And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” He was even called the friend of God. James 2:23
be·lieve
-to have confidence or faith in the truth of; give credence to.
-to have confidence in the assertions of
When I read the bible, it always amazes me that some of the great characters of biblical history were complete scoundrels at times. These were the same men who God found favor with and called His friends. Just to name a few – Adam, Moses, Samson, Abraham, David, all did something to tick God off. Samson was a womanizer who frequented prostitutes; Abraham tried to hurry God up with His promise of a son by conceiving Ishmael with his wife’s maidservant. David stole another man’s wife and then had him killed to cover up his sin when she became pregnant.
But they had one thing in common………….they believed God. They did more than believe in him, they believed in His character and His word.
Religion can trap us into a life of doing what is right on the outside without paying attention to what is in the inside. The more I get to know God the more I understand that He is looking at the attributes of the heart. He esteems a humble heart and He calls those who believe Him a friend.
When we have a humble heart that believes God’s word, the fruit should be reflected in our behavior. We act on what we believe. For instance, if I said I believed that my chair was strong enough to hold me but never sat in it, my actions would speak louder than my words. If I partially sat on the chair but never put my full weight on it, my actions would show that I do not fully trust the chair.
However, we must make the important distinction that the attitude in the heart must come before the actions or the actions are merely empty rituals. From the outside, it is often hard to tell if the behavior of others is motivated by a commitment of the heart or just a façade to look good. I guess that’s why Jesus tells us to leave the judging up to Him, because He knows the hearts of men.
