Faith That Moves Mountains
Complete Trust1. The Hebrew word for believing faith is "aman." It means to trust. The Hebrew idea of faith was complete trust.
Trust. What is trust? The heart knows what it is. It is not just intellectual assent. It is heartfelt trust. That is why we can never argue anyone into the kingdom of heaven. People must come to trust in God with their hearts. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness. Romans 10:10
2. Picture a child running to her father. She leaps into his arms and says, "Daddy, I dropped my dolly out of the window of the car. Can you get it back?" She knows of course that her daddy will make every effort, and somehow he will get her doll back. All she has to do is ask.
Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 18:3
3. Believing is a matter of trust. The heroes of Hebraic faith are those who trusted God with their lives. Job said, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him." Job 13:15 That is complete trust, and that's the faith of the Bible. The three men in the fiery blast furnace said much the same thing.
... our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up." Daniel 3:16-18 (italics mine)
That's complete trust. They trusted God with their lives. THAT is a winning witness.
4. The kind of faith that Abraham had was the complete trust of a child. That's the kind of faith that moves mountains, heals the sick, raises the dead, and subdues kingdoms. But what kind of faith did Abraham actually have? Read on...
By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, "In Isaac your seed shall be called." concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense. (This is the kind of faith Abraham had.) Hebrews 11:1-19
5. The rest of Hebrews chapter 11 goes on to speak of the faith of Jacob, Joseph, Moses, the people of Israel, Rahab the harlot and other giants of faith. Then says of them all...
Who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again. Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. etc. Hebrews 11:33-35
6. This is a simple and unyielding faith in God that He will keep His word - because He is good - and will keep His covenant of grace and mercy. Mercy surrounds those who believe. Psalm 32:10
God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? Numbers 23;19
P.S. Faith is not magic. We do not believe in confessing something that God has not said. Our faith is not in our faith - but in God! The question is always, "What has God said?" THAT is what we believe. And THAT is what we speak. AND we believe in God's Word because we believe in GOD. A man's word is only as good as his character. GOD is good and God is love. He will do what He has said. Abraham believed God's word because he believed in God. He believed that God was a covenant God, and would keep His covenant word. God is good! (all the time)