“And without faith it is impossible to please him.” (Hebrews 11:6a)
Faith is not only intellectual understanding or acknowledgment. Simply knowing something that is right or true cannot help you. James 2:19 clearly says, “Even the demons believe—and shudder!” Satan knows that Jesus is the Son of God. He also firmly believes that God is the only true God. He strongly believes in this truth. However, he is too proud. He has not trusted in God nor relied on God, therefore he shudders! An arrogant person trusts in himself, not in God. On the contrary, we ought to be humble in order to have great faith in God. In Matthew 8:8-10, the Lord was marveled by the faith of a centurion. He considered himself not worthy to have the Lord come to his house. This centurion was humble. A humble person is not an incapable person, but someone who trusts in the Lord, not himself.
Intellectual understanding and reasoning is important. This is why we need to listen to the truths. You heard about the Lord: He is the Son of God; He died for us on the cross; and bore our sins. We might believe without any doubts. However, have you accepted the Lord as your personal Saviour? Have you relied on Him? We must be very clear that it takes more than knowledge to be saved. We have to trust in the Lord in our hearts. Trust is very important. The Bible uses “believe in” rather than ”believe.” This is more than intellectual understanding, or believing that something is right. Of course, we need to understand first, but only staying at the level of understanding cannot save us. Even feeling moved is not enough to save us. Most important is whether we trust in the Lord, accept Him as our personal Saviour, ask for His help to overcome sins, and obey Him. Repentance is an action of faith. That is why the Bible uses “repent” in some instances, and “trust” in other occasions.
Therefore, faith is to rely on the Lord to save us from our shortcomings and sins. His name is Jesus. Only Jesus can save His people from sins. We need to trust in Him, not merely believe or agree. “Take refuge” and “trust in” are used many times in the Bible. We have to take action to lean on Him and rely on Him. You have to be very clear about “faith” as there is no other way.
On the night before His crucifixion, the Lord told His disciples that it is to their advantage that He will depart from them. It’s so precious that the Father, the Lord and the Holy Spirit dwell in our heart—the deepest union. This union is not static. Rather, it is the most special presence of God, the deepest union of life in the whole universe. This union is like the vine and the branches, the head and the body. This is a love union between God and us.
D-day was a special day for the allies during the Second World War. I wrote a song called G-day – the glorious day. The Lord said “on that day,” which is the glorious day when the Holy Spirit descended. A new era has begun. Man can enter into a new and deepest relationship with the Father, the Lord and the Holy Spirit! God’s love dream has come true! Not only do we have a personal relationship with the Father, the Lord and the Holy Spirit, we also become God’s family! The era of the New Covenant has begun! The phrase “more excellent” appears many times in the Book of Hebrews. Indeed, today is even better!
We also have a fantastic day. It’s the day when we see the Lord face to face! This day is coming soon!
The Lord abiding in us and we in Him is our spiritual reality. I wanted to help you see this truth more clearly. When you see the benefits of abiding in the Lord, you will be motivated to live it out.