What Does It Take to Finish Well? (Part 2)

Biblical faith 

It’s often a challenge to base our identity in something we can’t see, isn’t it? It takes real faith when the entire culture around you is telling you something that’s in opposition to what the Scripture says—what Jesus says about you. So it’s important that we grasp what it means to have biblical faith. 

Ken had some real insights that are worth sharing here: 

I like to define that kind of faith in this way: biblical faith is choosing to believe that what the Scriptures say is true in spite of our feelings and experiences to the contrary. 

So for example, when the Scriptures say that we are beloved in Christ Jesus; we’re accepted in Him; that we are children of the living God; that we’re no longer condemned but now we’re beloved and in His embrace; and that we have the Holy Spirit, that we have an eternal destiny; even though that may not fit with my experiences, my point is, biblical faith is choosing to believe it in spite of feelings and experiences to the contrary. 

And when I do that, I think I’m honoring God by saying, “Even though I don’t feel this way, I’m going to trust you.” 

Look at Romans 6, which says that we’re dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Do we really feel that way? No, but Paul says we’re to reckon it as so. Choose to believe that it’s so. Later, after we continue to present ourselves to God as He says we are—dead to sin, alive to God as new creatures—then after a while I think it could become more real in our experiences, and eventually even in our emotional lives as well. 

Take-away: to finish well we need to base our identity in Christ. 

About Michael Stickler

Mike is an author, radio host, and a highly sought after motivational speaker. His best-selling book, A Journey to Generosity, is widely acclaimed throughout the Christian community. Mike Stickler is the founder of The Vision Group, LTD. This organization offers ministries and nonprofit foundations a Christian perspective in overcoming the challenges of raising funds.

Over the course of his career, Mike has published over forty books that have made a difference through thousands of churches, nonprofits and foundations as they serve the world.