Simple Faith by Pete BriscoeSample

Why Faith in Yourself Is Deadly

Faith is deliberate confidence in the character of God whose ways you may not understand at the time. —Oswald Chambers

Everyone is a person of faith. The reason I know this is because, around the world, people use chairs.

If you were to sit in a chair and it crumbled beneath you, I wouldn’t run up to you and say, “Ha! You don’t have enough faith!” What I’d say instead is that the object of your faith was inadequate—and you need to choose better next time.

A lot of TV preachers will lead you to believe it’s good to have faith in your faith. But the apostle Paul would tell you to put your faith in Jesus. Turn to Christ in faith for your salvation, and trust Him too for your sanctification. In the same way, you were saved by faith, live in faith.

Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did. (1 John 2:6)

There’s proof as to whether or not we live by faith, and it’s demonstrated by how we’re walking with Christ. I, for one, know I can’t walk as Jesus did on my own. I must have faith in Him to empower me to do so. Faith in myself is cute for the self-help section of the bookstore, but it’ll ultimately be my destruction.

So… what does a life empowered by Christ look like?

Lord Jesus, give me clarity when it comes to what I put my faith in. May it only be You and nothing else. Help me tune out the false wisdom that surrounds me and hear the truth from Your Spirit. Amen.