April 6

Faith Seen in Our Works

When Jesus saw their faith, He said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” — Luke 5:20 BSB

As far as we know, no one said anything to Jesus about the sick man, but there really wasn’t any need for words. The effort his friends made to get him to Jesus was a clear sign of their strong faith. The best proof of faith is the actions we take to obtain what faith promises.

Abraham first showed his faith when he immediately obeyed God’s call to leave his home and go wherever God led him. He showed his faith again when God told him to offer his only son as a sacrifice, and he obeyed without question. After this, God said, “Now I know that you fear me, because you have not withheld your son, your only son.” There’s no need for words or declarations of faith when our actions show it.

God can see faith. He sees it in our hearts, even before it’s expressed in words or actions. But here the emphasis is on faith in action. God is pleased when we show our faith by what we do. There are many prayers without words, and God sees them, even when he doesn’t hear them. There’s at least one instance in the Bible where God actually stopped someone from praying and told them to act instead. At the Red Sea, God said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to move forward.” We should learn to act on our faith without delay. Sometimes we need to stop praying, get up, and get to work. Praying for a friend in trouble is good, but it’s selfish if we can help and don’t. Praying for missions is right, but it’s not a substitute for giving, especially if we’re holding on to the resources God wants us to share. God wants to see our faith in action.