When you hear the word "faith," what is your reaction? The whole subject of faith can seem very obscure and fuzzy. However, since the Bible says that without faith, it's impossible to please God, we need to make sure we have it because we really want to please God, right? But how can you tell if you have faith? And what can you do to increase your faith?

The Bible gives us a definition of faith in Hebrews 11:1: "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” So, the first thing we hope for as Christ-followers is that we will spend eternity with Jesus in heaven because we’ve put our trust in him and him alone. That’s the first step of faith that is required in order to please God. Have you taken that step?

Then the Bible says, "…the righteous will live by faith” (Galatians 3:11). Paul wrote "For we live by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7).  So, after you have placed your trust—your faith—in the redemption Jesus provides for your eternal salvation, you face this challenge of living by faith.

Now, in your faith journey, there are times when your faith is strong, and there are times when doubts arise. Doubt is the opposite of faith. You may have doubts about your relationship to God. Perhaps you look at your failures and wonder if God could continue to call you his child since you've failed badly. Maybe you doubt if God really hears your prayers. All of us have occasional doubts.

In James 1:7 and 8 we read: “That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.” Doubt makes you double-minded and unstable. Double-minded means you believe God today and tomorrow you doubt. Then you become unstable, wobbly, ineffective, discouraged, unreliable.

It's obvious if you want to please God, you need to get rid of doubt. But just because some doubt enters your mind doesn’t mean you’ve lost your faith. It’s how you respond to the doubt that will determine whether that doubt takes over and makes you unstable, or whether you are victorious and your faith increases.

If you're like me, you want answers. I don't like unanswered questions, do you? I don't like loose ends and unfinished business. Yet life is full of them.

I'm sure many of you are in the midst of some situation for which you can find no answers. God is silent. The heavens are like stone. You've begged for explanations, but none have come. And your faith is beginning to weaken. What do we do when there are no answers?

Mary and Martha faced that dilemma when Lazarus died. You know the story. They sent for Jesus to come and heal Lazarus. They were confident that Jesus could heal him and prevent his death, and that he would do so, for they knew how Jesus loved Lazarus and them.

They sent out their cry for help, but we read in John 11:6 that "...when Jesus heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days.” He loved them but he didn't come to their rescue. Why? I can see Martha and Mary waiting by the side of their sick brother, expecting Jesus to walk through the door any minute. They knew he could have been there shortly but as hour by hour passed, Jesus didn't show up. And Lazarus got worse and worse, and they watched him die.

Do you think they wondered if Jesus really loved them during that time? Don't you imagine they must have felt abandoned and forsaken by Jesus, to realize that he could have come and healed their brother, but he chose not to? Don’t you imagine that their faith took a beating during those hours and days when Jesus was a no-show? Have you felt that way? I think we all go through similar reactions when there are no answers.

When Jesus finally arrived, it was too late; Lazarus was already dead. Martha was upset with Jesus, and we read in John 11:21 that she said to him, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” She asked him for an answer to her question: Why didn't you come, Lord?

I find Jesus' words to her at this time very interesting. He did not defend his actions; he did not say, "Martha, let me explain to you exactly what I did and why.” No, when Martha was looking for answers to her unanswered questions, Jesus took her back to basics.

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25). He confronted Martha with the reality of who he was and caused her to change her thinking.

You see, if Martha believed that Jesus was the resurrection and the life and that because Lazarus had believed in him, Lazarus would live forever, then this temporary separation would look very differently to Martha. Jesus wanted her to think beyond the immediate and look at the eternal. He wanted her to think about who he was and what kind of power he had. And she confessed out loud, "Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world."

When you don't have answers, stop and ask a different question: Who do you believe Jesus is? Do you believe that he is the resurrection and the life? If so, confess out loud exactly what you believe about the person of Jesus. It's important that you say it out loud, I think, so you can hear your own confession of faith.

We may never know some of the answers we're looking for this side of heaven, but we can always confidently know the answer to the question: Who do you think Jesus is? By concentrating your thoughts on who he is, you will have the peace and strength you need for those unanswered questions and your faith will remain strong even when you have no answers. If that was the question Jesus asked Martha when she wanted answers, then surely it is the starting place for us today when we want answers.

We all remember the end of this story; Jesus did meet their need by performing an incredible miracle and ...

How long has it been since you had a checkup?  Most of us are pretty good at making sure we have physical checkups regularly, but I’m talking about a spiritual checkup. So, I’ve suggested four examination questions which may be helpful in determining how healthy your faith is. They are:

Have you allowed the important daily disciplines of your life to fall away?

Are you doing the good works God has for you to do?

Are you showing the love of Christ as you should?

Is your faith growing?

Here’s the final question:

Do you share your faith with others?

As Christ-followers, we believe that Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life and there is no other way to have a right relationship with God—right? So, if we believe that, it should be natural that we share it with others. We know that God does not wish that anyone should perish, and neither should we. Since truth sets people free and because we know this truth about Jesus, sharing that truth is one evidence that our faith is strong.

I’ve just finished reading the book, Not a Fan, where the author asks again and again if you are just a fan of Jesus Christ or are you a follower, truly a disciple. If you do not share your faith, is it because you fear persecution or rejection? If you believe the gospel is the only way to salvation and that others will be lost eternally if they do not accept it, that should urge you to share your faith with others. So, have you done that lately?

My former Pastor was and is very comfortable sharing with anyone anywhere. Taxi-drivers, someone sitting next to him on an airplane, the next-door neighbor—he simply never hesitates to ask appropriate questions and start a conversation about Jesus. I have to confess that I’m not as natural at that as he is but I realize it’s an area where I need to grow. And what I’ve discovered is that when I start a conversation about my faith with someone I may not know so well, it usually is not nearly as scary or as difficult as I thought it would be. I think we let our enemy cause us to fear sharing our faith and then we miss out on lots of opportunities.

So, I’m hoping you’ll look at these five questions I’ve asked and allow God’s Spirit to help you check up on yourself, make sure your faith walk is healthy and growing, to the honor and glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

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Our fourth test question for is:

Is your faith—your relationship with God—growing?

You know, if your child didn’t grow as expected, you would be concerned. If a ten-year-old looks and acts like a five-year-old, you would be seriously worried, right? How do you think our Heavenly Father feels when we are spiritually way behind the curve? So, can you see areas of growth in your spiritual life? Can you actually identify areas where you are more like Jesus today than this time last year?

Second Corinthians 3:18 makes it clear that we should be in a growing process:

 And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 

Ever-increasing—that’s the key word there. A healthy Christ-follower should be able to name areas where they are growing. Take the fruit of the Spirit from Galatians 5:22-23a:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. 

Test yourself in each of these areas: Are you more loving, more joyful? Have you been more faithful, more gentle? Are you exercising more self-control? Further in Galatians 5 we read: “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” Are you “keeping in step” with God’s Spirit and growing more and more like Jesus? That’s a really good spiritual checkup question.

This is faith checkup week! I’m suggesting five ways to examine your faith—to see how healthy your faith is. I’m asking some incisive questions that may prompt you to consider whether you need some adjustments, some changes, some recommitment in some areas of your life.

Have you allowed the important daily disciplines of your life to fall away?

Are you doing the good works God has for you to do?

Are you showing the love of Christ as you should?

John 13:35 says,“ By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” And in 1 John 4:7-8, it is even stronger:

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 

The kind of love this refers to is not necessarily warm, gushy feelings toward someone, but rather it is agape love—love that results in practical actions. First Corinthians 13:4-7 lists those love actions:

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Every time I read that description of love, I’m convicted because I know I lack some of these evidences at times. Like, love is not self-seeking. That means it’s not selfish. You love because God is love and you choose to love like he loves. And love is not easily angered—think of what easily angers you. That’s where you need to learn to show love.

So, take another look at this description of love, and ask God to reveal any areas in your life where you’re not loving like he wants you to.

We go to doctors for regular checkups—right—just to make sure nothing’s wrong.  According to 2 Corinthians 13:5, we are to examine ourselves to see whether we are in the faith. It’s like a faith checkup. Here’s the second way to examine your faith:

Are you doing the good works God has for you to do?

Galatians 6:3-5 says:

If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, for each one should carry their own load.

So, what are the works you are doing in obedience to the Lord? This passage says we are to test our own actions—or examine our actions. We know from Ephesians 2:10 that “we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” What are the good works you are doing that God has prepared for you to do?

The works we are to do are part of the gifting God has given to us. For example, if God wants you to help people who are sick or disabled, you will most likely have the gift of mercy. That is what you need to do those kinds of good works. If he wants you to lead a worship team, then no doubt you have some musical gifting that enables you to do that good work. Part of the works God has for me is teaching and writing and speaking. Well, thankfully I love to communicate in these ways.

God would not have a good work for you to do that would be beyond your ability. Oh, for sure it will mean you have to work at it and develop your gifts and skills. But he will equip you to do the good work he has determined in advance for you to do.

So, are you sitting on the sidelines or are you actively doing the works God wants you to do? That’s a really good question to ask yourself as you examine your faith.

We have come through two years of the unknown like most of us have never experienced before. And the end is not yet in sight! How are we as believers in Jesus Christ navigating through these strange and difficult waters? Are we any better at it than others who don’t know Jesus as we do?

If nothing else, this pandemic and its many side effects have caused us to examine our faith, don’t you think? We read in 2 Corinthians 13:5:

Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?

In the face of this uncertainty, this loss of hope, this new normal which we all find very troubling and hard, maybe it’s time to truly examine ourselves and our faith. So, this week I will give you five ways to examine your faith. I hope you will find it helpful. Here’s number one.

Have you allowed the important daily disciplines of your life to fall away?

I’m referring to everyday disciplines as well as spiritual disciplines. For example:

Are you getting up early and making a plan for each day? Days without discipline are discouraging. Recently I allowed a day to just get away from me. I sat and thought about all I had to do, but I didn’t do anything. By the end of the day I was grumpy, not joyful. I simply had abandoned a daily discipline of a regular routine with goals for the day. I find that even the small disciplines—like making your bed, dressing in a caring way, straightening up the house, eliminating clutter—they make a difference in your approach to your day and therefore in whether your day is well spent or not.

How faithful have you been to stay focused on God’s Word and prayer? Is that a priority in your life? In fact, have you stepped up the time you spend in getting to know God and truly learning to pray? I have learned that if I allow this discipline to slip, it’s usually downhill for the rest of my day. It’s the essential one—the discipline that is foundational for all the other daily disciplines.

So, examine your faith by checking up on how you’re doing in the daily disciplines of life. It’s easy to let things slide when life is uncertain, and if that’s happened to you, you will benefit greatly by re-establishing those important daily disciplines.

There are few days in our lives that are guilt-free, and far-too-many of our days are filled with guilt. Life under a load of guilt is not the abundant life that Jesus came to give us. Guilt steals our joy, hinders our productivity, interrupts our peace, harms our relationships, and worst of all, makes us self-focused. Think about it—when you’re feeling guilty, you’re thinking about yourself; and I’ve learned that when I think about myself very much, it always leads to discouragement and despair.

Have you lived with guilt so long that it has become your daily companion and you no longer recognize its evil source and the harm that it causes? Little wonder that the enemy of our souls wields this weapon of guilt so broadly and with such effectiveness. He has long since recognized how easily we put up with guilt and how difficult it is for us to dump it. So, if he can keep us guilt-ridden, he keeps us from doing all the good things God planned in advance for us to do, as we read in Ephesians 2:10. He steals our joy, and the joy of the Lord is our strength.

While he may not be able to trip us up with some addiction or impurity or disgraceful public sin, it’s not that difficult to bombard our minds with guilt. Someone looks at us the wrong way and we take on guilt. One failure to jump through someone else’s hoop and we’re guilt-ridden. One memory of past sins and guilt moves in. But we often fail to see it as a tool of Satan because we feel like we deserve to feel guilty!

What is guilt?

Guilt is both a fact and a feeling. It is possible to be guilty without feeling guilty. It is possible to feel guilty without being guilty. And obviously, it is possible to be guilty and feel guilty. No doubt we have all experienced these three conditions.

Being guilty without feeling guilty can be due to ignorance. I may be guilty of breaking a law because I am ignorant of the law.

It is also quite possible to have a hardened heart that feels no guilt even when guilty. Hebrews 3:13 admonishes us not to be “hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” I may drive at an excessive speed even though I know I am breaking the law without feeling a tinge of guilt because I’ve become hardened to breaking that law and it doesn’t make me feel guilty, even though I am.

Feeling guilty even when we are not guilty is a more common struggle for most of us. This false guilt is caused by wrong thinking. We feel guilty because we allow ourselves to think thoughts that tell us it is our fault, whatever “it” is. In this condition, we ignore the facts, we wallow in self-recrimination, and we send ourselves into a downward spiral of despair and discouragement without justification. That’s because this false guilt is a feeling, not a reality.

It has been said that feelings have zero I.Q. That means they’re not smart, and in dealing with my own feelings, I have found this to frequently be the case. My feelings can mislead me because they are often not based on reality. But feelings can be very strong and convincing, whether accurate or not.

It is not God’s will for us to live in guilt. Galatians 5:1 says, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free; stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” Living with guilt is living with a yoke of slavery. It is allowing those feelings of guilt to choke the very life out of you. And Jesus came to set you free from this yoke.

It’s time we start refusing to submit to the yoke of guilt. But, you’re thinking, that is easier said than done. Of course, it’s easier said than done! What isn’t? But that’s no excuse for not doing it! It is possible to learn to live without guilt! We have power to do it because we have God’s Spirit in us to empower us, providing of course, we have been born again into God’s family.

Dealing with True Guilt

Did you know that you were not designed to live without hope? The truth is, when you lose hope, you lose your motivation, your energy, indeed you can lose even your desire to live. But as Christians we have great hope because of Jesus, who died and rose again to purchase our redemption, so no longer are we destined to hopelessness.

But, many times we can forget that, as we live our daily lives and just live in the drudgery of life instead of in the glorious hope that we have in Jesus. It’s really easy to lose hope in this sin-infested world, isn’t it?

But God’s Word is full of hope for you if you’re a Christ-follower, and you can overflow with hope even in the midst of difficult circumstances. It begins as you learn to bring every thought into captivity and make it obey Christ. Hopelessness is in your mind, in your thought patterns. Negative thinking robs you of hope. Thoughts like: This will never get better. Or I’ll never be able to do this. Or Nobody cares. Or I might as well give up; nothing is working. Or. . . and on and on. Pity parties swoop in and take over and you become mired in negative thoughts.

It is difficult—I would say it’s pretty much impossible to have negative thoughts and be hopeful at the same time. So, how’s your thought life these days? Negative thinking will steal your hope.

I love this passage about Abraham:

Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be” (Romans 4:18).

Against all hope—in spite of the hopelessness of his situation—Abraham in hope believed. How could he become the father of a nation? He had no idea how—but against all hope Abraham in hope believed.

Don’t lose hope. Cling to the hope we have in Jesus and never give up.

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What is your hope quotient? Your hope quotient is more important than your IQ—your intelligence quotient. In his book, The Hope Quotient, Ray Johnston says that under every thriving person, every thriving marriage, kid and business is one factor: hope. And he points out that hope is so much more than a feeling; it is a decision you and I make regularly to do the things that build hope in our minds.

In Hebrews 10:23 we read: “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.”

If you have professed faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, your hope is invested in his promises, right? But you must hold to that hope; you have to hang on when things look hopeless. Could it be true that life has thrown some tough circumstances at you lately? Is your job turning out to be full of strife and uncertainty?

Recently a friend was telling me how her company encourages strong competition between coworkers, actually causing disharmony as a way to motivate their workers to work harder and longer. As a result of that work environment, everyone is under lots of stress and they are always uncertain of when the next shoe is going to fall.

Does that sound somewhat familiar to you? Or maybe it’s a relationship problem in your family, or financial stresses or you’re just weary of the never-ending push and pull of life. What is stealing your hope? What is causing you to feel hopeless?

Let me please encourage you to hold unswervingly—without giving up—to the hope you have professed because the God of hope is faithful. Put this verse—Hebrews 10:23—on a card and take it with you every day. Then when those feelings of hopelessness start to move in (and keep in mind, they are feelings, not truth), then read or quote the verse and tell the Lord, “I’m holding unswervingly to my hope in you.” Speak truth to yourself and trust the God of hope. He won’t fail you.