Do you want to live an active and effective life of faith? Do you want your faith to please God?

    We often identify faith with one of two extremes. The first extreme is a faith that produces little more than random "blessings." The second extreme identifies faith with miracles and flamboyant public displays of healing.

    But what does it mean to live by faith? Can the average Christian today live by faith in the same way that the believers did in the book of Acts?

    Yes! Jesus died and rose again so that we might have that kind of faith in our daily lives—and that we as lay Christians might know the exhilaration of a faith that pleases God.

    But it will be costly.

Faith found in the New Testament

    The New Testament uses the word faith as both an action (with the meaning of the verb to trust) and as an object—something a believer possesses (having the sense of a noun).

    The Canaanite woman in Matthew 15:21-28 acted by faith when she asked Jesus to heal her daughter. She placed herself in a vulnerable position because she believed Jesus could help. After testing her commitment to act in faith, Jesus said in verse 28, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was immediately healed.

    The Canaanite woman's faith was expressed in action; she trusted Jesus to do something that was very important to her.

    Scripture also uses the word faith in the sense of a noun. In Acts 6:7, Luke reported that "...the word of God spread...and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith." In contrast, Paul told Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:1 that "In later times some will abandon the faith."

    The Greek word pistis—which is translated into English as faith—appears 241 times in the New Testament. Yet, it is used infrequently in its noun sense. It is not possible to precisely count the number of times the word faith is used as a noun in either the Greek or English New Testaments. Sometimes it could have either sense. However, of the 241 times the word faith appears in the New Testament, it is probably used only 20 or 30 times as a noun.

    The faith described in the New Testament is primarily that of men and women who were trusting Jesus. Their life displayed the action of faith. They trusted Jesus when they took the first risky step of meeting in the Temple as Messianic Jews. They trusted Him when they were driven out of Jerusalem in the first wave of persecution. They trusted Him when they dared to proclaim the Gospel to Gentiles. And they trusted Him when they were taken to the arena as martyrs.

Does a verb or a noun best represent your faith?

    How do you characterize your own faith? Is your faith expressed by action? Are you frequently in situations in which you trust Jesus for the outcome of important decisions or events in your life?

    Or is your faith primarily something you possess; the doctrines you believe? Do you rarely dependent on Jesus for His guidance in difficult events in your life?

Faith in action

    The account of the centurion stationed in Capernaum gives an interesting example of faith (Matthew 8:5-9). The centurion sent messengers to Jesus asking that his servant be healed. Jesus answered that He would go to the centurion's house.

    The centurion then made his surprising reply through friends that he was unworthy to have Jesus come into his house, but that he knew Jesus could "just say the word" and the servant would be healed. (Luke 7:1-10 indicates that the centurion did not consider himself worthy to go to Jesus in person.) Jesus marveled at the centurion's response saying, "I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith." Jesus then told the centurion's representatives, "'Go! It will be done just as [the centurion] believed it would.' And his servant was healed at that very hour."

    Why did the centurion's rather cumbersome elaboration so please Jesus when he said, "For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and that one 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it"?

    The centurion understood two important components of faith. First, he understood the nature of authority. He was in the middle of a military chain of command; he had superiors over him and he obeyed their orders. He also had subordinates under him who obeyed his commands. So when the centurion saw the extreme physical need of his servant, he understood how authority could be used to alleviate the servant's suffering. Secondly, he understood by faith that Jesus was the authority who could deliver his servant from this physical bondage.

    The centurion's faith was not an expression of emotional frenzy. Rather, he understood what needed to transpire in order for his servant to be healed, and he had total confidence that Jesus had the authority to heal. Social amenities or curiosity concerning Jesus' healing technique were inconsequential to his servant's need. The issue was simply Jesus' authority.

    That is faith!

True faith involves risk

    Both the Canaanite woman and the centurion took a risk when they came to Jesus. She was a Gentile and knew that she risked rebuff by talking to a Jew. Further, Jesus initially ignored the woman's plea for her daughter. Jesus purposely made it difficult for her to make her request. He did not quickly or privately answer her entreaty. Rather, He brought her to a point of full and public commitment of her will before He healed her daughter. Jesus did not allow her to be casual with Him. He forced her to declare her need of His help in front of her acquaintances and neighbors.

    She took a great risk. What if this itinerant Jew could not help her after she had humiliated herself before the whole town?

    The centurion also took a risk. He was a career soldier who was aware of protocol. The Roman military was an important means of advancement in Roman society. Asking Jesus to heal his slave was a departure from his peers' expectations. The centurion greatly increased his personal risk by publicly expressing confidence in Jesus' authority to heal. He made a full commitment of faith rather than making a perfunctory request in behalf of his servant. What if Jesus would not help?

    As you read further, you will see an emphasis in this book on taking risks while developing faith. J. Hudson Taylor, who founded the China Inland Mission (now the Overseas Missionary Fellowship), decided to go through medical training in England without financial assistance from either his father or the mission to which he had applied. (His father and the mission each thought the other was providing for Taylor's expenses, and he deliberately did not tell either of them otherwise.) He reasoned that he would need to live by faith in China and should begin practicing during his student years. His biography chronicles a life that continued to demonstrate his great trust in God for personal survival and ministry. Consider this statement by Taylor:

    Unless there is an element of risk in your exploits for God, there is no need for faith.

Faith defined

    Because faith may be applied differently in each circumstance, I am using three overlapping definitions. These three definitions are:

1. Faith is trusting God (Jesus) rather than relying on conventional means for something you need.

2. Faith is trusting God (Jesus) for an outcome even when that trust incurs personal risk which could otherwise be avoided.

3. Faith is trusting God (Jesus) for an outcome which is impossible through human effort irrespective of the willingness to incur risk.

1. Faith is trusting God (Jesus) rather than relying on conventional means for something you need. In each of the three definitions, the Person of God is always the object of faith. This trust is always directed toward God (the Godhead corporately), or the Father, Jesus, or the Spirit. Thus, it is not a generalized hope that things will mysteriously improve. It is always direct reliance on the divine Person. We are not trusting in our religious faith. We are not trusting in a vague Providence or ill-defined Higher Power. Biblical faith is a reliance on the God of the Bible and in His personal care and provision for us.

    Furthermore, faith is trusting God rather than something else. In almost all cases, our trust will be diverted from those things that other people in the same circumstances would normally trust. The object of normal trust is what I call conventional means.

    For example, we could say that for J. Hudson Taylor, conventional means for attending medical school in England during the early 1850s would certainly include allowing a parent or a mission to provide financial assistance. There was nothing wrong with that kind of help. However, Taylor felt led to trust God for his income rather than to accept the same provisions that other Christians in like circumstances might appropriately have used.

    You can see the conflict I have introduced. I am not saying that there is anything wrong with conventional means. Though each case must be considered individually, using conventional means is the normal way to live in society. However, as an act of faith, God may lead us to trust Him alone for something rather than depending upon means society normally provides for that purpose.

    It is important that you understand my intent in suggesting that faith does not rely on conventional means. No one—believer or otherwise—could live without relying on society's provisions. We work to earn money, we use money to purchase food, and so forth. Faith may be fully exercised in any of these steps. We do not sit down at a bare table and demand that God miraculously supply an abundant meal so we can prove that we live by faith. In almost all cases of God's provision through faith, He will use elements of conventional means as the supply channel.

    At the same time, God may—at His discretion—remove one or two elements of conventional means from a chain of events through which we would normally expect provision. In these single elements, He may direct us to trust Him rather than the ordinary, expected avenues of supply. I am not suggesting that faith supplants all use of conventional means. I am merely suggesting that, in certain instances, God may guide us to trust Him directly to provide for those needs rather than to trust in the normal means of provision.

    There is, however, a more subtle distinction between trusting God and trusting conventional means. The issue has to do with that which we view as our primary recourse for a given need. If I have sought God's help and direction in meeting an unexpected financial obligation and He directs me to draw the needed funds from a savings account, I am placing my trust in God rather than conventional means because He has become my primary recourse. On the other hand, if I merely use the saving account without first seeking God's provision or direction, I am not acting by faith, but am depending on conventional means. In this second instance, my savings account has become my primary recourse. Someone may object, saying that this distinction is merely one of definition. That is the very nature of faith. In this illustration, my degree of faith has little to do with the ultimate source of the money I use for payment. My degree of faith has everything to do with whether or not I turn first to God as my primary recourse, asking Him to meet my need. If I seek Him first, it is His prerogative to provide for me. He may do that through an established saving account or through any other means He chooses.

    The same distinction could be made in using medicine as a primary recourse during illness as against turning first to God in faith. The same would be true of any other area in which our society provides legitimate aid. I am not saying that all we must do is repeat a prayer and then go ahead with our initial plan. God knows the integrity of our heart. He will provide for us if we will come to Him in faith. But He will not allow us to use Him merely to accomplish our own ends.

    Though risk is not mentioned in this first definition, the element of risk is obvious. Trusting God in place of anything else that is more familiar to us will be perceived as being less reliable.

    This definition of faith has introduced many issues requiring explanation. By the end of the book I will attempt to resolve some of these issues. For now, however, you should realize that the life of faith as described in Hebrews 11:6 will often require you to allow God to supply specific needs rather than depending upon society's accepted solutions.

    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.

    How might this actually work in your own life? As an example, after seeking the Lord's direction in a financial crisis, you might decide that indebtedness is not God's will for you. Based on Romans 13:3 ("Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another"), you might decide that you will not use credit cards for a particular need, but will wait until God provides you with the necessary cash even though you see no possible source for it now. At the risk of financial loss if you don't act immediately, you nonetheless decide to wait for God to provide cash before you buy. This act of faith will cause you to trust God to provide money for a specific need rather than using credit card indebtedness that has already been approved by your bank.

2. Faith is trusting God (Jesus) for an outcome even when that trust incurs personal risk which could otherwise be avoided. In this instance, the trust in God remains as stated above. However, this variation emphasizes that the risk is variable depending upon the object of faith. This is, of course, a perceived risk because God is certainly more reliable than the circumstances surrounding our lives. Nonetheless, we have accommodated ourselves to society's care for our needs to such an extent that its solutions often are perceived as being more reliable (or at least more predictable) than God's solutions. This definition emphasizes that trusting God will introduce an element of risk that could otherwise be avoided if we sought a normal solution to the problem.

    For example, say that you have carefully invested limited funds for your retirement. If you continue to work and invest until you are 65, you anticipate that you will have a small but sufficient retirement income. In your late 50s, however, God begins prompting you to use a third of that retirement fund for a specific ministry. If you use the money for ministry, you see no alternative but to continue working past normal retirement age. You can also see that there will be no extra money available for unforeseen expenditures or emergencies. This act of faith will introduce financial risk during your retirement years that could have been avoided if you had not decided to use the money for this ministry. This act of faith will cause you to transfer your trust from a retirement investment dedicated to your future income to a personal God who will take responsibility for your retirement well being.

3. Faith is trusting God (Jesus) for an outcome which is impossible through human effort irrespective of the willingness to incur risk. Again, the object of faith is a personal God. In this instance, however, the anticipated outcome of faith is something that is impossible through any human effort in spite of the amount of risk. As in all matters of faith, the outcome must be according to God's will, but in this case there will be no known way to achieve the end result through human organization or resources. Nonetheless, this does not preclude human effort or involvement as part of the final outcome.

    Risk is also involved in this instance because God's leading may result in greater potential for failure. The risk varies according to the degree of faith exercised. That is, the task is impossible and the risk is certain. If the task is declined, there will be no risk.

    Say, for instance, that God directs you into a prayer ministry for the conversion of a specific group of people. If asked, fellow Christians would agree that the salvation of this group of people would be a "miracle," but they would also generally agree that it could never happen. However, because of the time involvement of this ministry, you will need to terminate your present high-level management job and live on a reduced income coming from part-time work. Your faith will cause you to depend on God to do something that no possible human effort could achieve. Exercising your faith to the fullest extent will require you to make irreversible changes in your professional advancement. In this case, your willingness to risk future earning and professional advancement does not guarantee that your ministry will be successful. Irrespective of the time you invest, the desired results will occur only if God intervenes.

Jonathan on the hill

    1 Samuel 14:4-15 tells the story of the victory of Jonathan and his armor-bearer over 20 Philistines:

    Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, "Come, let's go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised fellows. Perhaps [Yahweh] will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder [Yahweh]^[1] from saving, whether by many or by few."

    "Do all that you have in mind," his armor-bearer said. "Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul."

    Jonathan said, "Come, then; we will cross over toward the men and let them see us. If they say to us, 'Wait there until we come to you,' we will stay where we are and not go up to them. But if they say, 'Come up to us,' we will climb up, because that will be our sign that [Yahweh] has given them into our hands."

    So both of them showed themselves to the Philistine outpost. "Look!" said the Philistines, "The Hebrews are crawling out of the holes they were hiding in." The men of the outpost shouted to Jonathan and his armor-bearer, "Come up to us and we'll teach you a lesson."

    So Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, "Climb up after me; [Yahweh] has given them into the hand of Israel."

    Jonathan climbed up, using his hands and feet, with his armor-bearer right behind him. The Philistines fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer followed and killed behind him. In that first attack Jonathan and his armor-bearer killed some twenty men in an area of about half an acre.

    ^[1] William Tyndale first published his English New Testament in 1525. He also translated the Pentateuch and Jonah from the Old Testament. Other early English translators copied many of Tyndale's phrases and translation practices. Tyndale made many excellent contributions to the English Bible. However, he made one contribution to Old Testament English translation that is extremely unfortunate. Though he introduced the name of God as Iovah (now written Jehovah), he most frequently translated God's name in the Old Testament as LORD, spelled with capital letters. In all but a few English translations since, LORD has continued to be used rather than Jehovah, Yahweh, or some other suitable representation of the actual name of God. The Hebrew name of God (YHWH when transcribed with English letters) appears approximately 6,900 times in the Old Testament. There is no justification for Bible translators today to use a substitute for God's proper name. Throughout this book, "[Yahweh]" replaces the NIV's "the LORD" in Old Testament passages that contain God's proper name.

    Visualize Jonathan's commitment of faith. Not only were he and his armor-bearer outnumbered 20 to 2, but they had to climb up the crag on all fours. You must recognize the risk they were taking. They would be totally unprotected if the Philistines rolled rocks down on them. Probably the only reason the Philistines waited was in anticipation of the sport when the two men reached the top. If Jonathan had changed his mind and turned back, the Philistines would have killed them in an instant.

    But God did give them the victory. Their faith was rewarded by the garrison's complete rout. The tide was turned, and the entire Philistine army was eventually defeated. Look at verse 15:

    Then panic struck the whole army—those in the camp and field, and those in the outposts and raiding parties—and the ground shook. It was a panic sent by God.

    This victory was not the result of Jonathan's physical prowess. This was God's work in response to Jonathan's faith. Look again at the definitions of faith. Jonathan was trusting God rather than trusting conventional means of warfare. He was trusting God for victory even when that trust incurred otherwise avoidable personal risk. He could have stayed in camp in comfort and safety and avoided the danger he faced in challenging the Philistines. He trusted God to do what could not be done through human effort alone irrespective of his willingness to incur the normal risk of military battle. Nonetheless, Jonathan and his armor-bearer used their best skill and cunning in hand-to-hand combat. They used their swords without passively waiting for God to act.

Risk and faith; a practical application

    In Christian circles, we often hear talk of doing things "by faith." Most frequently, however, this expresses a risk-free faith that may be little more than justification for action that has no clear direction or careful planning. On its most rudimentary level, this expression of faith may simply be the result of being trapped in circumstances which have unknown outcomes.

    Let's use a difficult and emotionally-charged example. Say, for instance, that you attend a church where miracle healing is not generally expected. Then, say that you are diagnosed with a terminal illness in which two medical opinions agree that you have only six months to live unless you undergo a specified medical treatment. Your doctors cannot guarantee that the treatment will be successful—in fact, they warn you that the treatment itself may kill you. On the other hand, if the treatment is successful, there is a possibility that you may have as much as five years' extended life expectancy.

    Of course, your church will be praying for you. From that prayer emphasis will come the expressed belief that "In faith, we are trusting God to work on your behalf as He wishes." You and your spouse may also express your faith that God is in control. However, with no further consideration of what God may direct you personally to do, you allow the doctor to schedule treatment.

    At this point, neither you nor your church have expressed genuine acting faith. (As we will see in the next chapter, however, there may be true expressions of resting faith.) You are relying on conventional means just as any non-believer would under the same circumstances. Both you and the non-believer live with the same prognosis: 1) death in six months without treatment, 2) possible death as a result of the treatment, or 3) a five-year life expectancy if treatment is successful. For both of you, the outcome is based on medical projections rather than faith in God.

    On the other hand, what would you do if you were acting in faith? Your first step would be to ask God to direct you regarding scheduling of any further treatment. You would also determine that you would follow His leading irrespective of what it might be. At this point you would incur risk because God might direct you to trust Him rather than using conventional treatment. God's direction might be quite different than your own inclination. (It is sobering to see believers who are willing to risk death during treatment, but who are not willing to risk a Sovereign God's leading.)

    The point of this illustration is not to suggest that God leads those living by faith either toward medical treatment or away from it. It is His prerogative to determine what is best for each believer.

    To continue with the illustration, it might even be God's sovereign choice that your act of faith would result in an earlier death than had you elected medical treatment. Living by faith does not always result in the "better" or "financially more prosperous" or "more healthful" way. But it always results in the path that God knows is best for you considering His greater purpose.

Lord God, I want to learn to trust You. When I reach Heaven, I want to look back and see victories of faith in my life. I am tired of my insipid Christianity. I want to take risks for You. But I am so weak. Help me to trust You, Lord Jesus.