Freedoms Gate Ministries

Lesson 5

Is Your Faith in Action?

As we have looked at these first characters in Hebrews 11, I pray that some issues have come up for you. Issues like: why does my faith seem to be flat? Why am I getting upset when it comes to talking about my faith? What makes these folks any different from me? These and many other questions will come to your mind as we continue to study these people of Hebrews 11. I found part of the answer to these issues in a book, “The Complete Works of E.M. Bounds on Prayer” and in these statements:

“Today, as much as at any time, we need men of great faith and men who are great in prayer. These are two cardinal virtues which make men great in the eyes of God, the two things which create conditions of real spiritual success in the life and work of the church. It is our chief concern to see that we maintain a faith of such quality and texture, as counts before God; which grasps, and holds in its keeping, the things for which it asks, without doubt and fear (p. 20).

Doubts and fear are the twin foes of faith. Sometimes, they actually usurp the place of faith, and although we pray, it is restless, disquieted prayer that we offer, uneasy and often complaining (p. 20).

Doubts should never be cherished, nor fears harbored. Let none cherish the delusion that he is a martyr to fear and doubt. It is no credit to any man’s mental capacity to cherish doubt of God, and no comfort can possibly derive from such a thought. Our eyes should be taken off self, removed from our own weakness and allowed to rest implicitly upon God’s strength. A simple, confiding faith, living day by day, and casting its burden on the Lord, each hour of the day, will dissipate fear, drive away misgiving and deliver from doubt:

Be careful for nothing, but in everything, by supplication and prayer, with thanksgiving, let your request be made known unto God (p. 20).

That is the divine cure for all fear, anxiety, and undue concern of soul, all of which are closely akin to doubt and unbelief. This is the divine prescription for securing the peace which passeth all understanding, and keeps the heart and mind in quietness and peace.”      So with these thoughts in mind let us go back and look at these people in Hebrews 11. I know that we have Abram showing fear at least twice. Yet when you look at these fears, they are not fears about what God called him to do. They arose from the lack of understanding God’s plan for him and through him. Yet God used these moments of fear to build Abram’s faith and trust in Him. Also, note that these weak moments did not stop Abram from moving forward nor did it stop God from using these moments to teach others of Himself. Read Genesis 12:14 – 20 and 20:3 – 18. Even in moments when there is a lack of understanding, God is still at work. He knew what it was going to take to get those two kings to acknowledge Him as God. Why is this so important? Some of us, when we make a mistake, start a downward spiral spiritually and physically. Some of us do not recover from this downward spiral. Yet with Abram, he dealt with the issue that caused him to be weak in his faith and yes, some times it is the same issue repeated. Both of these weak and fearful moments took place before the birth of Isaac.

    In both of these events, God’s plan was not stopped. Do you remember that in lesson 1 I told you about Romans 8:28? Here is a great example of that verse at work. Now if you would take a moment to look at your life honestly, then you would see God working when you thought He was not working. Many Christians have allowed fear to stop us from doing the work (plan) of God. Please reread Psalms 23:4 and Hebrews 11:6.

     These people that we have studied also showed how they talked with God through what we call prayer. As you read their prayers to God, their prayers were not based on hoping that God would hear them. Nor did they wish God would hear them. They were confident in God hearing them and answering them. This is not always the case with us because many of us hope and wish God would hear us. You can tell this by the way we walk or live in our faith. We walk around in a defeated spirit, which shows in our body language for everybody to see. Even with Abram, he did not move as if God was not working; he thought that he was trying to help God’s plan come to reality. Again, it was his lack of understanding that caused his problem. These saints talking to God gave them the ability to walk through things, which would have caused others to stop and turn back to the ways of the world. With this in mind reread Hebrews 11:1 -2, 6 and answer this question about your faith in action. Do you truly believe that God will carry out His plan for your life in the face of all your circumstances?