We are all probably familiar with the words of the writer of Hebrews who provides us with both a definition of faith, as well as the necessity of possessing it. First, let’s understand that,
“Faith is the confidence of receiving what we hope for, and the assurance of things we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1).
The old adage “seeing is believing,” is turned on its head when we respond by saying, “faith is believing before seeing.”
And then, just a few verses later, the author provides this insight,
“Without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6).
Recognizing the importance of FAITH, I’d like to address the three “Elements of Faith” of which the Scriptures speak.
1) The first element of FAITH is what we call SAVING FAITH, which is the faith needed for our salvation from the penalty and power of sin. The Apostle Paul wrote to the Ephesian Church saying,
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, and not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9)
It’s God’s grace (His undeserved favor) that saves us, and the means by which this is accomplished is the exercise of our faith, that is, our belief and trust in the sufficiency of Christ to save us from our sins. We might believe that a man named “Jesus” died on a Roman cross in about AD 30, but believing that He died “for our sins” is quite another matter. Furthermore, in order for this amazing theological truth to be applied to our lives, we need to take another step that we call confession,
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
Repentance, coupled with the confession of our sins to the Lord and believing that He is willing and able to forgive us of our sins, is what we call “SAVING FAITH.”
2) The second element of FAITH is what we call “LIVING FAITH,” which is the faith that guides us through each day. We are called to “live by faith and not by sight,” meaning that we are to trust God for each step that we take. The verse that impacted Martin Luther’s life which eventually led to the Protestant Reformation is found in Paul’s letter to the church in Rome,
“The just shall live by faith” (Romans 1:17).
In other words, those who have been justified by faith are to live by faith, trusting in the goodness and wisdom of God in every and all situations throughout each day.
3) The third element of FAITH is what we call “EXTRAORDINARY FAITH.” While the first two elements of faith are available to all, this final element is a gift that is given to just a few. Paul actually lists “faith” as one of the spiritual gifts given to members of the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:9). This gift gives the recipient the confidence to believe what others would consider to be “impossible.” The person with this gift is able to discern with “extraordinary confidence” the will and purposes of God for the future of His work. This is why we call it “Extraordinary Faith.”
Friends, as we enter the Christmas season, let’s commit ourselves to living by FAITH, making sure that we have first experienced the faith that leads to salvation. And for those of you who have the gift of faith, I encourage you to exercise this gift by believing that God is able to do far above what we might imagine in order to fulfill His purposes.
God bless you all.
