our confidence.  Finally, we need love. The greatest commandment is to love God, who loved us first and love one another.  As we pray, express gratitude and seek God’s presence and hear His Word, we will experience His unconditional, sacrificial love.  

     As we delve into ordinary people and our extraordinary God, we will find that in each scenario we witness the perseverance in faith and trust in God’s promises even when unbelief, resistance, or disobedience could have prevailed.    

     Heidi concluded her faith statement writing, “When I feel alone, I know God is always with me.”  She did not think it, she knew it.  She is confident in our God.  In the week ahead, I challenge you to take some time to consider what you believe.  Write your faith statement; read it, wrestle with it, revise it and reread it.  Ask the questions that you wonder about and grapple with because that’s what leads to deeper faith.  Ordinary people, with the help of our extraordinary God, can become faithful as we trust Him!  Church, remember, Jesus, is the author and perfecter of our faith, providing the foundation, guiding us through it, and securing our eternity.  And all God’s people say, amen.

Grace and peace,

Pastor Kerry