Faith in God, it’s Who We Are!

Commentary By:  Gordon King

Hebrews 11:3

“By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.“

What makes a person believe in Jesus Christ as their God?  What is it that changes a person from within, which gives him or her a new life?  And what is it that sustains a believer once he or she has been born again?

Of course most of us who are born again already know the answers to these questions, or at least we should!

It is faith which makes us believe, it is our faith which initially causes us to be changed from the inside out giving us a new life, and it is faith which sustains us once we are born again.  Of course it is ultimately Jesus Christ who does these things for us, but they can only be done if we have faith!

Hebrews 11:1-2

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. ² For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.“

Faith is the evidence of things not seen, which means that faith is the evidence of God Himself!  Without faith we cannot believe in God nor can He save us.  By faith we believe that God is who He says that He is, and by our faith we believe that God has done and will do as He wills, that He has created all things seen and unseen, both in the heavens and on earth.

Hebrews 11:6

“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.“

Our faith does not come from ourselves but from God.

Romans 10:17

“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.“

Faith comes by hearing the word of God, and the word of God is from God Himself!  Therefore, our faith comes from God.  None of us can obtain faith without God and none of us can be pleasing to God without faith!

1 Corinthians 2:4-5

“And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, ⁵ that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.“

By faith we come to salvation and receive eternal life, by faith we have been given a new life, made a new creation, born again.  By faith we are called the children of God, and by faith we persevere and overcome trials and tribulations, obstacles within our path.  Our faith is not in the wisdom of men but in the power of God!

By faith we perform God’s will, and by faith we believe in the promises of God.  And by our faith we persevere to the end, knowing that one day God will fulfill all of His promises to us.  While we may not see all that God has done for us while alive on this earth, one day we will!

Hebrews 11:4-16

“By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.

⁵ By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, “and was not found, because God had taken him”; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God. ⁶ But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

⁷ By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

⁸ By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. ⁹ By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; ¹⁰ for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

¹¹ By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised. ¹² Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude—innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore.

¹³ These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. ¹⁴ For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. ¹⁵ And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. ¹⁶ But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.“

With our faith we believe that we will receive God’s inheritance for us just as He promised, we believe that one day our salvation will be completed in Jesus Christ, and we believe that He has prepared a place for us, a heavenly place!

1 Corinthians 2:9

“But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.“

Our faith is from God, it is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.  Without faith we cannot know God nor can we be pleasing to God.  Without faith it is impossible to be born again, it is impossible to be a Christian!  Faith in God, it is who we are as believers in Jesus Christ.  It is the faith that what God says happened in the past actually happened, it is the faith that what God says is going to happen in the future will happen just as He said that it would, every last iota!

Our faith comes by hearing the word of God, and the word of God can be trusted, every last word.  Do not worry what the world says will happen, but listen to the word of God and have faith that what He says will happen will in fact actually happen!

God bless my friends!  Maranatha!