Our Actions Demonstrate Our Faith

 Our innermost attitudes and beliefs affect everything we do.  Many times our actions contrast markedly with what we profess to believe, indicating there is a problem with our faith as James 2:17-20 tells us.   Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.  Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works.  Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.  But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?”  Meaningful, living faith will result in appropriate actions. 

 

Hebrews 11 is often called the Faith Chapter.  The first verse defines faith.  “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”  To get an idea what that means, imagine an event that you have heard about that occurred in your childhood.  Even though you cannot remember it, you believe it is true because you trust the people who told you about it.  In a similar fashion, by faith we can know that what God has said is true, because we know who he is.  Because they believed God, the old Jews of the past acted according to his commands, and earned Gods approval, as Hebrews 11:2 states.  “For by it the elders obtained a good report.”

 

In the modern world we are taught that the world came into existence as a result of a series of random accidents.  God has stated in his word that he created it in an orderly fashion.  Because we believe God to be telling the truth we accept his version, as Hebrews 11:3 says.  “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.”   

 

We don’t know much about what instructions God had given before the flood, but it is clear there were some from Genesis 4:6-7.  “And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?  If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.”  Because Abel believed God, he offered what God had asked for while Cain offered what he wanted to give.  Hebrews 11:4 tells us, “By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.”  Rather than do as God asked, Cain murdered Abel demonstrating his own wickedness and Abel’s righteousness.    

 

Like Cain, the majority of the people before the flood were focused on doing their own thing rather than obeying God, even though Seth and his descendants chose to worship God.  Enoch stood out because he didn’t just ritually worship God, he had a personal relationship with God, as Genesis 5:24 tells us.  “And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.”  Hebrews 11:5 tells us, “By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.”

 

Our relationship with God is similar to the relationship of a parent to a child.  When the child loves and  trusts the parent completely, they will do exactly as the parent says, just because the parent said that is the way they want it.   He trusts the parent to have reason for doing it that way, and understands that doing it another way may interfere with what his parent intends.  Hebrews 11:6 tells us, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”  If we are to please God, we must believe he actually exists and that he will reward those who love him enough to obey his commands.  In John 14:21, Jesus said, “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.”  If we do not care enough to do what he asks, we shouldn’t expect him to reward us or even spend a lot of time with us.   

 

Our obedience to God demonstrates how much we love him as John 14:23-24 tells us.  “Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.  He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.