Table of Contents
Key Verse
- without faith it is impossible to [walk with God and] please Him, for whoever comes [near] to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He rewards those who [earnestly and diligently] seek Him. Hebrews 11:6 AMP
- But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Hebrews 11:6 NKJV
A measure of Faith
- For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. Romans 12:3 NASB
COMMENT: Henceforth, none of us need think or say that we have no faith.
Increase our Faith
The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” And the Lord said, “If you had faith 1like a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and be planted in the sea’; and it would obey you. Luke 17:5-6 NASB 1995
15613 ὡς [W(S] {hōs} \hoce\
probably adverb of comparative from 3739; which how, i.e. in that manner (very variously used, as follows):–about, after (that), (according) as (it had been, it were), as soon (as), even as (like), for, how (greatly), like (as, unto), since, so (that), that, to wit, unto, when(-soever), while, X with all speed.
We can build our Faith
- But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking forward to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. Jude 20-21 NASB
- He who speaks In a tongue builds up himself. 1 Corinthians 14:4 NKJV
COMMENT: Ways of building faith above.
People who spoke faith
- Rahab: Now before they lay down, she came up to them on the roof, and said to the men: “I know that the Lord has given you the land, that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of you. For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were on the other side of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. And as soon as we heard these things, our hearts melted; neither did there remain any more courage in anyone because of you, for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath. Now therefore, I beg you, swear to me by the Lord, since I have shown you kindness, that you also will show kindness to my father’s house, and give me a true token, and spare my father, my mother, my brothers, my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death.” Joshua 2:8-13 NKJV
- Abigail: the Lord will certainly make for my lord an enduring house, because my lord fights the battles of the Lord, and evil is not found in you throughout your days. Yet a man has risen to pursue you and seek your life, but the life of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living with the Lord your God; and the lives of your enemies He shall sling out, as from the pocket of a sling. And it shall come to pass, when the Lord has done for my lord according to all the good that He has spoken concerning you, and has appointed you ruler over Israel, that this will be no grief to you, nor offense of heart to my lord, either that you have shed blood without cause, or that my lord has avenged himself. But when the Lord has dealt well with my lord, then remember your maidservant.” 1 Samuel:28-31 NKJV
- Unwell woman: she was saying to herself, “If I only touch His cloak, I will get well.” Matthew 9:21 NASB
- Centurion: just say the word, and my servant will be healed. Matthew 8:8 NASB
COMMENT: All these got what they believed. Read: Believing Unbelievers
Faith places a demand on God
- Mary: And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.” Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece. Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. And He said to them, “Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast.” And they took it. When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. John 2:3-9 NKJV
- Unwell woman: a woman was there who had suffered from bleeding for twelve years. She had borne much agony under the care of many physicians and had spent all she had, but to no avail. Instead, her condition had only grown worse.When the woman heard about Jesus, she came up through the crowd behind Him and touched His cloak. For she kept saying, “If only I touch His garments, I will be healed.” Immediately her bleeding stopped, and she sensed in her body that she was healed of her affliction. Mark 5:25-29 BSB
COMMENT: By faith you can get what you can believe God for without precedence
Faith without Action dead
- So too, faith by itself, if it does not result in action, is dead. James 2:17 BSB
- Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. James 2:17 NKJV
- So too, faith, if it does not have works [to back it up], is by itself dead [inoperative and ineffective]. James 2:17 AMP
See examples
- And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, who by faith [that is, with an enduring trust in God and His promises] subdued kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promised blessings, closed the mouths of lions, extinguished the power of [raging] fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became mighty and unbeatable in battle, putting enemy forces to flight. Hebrews 11:32-34 AMP
Fact x Truth
- Abraham: Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.”Without weakening in his faith, he acknowledged the decrepitness of his body (since he was about a hundred years old) and the lifelessness of Sarah’s womb. Yet he did not waver through disbelief in the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God was able to do what He had promised. Romans 4:18-21 BSB
- Sarah: By faith even Sarah herself received the ability to conceive [a child], even [when she was long] past the normal age for it, because she considered Him who had given her the promise to be reliable and true [to His word]. Hebrews 11:11 AMP
COMMENT: Faith in spite of knowing the Fact (circumstance) believes the Truth (God and His word)
Jude 1:3
People who declared faith
Rahab
David’s other wife