Day 1: Faith versus Sight

Faith! Who can fully measure or express the potential represented by that short, simple word? In English, we have two different words for faith: a noun, faith; and a verb, believe. Preachers sometimes try to make a distinction between “believing” and “having faith.” However, there is no basis for this distinction in the original Greek of the New Testament. As far as the Bible is concerned, believing is exercising faith. Conversely, exercising faith is believing. Perhaps the clearest way to bring faith’s potential into focus is to examine two statements made by Jesus:

“With God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26)

“All things are possible to him who believes.” (Mark 9:23)

In each of these statements we find the words “all things are possible.” In the first passage they are applied to God; in the second, they are applied to the one who believes. It is not too difficult, perhaps, to accept that all things are possible to God. Can we equally accept that all things are possible to the one who believes? This is what Jesus told us. In practical terms, what does this mean? It means that, through faith, the things that are possible to God are made equally possible to the one who believes. Faith is the channel that makes God’s possibilities available to us. Through faith, all that is possible to God becomes equally possible to us. No wonder that the Bible, from beginning to end, consistently emphasizes the unique and supreme importance of faith.