Sufficient Faith

Genesis 15:6 – And he (Abraham) believed the Lord, and he (God) counted it to him as righteousness.

This is a familiar passage that is quoted in the New Testament as well.  Romans 4:3 reads, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.”  The question that must be answered is, “What is so essential, or key, about this belief?”  Obviously, this is not a simple belief in the idea or concept of God.  James 2:19 makes it clear that such a belief is not sufficient, “You believe that God is one; you do well.  Even the demons believe – and shudder!”  So what sort of faith is Abraham exemplifying here?

The faith that God saw in Abraham was a belief unto action.  It was the sort of faith that affected the way Abraham lived his life.  This is the sort of faith that causes people to repent (change the direction of their life) and pursue God and His will.

To believe the testimony of scripture, whether it is speaking about Christ, the character of God, or God’s promises, must change the way we live our lives.  A simple cognitive knowledge of the existence of God is never enough.  To truly believe in God is to abandon all that we are and pursue all that He is.

As you go about your day, put Christ first.  Live your life in such a way that it reflects the instruction of scripture.  Allow your thoughts and emotions to be rooted in the promises of God.  Allow your goals to be submitted to the will of God.  True saving faith is a faith that impacts our lives.  A faith that makes no impact on our person or our character is an insufficient faith.