FAITH

Biblical definition of Faith:
Hebrews 11:1 Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.
(New Living Translation – NLT)

Character Study:
Abraham – Genesis 11:27 – 25:34. He is also mentioned in Exodus 2:24; Matthew 1:1,2;
Luke 3:34; Acts 7:2-8; Romans 4:1-25; Galatians 3:6-14; Hebrews 2:16; 6:13-16; 7:1-10; 11:8-15
Abraham is called the father of the faithful in Galatians 3:26; Romans 4:11 and also “The friend of God” in
James 2:23. He was born in Ur of the Chaldeans but spent most of his life in the land of Canaan. His father was Terah; his wife – was Sarai whom God changed to Sarah; his nephew – Lot; his sons – were Ishmael and Isaac.
God changed his name from Abram – exalted father – to Abraham – father of many nations.

Abraham is known for his:
Faith in God
Hebrews 11:8-15 tells us that it was by faith that Abraham obeyed God when asked to leave his home and go to another land.  He believed in the promise of a son, even though both he and Sarah were well advanced in years. He was 100 and Sarah was 90 when Isaac was born.
Romans 4:18-21 Because of his faith, Abraham enjoyed the victory of faith.
Genesis 22:1-19 Abraham Tested.
Obedience to God
Genesis 21:8-14 Abraham sent Hagar and his son Ishmael away. God assured him that Ishmael’s descendants would also become a nation because he is Abraham’s son. In this way he showed obedience; whatever God wanted him to do, he did without questions or qualms.
Devotion to God
Genesis 18:16-33 Abraham intercedes for Sodom and Gomorrah when three men visited him. When they were about to leave it says the LORD wondered whether they should tell Abraham that He was about to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, because of their wickedness. The LORD had singled Abraham out to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just. In vv23-33 we see that six times Abraham intercedes for Sodom and Gomorrah to not be destroyed.
Humility
Genesis 13:5-9 Abram and Lot separate. A conflict arose, between Abram’s herdsmen and Lot’s herdsmen – because “their possessions were so great” that the land could not support both Abram and Lot. He allowed Lot to choose where he would like to settle. He regarded others better than himself.
Weakness
Abraham’s weakness was that when under direct pressure he would distort the truth.
Genesis 12:10-20 In Egypt Abraham instructed Sarai to say she is his sister when she appears before Pharaoh.
Genesis 20:1-18 He did the same when he deceived Abimelech by saying Sarah is his sister.
Genesis 20:12 And she really is my sister, for we both have the same father, but different mothers. And I married her. (NLT)

What the Bible teaches about faith:
Old Testament:
Exodus 14:15-31 After their escape through the Red Sea the Israelites put their v31 “faith in the LORD.” (NLT)
In 2 Chronicles 20:1-30, we read the account of the war Judah had with the surrounding nations. When King Jehoshaphat was told of the impending war, he proclaimed a fast to seek help from the LORD.
In vv13-15 the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel, a Levite, and he told Jehoshaphat. v15b ’Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.’  In v20 Jehoshaphat encouraged the people of Judah to have faith in the LORD their God.
In Isaiah 7:1-9 the prophet has a message for Ahaz, one of Judah’s worst kings. He refused help from God and instead he tried to buy aid from the Assyrians with silver and gold from the Temple. (2 Kings 16:8)
When he heard that the armies of Aram and Israel were allies:  Isaiah 7:2b “the hearts of Ahaz and the people were shaken, as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind.” Isaiah and his son Shear-Jashub (meaning of the name “a remnant will return) go out and meet Ahaz at the end of the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Launderer’s Field. Isaiah tells him not to be afraid because the Sovereign LORD says it will not happen and it will not take place. His message to Ahaz from the LORD is that unless his faith is firm, the LORD cannot make him stand firm.
In Zechariah 8:1-23 the prophet received a message from God that He will return to Zion and live in Jerusalem. Even though it was the remnant of the people that returned from exile, the LORD promises that He will save His people from countries from the east and the west. God assures them that they will be His people and He will be faithful and righteous to them as their God. We as children of God also have the assurance that one day Christ will reign in His Kingdom on earth.

New Testament:
In Matthew 9:18-33 Jesus restored the synagogue ruler’s daughter to life; He heals a woman who has been bleeding for twelve years; He lets two blind men see again and He casts out a demon from a man who was demon-possessed and could not speak, v33b the man who had been mute spoke. – Jesus did this all, because of their faith.
In Romans 5:1-11 we read that we have been justified through faith and therefore have been reconciled with God; we are at peace with Him. This peace is only possible because Jesus paid the price for our sins through His death on the Cross. How wonderful to know that we can confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.
In Galatians 2:11-20 Paul opposes Peter because before certain men (Judaizers – NLT) came to Antioch, Peter had been eating with the Gentiles. After they arrived he began to draw back, fearing those who belonged to the “circumcision” group; this made other Jewish Christians follow in his hypocrisy. Here we see that we are not justified by observing the law but by faith in Jesus Christ.
In Hebrews 11:1-40 we read about some of the great heroes of faith in the Old Testament.v6 And without faith, it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.
James 5:14-16.When someone in the church is ill the elders of the church are there for support and prayer. The prayer offered in faith by those praying will be answered, but we have to remember it is God who heals and not faith. All prayers are subject to God’s will.

Application
Hebrews 11:6 says that it is impossible to please God if we don’t have faith. Every day we face all kinds of trials and temptations
For this reason we need to hold onto 1 John 5:1-5 which says that everyone who believes that Jesus is the Son of God, has become a child of God.
Faith and endurance go hand in hand. When our faith is tested, endurance has a chance to grow.
When we face trials of many kinds, the Bible says that the testing of our faith develops perseverance. James does not say “if” trouble comes our way, but “when” it does God is faithful. We can believe He is right in the middle of our troubles, with us. James 1:2-12
Make prayer an integral part of your day. Colossians 4:2
Take time to write down your thoughts and prayers in a journal. At those times when it feels as if your world is falling apart, read previous thoughts and prayers you have written down. You will be surprised to read how many of your prayers have been answered!

Conclusion
Romans 10:17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.

Responding in Prayer
Read Psalm 30:1-12 – God is always faithful when earthly security is uncertain.
We have seen that our God is faithful. When we are faithless, He remains faithful. His anger lasts only a moment, but His favour lasts a lifetime.
Take time to exalt the Lord, sing to the Lord, and praise His holy name. We can thank the Lord for His faithfulness knowing at those times when trouble comes along we can cry for help because the One we love and worship will help us through the difficult times.

(All Scriptures are from the New International Version (NIV) unless otherwise stipulated)

Journal – Scripture/Prayers/Thoughts: