You are here: Home » Encouragement » Faith is the First Step: But Whose Step?

Faith is the First Step: But Whose Step?

By admin on Jan 17, 2011 in Encouragement

From the archive in honor of Martin Luther King. See Free Martin Luther King Lapbook at the bottom of this post.

“Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” Martin Luther King, Jr.

I’ve often thought, “It is a good thing God only gives the Light for a few steps at a time because if I saw any further down the road I’m not sure I would take the next step.”

Faith is a Commitment to a Promise: A Covenant

The patriarchs had faith to live according to God’s commandments, trusting in God’s promises. Biblical faith is faithfulness , a fruit of the Spirit.

When faith is developed creates deeper relationships. God wants a committed faithfulness and emotional trust in him. He sent his Son so that we could have a relationship with Him.

In several key passages by Paul (Rom 3:22, 26, Gal 2:16, 20, Eph 3:12, Phil 3:9) the construction of the Greek word “faith” can be translated either as a subjective genitive (Christ’s faith) or as an objective genitive (our faith in Christ).

God Takes the First Step in Our Faith!

We’ve been taught our faith saves us. But God takes the first step– through Christ by His Spirit–providing the faith (emudah) to develop our relationship with Him.

The Hebrew word for faith is אמונה (emunah – Strong’s #530) and is an action-oriented word meaning “support”. Our Western concept of faith places the action on the one you have faith in, such as “faith in God.” But the Hebrew word places the action on the one who “supports God.”

Emunah means faithfulness, persistent determination, holding steady, holding firm, holding true to what is true: the faithfulness of God. Our readiness to fully devote our lives to the service of God and sacrifice our life for the sake of God is the expression of our emunah in God.

Emunah means to believe in the truthfulness of a person as well as having emotional trust in a person. In the desert the children of Israel complain that God brought them out there to kill them. God says that they do not have emunah. (Deut 9:23, Ps. 78:37). They did not trust God.

Trust (faith, enudah) is important in every relationship we have. Trust removed can destroy friendships, marriages, businesses, and governments. Trust is grossly underestimated. It impacts us daily, not only in our relationship with God, but with every relationship and every endeavor in which we are occupied. Trust effects our homeschooling.

God Actively Seeks is an Intimate, Loving relationship with His Children.

Like the other fruits of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control) faith is a category of relationship. The fruit in our life is from our relationship with the the circle of the Triune God. It flows from the circle through us.

This faith involves decision and has to be renewed regularly. Faith is response in relationship; an ongoing thing, a process. We continually receive faith as a gift like manna.

We are amazed to hear the stories of Israel losing trust in God again and again resulting in disobedience and sin. However, we do the same thing each time we lose faith in God.

God Longs for Our Devotion!

God longs for our devotion, rock-solid faithfulness, loyalty, truthfulness, honesty, integrity. He desires us to have absolute trust in His Word and His trustworthiness.

God does not want a people who simply adhere to a set of rules no matter how well intended. God said in Hosea,

“For I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice, and in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings” (Hosea 6:6 ).

Sacrifices meant nothing because their hearts were unfaithful to God. God wants obedience and not sacrifice (1 Sam. 15:22), mercy and not religious rituals.

Next time you have trouble taking the first step ask God for the faith you will need. He promises to supply it!