I have at times in the past wondered why God demands His people to be men and women of faith. The word of God reveals that without faith, we cannot please Him; without faith, there are things we cannot receive from Him. But the answer lies in the fact that the supreme God Himself, being the God of all things and having all things subject to Him, also lives, walks, and works by faith. He who has all things under His control is also subject to faith. Therefore, faith is a crucial factor.
There are words that can be used interchangeably with faith like trust and belief. While faith itself is the evidence of things hoped for, the proof of what is yet to be seen. Meaning that while we are yet to see the reality, we work as if to say we have seen it already. We make ‘B’ plans as if ‘A’ will surely work.
If we use trust to illustrate faith, we will speak of it as unwavering belve and hope. The attitude we will further exhibit is to make future plans because we believe that they will not fail. The Scripture relates to us various areas where God has shown us His great and unwavering faith.
- God’s faith is shown in the Creation
By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. – Hebrews 11:3
And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. – Genesis 1:1-4
When I reflect on the creation narrative, I can’t help but wonder where God obtained the design and creation template. Were they simply His imaginative ideas? After all, He had never created anything before, so how did He know that speaking could bring things into existence? He was driven by nothing but faith—the belief that when He spoke, it would come to be. Without doubt, He spoke everything into existence. It’s interesting to note the point where God looked and saw that the light was good. This suggests that He was amazed by the brilliance of His creation, which came into being with just a spoken word.
2. God showed his faith in His redemption plan
The fact that the thoughts of men were wicked, evil, and callous, the sensible response would have been to act cautiously to avoid failure. Yet in the redemption plan, God chose faith over fear, firmly believing that the sons and daughters of God’s kingdom, willing to give everything—even their lives—for Him, would arise from the grand plan. If he had prioritised caution over faith and held back from fully committing to this plan, he would not be witnessing the remarkable success he sees today. The heavens would lack the great cloud of witnesses that now exists. His willingness to take a leap of faith propelled him forward, so he confidently closed his eyes and embraced the plan.
3. Faith shown in His calling and predestination
For if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have been entrusted with stewardship. – 1 Corinthians 9:17
Once again, God demonstrates great faith in His calling and predestination of His saints and ministers. The Apostle Paul asserts that he has been entrusted with the gospel to preach. No one can place something into the hands of another unless there is some level of faith that the person can meet expectations. This applies not only to the Apostle Paul but also to us as His servants and ministers. God exercised His faith by calling us into His vineyard and designating us as His ministers. Although many have disappointed Him and caused Him to reconsider the trust He placed in them, He continues to bring new people into His work and predestines future generations by faith.
Conclusion
Now we understand why God delights in faith and insists upon it: He is a faith being. Even now, He continues to work, curating plans and making investments based on the faith. We can be certain that when the Bible says, “The just shall live by faith,” The Just King and God Himself also lives by faith.
