Faith That Produces Miracles

According to Hebrews 11:1, “Faith is the assurance of what we hope for and the proof of what we do not see.” It is clear that God works great things through the struggles of faith of Bible figures, and the impact is felt over the long term.

The question is, what kind of faith makes what we hope for become reality?

Faith in Daily Life

When we talk about faith, the truth is that we already practice it every day without realizing it.

For example, we go to a restaurant for lunch. When we ride with a motorcycle taxi driver we do not know, we trust that we will be taken safely to our destination. When we arrive at the restaurant, we sit down right away because we trust that the chair will not break. Then we finish the food we ordered because we are sure it is not poisoned.

If we trust the work of imperfect human beings, should we not trust God even more?

Look around and notice everything God has already done for us: He sends rain so the air is cool, watches over us on our journeys, smooths our work and studies, protects our children while they play, and so much more. That is proof that God is Someone we can trust.

But is simply believing enough?

Justified by Works

James 2:14-26 explains how the combination of faith and works produces saving completeness.

You see, then, that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. And was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she hid the men who had been sent, received them into her house, and helped them escape by another way? For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead. – James 2:24-26

Perfect faith is faith accompanied by works. Without concrete action, faith becomes useless. Abraham and Rahab became examples of faith and were justified by their works. Both were ordinary people like us; they had life struggles that were not easy, but they had living faith.

1. Abraham - Willing to Offer His Son (Genesis 22:1-19)

His word: "Take your only son, whom you love, Isaac, go to the land of Moriah and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I will show you." – Genesis 22:2

This was a very heavy command for someone who had only recently received a child in his old age. Moreover, Isaac was the son promised to Abraham. Yet God did this because He wanted to test Abraham's trust.

Early the next morning Abraham got up, saddled his donkey, and took two of his servants with him and Isaac his son; he also split the wood for the burnt offering, then set out and went to the place God had told him. – Genesis 22:3

Abraham did not argue when God asked for his son; instead, he obeyed at once.

Then Abraham said to his two servants, "Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there; we will worship, after that we will return to you." – Genesis 22:5

Those words show how certain Abraham was that God, in His wondrous way, was able to return Isaac to him unharmed.

So believe this: when obstacle after obstacle blocks our lives, God is actually helping our faith grow. Through difficult things, we gain valuable experiences that make us stronger and draw us closer to Him.

And look at the outcome Abraham received: God blessed him with abundant prosperity and made his descendants very many, and all of it truly came to pass (Genesis 22:17).

2. Rahab - Risking Her Life to Help the Israelite Spies (Joshua 2:1-21)

Would you hide two people you had just met, clearly enemy spies being hunted down, in your home? Probably not.

Yet Rahab, a resident of the city of Jericho, was willing to risk her life and the lives of her family members to help the two Israelite spies. Why?

“For we have heard how the LORD dried up the waters of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. When we heard it, our hearts melted, and no courage remained in anyone because of you, for the LORD your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth below.” – Joshua 2:10-11

Did Rahab see directly what God had done? No, she had only heard the news. Yet Rahab believed in God's work even before seeing it. She did not hang her safety on the army of Jericho, or on the walls of her city that were so thick that her house could be built within them (Joshua 2:15), but on God. More remarkably, Rahab's faith was not selfish. She thought about the safety of her family members and asked the two spies to swear to save them when the Israelites attacked Jericho.

“that you will let my father and mother live, my brothers and sisters and all who belong to them, and that you will deliver our lives from death." – Joshua 2:13

Rahab's faith not only saved herself, but also her family members (Joshua 6:23-25). More than that, that salvation also became ours, because God was pleased to use Rahab as part of the lineage of Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:5).

What about us? As we live by faith, do we also think about the salvation of those closest to us?

To have faith means being willing to act even before seeing the result. Willing to trust and obey, even when God's command is not easy to carry out and even demands sacrifice from us. Yet with living faith, faith that works together with deeds, we can surely create miracles. Amen! -