Episode #30: The Power of Active Faith in Everyday Life

Have you ever wondered how faith can truly shape your spiritual journey? In this episode of the All Is Well podcast, I invite you to explore the profound relationship between faith and works, as highlighted in the scriptures. Hebrews 11:1-3 sets the stage by defining faith as a belief in the unseen, a notion crucial for pleasing God, as elaborated in Hebrews 11:6. Drawing from James 1:22 and James 2:14-26, we unravel how faith alone is insufficient without corresponding actions. Through the inspiring lives of Abraham and Rahab, witness how their faith was brought to life through their deeds. We also reflect on Noah's unwavering obedience and trust as he built the ark, underscoring faith as an active response to God's call.

In the latter part of our journey together, I extend a heartfelt invitation for you to embrace a transformative spiritual journey by welcoming Jesus into your life. Guided by a salvation prayer, we will acknowledge our sins, express sincere repentance, and affirm our belief in Jesus Christ’s resurrection, emphasizing the cleansing power of His sacrifice. This call to a new beginning encourages you to find a vibrant church community and to engage deeply with the word of God, setting the foundation for continued spiritual growth. This episode is designed to inspire a profound connection with faith, offering a roadmap to a meaningful and transformative spiritual experience.

Transcript

Speaker 1 0:02

Hello, my name is Stephanie. Welcome to the All Is Well podcast. My mission is to teach people the Word of God and emphasize its importance in their daily lives. I'm glad you decided to join me today. Let's get started. Welcome to episode 30.

Speaker 1 0:23

In this episode I will discuss the importance that faith has in our lives. Let's get started. Let's turn on over in our Bibles to Hebrews, chapter 11, verses 1 through 3. Chapter 11, verse 1. Now, faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. The substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. So this verse right here gave us the definition of faith. Now, faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. So it's things that we're believing for but we have not seen them in our lives. Verse 2, that the worlds were framed by the word of God so that the things which are seen were not made of the things which are visible. Let's jump on over to chapter 11, verse 6.

Speaker 1 1:34

So how important is faith to God? So in verse 6 of chapter 11, it tells us but without faith it is impossible to please him. So we need faith to please God, for he who comes to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. So we need faith in our walk with God. We can't put it to the side, but we need faith in our walk with God. We can't put it to the side, but we need faith in our walk with God Because, as it says here, without faith it is impossible to please Him. It's impossible. There are things that God wants for us and he's speaking to us because he speaks of the future, and so we need faith to believe those things that are coming to pass in our lives. But if we don't have that and God is speaking to us and he's telling us things in his word that we should have, like healing and joy, but we don't even see that, that's not faith. But God says you need to have faith, but without faith it is impossible to please God, because you may not see it with your visible eyes, but you need to see it with your spiritual eyes. So let's get more about faith.

Speaker 1 2:58

Let's go to James, chapter 1, verse 22. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror, for he observes himself, goes away and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. So we can't just hear the word. We got to do what the word says. We got to do what God says because it says in verse 22,. But be doers of the word and not hearers only deceiving yourselves, not hearers only deceiving yourselves. So we can't just say I have faith, which is good, we need faith. But we can't only say I have faith but not do what's required of us.

Speaker 1 3:55

Let's read a little bit more about faith and how essential it is. We'll still continue in James, but let's go to chapter 2, verse 14. In chapter 2, verse 14, it reads what does it profit my brethren if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food and one of you says to them Depart in peace, be warmed and filled? So it's saying you see someone that is hungry, that is cold, and all you're telling them is I hope all goes well with you and you send them away, but they're still cold and they're still hungry. You're believing that things will turn out better for them, but you're not doing anything to help them.

Speaker 1 4:51

Then it says in verse 17, thus also, faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. So we can believe all we want for the things that God wants in our lives. But if we don't attach that with works, then our faith is dead Verse 18. But someone will say you have faith and I have works. Show me your faith without your works and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well, even the demons believe and tremble. So let's look at this right here. The demons believe that there is a God. They know he exists, but are they doing anything to say that they believe in him? No, because they're on the devil's side. They're on the evil side.

Speaker 1 5:43

You need more than just faith Verse 20,. But do you want to know, o foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Verse 21,. Was not Abraham, our father, justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works? And by works. Faith was made perfect and the scripture was fulfilled, which says Abraham believed God. That's faith. And it was accounted to him for righteousness and he was called a friend of God. You see, then, that a man is justified by works and not by faith. Only because Abraham believed the word that God told him, and then he connected that with works Verse 25,. Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out? Another way, verse 26,. For as a body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also, just like our body. We need the spirit. We need our spirit to live. If we don't have it, we're not alive anymore. It's the same thing with faith. We need both of those things. So faith without works is dead. Faith and works go together.

Speaker 1 7:05

Now let's jump on over back to Hebrews, chapter 11, verse 7. And so this one reads by faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness, which is according to faith. So God told Noah that a flood was coming. Was there any indication of a flood? There was not. But Noah had faith and believed. He didn't just believe I believe you that a flood is coming, and then he didn't just go on living his life, no, he believed what God said and then he built an ark, because God commanded him to build an ark. Noah had faith. He attached his faith with works. He built an ark and then he saved his family so it says here by which he condemned the world and became so. Noah became heir of the righteousness, which is according to faith.

Speaker 1 8:11

So we need to remember not only do we need faith and to believe God in his word and what he says and the promises that he has for us, but we need to attach that with works. What does God require from us? What does he want us to do? What has he been telling us? If there is something in your life that you've been believing for but it hasn't come to pass and you're wondering, why have you attached that with works? Is there anything that you're supposed to be doing about that? Has God told you to do something? What does the word of God say about your situation? Seek him about what you should do and you should see the result come to pass. So here are some key points that we need to remember.

Speaker 1 8:57

Faith is essential, but we know that we need it not alone, but we need it with works. And we need faith in our walk with God, because God will call us to have faith for things in our lives. He doesn't want us to stay stagnant. He doesn't want us to stay at the same level that we're at. So there's things that are coming to pass in our lives that we don't see yet and we need to have faith and believe him for those things and then proceed with works. And we need to stretch our faith and strengthen it with the word of God.

Speaker 1 9:35

Again, you can't stay at the same level of faith. We need to grow and stretch it. But how do you do that? You feed your faith with the word of God, meditating on the word day and night. What does the word of God say? And you're feeding it and you're stretching your faith and it's growing. So when we tie our faith with action, it gets results. We get moving. Just as it says in his word, it is impossible to please God without faith. So if you're struggling to keep that faith alive and to connect that with works, I suggest that you dive into the word of God. Let God reveal the areas that you need to tie that with action, because I have found out that most of the time we do have the faith, but we need to make sure that we're tying it with works. What is God requiring us to do in that given situation? So what I would recommend and encourage you to do is go over Hebrews chapter 11 and James chapter 1 and 2 to strengthen your faith and also to meditate on the word of God.

Speaker 1 10:46

And thank you for tuning in. If you have not accepted Jesus into your life, say the salvation prayer with me. Heavenly Father, I admit that I have sinned. I repent. I believe in my heart. You raised Jesus from the dead. I confess with my mouth Jesus is Lord and my Savior. Right now I receive forgiveness by the blood of Jesus. Come into my life. I am saved In Jesus' name, amen. I'm glad you prayed that salvation prayer. Make sure that you plug yourself into a spirit-filled church and read the word of God. Well, I hope you enjoy the message and thank you for tuning in.