TESTED FAITH Kay Keith Peebles 3/27/2020 20.10
That which is not tested is not proven! Our faith in God will be tested throughout our entire lives. Whether we pass or fail will be determined by what we believe by faith and practice by habit.
Christianity is a faith based relationship with the God Who created the heavens and the earth. A believer must first and foremost believe that God exists. “But without faith it is impossible to [walk with God and] please Him, for whoever comes to God must believe that God exists and that He rewards those who [earnestly and diligently] seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6.
There are two key elements which are vital to anyone who desires to have a strong faith. First, we must believe that God exists and secondly, we must believe He rewards those who trust in Him. How do we get the faith to believe?
“Faith comes by hearing [what is told], and what is heard comes by the [preaching of the] message concerning Christ (Jesus).” Romans 10:17, Emphasis mine. Hebrews Chapter 11 is called the “Faith Chapter” of the Bible. It recites many of the founding fathers of the faith that had their faith tested and proven by God.
The entire Bible is testimony told by “preachers”. It is the eyewitness accounts of the men and women of God and the Lord Himself as they interact with each other. Thus, faith can be gained by reading, studying and meditating on the Word of God in the Bible. It can also be attained by listening to a preacher who is filled with the Holy Spirit and inspired by the revelation of the inherent scriptures. Faith not only comes through the study of the logos (written) word of God, and the rhema (God breathed, spoken) prophetic word of God, but it also comes through personal experience which is affirmed by the word of God.
What is the definition of faith? “Now faith is the assurance (title deed, confirmation) of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), and the evidence of things not seen [the conviction of their reality—faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses].” Hebrews 11:1.
Walking by faith gains us God’s divine approval! “For by this [kind of] faith the men of old gained [divine] approval. By faith [that is, with an inherent trust and enduring confidence in the power, wisdom and goodness of God] we understand that the worlds (universe, ages) were framed and created [formed, put in order, and equipped for their intended purpose] by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.” Hebrews 11:2-3.
Faith “sees” in the spiritual realm what is not yet visible in the natural realm. Faith is the required fuel to pull what is in the spiritual realm into the natural realm. Therefore, faith must be tested!
Abraham is a powerful example of one whose faith was tested. The Lord God approached Abram (Abraham) when he was in a distant country and called him to believe in Him and move to a new land. Both Abram and Sarai (Sarah) were considered old and were well past the child bearing years. Physically it was impossible to reproduce an offspring but God’s promise to them was their offspring would be innumerable like the stars in the sky or the sand on the seashore. That promise required Abraham and Sarah to have great faith in God!
“By faith Abraham, when he was called [by God], obeyed by going to a place which he was to receive as an inheritance; and he went, not knowing where he was going. By faith he lived as a foreigner in the promised land, as in a strange land, living in tents [as nomads] with Isaac and Jacob, who were fellow heirs of the same promise. For he was [waiting expectantly and confidently] looking forward to the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. By faith Sarah herself received the ability to conceive [a child], even [when she was long] past the normal age for it, because she considered Him who had given her the promise to be reliable and true [to His word]. So from one man, though he was [physically] as good as dead, were born as many descendants AS THE STARS OF HEAVEN IN NUMBER, AND INNUMERABLE AS THE SAND ON THE SEASHORE.” Hebrews 11:8-12.
How does the Lord test our faith? More often than not, He gives us a promise which is tested over time. Abraham and Sarah waited 25 years before their promise of an offspring was born. During the 25 years their faith in that promise was tested over and over. In addition, their bodies became older and older. Even though Abraham had a son with Hagar, Ishmael was 12 or 13 years old before Isaac was born. By then he was age 99 and Sarah was 89 further proving they were incapable of producing the offspring God had promised!
Our faith must agree that without divine intervention the outcome is impossible. Faith is never based upon our abilities. It is solely based upon God’s word and His ability to fulfill His own word or promise. Faith is believing in what others would say is impossible because we know that “with God, all things are possible!” See Matthew 19:26.
Faith believes for the impossible even though it seems improbable because God is unstoppable!
Faith cannot be mustered up. It does not come from human grit or human determination. It comes from the revelation of God’s word whether spoken or read in scripture. The revelation pierces our heart sparking faith. It illuminates a truth which we pursue with a burning passion to understand. It is proven through testing and anointed once manifested into the natural realm. Faith cannot be hyped or manipulated by man. It is a gift from God and when exercised produces the evidence of what was previously unseen and non-existent. Faith has no limitations regarding how much it can be exercised. Once one has experienced receiving the fruit of faith it becomes easier to believe for other areas that need breakthrough.
Doubt and fear are the worst enemies of faith because they lead to unbelief. If we chew on doubt long enough, our faith will be devoured. Lies and circumstantial evidence are the vehicle the devil uses to weaken our faith. Time will never diminish or nullify God’s promise. God is not limited by time, space, nature or false evidence that appears to be real (fear). Fear gives more credence to our circumstances and the devil than to God and His word.
The Lord promises that those who believe will do heroic or daring acts. “And such as violate the covenant he shall pervert and seduce with flatteries, but the people who know their God shall prove themselves strong and shall stand firm and do exploits [for God].” Daniel 11:32. This is faith in action. Faith and the word of God assure us of victory over every attack of the enemy.
Being a Christian does not assure a life without conflict, trials and hardships. It does, however, provide God’s help whether He eliminates the crisis or gives us the strength to get through it. Our faith will be tested with each level of growth. The testing is designed to strip away the things which hinder our walk with the Lord and expose walls which block our growth. The Lord already knows what we will do but the test is for us to see our progress or our pitfalls.
The Apostles faced many trials as they birthed the church. One of their responsibilities as leaders was “strengthening and establishing the hearts of the new disciples, encouraging them to remain firm in the faith, saying, ‘It is through many tribulations and hardships that we must enter the kingdom of God.’” Acts 14:22. The trials and hardships the Lord and the Apostles were expecting were persecution, not plagues or attacks of the enemy. They knew that although the enemy would try to thwart their ministry, Jesus had already conquered Satan and by faith we can all stand and uphold His victory!
Jesus taught the parable of the unjust judge to His disciples. He promised them, “And will not [our just] God defend and avenge His elect [His chosen ones] who cry out to Him day and night? Will He delay on their behalf? I tell you that He will defend and avenge them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find [this kind of persistent] faith on the earth?” Luke 14:8. May we answer with a resounding YES!
When we remain in daily communion with the Lord, the tests of faith will not trip us or confound us. “His word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path.” Psalm 119:105. The Lord never tempts us but He does allow circumstances to challenge us and prove us. Those who are faithful will be the victors.
Faith is the building block of our testimony. When our faith is built solely upon the Lord, His word, His character and His faithfulness, we will have saved up a treasure trove of faith experiences over our lifetime. “And they have overcome (conquered) him (Satan) by means of (faith in) the blood of the Lamb and by the utterance of their testimony (Marturia-evidence given, witness, record, report), for they did not love and cling to life even when faced with death.” Revelation 12:11.
Today we are facing COVID-19, a world-wide plague. This is a huge faith test. Whether we are overcome by fear or stand in faith is determined by how much we trust in the Lord. Do we believe His word and know He will guide us through this crisis or do we believe we are victims? The Lord knew this day would come and gave us powerful scriptures to keep us standing in faith.
“I will lift up my eyes to the hills from whence shall my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber nor sleep. The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is your shade on your right hand. The sun will not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will protect you from all evil; He will keep your life. The LORD will guard your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forever.” Psalm 121. See also Psalm 91.
May we stand like the Apostles, fearless and faithful because we put our full trust in the Lord, believe His word and resist every attack of the devil while taking ground for the Kingdom!
