Faith That Acts

“Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen. For by this our ancestors were approved. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible.” - Hebrews 11:1-3 (CSB).

This foundational definition sets the stage for understanding a faith that moves beyond mere belief.

Has anyone ever made a New Year’s Resolution? Has anyone ever followed through with it? I have and I have not. I decided not to make one this year, but I told myself I need to do things differently to continue to grow in Christ and be better for Him. One place I chose to make a few changes was in my faith. This year I am choosing to do some things more, some less; some I have decided I need to do, period, and others I would be better off without. This intentionality echoes the call in 2 Corinthians 13:5 to “Examine yourselves to see if you are in the faith. Examine yourselves.”

I have leaned on God for different things over the years, and this year I have decided I want to grow in my faith. We can look through Hebrews 11 to see what faith should look like, but I want to highlight a few main characters.

(NOTE: This entire chapter of Hebrews 11 is one to go into the faith study books. If you want to deepen your faith, look no further. We all struggle with a lack of faith sometimes, especially pastors!)

We will call it “My” Faith Hall of Fame. We should start with the one we have all probably got in mind. Genesis 12:1-4. God told Abraham what He would do for him: Get uncomfortable, be vulnerable, and I will bless you. In verse 4, we see how Abram, at the time, responds to what God has told him. He acts. Not for fear of what happens if he doesn’t, but because he knows that God has a better plan for him. This aligns with Romans 8:28: “We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” God has told him what he should do and Abram knew that if God said it, then He meant what He said and said what He meant. This conviction is the bedrock of faith, as Numbers 23:19 declares, “God is not a man, that he might lie, or a son of man, that he might change his mind. Does he speak and not act, or promise and not fulfill?”  

Now jump to Genesis 13:14-17. Keep in mind, Abram and Lot have separated their herdsmen, herds, and families. Lot has chosen to take the Jordan Valley and pitched in the plains near Sodom. (This is the land God told him about in Chapter 12.) Abram didn’t have half a clue where God was sending him. What he did know was the character of God. If God says He will do something, then somehow, someway, that thing will get done. Abram had faith and in his faith walked where God led. This willingness to follow without a clear roadmap demonstrates a profound trust, much like the instruction in Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not rely on your own understanding; in all your ways know him, and he will make your paths straight.”

(NOTE: Abraham was, by no stretch of the imagination, a perfect man, but he had faith…faith that acted. He wasn’t afraid to follow God’s lead. Why are you? Why am I? Romans 8:28)

Going into Genesis 22, God asks Abraham now to take the son He promised, lay him on the altar, and give him as a sacrifice. Abraham knew that, either through the resurrection of Isaac or something else, whatever happened, God would provide that son of promise back to him. Abraham trusted God and had enough faith that he picked up the knife to give his son back to God. This act, though difficult to comprehend, showcases a faith that prioritizes God's command above personal desires, a principle echoed in Matthew 16:24: “Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.’”

That is some crazy faith! To be faithful enough to wander aimlessly, waiting for God to finally say, Here it is. To raise a knife to sacrifice your son because God told you to. That is faith that ACTS. Not just a faith that drags you to church when the doors open, but a faith that, even in the trials of Job, you can offer praise to God because He alone is worthy! Job's unwavering faith in the face of immense suffering (Job 1:20-22) serves as another powerful example of faith in action, even when circumstances are incomprehensible.

The faith of these men and women - not only written of in Hebrews 11, but all throughout Scripture - alone trumps the faith of many believers today. Why? Public opinion? Are we afraid of what people may think or say? Abram wasn’t… Noah wasn’t… Rahab wasn’t. Their focus was on God's approval, not human validation, a principle Paul emphasizes in Galatians 1:10: “For am I now seeking the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I striving to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.”

These are people throughout biblical history that proved faithful in a few things. What does Jesus say about that? “They will be rulers over many” (Matthew 25:23). These people in Hebrews 11 had a faith that ACTED, and as it was said of Abram, his faith was accounted to him as righteous (Romans 4:3). What kind of faith do you have? What kind of faith do you want to have? Come and talk to Jesus about it today! As James 2:17 reminds us, “In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”