Importance of Faith

When a person believes in Christ for salvation, whether they realize it or not, they have been enrolled in the "school of faith." Consequently, as Christians, we never know what we may face tomorrow but we do know that no matter what it might be, that situation can be ultimately in our best interest because God, works all things together for good, since He uses our trials as tools to promote spiritual growth and maturity.

We might take Abraham as an illustration. Paul identifies him as the father of faith, the forefather of all who believe (Rom. 4:16-17). When we examine his life, we quickly see how God took him from one test to another. As one who trusted God, he obeyed God’s call, left Ur, and went to Canaan, but immediately, we find Abraham facing a famine, then settling a boundary dispute, then gearing up for a battle, and then facing the continuation of no heir as God had promised.

Why is this so? James 1:2-4 gives us the answer. God wants us to mature in every area of life, but maturity doesn’t come easily. There can be no growth without testing, and there can be no testing without difficulties.

If our circumstances never changed, if everything would be predictably good and comfortable, we would never have to really trust God; the more predictable life becomes, the less challenge it presents.

Typically, spiritual growth is hard. It stretches us and often hurts and we naturally look for what is comfortable and easy. Maybe you have heard the song that has a line, "Looking for love in all the wrong places." Similarly, there is a book entitled, Looking Out For Number One. If these words don’t illustrate man’s typical approach and outlook to life, I don’t know what does.

People look for what they want or think they must have to make life work, but they typically look for it in all the wrong places whether it’s love or security or happiness or making life significant.

Furthermore, in the process, rather than walking by faith in God’s will and provision, people look out for number one. This of course, is not only a self-centered lifestyle that walks on anyone who gets in the way, but a lifestyle that depends on their own futile solutions.

The account of Abram and Lot in Genesis 13:1-13 gives us a good illustration of this very thing in the contrast seen between these two men. On the one hand, having grown through the experience in Egypt (Gen. 12) and with his eyes focused and resting on God’s promises to one day give him and his descendants the land, Abram was able to put others before himself.

He offered Lot the opportunity to choose where he wanted to live. By contrast, with his eyes selfishly focused on what he wanted regardless of how it might impact Abram, Lot relied on his own wisdom and strategies and chose according to his own outlook.

Abram’s response is a classic illustration of faith being tested. It teaches us how faith handles the problems of life such as the possibility of strife or strained relationships as described in Genesis 13:5-8.

Clearly, Abram’s desire for harmony, along with his generosity and sacrifice, was a sign of faith in God’s wisdom and promises, for faith does not selfishly seek one’s own desires, but is generous, gracious, and self-denying.

The Christian life is a life of faith. Christians are called to live by faith from beginning to end; from initial faith in Christ that promises salvation as a gift from God to a moment-by-moment life of faith that encompasses all the circumstances of life.

It is a life wherein believers are called upon to rest every aspect of life in God’s hands—past, present, and future. This study is about some of the great promises and principles of Scripture that both teach us how and encourage us in our walk by faith.

That faith or trusting the Lord is important to the believer’s daily walk is everywhere evident in the Bible and this is obvious from the number of times faith or its synonyms like trust and believe occur in Scripture.

Faith occurs 247 times in the KJV, 250 in the NASB, and 270 in the NIV, trust 134 in the KJV, 83 in the NASB, and 89 in the NIV, and some form of believe, 314 times in the KJV, 292 in the NASB, and 278 in the NIV.

Just a few passages will quickly illustrate the vital role faith or believing or trust should have:

John 3:14-18 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; 15 that whoever believes may in Him have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him. 18 He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Romans 4:3-5 For what does the Scripture say? "And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness." 4 Now to the one who works, his wage is not reckoned as a favor, but as what is due. 5 But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness,

Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves . . . 

Romans 1:16-17 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "But the righteous man shall live by faith."

2 Corinthians 5:7 . . . for we walk by faith, not by sight.

Colossians 2:6-7 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.

Hebrews 11:1, 6 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. . . . 6 And 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 seek Him.

Romans 14:23 . . . and whatever is not of faith is sin.

Psalm 62:7-8 On God my salvation and my glory rest; The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God. 8 Trust in Him at all times, O people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. [Selah].

Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.

Isaiah 26:4 Trust in the Lord forever, For in God the Lord, we have an everlasting Rock.

Faith in the truth and content of Scripture, then, gives us the capacity to walk by the Spirit.