Faith is Believing What We Cannot See
Faith is a necessary part of the Christian life and allows us to live as people of hope, even when we cannot always see the fruits of our hope. Faith is a powerful working force and opens the door to our greatest potential. Jesus once said, “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible” (Matthew 17:20, NLT).
Faith is the manner in which we accept the free grace of God’s salvation in Christ. “Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory” (Romans 5:1–2, NLT).
Faith is a description of what it means to live the Christian life. Whether you are brand-new to Christianity or are an “old hand,” faith is not what you do, but who you are. “This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life” (Romans 1:17, NLT).
The development of a strong faith is very pleasing to God and reflects a personal desire to know Him better. “And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him” (Hebrews 11:6, NLT).
Our faith is tested when we undergo challenges of life. It becomes very easy to abandon our faith when things don’t go our way. But if you desire, God will make of your brokenness an avenue for His glory. You are not alone. “So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world” (1 Peter 1:6–9, NLT).
God helps us grow in our faith through His Body, the church. “Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near” (Hebrews 10:23-25, NLT).
