Hence, this morning, I decided to spend some time doing my quiet time again and reading the bible (which again I seemed to lack of especially in exam period :P). And again, God has answers for me as always...this time in Hebrews 11. (And AGAIN I love my study bible! Geez...hope I don't rely on it too much and forget to think and feel about it with my own understanding... :P)
The whole chapter was on "Faith" and there is a small portion there that explain to the reader (by the author) on "What is faith like?" (11.1). I believe this would come across many of us, even for christians, that we would have questions for our faith again and again. And hence it is a goodwill for the author here to make some further elaboration about this issue.
As I read on, I agree with what he says. Let me just share with you all the answer for this questions:
"Faith means believing in and obeying God, which requires relying on what we cannot see -- God's promises, provisions and concern for us. An inner attitude alone does not define faith, though. For faith to be present, action is required. Faith proves itself by obedience to the Lord.
The writer of Hebrews expressed faith in two directions: faith toward future things (what we hope for) and faith toward invisible things (what we do not see). When we are certain God is in control of these areas (and we live like he is in control), that's faith.
The two sides of faith -- assurance and expectation -- can be seen in the lives of those listed in this chapter. The had strong convictions about unseen present realities. They also had a strong assurance that God's promises would be fulfilled -- even in the face of evidence that seemed to suggest otherwise (see v.11).
Ultimately, the way we see God will determine the shape of our faith. If we see a big, faithful, all-powerful God, then our faith will rise to those levels. If, on the other hand, we see a smaller God, a distant or less active God, then faith will plateau at those levels."
True enough, I believe that it's wonderful when you actually can feel the power of The Holy Spirit, but we also need to know that sometimes God does marvellous things without us feeling anything. I was told that if we always expected God to work through our senses, we would build a wall between us and God. He is just as real and does many things even when our feelings are not involved...
Remember this: Our faith rely on Jesus Christ, not in our emotional experiences. Though as I said, it is still wonderful to actually feel Him... :)
"These were all commended for their faith, yet non of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect. ~ Hebrews 11:39-40"
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