When I was younger every year my Mom and I made it a point to watch The Wizard of Oz together. So many great memories. Do you remember the scene in the "haunted forest" when the cowardly lion was scared? He began to chant something like this, "I do believe in spooks, I do, I do, I do believe in spooks." I mention this because a lot of people today erroneously think faith and belief are one in the same. Today people think if they say what the cowardly lion said in the forest that constitutes as having faith. Look at what Scripture says.
Our text today says "faith" is how we walk. Faith is a conduct. Faith dictates things we do in life. If we have no actions to our faith we have a dead faith (Jas 2:17,26) that will not get us to the place where we will receive our inheritance. That is why Paul says "faith comes by hearing" in Rom 10:17. As we hear the Word of God correctly taught it should change the way we do things. That is faith.
Belief is a mental assertion and is necessary to achieve faith. Jn 1:12 Belief gives us a right to become a child of God. It doesn't make us a child of God. Belief, according to Vine's dictionary, means to be persuaded. We can be persuaded of something and yet it will not dictate action in my life. Belief will lead to faith, but faith will dictate conduct in your life. You can not separate faith and actions. When we separate the two we no longer have faith, rather we have belief.
Look at Chapter 11 in the Book of Hebrews. Here we see the best example of faith and actions. The example of walking in faith. When we see a person's name in this chapter we see faith dictating an action in their life. Verse 4 faith made Abel offer. Verse 7 faith made Noah move. Verse 8 faith made Abraham obey. Verse 9 faith made him dwell. Verse 11 says faith allowed Sarah receive strength. Faith can not be separated from actions! When we hear the Word of God we must believe, or be persuaded by, it. That belief, or persuasion, in the Word will lead to an active faith in your life! Jas 1:22
Today, will you walk by faith and allow the Word of God dictate the things you do and say or will you live by the belief that Word of God is true and do and say how you see faith? I would love to hear, "By faith (Your Name Here) (Verb) today. God Bless
WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED?
Hear The Word- Rom 10:17; Acts 4:4
We Must Believe or Have Faith- Heb 11:6; Acts 16:31
We Must Repent- Lk 13:3; Acts 17:30
We Must Confess Christ Before Others- Mt 10:32; Acts 8:37
We Must Be Immersed Into Christ (Baptized)- 1Pe 3:21; Mk 16:16; Acts 2:38
We Must Remain Faithful- Rev 2:10; Acts 14:22
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