But without faith it is impossible to please him : for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Hebrews 11:6 (KJV)
Bottom line: Being faithful does not guarantee a prosperous life on earth.
Teaching
Many Christians hold the belief that as long as they are faithful to God in every way, the Lord will not allow anything bad to happen to them. They get disappointed when the devil succeeds in getting to them. The problem they have is that they confuse faith and faithfulness.
Faith and faithfulness are not the same thing. Being faithful to God is remaining loyal and steadfast towards him and his commandments. Having faith in God on the other hand is living by the reality of his word. Paul the apostle defines it this way:
18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
2 Corinthians 4:18
Having faith in God is believing and functioning by the unseen realities of the word of God. Hebrews 11:1 puts it this way:
1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Hebrews 11:1
Faith in God is a force that can move any mountain standing ahead of you.
20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
Matthew 17:20
Faith is what permits the believer to overcome any challenge on his or her path, not faithfulness. Faith is what we live by. It is what pleases God.
38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
Hebrews 10:38
6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Hebrews 11:6
Faithfulness is good. The Bible says we shall be all rewarded in heaven for our faithfulness on earth.
4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.
1 Peter 5:4
However, the success of our lives on earth depends on our faith in God and his word, not on our faithfulness. A man can be so committed to the church and faithful in all his assignments yet suffer from the attacks of the enemy. This is because what protects you from the arrows of the enemy is “the shield of faith”, not your faithfulness in serving God.
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
Ephesians 6:16
Job is a good example of a person who was very faithful towards the Lord in all he did, but because of his faithlessness, he allowed the devil to access his home and wreaked havoc.
5 And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually.
Job 1:5
Job was faithful in keeping the law. And by his obedience to the law, God surrounded him, his home, and his property with a hedge of protection.
9 Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?
10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.
Job 1:9-10
Job was heavily protected by God, but because of fear, he used his negative confessions and broke this hedge of protection and gave access to the devil.
25 For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me,
Job 3:25-26
and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.
26 I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet;
yet trouble came.
Job was protected by God all around, but he confessed and lived in fear, not faith. This is what breached the hedge of protection around him and gave the devil access.
4 A wholesome tongue is a tree of life:
Proverbs 15:4
but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit.
8 He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him.
Ecclesiastes 10:8
Though Job was a faithful man, his lack of faith permitted the attacks of the devil to get through to him. He didn’t have the shield of faith. The Bible says:
11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
Revelation 12:11
Faithfulness will give you a crown of glory in heaven, but faith is what will put you on top in life here on earth. Develop your faith today as you study the word of God and fellowship with the Spirit of God in prayer, in Jesus’s name! Amen.
Further Study
- Proverbs 1:33 [But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, And shall be quiet from fear of evil.]
Reflection
- Do you invest yourself in building your faith daily in Christ Jesus?
- Do you apply your faith in the face of adversity, or do you succumb to fear?
- In what ways do you think you can increase and re-enforce your faith in Christ Jesus?
Prayer
Dear Lord, I thank you for the seed of faith in my spirit. I declare that I walk daily in faith, and not in fear. I put your word first and turn a blind eye to what the circumstances of my life show me. I believe in you, and my path is that of a shining light which shines brighter and brighter unto the perfect day, in Jesus’s name. Amen.
