“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10
The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit. With sight, one can probably buy his or her next step and what else do we need to prepare in advance for life but while Abraham left the land of civilization and made himself home among the hot canvas, Moses gave up a princely life with the Egyptians to stay identified with the Israelites. Although a bible commentary can seemingly help us to understand more of His word, but not until have we experience more and more of his grace and glory along the way, we cannot go any further down in a deeper walk with Him. The years of study in a child’s life is to prepare him for greater work in the society but instead of knowing God face to face, we may instead end up to understanding Him word by word. Hence knowledge puffs up while love builds up.
Likewise, there are many thing in life that cannot be simply learnt through extensive long hours of study in a college’s library or simply by reading someone else's biography. For some faith is a gift, others as they grow gradually in the spirit, and a measure of faith is apportioned. (Romans 12:3) But what if someone say I have faith but no deeds? True faith are faith that has been thoroughly tested and endures, good works and good deeds can never justify the faith we have in God neither can it saves us on the last day.
In short, faith in action should enhance the work of our hands, the deed of our mouths, it is simply faith brought forth itself alive or faith itself metamorphoses - from faith to faith, from glory to glory. Compare to faith in its most raw form (Romans 4:22), it is the process of transformation from an immature form to an adult form and it requires more than one distinct stages. Self-assurance and self-delusion is no faith though one may claim to have faith for if faith can comes by understanding, it requires no work or action on our part. On the contrary, it does not means that we should take on the honor on behalf of God and struck the rock. The Psalmist had undergone it and he knew this and that was why he said, “Your promises have been thoroughly tested, and your servant loves them.” (Psalm 119:140)
God does not give vision to those who are not willing to take the first step out into the wavering seas. Faith without action is dead - I’ll show you a most typical example of what does it meant by to “walk by faith.” Firstly to walk by faith, one will need to take a cloth and have himself blindfolded. You may think it is very easy, but that was what Abraham did when he took to the mountain his son and the wood. It is the same for us, faith in God will subject us to surrender our fears, our worries, our concerns, our wants and our needs down at His feet. Then the real man begins to walk and as he walk, the Lord will stretch out His hand to hold the man’s hand. (Matthew 14:28-31) That is what Paul meant by “For we live by faith, not by sight” but faith without action is dead.
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. Faith is the substance of things hoped for and faith is the evidence of things not seen. For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” and of David who knew grace apart from works. (Romans 4:3-8)
Verses for meditation Genesis 22:1-7
Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.
