By faith Noah built an ark (Hebrews 11:7). He didn't just haphazardly build an ark. No, God warned him about the flood to come and so he "believed" God and built it. The conclusion is that Noah's faith in God made him build an ark. In the same way, faith in Jesus will make us "do"
something in line with what Jesus has said. Check the verses below from your own version of the Bible.
Hebrews 11:7 [Prompted] by faith, Noah, being forewarned by God concerning events of which as yet there was no visible sign, took heed and diligently and reverently constructed and prepared an ark for the deliverance of his own family. By this [his faith which relied on God] he passed judgment and
sentence on the world's unbelief and became an heir and possessor of righteousness (that relation of being right into which God puts the person who has faith). [Gen 6:13-22.] AMPLIFIED BIBLE said. Now ask yourself if you have faith or if you just go to church (a meeting place, club, etc)?
What did Jesus command us to do (John 13:34-35) and how do we do it (James 2:14-26, 1 John 14-19, 1 Corinthians 13:1-8)? I guess the biggest questions is if we are doing it just as Noah built a boat or do we have a dead faith?
Hebrews 11:30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days (NKJV). God told Joshua that He had given him Jericho (Joshua 6:2), but did that mean Joshua could just go up to the gate of the city, knock, and announce that he was the owner of the city per God? In the same way we use the promises of God today without following the instructions and call it faith.
Faith uses (is) the evidence of things not seen; the substance of our hope (Hebrews 11:1). We put our hope in the promises of God being true.
However, most if not all promises have conditions that are to be met first "before" we can see the results.
Hebrews 10:36 For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise: NKJV
It's funny to me to hear people say "by His stripes I am healed" when I know they have no intentions of dying to sin and living for righteous acts in accordance with the promise (1 Peter 2:24). That would be like Joshua just walking up to the gate of Jericho and knocking saying "hey guys, God
said this city was mine!" Yes He did say that and that is true, but did He say anything else before we hit you over the head with this sledge hammer?
Faith uses the evidence because faith contains (is) the evidence.
1 Peter 2:23-24 Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness--by whose stripes you were healed. NKJV
Do you have faith or a dead faith? James 2:14-26 (NIV) What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that--and shudder.
You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.
And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called God's friend.
You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone. In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith
without deeds is dead.
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