Today someone asked me, “What do you think constitutes true faith in God? Do you really believe that simply believing in our hearts and confessing with our lips will ultimately grant us entry into the kingdom of heaven? Is faith in God really that simple?” Jesus has so many requirements for us. If we don't put them into practice, can we truly enter the kingdom of heaven? Why did Jesus say, “Depart from me, you who practice lawlessness”? People who labored for years could still be called “those who practice lawlessness” by Jesus on the day of judgment and be barred from entering God's kingdom.
What are your thoughts on this?
You have scratched the surface of a subject that not all people will like to talk about.
Faith is hope. Faith is trust. Scripture says that anything not done in faith in God is sin (romans 14:23). So while it is simple, it also requires us to walk in our faith, which means, to participate in our faith. When we walk in faith on any issue, and turn the situation over to the Lord, as Lord of our life, then He guides the outcome. When we walk in ourselves and make our own decisions, that is not walking in faith.
It is written, that Jesus could not do many miracles in His home town of Nazareth because of their unbelief. You see in the original Greek, the word belief carries a connotation of action. So that tells me, that we need belief also, which is a fancy way of saying walk in your faith.
One day when I was self employed and we were in the slow season and money was tight. I prayed in the morning for more work for more money for bills, they were due and I do like paying bills on time but I like to eat even more! So anything I make today will feed us tonight. But I still needed money. After my one service call that day it was later in the afternoon and I thought, hmmm, Maybe one of my friends can loan me some money. He's a good friend so probably would. It's about his quitting time so I headed over to his house.
And as soon as I rolled up out front of his house, the Lord spoke to me and said, what kind of faith is that? You ask for money in the morning and the same afternoon you're at your friends going to borrow it? Do you want my help or do you want your friend to help you?
Annnd, He made a good point. Asking for help put the ball in the Lord's court. Going to my friends house with intent on borrowing for the same problem is, hitting the ball somewhere else except the Lord. So, what kind of faith is that? When I dropped my financial problem in the Lord's lap, that was walking in faith, belief, if you will. The moment I started my truck to go to my friends related to the same problem....was not walking in faith. So I drove back home before my friend got home from work and let it remain in the Lord's hands. The Lord did help me, it's just not always in the immediate.
When we pray in faith for help in a prayer, we don't get to choose how God answers the prayer. We may have an idea in mind of how we sort of expect it to be answered, but it's not always like that when he does answer! One time I was in my slow season so I prayed for work. I needed to get my electric bill paid and it was far enough past due that they had sent me a shut off date if I didnt pay by then. So I prayed for work so I can make the money to pay the bill. Did he answer my prayer? He did not answer my prayer (or so I thought!) because my phone stayed silent. The shut off date came and went and they did not shut it off. So I was worried and praying even harder, Lord, Please send me some work! Nothing. It got to be a full two weeks past the shut off notice date and my electric was still on. Now at first I was like, cool my shut off sipped behind the desk, so I didn't call them. But at the two week mark past the shut off date I knew it wasn't going away and so I went ahead and called them and asked them, why is my electric still on with the shut off date two weeks ago? Are they on their way as we speak to shut me off or what? When?
Please hold.
WHen she came back on she said the reason that they havent shut it off yet is because they took a look at my payment history and were convinced that, I pay my bills, nd that they know I am self employed so they figured on cutting me some slack and letting me pay when I do get the the money. We can see that you pay, if you have the money...
I expected for the Lord to make my phone ring and send me some work. I have nothing against working for the mone I need to pay my own bills! I didn't pray for a handout. But instead of the Lord sending me work, he answered my prayer by softening the hearts of the people at the utility company! I did not know that because I didn't call for two weeks! I forget how much longer the slow season was but the phone started ringing again and I caught everything up. I bet the Lord answered that prayer on the shut off date, tow weeks ago, lol! I had a vision in my mind of a more work answer to my prayer, and the Lord said, oh I'll do it a different way! I held my faith during those weeks, but I was worried about it. And the Lord has answered my prayers with more work so many times! I can't count how many times. One time it was my slow season (again!) and I had just finished a job and I decided that I couldn't afford to not pay tithes on this money I just earned, but I didn't want to make my left hand mad, so I stopped off at the church on my way home and gave a tithe & offering in the box, done. Did it run me short? Nope my phone rand before I got back out of the parking lot of the church. It was a big job and they wanted it done right away. The kind of job that, don't usually come during slow season, lol. That job kept me busy for days! Praise the Lord. I hadn't been praying for work or anything that time, I was just paying tithes. It's like he opened a floodgate window of heaven and poured upon me. I have seen the Lord make my slow season a busy season!
