Day 11 - Faith is...

Today's reading is Romans 4.

Scripture defines faith itself: Hebrews 11:1 (NIV)
"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."

In Romans 4 Paul highlights this principle and makes it clear, God did not "invent" the idea of faith with the coming of the church. Abraham, long before the incarnational coming of Jesus, the Church, the Apostle Paul, exercised "faith" in believing...trusting in the promise of God and scripture. That trusting is believing and it is the substance of faith.

The end of Romans 4 summarizes the principle so beautifully: Romans 4:16-25 (NIV)
"16 Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's offspring--not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all.
17 As it is written: "I have made you a father of many nations." He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed--the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were.
18 Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be."
19 Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead--since he was about a hundred years old--and that Sarah's womb was also dead.
20 Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God,
21 being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.
22 This is why "it was credited to him as righteousness."
23 The words "it was credited to him" were written not for him alone,
24 but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness--for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.
25 He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification."

It is a simple prayer, but one that is rich in substance: "Lord I trust you". No matter what the situation, whether crisis or success; whether victory or loss; we need to come back to this simple position of "trust". We don't trust in faith...no faith is simply the vehicle that leads us to God. It is he that is our life, our hope, our provider, and our future.

Peace

If you're reading through the Bible in a year, today's reading is Judges 5-6