The Mark of Faith
This past month we have been celebrating the inauguration of our new church building. An architect had drawn a plan and it was exciting throughout the last year to watch the building come up looking just as we had envisioned it. We all know what our church looks like—but that is just the building. What about the Church--the Body of Christ? What should we look like? For a few weeks I want to examine what should be the marks of a Christian.
We turn first to the most fundamental mark of all, the mark of faith. Faith is a fundamental necessity. Without it the Christian life cannot even begin. Sadly, mankind, ever since the time of Cain, has desired to offer his fruits and substitute his own works rather than come to God in simple faith. Man does not like to cast aside his pride and humble himself to accept the way God has provided. But faith in Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord is still the only way. “For it is by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8).
What is faith? In Hebrews 11:1-3 three words summarize what true Bible faith is: substance, evidence, and witness. The word translated substance means literally “to stand under, to support.” Faith is to a believer what a foundation is to a house. When a believer has faith, it is God’s way of giving him confidence and assurance that what is promised will be experienced. So you might say “Faith is the confidence of things hoped for.”
The word evidence simply means “conviction.” This is the inward conviction from God that what He has promised He will perform. The presence of God-given faith in one’s heart is evidence enough that God will keep His word.
Witness is an important word in Hebrews 11. It occurs in verse 2, twice in verse 4, once in 5 and also in verse 39. Sometimes it is translated “obtained a good report” and other times as “testimony.” The whole chapter is a list of men and women who are witnesses to us because of their faith. Chapter 12:1 refers to them as “such a great cloud of witnesses.” These were ordinary men and women who did extraordinary things because they dared to believe the promises of God. Read their encouraging stories in Hebrews 11.
- ● Abel (v. 4) Faith Worshipping
- ● Enoch (v. 5-6) Faith Walking
- ● Noah (v. 7) Faith Working
- ● The Patriarchs (v.8-22) Faith Waiting (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph)
- ● Moses (v. 23-29) Faith Warring
- ● Joshua and Rahab (v. 30-31) Faith Winning
Faith is “the eye of the soul” by which we are convinced of the reality of the spiritual realm. The eye is the organ by which we see the physical realm. Faith is the organ by which we see the spiritual. God, heaven, Christ, the Spirit—all are invisible to us; yet we experience their reality when we put our faith and trust in God. In material things, “Seeing is believing.” In spiritual things, “Believing is seeing.” Faith enables us to see what others cannot see. Therefore faith enables us to do what others cannot do.
“Without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6). Lord, increase our faith!