REAL FAITH

“The Lord is with you while you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.”

(2 Chronicles 15:2, NKJV)

These are some of the words of Azariah, son of Oded, spoken to King Asa of Judah. The message of Azariah inspired Asa to remove idols from his kingdom and restore worship of the Lord. In this brief statement we find some principles of faith.

God is found by those who seek Him.

Real faith is characterized by a desire to find God and be close to Him. Those who have no desire for God or the things of God do not have real faith.

God only forsakes those who have already forsaken Him.

God offers salvation to all who will place their trust in Jesus Christ His Son. He will never forsake someone who is willing to trust Him. He only forsakes those who have rejected Him first. God initiates Grace. Man initiates rejection.

If you can walk away, your faith wasn’t real.

A person who can walk away from God never fully trusted Him. Some walk away because of a tragedy. They became angry at God and walked away. They became angry at God because they falsely judged His character, believing that God is not good because He allowed such a thing to happen. They never really knew God, nor trusted Him. They enjoyed His benefits. When the benefits stopped, so did their faith. It wasn't real. Real faith doesn't walk away when things get tough.

Real faith is faith that lasts.

Real faith trusts that God is good and He loves us, even when things go wrong in life, even when we suffer. Adversity is the only way to test and strengthen our faith. Real faith endures through the trials of life and becomes stronger as a result.