FAITH & REFLECTION -- Faith is powerful and pivotal . . . in life in general, but in the Christian life in particular. In fact, in the Christian life, if you are not faithing (pardon the made-up word) you are failing.
Faith is not only a central part of our relationship with God, but also a precondition to salvation and eternal life. Hebrews 11:6 says that, “Without faith it is impossible to please God, for we…must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him.”
Acts 8 tells of a man traveling through Samaria. He was joined by an evangelist named Philip, who shared the gospel with him. The man received all that he heard with a seeking mind and a soft heart. Requesting what was required for him to follow the Lord, the evangelist told him that the one requirement was to “believe with all his heart” (Acts 8:37).
The New Testament Greek word for faith is pistis. In the English Bible it is typically translated as faith or belief and means to have trust, or reliance upon someone or something…in this case, the object of faith is Christ. For this reason, people who become followers of the Lord are called “believers” (Acts 5:14). A person who truly has faith will become faithful, because faithfulness is the basic, but powerful expression of confidence in the existence and reliability of God.
For those who feel that faith alone is either too simplistic or just not enough, perhaps the following anecdote will help.
A. J. Gordon, while traveling on a train, engaged in a lively conversation with a fellow passenger on the subject of faith. The man energetically told him, “I disagree with you in that any person is admitted to Heaven because of a little bit of a theological point called faith. I believe that when God receives one into Heaven, He makes a searching inquiry into the person’s character, rather than an inspection of his faith. Faith alone can get no one to heaven”.
Shortly after, the conductor came along and examined their tickets. When he finished his task, he proceeded to the next car. Gordon turned to his fellow passenger and said, “Did you notice how the conductor looked at the tickets and took no time whatever to inspect the passengers? A railway ticket, if genuine, certifies that the person presenting it has complied with the company’s conditions and is entitled to travel. So faith alone, my friend, entitles one to that saving grace which later, and in the course of time, produces a character and lifestyle well pleasing to God”.
“For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8).