What is faith?
It is no secret that faith is one of the fundamental Christian virtues. We talk about faith in God, faith in each other, or faith in this or that, etc. We use the word quite a bit, but what IS faith exactly? God made all things, including faith! ( Proverbs 16;4, John 1:3) He also commands us to have it! He condemns people who don't! Do I even NEED scripture for that statement? How many of us think we're going to make it to Heaven without faith? "Lord, I know I really didn't believe in you, or what you said, but I appreciate you saving me anyway!" Hmmm.....Ain't gonna happen folks!!
Let's start at the beginning and see what faith is and WHY exactly, we need it.
Hebrews 11:1- " Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, a conviction of things not seen." So, if we have never seen how God made the Earth, the stars, etc., but we KNOW He did, that's faith, because we didn't SEE it happen, but we are convinced ( the conviction of things not seen), that He did! We KNOW He will come again one day, to reward us, for our service to Him, because we have the ASSURANCE ( promise) of things hoped for ( the promise of things hoped for, like, Heaven, glory and power to rule with Him on High, etc. ). If we have an assurance, we have a promise. "I assure ( promise) you, that if we keep going the way we are, we're headed for destruction!" See? Faith is the key to it all! That's why Satan doesn't want you to have any! If we have faith, the RIGHT faith, we will please Him and obey Him, and Satan loses! Am I trying to say that you ( yes even you, or me!), can't be pleasing to God without faith ( which leads to obedience) ? YES!! YOU HAVE TO BE FAITHFUL TO HIM AND HIS WILL, OR YOU WILL NOT PLEASE HIM NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO! Need proof? Try this one on:
Hebrews 11:6- " But without faith IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PLEASE HIM ( emphasis added): for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and He is a rewarder of them that diligently ( constantly...kludd note) seek Him." This means those who constantly set their minds on doing His will and pleasing Him. So, even if you give money to help people, visit the sick, do this and do that, you still don't please Him, Unless you have faith in Him! Let's look at some of the things being said by people, and how they sabotage other people's faith, as well as their own faith. Remember, faith has to do with believing, and ACTING on that belief. If you believe in God, and you don't worship Him, but do things you shouldn't, avoid things you should do, etc., then you may "Believe" in Him, but you don't have FAITH in Him!
Faith is the ACTIVE part of belief. Many people never set foot inside a church building to worship God, but ask them if they believe in God, and they say, " Oh, sure, I believe in God." Do they REALLY?? They don't believe TOO much! If they did, they would ACT it! Acting on your belief, is faith! If you "faith" it, you will believe to the point of getting up and going to church, making the sacrifices of time, effort, money, etc., to please Him and do what He wants, and NOT do what He doesn't want!
" Well, I just don't see, how the Klan is going to do anything to help the situation, I mean they're so small, and most people don't go for that kind of stuff, and well...you know..." Ever hear something like that? Ever THINK something like that? Let's examine the statement: " I just don't see...", well, by the Bible's definition of faith, if you could SEE it, it wouldn't be faith, now would it? "
They're so small..." " Most people ...". You DO see that our Order ( although one of, if not THE biggest of its kind), is still small, and you DO see that most people disagree with what they THINK we're all about, etc. This is another one of the Devil's schemes. THE MAIN INGREDIENT IN FAITH, IS NO SIGHT! So, how does Satan keep us from having faith? He gives us sight! SATAN TAKES AWAY OUR FAITH BY GIVING US SIGHT!! SIGHT DESTROYS FAITH!! e.g. " You see what their doing now, don't you?", " I can see where this is headed !" People want to see! So, Satan, helps them out! He gives them sight! It's a lot better than not seeing! ( Or so the world thinks!) " I just don't see why they don't..." " I just don't see how we're gonna make it." ( ever catch yourself saying this one?) These are not comfortable things to say or feel, so Satan helps us to see, that way we " Know" how things are going to come out, whether we like it or not! You see? If he gives you your sight, it makes you temporarily comfortable, because no one wants to be blind and groping around, looking for help. THEN, however, after you see what's going on ( or think you do), he steals your sight away from you again, by making you blind, " I just don't see..." Remember what the Bible says it takes to please God? FAITH! not just belief only, but FAITH! Satan gives you your sight when he wants you to see the things that help his cause, and then he takes it away, when he doesn't want you comfortable with the situation. If you don't hold tight to God and His Son, then he ( Satan) will have control over WHEN you see, and WHAT you see. You see?
NO FAITH= SIGHT, NO SIGHT= FAITH!
II Corinthians 5:7- " We walk by faith not by sight."
I John 5:4- " For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: AND THIS IS THE VICTORY THAT OVERCOMETH THE WORLD EVEN OUR FAITH." ( emphasis added)Don't let Satan use you like that! You will be the one that pays the ultimate price for allowing him to! Just remember, Brethren, If you can see it, it's not faith! WE NEED FAITH TO PLEASE GOD, SAVE OUR SOULS, AND SAVE OUR COUNTRY FROM WHAT'S COMING!! ( not to mention, we need it to keep the Order strong!) I'm going to close by leaving you with something in scripture, that made one man famous for all time! A lack of faith! Remember Doubting Thomas? Remember what he's famous for? ( He doubted that Christ arose from the dead, and he was one of the twelve Apostles!) Name anything else he's famous for....you can't! After he SAW Christ, he believed! ( John 20:24-29)
V. 29- " Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: BLESSED ARE THEY THAT HAVE NOT SEEN, AND YET HAVE BELIEVED." ( emphasis added)The lesson is now yours, God Bless!