Written by Pastor Jack Wellman– William Carey
A Faith That Is Tested
A faith that is not tested is a faith that cannot be trusted, so God will occasionally test our faith to see if our trust in Him is strong. God already knows our hearts. He is not trying to settle the question of our faith in His heart but in ours.
A Faith That Is Trusted
Trust is essentially the same as belief. So if we really believe what God says, then we will trust Him. We can say that we believe God, but that trust is usually shown by our actions. If we trust God, we will step out on faith. This might mean taking a risk for God and stepping out despite what our eyes tell us.
A Risk for Rewards
God never takes risks. He is sovereign over all that happens, so it’s not luck but divine providence. But for us, we don’t know what the future holds, so we step out on faith and take risks for God for His glory, and rewards await us in the kingdom (Matt. 5:12). I had a high school friend who was visiting a relative in the hospital, and I spoke with him after not having seen him for years. He didn’t really want to hear about Christ, so I just handed him a Bible tract. He never wanted to talk to me again after that. I was willing to risk a high school friendship over telling him about what Christ required: repentance and belief (Mark 1:15). If I had been silent, I would have likely kept my friendship, but then this would have proven that I was more concerned with saving face than saving him.
Great Rewards for a Great God
What we do while here on Earth has eternal implications. Paul went into areas of the Roman Empire that had never heard the Gospel. He risked life and limb for Christ and paid with beatings, imprisonment, hunger, cold, and stonings. But he asked, “For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? For you are our glory and joy” (1 Thess. 2:18-19). Paul had no idea who would be saved or not because he understood that “as many as were appointed to eternal life believed” (Acts 13:48).
Conclusion
It is so true that “the fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and whoever captures souls is wise” (Prov. 11:30). We must trust God and have faith in Him and not ourselves. Great risks will bring great rewards if they are done for God’s glory because a faith that’s never been tested is a faith that cannot be trusted. Our faith is in a God Who can be trusted, and that trust results in having faith in the Gospel, which is power of salvation (Rom. 1:16). There is a crown awaiting the soul-winner, which is worth every risk here on Earth for the rewards coming in eternity.
