Do You Believe? Then show me…
Genesis 15:6 (NASB95)
6Then he believed in the Lord; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.
Genesis 15:6 is a key verse for understanding what it means to believe in God. Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted it to him as righteousness. This belief was not just a passing thought or a simple agreement with God's words. In this verse, belief does not mean simply believing in God’s existence, which is the most common understanding in the Western world today. The Hebrew word for “believed” means that Abram trusted and had confidence in God’s promises. He continued to trust, making faith in God a consistent pattern in his life. Abram’s faith was active. It was visible. There was clear evidence of his faith. He accepted God’s word as true and based his future actions on God’s character.
This thought leads us to the New Testament and the Gospel of Christ. Many Christians today define faith and belief as simply believing in God’s existence. However, like Abram, if our faith is actual trust that God is who He says He is and will do what He says He will do, that faith transforms lives. It will be observable, as it was in Abram’s life. It will be accompanied by evidence and proof of that faith. This is the relationship between works and faith.
We are saved by our belief, our faith, just as it says Abram’s belief was counted to him as righteousness. But it’s a living faith in a living God. This faith, this trust, this belief, will result in action by the one who believes. Works are the manifestation of our faith – the proof, the observable evidence. James writes that “faith without works is dead.” Works are not the cause of righteousness, but they are the evidence that our faith is genuine. Abram’s life was marked by obedience and trust. His actions proved his faith. True belief always produces fruit. If faith is authentic, it will show itself in the way we live, serve, and love.
Genesis 15:6 points us forward to the Gospel. Jesus taught that loving God and loving others are the greatest commandments. He said, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” Faith —belief in God —leads to a life of obedience and love. The New Testament writers use Abram’s example to show that faith and works are inseparable. Paul and James both point to Abram to teach that faith is counted as righteousness, but that works always accompany faith. Jesus calls His followers to a living faith that is seen in action.
The church today must hold fast to a faith that works. We must trust God’s promises and let that trust shape our actions. Belief is not just what we say, but what we do. If we love God, our lives will show it. Our works will be the evidence of our faith. Let us be a people whose faith is seen in every action.
Someone I know once wrote, “Love is a verb.” She is right. Go. Do. Be.