Growing in Faith: Trust and Confidence
Estimated reading time: 11 minutes
Faith Seems to Be an Elusive Concept
Romans 1:16–17 KJV:
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
I thought that when we got born again, we just received faith. There are a number of ways that this could be translated; one way to translate it is “from the beginning of faith to the end of faith.”
From the moment we were born again, we believed that God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. That’s the beginning of faith!
But then we have a lifetime journey of continuing to have faith, and it’s not a straight line.
From the time we are born again until our last breath, we will be continuing to grow in faith.
Romans 10:8–10 ESV:
8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
The word of faith is in your mouth and in your heart. When we are born again, we have the word of faith.
There are two elements to faith: the mouth and the heart.
Romans 10:10 ESV:
For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
This is an ongoing process; we are always being saved.
Romans 10:11 ESV:
For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.”
Isaiah 28:16 NET:
Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord, says: “Look, I am laying a stone in Zion, an approved stone, set in place as a precious cornerstone for the foundation. The one who maintains his faith will not panic.
The faith that saves is not believing certain truths.
“The faith that saves is not believing certain truths, nor even believing that Jesus is a Savior; but it is resting on him, depending on him, lying with all your weight on Christ as the foundation of your hope. Believe that he can save you; believe that he will save you; at any rate leave the whole matter of your salvation with him in unquestioning confidence. Depend upon him without fear as to your present and eternal salvation. This is the faith which saves the soul.” —Charles Spurgeon
YouTube: Confidence:
There are two words for “trust” or “confidence” in Hebrew: chasah and batach. These words help us to understand how to trust.
Chasah has an action, and it means to “flee for refuge.” Often in the Psalms, trust means to flee for refuge under his wings, or under the rock, or under the shelter of his arms.
YouTube: The God Who Stays:
God’s arms are wide open for us, and all we need to do is run into them.
Psalm 18:1–2 ESV:
1 I love you, O Lord, my strength.
2 The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge [chasah], my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
You can start with this one verse (verse 2) and put it into your mouth and repeat it. Make it personal.
Both your mouth and your heart are involved in trusting.
Chasah is to recognize our need for God’s love and support, and then go to Him. You recognize that you have a need, and then you go to God. He is the faithful God of love.
Chasah also has an action that means to cling or hold on tightly to something. It’s an assurance or belief in the goodwill of someone else.
An action tells what’s in your heart.
Let’s look at a record in Daniel that occurs early, in the time when Daniel and his friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, had arrived in Babylon and had been put into the group of the wise men. But they hadn’t proved themselves yet.
Daniel 2:1–7 ESV:
In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his spirit was troubled, and his sleep left him. 2 Then the king commanded that the magicians, the enchanters, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans be summoned to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king. 3 And the king said to them, “I had a dream, and my spirit is troubled to know the dream.” 4 Then the Chaldeans said to the king in Aramaic, “O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation.” 5 The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, “The word from me is firm: if you do not make known to me the dream and its interpretation, you shall be torn limb from limb, and your houses shall be laid in ruins. 6 But if you show the dream and its interpretation, you shall receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. Therefore show me the dream and its interpretation.” 7 They answered a second time and said, “Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will show its interpretation.” 8 The king answered and said, “I know with certainty that you are trying to gain time, because you see that the word from me is firm— 9 if you do not make the dream known to me, there is but one sentence for you. You have agreed to speak lying and corrupt words before me till the times change. Therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that you can show me its interpretation.”
This is getting serious. They have to first tell the king what the dream was. That means they can’t just make up something as an interpretation. This was life and death for the “wise men.”
Daniel 2:13–16 ESV:
13 So the decree went out, and the wise men were about to be killed; and they sought Daniel and his companions, to kill them. 14 Then Daniel replied with prudence and discretion to Arioch, the captain of the king’s guard, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon. 15 He declared to Arioch, the king’s captain, “Why is the decree of the king so urgent?” Then Arioch made the matter known to Daniel. 16 And Daniel went in and requested the king to appoint him a time, that he might show the interpretation to the king.
We can already see that Daniel had confidence.
Daniel 2:17–23 ESV:
17 Then Daniel went to his house and made the matter known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions, 18 and told them to seek mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his companions might not be destroyed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. 19 Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. 20 Daniel answered and said:
“Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might.
21 He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding;
22 he reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him.
23 To you, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, for you have given me wisdom and might, and have now made known to me what we asked of you, for you have made known to us the king’s matter.”
Daniel saw the vision that the king had seen, and its interpretation is the unfolding of history from that point until the coming of the kingdom of Jesus Christ.
When we go to God and shut out all the distractions around is, that’s when God can reveal the mysteries.
Isaiah 28:16b NET:
The one who maintains his faith will not panic.
Proverbs 3:5 ESV:
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
In 1 Kings, after Elijah had the incredible miraculous victory and overcame all the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel.
1 Kings 19:1–3 ESV:
Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.” 3 Then he was afraid, and he arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.
This is not the first time Jezebel has threatened Elijah. She had killed many other prophets. It wasn’t so much Jezebel that upset Elijah, even though it does say that he was afraid. Elijah thought that after such a great miracle on Mount Carmel, Israel would turn back to God again. But they didn’t, and Elijah became discouraged. He had spent his life as a prophet for God, yet after this tremendous miracle, nothing had changed.
1 Kings 19:4–8 ESV:
4 But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.” 5 And he lay down and slept under a broom tree. And behold, an angel touched him and said to him, “Arise and eat.” 6 And he looked, and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. And he ate and drank and lay down again. 7 And the angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched him and said, “Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you.” 8 And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God.
Elijah had a pity party and decided that he wanted to go and be in God’s presence at Mount Horeb.
1 Kings 19:9–18 ESV:
9 There he came to a cave and lodged in it. And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10 He said, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” 11 And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. 13 And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 14 He said, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” 15 And the Lord said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. And when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria. 16 And Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint to be king over Israel, and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint to be prophet in your place. 17 And the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael shall Jehu put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha put to death. 18 Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”
God not only told Elijah what to do, he showed him that he was not the only one; he was not alone.
1 Kings 19:19a, 21b ESV:
So he departed from there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat…
…Then he arose and went after Elijah and assisted him.
From that point on, Elijah is never alone again for the rest of his life!
Elijah had spent years standing by himself. God understood and made sure he didn’t have to be alone anymore.
The word of faith is in our mouth and in our heart. We must realize that God loves us and we can run to Him.
In order to slay the giant of discouragement and have confidence, you must identify where the lie is. Elijah thought he was alone, but he wasn’t.
Hebrews 13:5b ESV:
I will never leave you nor forsake you.
YouTube: God of All My Days, by Casting Crowns:
Scripture References
Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from The NET Bible® Copyright © 1996, 2019 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. www.netbible.com. All rights reserved.
See Also:
Growing in Faith: Waiting on the Lord
From the Acts Now Fellowship website:
Our Refuge audio teaching
Trust and Obey audio teaching
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