Faith in Christ in Action

I am reading in Hebrews 11 in the NASB1995 translation:

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the men of old gained approval.” (vv. 1-2)

“And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” (v. 6)

“By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous.. (v. 4)

“By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith” (v. 7).

“By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going.” (v. 8)

“By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward.” (vv. 24-26)

And the Greek word for faith is “pistis” which means “to be persuaded.” And who is it that persuades us to believe in Jesus Christ? Jesus said, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.” (John 6:44 NASB1995) And what did Jesus teach about what it means to come to him? 

“If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it. For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.” (Luke 9:23-26 NASB1995)

And what did these saints of old do, by faith? Abel offered a sacrifice to God which met with God’s approval. Noah followed God’s instructions and he built an ark for the preservation of his family and some of the creatures on the earth, when God destroyed the earth with a flood. Abraham obeyed God and he went where the Lord was sending him, even not knowing where he was going. And Moses chose to endure ill-treatment with the people of God rather than enjoy the passing pleasures of sin. All these God honored.

They all did what met with God’s approval. They all obeyed God and did what he said to do. They followed his leading. They followed his instructions. And what does God persuade us to do in the Scriptures? He persuades us as to his righteousness and holiness, and of our sinfulness, and of our need to turn from (repent of) our sins and to now follow him in walks of obedience to his commands. And he teaches us in the Scriptures that if we don’t obey him, and if we continue in our sins, we will not inherit eternal life with God.

[Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:23-31; Hebrews 12:1-2]  

So faith in Jesus Christ is not just words that we repeat after someone else in a prayer. Faith in Jesus is not just a verbal confession of him as Lord and a belief in his bodily resurrection. Biblical faith in Jesus Christ, which comes from God, which is authored by Jesus Christ, which is persuaded of God, and which is gifted to us by God, and not of our own doing, teaches us that we must deny self, put sin to death daily, by the Spirit, and walk in obedience to our Lord and to his commands, in practice, or it is not faith which saves.

Let me give you an illustration. A man and a woman get married to each other. So they take vows where they promise faithfulness and love to one another until death. So, should just the husband or just the wife do all the loving and all the faithfulness while their spouse continues to live as though he or she is still single? While their spouse pursues other objects of affection outside of the marriage relationship? Would you call that a good marriage? Is that the kind of marriage you would want to have for yourself?

Well, when we believe in Jesus with God-honoring faith, and we die with him to sin, and we are reborn of the Spirit to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin but as slaves to righteousness, we enter into a covenant of marriage with our Lord, which is a spiritual union, not a physical one. We collectively become his bride, and he becomes our husband, and now we are to be faithful to him in service to him in doing what he commands that we do, as his bride, and as his followers.

[Matthew 9:14-17; Mark 2:18-22; Matthew 25:1-13; John 3:25-30; John 14:1-3; Ephesians 5:22-33; 2 Corinthians 11:1-4; Revelation 19:6-8; Revelation 21:2-4,9-11; Revelation 22:16-17]

So, when this says that faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen, this does not mean that we can just give lip service to the Lord and now we can hold on to the hope that we are saved and that heaven is secured for us when we die. For when it says that without faith it is impossible to please God, it does stress for us the importance of pleasing God, but this faith is not lip service only. Biblical faith in Jesus will result in us dying to sin and walking in obedience to our Lord’s commands.

My Sheep  

Based off John 10:1-30 NIV

An Original Work / June 24, 2012  

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

My sheep hear me. They know me.

They listen to my voice and obey.

I call them and lead them.

They know my voice, so they follow me.

They will never follow strangers.

They will run away from them.

The voice of a stranger they know not;

They do not follow him.

So, I tell you the truth that

I am the gate, so you enter in.

Whoever does enter

Will find forgiveness and will be saved.

Nonetheless whoever enters

Not by the gate; other way,

He is the thief and a robber.

Listen not, the sheep to him.

Oh, I am the Good Shepherd,

Who laid his own life down for the sheep.

I know them. They know me.

They will live with me eternally.

The thief only comes to steal and

Kill and to destroy the church.

I have come to give you life that

You may have it to the full… 

They know my voice, so they follow me.

https://vimeo.com/114938263 

Faith in Christ in Action

An Original Work / May 1, 2025 

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love