If you don't have faith then what's the point?
I've been writing to you as believers, working under the assumption that Romans 10:9 has already happened for you:
"If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."
The thing is, that the hardest part of faith really starts at the beginning. If you believe that God sent Himself in the form of His son Jesus, to die on the cross for your sins, then with that in mind, we should be able to live out our faith.
Hebrews 11:6 says,
"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him"
It's not enough to believe in God, we have to also believe Him, because how can you truly believe in God if you don't believe what He says?
In Matthew 9:24-25, we have an instance where Jesus is about to heal a young girl, and when Jesus told them what He was about to do they laughed Him to scorn.
"He said unto them, Give place: for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn. But when the people were put forth, he went in, and took her by the hand, and the maid arose."(KJV)
The NIV version says,
"After the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up."
So He kicked them out! He then preceded to do what He said He was going to do anyway. God isn't always going to wait for you to remember that He is who He says He is, if His glory is to be seen, He will just include those who are ready to see it. Unbelief will have us miss out on what God has already planned to do for us!
Matthew 21:21 says,
"Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done."
God has given us the power to change our lives and to influence the lives around us, but none of this is possible if you don't believe who God is and who He has made you to be.
So then how do we grow our faith?
Romans 10:17 says,
"So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."
It has been my heart's desire to always point you back to God and to God's Word because if you don't believe than none of this matters.
The truth of the matter is, I have given as examples the miracles, signs and wonders of Christ, but the Bible is more than the miracles that God can do. Faith is also believing that God's mandates and instructions are not just feel good quotes to recite but a way of living.
Our obedience to God, is a reflection of how much we believe in not just who He is, but what He says about who He is.
So if, "..faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." (Hebrews 11:1) Faith also looks like:
“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you."
Exodus 20:12
"For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:"
Matthew 6:14
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."
Galatians 5:22-23
Tell me believer, do you believe?