The Prelude of Love, The Journey of Faith: Part 1 - Faith

Faith

"...giving all diligence, add to your Faith..."
-2 Peter 1:5

There are many different ways to define faith, Merriam-Webster sums it up quite well in saying, " Something that is believed especially with strong conviction." I believe in light, I believe in water, I believe in God. All three I believe with very strong conviction, but even though I believe in light with everything that I have as I look at my computer screen, even though I believe in water as I take a sip from my cup, they both pale in comparison to my belief in God.

There is something that is a part of faith in God that goes beyond belief. Like I like to say, there is Real beyond real, there is Faith beyond faith.

Faith is not knowing that God can. It is knowing that God will.
-Ben Stein

Faith is knowing that God will.

Do I know that God will give me enough life to finish typing this post? No. I hope that He will. Do I know that God will keep the electricity to this building running until I can send this over the internet to you? No. But I can trust that He will. Do I know that God Loves me? Yes. I have seen His love in ways unmistakable. Do I know that God will teach me to truly love before I die? No. For that I have Faith.

But for those things that we do not know, and yet we still strive for, for those we believe.

I will strive with every iota of strength in my body to show God's Love, to Love with His Love, to be the very image of my Jesus to everyone who sees me. That I believe.

I have faith in God, I have Faith in what Is, for Jesus is that "I AM", I have Faith in His promises, I have Faith in his words. In that I have Faith. For all else, I believe.

God, give me Faith beyond faith, and teach me of Real beyond real.

What is faith? Something that is believed especially with strong conviction.

What is Faith? The substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

But Faith is also something that needs to be continually replenished and rejuvinated. Consider it like a person, a person who can either live or die, depending on his choices.

The Christian church is divided into two distinct viewpoints of Good Deeds and Salvation. One side proclaims that one is saved by their Good Works, and the other side proclaims just as strenuously that good works have nothing to do with salvation, but that we are saved by Grace and Faith.

The Bible says that "by grace you have been saved through Faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the Gift of God, not a result of works, so that no man can boast." -Ephesians 2:8-9

But in addition to that, it also says, "So also Faith, if it have not works, is dead by itself." -James 2:17 Later the Bible even says, "Do I hear you professing to believe in the one and only God, but then observe you complaisantly sitting back as if you had done something wonderful? That's just great. Demons do that, but what good does it do them?" -James 2:19

Back to the illustration of Faith as a person, Faith is what is the life of the person, but certain things are needed for survival. Bread, Water, Proteins, Vitamins, etc. Of course water by itself will not keep us alive, but without water we soon die.

The water of Faith is Good Works.

Of course, it doesn't matter how much water you pour on a dead person, it will not bring life back to his body, and in the same way, no matter how many good deeds you do, without faith, they are meaningless.

The problem is that so often Christians say, "Of course I have Faith, and I even have good works! As long as I give some money or time to keep my good works flowing, I should be fine!" If it were only that simple.

"As His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your Faith...
2 Peter 1:3-5

Suddenly, life becomes a tad bit more complicated. It seems that Faith is only the first step. I have to confess that personally, I was upset when I found this verse. I was happy with my "measure of Faith" and even did good things to make certain that I would keep my Faith alive. Faith in Jesus is what saves us, but that is not all that God requires.

"...giving all diligence, add to your Faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness Love."
-2 Peter 1:5-7

Giving all diligence, Add to your...Faith; Virtue.

Faith; The Substance of things hoped for, the Evidence of things not seen.

Lord, please give us Faith, Faith to trust that you will catch us when we fall. And then Lord, please give to us Virtue, that we might fall less often. As when you have had your good and perfect will with us, then may we hear your beautiful voice proclaim to us, "Well Done, My Good and Faithful Servants. Come and Enter into your Father's Happiness."

-David Shore