Photo by Humble Lamb on Unsplash

“And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love” (NKJV 1 Corinthians 13:13). Faith, hope, and love are the 3 primary spiritual forces. Love is the greatest of the 3; the scripture is clear. But should we discount the value of faith? Some Christians forsake learning about faith and focus on love. Others are turned off by the perverse teaching of the Word of Faith movement, so they disregard any teaching concerning faith. But just how important is faith? We are saved by faith, we walk by faith, we receive God’s promises by faith, and we pray by faith. There would be no salvation without faith.  

“But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:8-10).

We are saved through faith. When a person hears the gospel, and is drawn by the Holy Spirit, they will be saved “if” they respond in faith. A Christian is born again by the belief in their heart and the confession of their mouth. The faith needed for salvation is a gift from God. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). It is not our love that saves us, it is our God given faith. Once we are saved by faith, faith guides the life of a true disciple of Jesus Christ.

We are guided by our faith. “For we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). By faith we believe the word of God over what our senses perceive. The word of God is our ultimate authority. No matter what our circumstances look like, we believe that the word of God is true. Our faith is in God and not in ourselves. The true disciple of Jesus trusts God no matter what is going on around them. Christians must navigate through life guided by the truth of God’s word. God has many blessings for his children, but faith is needed to receive them.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;” (James 1:5-7).

We need faith to obtain God’s promises. “That you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises” (Hebrews 6:12). James tells us not to expect anything from God if we do not ask in faith. The promises of God are received by faith. A lack of faith can block God’s power and provisions from manifesting in our lives. Faith brings the spiritual reality into the physical realm. As a rule, God does not respond to our needs, he responds to our faith. If you do not use your faith, many of God’s blessings will go unclaimed.

“Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, ‘Why could we not cast it out?’ So Jesus said to them, ‘Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting’” (Matthew 17:19-21).

Answered prayer requires faith. “So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them” (Mark 11:22-24). There is a time to pray, and there is a time to speak to your situation with the power and authority that God has given you. Prayer and confession work together. A successful prayer is a prayer offered in faith. When we pray in faith, we believe that we have what we have asked God for. We must believe that God has granted our request when we prayed even if we do not see it in the physical realm. Faith is in the present, we believe that he have what we have prayed for when we pray. Faith is necessary to please our Father.

Faith is needed to please God. “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). God wants his children to believe in him. When we come to our Heavenly Father, we must come to him in faith. We insult the character of God when we approach him with apprehension and distrust. A lack of faith also discounts God’s great love for us. A lack of faith hurts God. The importance of faith is obvious, so how do we get faith?

We get faith from meditating on God’s word. “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). If you need healing, meditate on God’s word concerning healing. If you are having financial troubles, focus on what God says about money. If the Holy Spirit has shown you a major flaw in your character, consult God’s word and find scriptures that address your problem. God’s word is supernatural, alive, and powerful. It will produce faith in your heart. Ask the Holy Spirit to speak God’s word to you directly as you meditate on it. “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you” (John 15:7).

Although love is the greatest of the 3 primary spiritual forces, faith is very important. We are saved by faith, we are guided by faith, we receive the promises of God by faith, faith is needed to pray effectively, and we need faith to please God. We receive faith from God’s word. Love may be the greatest, but your Christian life will be crippled if you neglect to develop your faith.   

 

Hebrews 11:1-40 NKJV (The Faith Chapter)

[1] Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

[2] For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.

[3] By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. 

 [4] By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.

[5] By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; and he was not found because God took him up; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God.

[6] And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

 [7] By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

[8] By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going.

[9] By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise;

 [10] for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

[11] By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised.

[12] Therefore there was born even of one man, and him as good as dead at that, as many descendants as the stars of heaven in number, and innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore.

 [13] All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.

 [14] For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own.

 [15] And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return.

[16] But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.

[17] By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son;

[18] it was he to whom it was said, “In Isaac your descendants shall be called.”

[19] He considered that God is able to raise people even from the dead, from which he also received him back as a type.

[20] By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even regarding things to come.

[21] By faith Jacob, as he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff.

[22] By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the exodus of the sons of Israel, and gave orders concerning his bones.

[23] By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.

 [24] By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter,

[25] choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin,

[26] considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward.

[27] By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing Him who is unseen.

[28] By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that he who destroyed the firstborn would not touch them.

[29] By faith they passed through the Red Sea as though they were passing through dry land; and the Egyptians, when they attempted it, were drowned.

 [30] By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days.

 [31] By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace.

[32] And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets,

[33] who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions,

[34] quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.

 [35] Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection;

 [36] and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment.

[37] They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated

[38] (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground.

 [39] And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised,

[40] because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect.