As we enter this Weekend with Christ, we delve into one of the most foundational concepts of our spiritual lives: faith. What exactly is faith? Is it simply believing in something we can’t see? Or is it something more profound, more active, more transformative? Our scriptures this Sunday invite us to consider faith not just as a belief, but as a radical act of trust – trust in God’s promises, even when they seem impossible, and trust in His unseen reality.
Genesis 15:1-6 Belief in the Lord is Righteous. At a pivotal moment in the life of Abraham, then known as Abram, God comes to him with a powerful promise: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.” But Abram, despite this assurance, voices his very human concern: “Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless…?” He’s an old man, his wife Sarai is barren, and he has no heir. Humanly speaking, the promise of a “very great reward” seems hollow without a descendant.
Then, God takes him outside and says, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them… So shall your offspring be.” What happens next is profoundly simple, yet utterly revolutionary: “Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.” Abram’s faith was not based on what he could see or logically deduce. It was a radical act of trust in God’s word, despite all evidence to the contrary. He trusted in the unseen promise of a God who had proven Himself faithful. This is the genesis of faith as trust: a confident reliance on God’s character and His word, even when the path ahead is unclear.
Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16: Hall of Faith. The author begins with a classic definition: “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” It’s not wishful thinking; it’s a deep conviction about a reality that is beyond our immediate perception. The passage then immediately points to Abraham as a prime example: “By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.” He went, not knowing the destination, but trusting the One who called him.
The writer of Hebrews continues, highlighting how Abraham and Sarah, by faith, received the ability to conceive, even though they were past childbearing age. They lived their lives as “foreigners and strangers on earth,” longing for a “better country—a heavenly one.” Their faith was a journey of trust, not in earthly security or visible guarantees, but in God’s promise of a heavenly city. They died without receiving all the promises, but they saw them “from a distance and welcomed them.” This tells us that faith is a long-term trust, a steadfast walk with God, even when the full picture isn’t revealed.
Luke 12:32-40: Do not fear! Jesus brings this concept of faith-as-trust into our daily lives, urging us to live with a particular kind of expectation. He tells His disciples, “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.” This is a promise of immense generosity and security. And what is their response to this gift? “Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted… For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Jesus then uses the parable of the watchful servants. The servants are to be ready, dressed for service, with their lamps burning, waiting for their master to return. They don’t know the exact hour, but they trust he will come. “You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”
This passage teaches us that faith, as trust in God’s abundant provision and His coming Kingdom, should profoundly impact how we live. If we truly trust that God has given us the Kingdom, then our hearts are freed from earthly anxieties and attachments. We are called to live with a confident expectation, ready for His return, not clinging to fleeting possessions, but investing in eternal treasure. Our trust in God’s promises for the future allows us to live generously and watchfully in the present.
In conclusion, what is faith? It is, fundamentally, trust.
- It is the trust of Abraham, believing God’s impossible promise against all odds.
- It is the trust of the saints in Hebrews, confidently walking towards an unseen heavenly country.
- And it is the trust Jesus calls us to, freeing us from fear and enabling us to live with open hands and watchful hearts, knowing that our Father has already given us the Kingdom.
May we cultivate this kind of faith – a radical, active trust in our God, whose promises are true, whose provision is sure, and whose Kingdom is coming. Let us live lives that demonstrate this profound trust, for in doing so, we live a life worthy of the belief in Christ.