Have a living and active faith in God
Have a living and active faith in God
Hebrew 11: 1-2 “Faith means being sure of the things we hope for and knowing that something is real even if we do not see it. Faith is the reason we remember great people who lived in the past.” Youth Bible
Extra Reading: Hebrews 11:1-31
Let me begin by saying that faith is more than just believing; it is entrusting our very lives to what we believe. For example, we can believe that someone can walk across a deep gorge on a tight rope. But are we willing to trust that person to carry us across? Faith says ‘yes’. Faith in God says that we are willing to trust God with our very lives. We are willing to follow God’s guidelines for living as outlined in the Bible because we have the conviction that this will be best for us. We are even willing to endure ridicule and persecution for our faith because we are so sure that what we believe is true and that the Christian life is what is best for us eternally. Someone once asked me this question: “Why should I have faith in God?” I drew an example from a person who sits on a chair. That person has faith that the chair will carry his whole body no matter what he weighs and that it will not break down. We put our faith in God because we believe that He knows what the future holds, and He will lead us to heaven, where God, our Father, resides and that we shall live with Him eternally there.
Jesus once said, “I assure you, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life” (John 5:24). Faith is the only way to get to heaven. It is the only doorway to eternal life. If God created eternity, then only through God can we get there. Faith gives us hope. Genesis 15:6 states, “And Abraham believed the Lord, and the Lord declared him righteous because of his faith.” Abraham had an active faith in God. Paul speaks to the Romans and says, “Yet now God in His gracious kindness declares us not guilty…We are made right with God when we believe that Jesus shed His blood, sacrificing His life for us.” (Romans 3:24-25). Sin breaks our relationship with God because it is rebellion against God. A holy God cannot live with unholy people. Faith in God brings peace of mind and heart because we know that we belong to Him, and we know that one day all pain and suffering will end.
Romans 8:5 says that “Those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that pleases the Spirit.” Faith is inviting God’s Holy Spirit to live within us. It is not just an act of the mind, but it taps into the very resources of God so that we have the power to live in an entirely new way. If God Himself is living within us, our lives should be dramatically changed. Let me also say that many people whom we consider to be “pillars of faith” had moments of doubt. The key is never to give up on our faith and to always ask, if overtime, our lives have been moving closer to or further away from God. Even during moments of doubt, you must invest the effort and discipline to allow your faith to grow. There is a Scripture in Judges 2:10-11 that shocked me and made me to pause and think why this has happened. It says, “After that generation died, another generation grew up who did not acknowledge the Lord or to remember the mighty things He had done for Israel.”
Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us to keep the faith that you have given us through shedding of your blood. In your name we pray, Amen!
Rev. Samuel N. Modise 
