As Christians, faith is an integral part of our lives. It’s certainly important if we are to see the manifestations of God’s grace in our lives; however, we must be careful to avoid extremes. Some people have a “grace only” mindset that turns them into passive Christians, while others have a “faith only” mindset that fools them into thinking they must perform to see any results. To experience God’s best, we need an equal blend of both grace and faith.

Grace has already made available to us everything we need for an awesome life, but we must genuinely believe this in order to see anything happen. Abraham was known for his great faith, which positioned him to receive favor from God. In his letter to the Romans, Paul used Abraham as an example of how faith and grace work together for those under the law as well as those who share Abraham’s faith.

Paul wrote an entire letter to the Hebrews pointing out deliberate acts of faith by Abel, Noah, Abraham, Sara, Isaac, Moses, Rahab, and others. Walking by faith, not by sight, is one of the characteristics of being a Christian. Jesus taught that great things are possible with faith even as small as a mustard seed. However, without corresponding actions, nothing we say we believe will come to fruition. Faith without works is dead; even Abraham had to take action through his works of faith for them to be imputed to him as righteousness.

When it comes to right-standing with God, the world has a way of overcomplicating things to the point of confusion. It’s simpler than we think; instead of constantly doing religious works with no faith behind our actions, the only work God requires of us is to believe in the one whom He sent. This grace-faith package is a gift from God that guarantees our success when we accept it.

Prayer:

God, we’re grateful that You bring to light the truth about balancing Your grace with faith. Believing in You and acting on that belief brings amazing results. Thank You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Scriptures:

Romans 4:16, 20-22

Hebrews 11:1-40

2 Corinthians 5:7

Luke 17:6

James 2:17-26

John 6:29