The Voice of Faith (Part 1)
The Bible has much to say about faith. Hebrews 11:6 tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God. Faith is one of the most foundational topics in the life of a Christian. The Bible says that we as Christians are to live and walk by faith. It is shocking to me as a Pastor to see how many ‘Christians’ get offended when they hear the word ‘faith’; as if it is a negative word. Much of the unbelief in the Body of Christ today stems from a lack of knowledge of what the Word of God says about this topic and unscriptural teaching from the pulpit. We serve a faith God; the Bible is a faith Book. And by the way, the only way to get saved is through ‘faith’ in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8). After all, we are called believers; we need to act and speak like it! Faith is not a one time experience, but a lifestyle! Today I want to share with you three characteristics about the voice of faith. True faith will not and cannot stay silent.
The first characteristic about the voice of faith is that it will always speak the Word of God. Romans 10:8 refers to the Bible as the ‘Word of faith.’ You cannot separate faith from the Word of God. According to Romans 10:17, faith can only come by hearing the Word of God. Jesus said in Matthew 12:34 that the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. If your heart is truly filled with faith, the words that come out of your mouth will reflect it. The voice of faith will never give place to fear. Fear is based on lies and faith is based on truth: the Word of God.
Secondly, the voice of faith will always speak the Word of God with authority and boldness. There is no wavering with faith. Faith is not afraid to speak to the mountains and circumstances of life (Mark 11:23), and especially to the enemy. A Christian who speaks with authority and boldness is a person who knows who they are and what belongs to them in Christ! I believe many Christians lack this characteristic because they think that they are being prideful if they act this way. It is never a prideful thing to believe and act on the promises in the Word of God! Satan has twisted this topic so much in the minds of people. He is actually succeeding in keeping many Christians from taking hold of what rightfully belongs to them as believers. Pride is when you try to do things your own way apart from God. As long as you stay within the boundaries of the Word of God, you are safe!
Lastly, the voice of faith is always seasoned with love. Galatians 5:6 tells us that faith works by love. If you are not walking in love toward others, your faith won’t work. The voice of faith will always build up and restore others, never tear down. Sometimes the restoring process will include a word of correction to an individual who is backslidden in sin, but the motivation of confronting that person must always be love. By the way, to love someone does not mean to tolerate sin, but to help them come out of it!
As you build your faith on the Word of God, you will notice these three characteristics becoming a part of your everyday life. I ask you the same question that Jesus asked in Luke 18:8, “When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”
701 Woodward Ave, Big Rapids, Michigan 49307
(231) 796-8228