A Robust View of Faith

by Doy Moyer

We need a robust view of faith. The world thinks that faith is trite and involves merely believing something. No action is needed. This makes faith workless—a nice thing to say perhaps, but it amounts to saying, in the minds of many, “I’m just going to sit here and believe. I don’t have to act. I have faith.” We can say, “Trust God. Live by faith,” and this is taken to mean that we do nothing but sit and wait for God to do everything. This cannot be more unbiblical, and Christians need to guard against imbibing that same mindset. To be sure, God does not need my hands, as though He needed anything (Acts 17:25), but we are expected to respond to the opportunities before us (cf. Esther 4:14).

A robust view of faith — biblical faith — sees faith as a trust that acts, an allegiance to God that is fully invested in His will and His way. It does not merely sit back and do nothing. That shows little trust. Rather, true faith stands for God, for God’s will, for all that is right and good, unashamed of the gospel and the righteousness of God (Romans 1:16-17). It is conviction, standing under hope (Heb 11:1). It seeks, without prejudice, the reconciliation of all to the Lord (Acts 10:34-35). It is, with the Lord firmly sanctified in heart, willing to defend the reason for the hope within (I Peter 3:15). It seeks first God’s kingdom over any earthly kingdom, and, at the same time, seeks the welfare of the place where it resides (cf. Jeremiah 29:7).

Those of such faith will be the best citizens on the earth because they are first citizens of heaven who are partaking in the fruit of the Spirit. They will be the best workers because they know they are first serving the Lord (Colossians 3:23-24). They will seek to serve others over themselves because they want to follow the example laid down by Jesus (Philippians 2:3-8; I Peter 2:21-23). They will stand for what is right without resorting to reviling or carnal tactics.

Let us never, then, think that calling on people to walk by faith and trust God is resorting to bumper-sticker slogans. Never think that such is calling on others to stand idly by or not care about what’s going on around them. Christians must take a robust view and see faith as a high calling that will, at all cost, follow Jesus, for “without faith it is impossible to please God, since the one who draws near to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).

The only alternative to is trust yourself. And this, in the end, will fail. So then walk by faith and trust God.