Faith Cannot Coexist with Doubt
ICS Daily Devotions
Hebrews 6:1 (NKJV) Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God.
Our walk of faith and learning about faith will continue for as long as we are on earth. While other people can stand in faith with us, our faith in God and the fight of faith are personal, as it depends on whether we give in to unbelief or have the dogged determination to stand firm on the promise God has given us. Our faith needs to be established on the Word of God because we all live by faith based on our theological conviction, which determines the kind of life we live on earth.
Although faith in God is the most foundational teaching of the Bible, many people struggle with living by faith because there is a vast difference between mental assent faith and heart faith. Mental assent faith believes and agrees with everything theologically correct about faith but struggles to walk it out and completely trust God. It means when the rubble meets the road, the person fails in the walk of faith. In contrast, heart faith comes with a deep conviction about God’s faithfulness and the tenacity to walk on that conviction in complex and challenging times. Heart faith is not affected by the senses but sees in the spirit the result of faith.
Growing from little faith to solid faith will always involve some struggles because we are moving to a different level of faith. However, our faith in God will become more substantial as we apply the truths to our lives after listening to God’s Word.
We need to bear different fruits in our lives. In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus described the Word of God as the seed. Once sown, it will produce faith in our hearts. However, our hearts, representing different kinds of soil, will determine whether the seed will be productive or unproductive. In other words, we are the ones who decide how much faith is developed after hearing God’s Word.
We all need to build our faith to face the various challenges, tribulations and needs in our lives. Therefore, let’s get used to walking by faith so that it becomes as natural as breathing daily. Scripture says in Hebrews 11:6 that without faith it is impossible to please God. Therefore, we must not allow doubt and faith in God to coexist because we will either be in faith or unbelief. One way to defeat doubts and unbelief in our lives so that we can stay in faith between the “amen” and the manifestation of the answered prayer is by meditating and listening to God’s Word and promises.
Romans 10:17 (NJKV) So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.
Sermon Series: Faith cannot coexist with Doubt
