Faith

God looks for faith in people. Those who commit themselves to be faithful to him are received by him. This commitment is a doorway into a relationship with God.

What does the Bible say about faith? -

1. Right with God by faith - Romans 3v21-26
2. Example of faith - Hebrews 11v8-12
3. Faith motivates - Hebrews 12v1-4
4. Faith - God works - Mark 11v22-25
5. Faith - Valued - John 20v24-29

Right with God by faith

Romans 3v21-26

But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.
For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he makes sinners right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.

Questions for reflection or discussion

1. What chance would you or I have of living up to God’s perfection?
2. How has God made us right with him?
3. Why would God want us to accept this gift through trusting him?

Thoughts to consider

In relating with God we are stuck by the impossibility of getting into a right place from which to relate openly. So God does the impossible, he offers us a clean slate when we trust him for that and then builds on the relationship as we develop together.

Example of faith

Hebrews 11v8-12

By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise. And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.

Questions for reflection or discussion

1. How did Abraham and Sarah demonstrate that they believed God?
2. What was the cost to Abraham and Sarah for believing God?
3. How has God fulfilled his promise?

Thoughts to consider

Faith is as much a lifestyle as it is some act of the will to believe things. I demonstrate that I believe God when I do what he asks of me and do it in a way that demonstrate his values of love and mercy.

Faith motivates

Hebrews 12:1-4

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin.

Questions for reflection or discussion

1. What examples of faith have you seen (In the Bible and in life)?
2. How should we approach life in the light of Jesus’ example?
3. How do courage and faith go together?

Thoughts to consider

In his example of faith, Jesus gave everything he had. We begin with small steps, but God will lead us into increasingly challenging expressions of faith as we take risks with him.

Faith - God works

Mark 11v22-25

Then Jesus said to the disciples, “Have faith in God. I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours. But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.”

Questions for reflection or discussion

1. How would my relationship with God and my behaviour be effected by believing God that he is who he says he is?
2. What does it say about trust in a relationship when people ask big things of each other?
3. Why would forgiveness of others be such a big thing to God?

Thoughts to consider

If I believe God for who he says he is then I will know him well enough to know what I can ask of him.

Faith - Valued

John 20v24-29

One of the twelve disciples, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), was not with the others when Jesus came. They told him, “We have seen the Lord!”
But he replied, “I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side.”
Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them. “Peace be with you,” he said. Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!”
“My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed.
Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.”

Questions for reflection or discussion

1. How does Jesus contrast Thomas’ believing with those who had not seen him raised from the dead?
2. Why would it be important in developing trust that there is some degree of unknown?

Thoughts to consider

If I have to have experienced before I can trust, then I will never trust anyone completely. There will always be events that I cannot experience and have to believe the person who shares with me. As with any relationship of trust, the relationship with God depends on believing what he says.

Overview question for reflection or discussion

1. How would you describe faith?
2. How do you decide whether you are going to trust someone?

Thoughts to consider

The more I trust someone, the more I can work with them and rely on what they say they are going to do. This is true of our relationship with God.

Photo Credit Prestong on Dreamstime.com