Real Life Faith

Faith.  It’s a word we hear thrown around all the time.  Keep the faith.  Walking in faith. Have faith.  But what is faith?  One definition describes faith as having complete confidence in someone or something.  We get that.  I have faith in Becky.  She’s my rock.  I have complete confidence in her.  She’s proven her faithfulness to me for over 36 years.  I have faith in Jesus.  I know my faith is not based on what I have done, but on what Christ has done for me.  I have complete confidence that what Jesus did for me on the cross made it possible for me to be forgiven and to enter into a relationship with God that will never end.  Such faith comforts me and sustains me.  It’s a confidence based on what God has promised me.

But faith is also an abstract concept.  The Bible tells us that faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1  And the Bible also tells us that the righteous will live by faith. Romans 1:17 So then living by faith is something we do.  Faith works.  Faith elicits some kind of response, some kind of action that works out in our lives. Living by faith is a lifestyle for those who follow Jesus Christ.  We don’t just take a leap of faith in Jesus.  We follow Jesus in a life of faith.  And that sounds well and good. But one of the things I find that most people struggle with is how living by faith actually works.  For most of us we are accustomed to living by sight.  We like to figure things out on our own.  We like to control our lives.  So living by faith is hard for us.  But we are called to live by faith.  So then, what’s involved in living by faith?  How does faith act upon what we believe in?

Well, today, as we return to the Gospel of John, Jesus is about to meet a man who models for us what I like to call real-life faith. His story is told for us in John 4:43-54, where based on what he hears about Jesus he acts in faith.  In fact, in his encounter with Jesus we are going to see at least four ways how authentic faith works.  Four ways where confidence in Jesus can move us to respond in faith in the midst of real life.

So, if you brought a Bible with you today, this man’s story of faith begins with the spreading fame of Jesus as he journeys with his disciples back home to Galilee.  So if you’ve found John 4, let’s jump in at verse 43.  After two days he left for Galilee.  (Now Jesus himself had pointed out that a prophet has no honor in his own country.)  When he arrived in Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him. They had seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, for they also had been there.  John 4:43-45 Jesus is a native son of Galilee and many of his neighbors and acquaintances had witnessed Jesus’ miracles and cleansing of the Temple during the Passover.  The native son had made a name for himself.  So, with his new-found celebrity, they put out the welcome mat.  Jesus’ deeds in Jerusalem were making him famous in Galilee.

And so we read that Once more he visited Cana in Galilee, where he had turned the water to wine. And there was a certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death.  John 4:46-47

Here now we see how real-life faith begins:  Real Life Faith runs to Jesus   We see this in the man described here as a certain royal official. Here is a man who has almost everything life has to offer. He has great status in life:  he is a royal official.  He is a nobleman.  This means he has wealth and is well-connected.  But none of what he has gained in life is of any use to him as his son lay dying.  He is HELPLESS to save his son.  That is, until he hears word about Jesus, a worker of miracles.  Word has reached Capernaum of this man who turned water to wine, who did miracles in Jerusalem, who cleansed the temple.  So based on what he was hearing, this man takes a step of faith. This man leaves his son and comes to Jesus in Cana in hopes that Jesus might do the impossible:  That Jesus might come and heal his son.

This is a great lesson for us.  Sometimes God allows trials or challenges that are beyond our ability to overcome:  an irreparable relationship, an impending foreclosure, failing health.  We try everything but nothing works.  We come to the end of our rope.  And We’re left with a choice:  We can give up or we can go to the One who can do the impossible.  The man in our story was just desperate enough to come to Jesus.  At this point all he knew about Jesus is what he had heard.  And what he has heard is that Jesus has the power to work miracles.  And if Jesus has the power to work miracles,   perhaps he has the power to heal His Son.  So based on what he has heard, this man runs to Jesus.

Now let me ask you?  What do you do when you are faced with overwhelming odds?  What do you do when hardships, challenges, or adversity wear you down, tap your resources, and leave you helpless?  This man’s faith was initiated when he heard what Jesus had done.  What about you?  Is what you’ve heard about Jesus enough to have you trust him with your hardships?  Is Jesus good enough?  Is Jesus compassionate enough? Is Jesus powerful enough to handle what you are facing?

This is where real life faith begins.  It begins when you believe Jesus is able.  It begins when you believe He can do the impossible.  It begins when you believe God can and still does miracles today.

Think about this with me for a moment:  Nothing honors God more than when we come to Him and ask Him to do that which is beyond our ability to do.  Think about what He did for you when you trusted in Jesus for your salvation:  Did God give you a new life when you trusted in Him?  Did God remove your guilt and shame?  Did God change your heart and fill it with joy and peace?  We could not do any of those things for ourselves. There was nothing we could do to earn our salvation.  There was nothing we could do to take away guilt.  We could not give ourselves eternal life.  We could not arrange it so that God would adopt us into His family.  But He did all of this and more.  He is the miracle worker.  His power can change the hardest heart. His power can heal the broken and restore us to life.   He is able to do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine.  But do you believe this?  Do you believe God still works miracles today?

If you do, then you’ll come to Jesus with your troubles, you’ll come to Jesus with the adversity your facing, you’ll come to Jesus when bad things happen, because you believe He is able to do something about it.  You’ll run to Jesus, because that’s where real life faith begins. That’s what this man did.  That’s what the royal official did.  He heard of Jesus power, so he came to Jesus. But he didn’t just come to Jesus to meet him. He came with a specific request.  That’s what we see next, he went to him and begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death.

Here’s the second observation of how real life faith works: Real Life Faith refuses to give up John tells us that this man ‘begged Jesus’ to come and heal his son.  Literally, when he found Jesus, he begged and pleaded, and kept begging and pleading.  He was persistent.  He was unrelenting.  He refused to give up.

But Jesus was not so quick to comply.  He knew that there were those believing in Him ONLY because of the miracles.  THEIR faith was in the miracles themselves, not in the miracle worker.  So Jesus rebukes these ones by saying:  “Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders you will never believe.”    Now, this is an interesting turn of events.  The royal official had come to Jesus because he had heard of the signs and wonders.  He came in hopes that Jesus could heal his son. But now we see that Jesus doesn’t encourage faith based on his signs and wonders.  What gives?

One of the commentators in my Library explains why Jesus didn’t encourage this kind of faith.  He says, “Jesus exposes the limits of a ‘faith’ based merely on miracles and signs.  He will not commit himself to those who respond only at that level.  True, this level is where many people begin their relationship to God, saying things like: ‘If you will answer my prayer, give me this thing I am asking for, do this miracle for me, then I will believe in you.’ But faith based on signs and miracles must not be mistaken for true faith.  For it fails to honor God, since by it he serves us rather than the other way around” (Bruce Milne).

But the royal official refuses to be deterred by Jesus’ rebuke.  So, he keeps at it. He’s not looking for a sign, he’s looking for help: “Sir, come down before my child dies.”

And you can hear the urgency in his request. He’s desperate.  He will not take no for an answer.  Maybe everyone else was getting on the band wagon because of the miracles.  But not this man. He keeps begging, he keeps pleading, he keeps asking because he believes Jesus can help.  He’s not asking for Jesus to prove himself worthy of belief.  He already believes, so he’s not giving up until he gets help.  He was like the Jacob of old who wrestled with God and refused to let go of God until God answered his prayer.  You see the desperation of his circumstances revealed his faith.

Desperate times call for desperate measures, and there is no more desperate act than dropping to your knees and wrestling hard with God.  There comes a moment when you pray like nothing else matters.  Because it’s that these moments, in our persistence, that God knows we mean business, and God knows we believe He is able.

Sometimes I wonder where this desperation is today.  I mean, when was the last time you were so desperate for God to work, you just wouldn’t let go?  When was the last time you refused to take no for an answer?  When was the last time you wrestled with God for help? 

You see, it’s often easier to give up rather than to do the hard sledding of prayer.  Sometimes it’s easier to just throw in the towel then to keep at it.  But faith refuses to quit.  For it’s at those moments, when see little or no progress; when things look bleak; when we’ve come to the end of our resources; when we’ve come to the end of ourselves; that’s where real life faith reveals itself.  For when we come to the place where we have nothing left but to hold onto Jesus, that’s often when God does His greatest work: Because God loves to help the helpless!  Let me remind you of an amazing truth about God today: God has not changed.  God still honors spiritual desperadoes who plead with Him on their knees. That’s what we see in this passage.  That’s what we see in this man who pleads with Jesus:  Sir, come down before my child dies.”

And Jesus replied, “Go, your son lives.”  If we learn anything from this man’s persistent act of faith, it’s this:  When you’ve got nowhere else to turn, turn to Jesus.  And refuse to give up.  You may have to pray for weeks, or months, or even years.  But don’t quit.  This man didn’t quit.  And what happened.  Jesus rewarded his faith.  Jesus answered his request:  Jesus said, “Go, your son lives….

And what happens next?  We read The man took Jesus at His word and left. He believes Jesus and obeys his word.  Which leads me to the way real life faith works:  Real Life Faith relies on His Word

This man no longer needed for Jesus to come with him.  Jesus commanded him to go, so he went.  That’s what authentic faith does. Real life faith takes Jesus at His Word.  Real life faith relies on Word and then acts accordingly. Look at this man:  He had only heard a little about Jesus.  But what he heard he acted on: he went to Jesus.  When he met Jesus, he would not quit asking Jesus for help until Jesus rewarded his faith.  And then when Jesus said, “Go, your son lives,” He trusted what Jesus said was true. He relied on His Word and went on his way.  That’s faith in action!

How we miss this sometimes.  Too often we miss out on opportunities for God to do the impossible because we don’t act on the truth.

You want God to do the impossible?  Ephesians 3:20 says: “To Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine,” tells us that God is ready to do big things, even things we thought weren’t possible. But do we believe His Word?

You want God’s forgiveness? 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”  This tells us that God not only wants to forgive your sin, but He is ready to heal you, restore you to life with Him where you are pure before Him.  But do you believe this?  Are you willing to confess your sins, and let God purify you?

You want to know God’s favor?  Romans 8:31-32 says, If God is for us, who can be against us?  He who did not spare His own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will He not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?  God is an endless fountain of grace to you.  He is for you.  Do you believe this?  Are you relying on this promise?  It will set you free!

You want a loved one to come to God?  Then rest on His promise: “He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9

You want to grow your faith?  Then take Jesus at His Word.  Sometimes that’s all we’ve got.  Sometimes all we’ve got to go on is the promises of His Word.  But His Word is true.  Jesus is reliable.  He is for you.  You can take Him at His Word.  So the next time life throws you a curve – go to Him, ask of Him, wait on Him, never give up on Him, because He’ll never give up on you.  Trust that He is for you and wants to help you.  Keep believing, keep depending, and keep obeying His commands.  That’s what it means to live by faith. And when we live by faith, Jesus will reward your faith!

That’s what we see next:  While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living. When he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him, “The fever left him yesterday at the seventh hour.” Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” So, he and all his household believed. John 4:51-53

Jesus did what He said He would do.  Jesus responded to this desperate man’s faith and healed his Son.  And now upon his arrival home, he discovers the exact time his son was restored.  And upon learning this truth he and his entire household believed. Why did they believe?  Because Jesus did what He said He would do.  Jesus restored his son to life. Remember, his son was close to death.  He’d run out of options.  So, he turned to Jesus and Jesus delivered.  And when Jesus delivered, there could be only one response: to trust in Jesus.  Which reveals to us the final way real-life faith works: Real Life Faith responds to His Works

Jesus had done a miraculous work.  He didn’t even have to go with this father to heal his son.  He healed him from a distance at the exact time he said, “Go, your son will live.”  And we are told at the conclusion of this passage that: This was the second miraculous sign that Jesus performed after coming from Judea to Galilee. John 4:54

Now, if you know anything about the signs of Jesus, they had a distinct purpose.  The purpose of a sign was to reveal God’s glory.  The purpose of a sign was to see that what was done, only God could do.  This was now the second sign of Jesus.  Jesus had done what only God could do.  And when the royal official and his family witnessed this sign they realized there could only be one conclusion: God did this!  And when they realized that this child was restored to life at the moment Jesus said, “Go, your son will live” they responded to this sign.  He and his whole household believed.    That’s how faith works. God does something only God can do, and then we are left to respond.  The amazing thing is that as Jesus continued his ministry, many responded to his signs in faith – they believed He was God in the flesh; they believed He was the prophet sent from God; and they believed He was the Messiah.

And that’s how faith works today.  God has given us the ultimate sign in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus.  For only a sinless substitute could offer himself to die in our place.  And God did this!  And only a divine power could raise Jesus from the dead. And God did this!  And only God can give lifeto those who are dead in sin.  And God does this, when you respond to what Jesus has done for you.  For God’s Word says: If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in Him will never be put to shame.”

So where are you on your faith journey today?  Are you living by faith?  Are you believing in Jesus?   When you need help are you running to Jesus?                                                                  When you feel like quitting are you holding onto Jesus?

When you’re hearing His truth are you obeying Jesus?

And when you see what only God can do for you, are you trusting in Jesus?

You see a faith that works is a faith that keeps on working: It’s a real-life faith that keeps on seeking Jesus, keeps on asking Jesus, keeps on obeying Jesus, and keeps on trusting in Jesus…  You see, Some of you here today are trying too hard to face life’s challenges. Some of you may be thinking of throwing in the towel – quitting on your marriage, giving up on your children or even ending your life.  And some of you just need Jesus to show up and work a miracle. But the good news today is that Jesus still rewards those who believe in Him.  He’s ready to help you, to give you life, and even to save you – if you’re ready to come to Him and believe.  And if that’s you, Jesus is calling you to turn to Him and trust Him with whatever you need.  He’s calling you to respond to Him with faith!   Come to Him, Call on Him, Trust in Him, Follow Him today.