441: Faith is Justified by Actions, Not By Mere Words
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Actions Always Speak Louder Than Words
We have previously looked at how to pray at all times and in all circumstances by letting the Holy Spirit, through God’s Word, direct our prayers. But next on the Faith Prepper list of required spiritual skills is learning how to trust Him at all times by allowing our faith to grow by having it exercised in often unpleasant circumstances. After all, faith grows when it is tested. And testing is usually unpleasant during the process but wonderful at the end.
The Greek word translated “faith” in the New Testament is pístis and means: “to win over, to persuade. Subjectively it means firm persuasion, conviction, belief in the truth” This definition is used over 250 times in the New Testament alone. Everything in the Spirit is based on faith and everything of faith is designed by God to bypass the senses. Everything.
In addition to this, all faith is not justified by merely having it. But all faith is justified by the action it produces. In other words, faith by itself is worth little. But faith, accompanied by actions or works based on that faith is alive and real. This is exactly what James was trying to tell us in James 2:14-26. Read it for yourself.
People of Faith Did Something
If you look at the people included in Hebrews 11, what we affectionately call the roll-call of faith, they are all listed there not because of their faith, but what they did based on their faith. Or what actions they took empowered by their faith. To believe God told you to do something but then not have the faith to actually do it, will not land you on this list. Faith is justified by the actions empowered by our faith. Let’s look at Hebrews 11.
By faith, Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain (Heb. 11:4). Or, “by faith Able did something…”
By faith Noah prepared an ark (Heb. 11:7). Noah did something by faith. He built a boat in a desert when it had never rained.
By faith, Abraham obeyed when he was told to leave his home and travel to a land promised to him by God (Heb. 11:8-10). His faith was justified, not by the fact he believed God had a land for him, but by the fact he actually left his home to travel to a foreign country. He did something.
By faith, Abraham was told to offer his son Isaac as a burnt offering (Heb. 11:17-19). And he did just that. If God hadn’t intervened, Abraham would have obeyed God explicitly and his son would have died. Why? Because faith is justified by actions. And Abraham’s actions proved his faith.
By faith, Isaac and Jacob and Joseph did something on their death bed (Heb. 11:20-22). They did something. And what they did, by faith, is what qualified them to be listed with the others in this chapter.
Next, we have Moses (Heb. 11:23-29). Then the story of the fall of Jericho (Heb. 11:30). We are presented with the faith and actions of Rahab (Heb. 11:31) and so many more, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets (Heb. 11:32-34). And they are all listed in the chapter because of the actions they took based on their faith. Not the other way around.
So where are you in your journey of faith? Do you have the faith needed to be a faith prepper? Can your faith survive the coming darkness? What are you doing today to place yourself in situations where you must rely on your faith and not on your own wit or resources? Where do you want to go from here?
To find out more about becoming a Faith Prepper, keep listening.
