And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. (Hebrews 11:6—NIV)

Faith

The term "faith" is used a great deal in Christian circles, but I think we may be using it incorrectly at times.

The Protestant Reformers contrasted faith with the works of the Catholic religion. But today faith is being contrasted with godly behavior. Today's interpreters of the New Testament are claiming that Paul taught we are saved by belief in correct theology instead of by godly character. They are contrasting faith in Christ with righteous behavior, which they incorrectly term "works," thinking this is what Paul meant.

Whenever Paul spoke of "works" he meant the "works of the Law of Moses." He was not referring to righteous behavior, which is one of the principal outcomes of Divine grace.

That New Testament faith is not belief in theological statements, no matter how accurate, is demonstrated by the fact that the writer of the Book of Hebrews, when giving examples of faith, used the heroes of the Old Testament. Never once is it emphasized that their doctrine was correct. Never once is it emphasized that they employed aggressive faith by deciding what they thought God ought to do and then daring God to do it.

The faith of the eleventh chapter of Hebrews is not the magic we think of today, where we can think or speak what we want and it comes to pass magically.

The faith portrayed in Hebrews is not natural faith, as when we sit down in a chair and believe it will hold us.

Rather, faith is obedience to the vision God has given us because we understand God is a rewarder of those who seek Him diligently.

Biblical faith does not proceed from the soul of man but from the Spirit of God as a gift to us so we may do God's will. We are to think soberly of ourselves according to the amount of faith God has given us.

True faith in God always results in godly character and behavior. Faith apart from righteous behavior is dead. Righteous behavior is the very life of faith.

We are not to try to get things "by faith." Rather we are to keep an open heart before God so we understand what He has said in His Word and also to us personally. Then we are to pray and hope for the promise of God to be fulfilled in our life. It is in the period of waiting between the giving of the vision and its fulfillment that the saints are formed.

True Bible faith requires much courage and perseverance in order to achieve its ends. This is the faith of the patriarchs and prophets of old.

When the Bible states the righteous shall live by faith, it does not mean the righteous hold to their doctrinal position and ignore their behavior. It means rather that the righteous look to God for every decision of life rather than leaning on their own wisdom and strength. It means the righteous are humble rather than proud and arrogant. The just shall live by faith has nothing to do with belief in any theological system or doctrinal position but with a way of living.

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. (Romans 12:3—NIV)

As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead. (James 2:26—NIV)

To be continued.