Are you really walking in Faith?

<sup>It's been a bit since my last blog, and I had something else in mind; however, I'm led to shed some light on faith.  I've been conversing with a lot of people in varies backgrounds and organizations and what I'm finding is this phase: "I'm just walking by faith" is just that to most who use it and nothing more because sadly to say they really don't understand what faith really is:


14</sup> What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? ¹⁵ If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, ¹⁶ and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? ¹⁷ Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. ¹⁸ But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. ¹⁹ You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! ²⁰ But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? ²¹ Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? ²² Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? ²³ And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”And he was called the friend of God. ²⁴ You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. ²⁵ Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? ²⁶ For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
James 2:14-25 NKJ, also read NIV translation


Whenever you proclaim to have faith, it means you're actively doing something to bring about a different result - to bring change. This verse helps you to understand the truth of faith, and it specifies that: as the body is dead without the spirit, so is faith without works is dead also. This tells me that as the spirit gives life to the body so does works give life to faith; therefore, works is the life behind faith.  When you understand faith you should understand that faith is always busy doing what is needed to change the situation or circumstance.

When you speak of being one of faith this should be evident in your actions-your speech, thoughts (understanding), your visibility (perception), your deeds, your lifestyle and your acceptance in how or what direction your life will take.  To often I meet people who say they're walking by faith but they're not going anywhere, they're not progressing-nothing about them has or is changing. Everything they do contradicts what faith really is.  Faith brings change, it increases, it stretches out because it has no limitations in its ability to do what is good, what is right-what it is purposed to do.  Faith makes your hope visible.

Hebrews 11:1 speaks of faith's purpose and ability, it says: Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Substance means: essential or absolutely necessary.
Evidence means: proof - now this word comes from the root word "Evident" which means: clear to see

So what this tell me about it's purpose is: faith is absolutely necessary to receive what you're hoping for , but watch its ability; its the evidence of things not seen, which simply means it has the ability to make what you're hoping for become clear to see-to you and others.  However, there is a requirement; you have to put forth some action-some work. Faith is a busy and productive fellow, it causes you to work toward what you're hoping for in order to make it visible.  At the end of Hebrews 11:1 it speaks of faith being the evidence of things not seen, understand that not seen or unseen does not mean nonexistent. Something can be invisible and still exist as with our thoughts and words because they eventually create our surroundings but then that's another blog.   


Hebrews 11:3 tells us how the invisible creates the visible:  By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.

This tells me that when you walk in faith-faith causes that invisible hope to become visible, but it also tells me that God Himself operated in faith, and He put that faith to work so that He could make the intangible; tangible and the invisible; visible.  Anytime you're walking in faith, something should be happening, something should change and at some point it should become evident.  If you say you're walking in faith and nothing has change, something is wrong; and perhaps you need to evaluate your faith, perhaps you need to put that faith to work because faith produces and it manifest whatever it comes in contact with because it's always at work, which simply means if you're walking in it, you too should be at work, doing something to move toward or manifest what you're hoping for.  So I challenge you, to take a good look at what you're calling faith, and if it's not actively putting forth some effort, than perhaps what you call faith is not really faith at all.

Grace & peace!
Bertha

Any feedback or comments are always welcomed. If you'd like to know more about me please feel free to visit my site:   http://www.berthabarrett.com/JUST-BELIEVE.html