Faith Defined (Matthew Corbitt)
The one thing that can truly change the world is faith is Jesus Christ. Now I'm not talking about a “verbal diarrhea” kind of faith, I am talking about a faith that produces good fruit.
The word faith has been changed over the years to the detriment of the current and future generations. Faith, now, simply means to say or do something publicly. It is no longer the kind of faith Abraham had, for Abraham's life was a life of action. You can see how faith forced him to leave his whole existence behind and follow God into the dessert. He had faith to walk alone, faith to endure adversity, faith to keep him throughout his life's failures.
Christianity has bought into the changing definition of faith. We confess with our lips, and yet our hearts are far from obedient. The Bible states that many in our day will confess that they knew, and even accepted Jesus was God, but the Lord still tells them to depart from Him(They go to Hell). How could this be? If they believed aren't they ok? They went to church, prayed and spoke in tongues, they witnessed, how could they go to Hell?
Faith isn't just something you say, its something that you do. Faith is lived. Faith will push you to go farther than you ever thought you would go, do more than you thought you could do and be more than you though you could be.
When you really believe in Jesus, you will read the Bible, pray and fast. You wont look like this world, act like this world, do the same things that the world does, because you have faith that Jesus is what he says he is, and that the Bible means what it says it means. Why? Not because you enjoy rules, but because you understand that to please the God of the universe, you must be obedient; and when you have that revelation, nothing else matters. That is faith.
Example: Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Faith is the tangible evidence of things that have not yet happened. If the Lord told you he would financially bless you, show a little faith and go to work. Plan for the blessing, learn how to manage you finances better, learn where God wants you to use that blessing. If you do the best you can, God will make a way. “according to your faith, be it unto you.” If you aren't preparing, you have no faith. God has promised us that He is coming back for us one day, are you preparing yourself for His coming, or are you simply waiting on the spiritual porch for your ship to come in? Do you have faith?
A church with a true faith, that will preach a true faith message brings this world changing element, that is faith, to the table. We are saved by faith alone, and we have to make sure its the right kind of faith.(The book of James will shed light on your faith.) If we are to fulfill the great commission, we are going to have to dig things out for ourselves, and we must have faith in God to do that. No faith? No digging. And if you're not digging things out for yourself, you cannot change the world. (Let alone obtain salvation)