Faith

by Terry Wane Benton

Biblical faith is believing in God, believing what His word (the Bible) says, trusting Him enough to be refreshed and reassured by His promises, yielding and submissive to His Sovereignty, and active in obeying His commands. When any of these ingredients are fading or missing, then it ceases to be faith.

So, if your faith has led you to be baptized into Christ (Acts 2:38; Galatians 3:26-27), you are now living assured that God has wiped away your former sins. You live with confidence that you are safe from condemnation (Romans 8:1), and you live with confidence that God keeps His promises to be with you always (Matthew 28:20; Hebrews 13:5), and that all things work together for the good of those who love the Lord (Romans 8:28).

You do not live in fear because love is being perfected in you. After all, faith works through love (Galatians 5:6; I John 4:17-18). Faith ceases to be faith when fear once again dominates. Fear should not beat faith backwards. Faith beats down fear and drives it away. If we are constantly yielding our hearts to anxiety and fear, where is our faith?

Our faith must believe that God is greater than all else, that God is for us, and that reduces giants to ants. Remember, David was not stronger than Goliath. But David believed and trusted God. Therefore, with God in David’s faith, the giant was reduced to nothing. When the disciples of Jesus showed fear, Jesus asked about their small faith, saying, “Why did you doubt?”

Today is a new day to exercise faith! What will faith do in your heart and through your actions today?