How Much Is Enough?

We believers know that an absolutely essential component of Christianity is faith. We are saved by faith apart from works. Without faith, we are not saved. Hebrews 11 says without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb 11:6). So we need faith to be saved and to live the Christian life and, without it, we're finished. But, how much faith is required? Do you ever wonder if you have enough?

Hebrews 11 is sometimes referred to as "the faith chapter" or "the halls of faith." It includes a description of faith (Heb 11:1) and then expands that brief description by giving loads of examples. Here's what we know. "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen" (Heb 11:1). Now, if you're like me, at first blush that looks like "the sound of one hand clapping" kind of stuff. So just what is that? Well, hope is kind of nebulous; things yet unrealized. This text says that hope exists on the basis of faith. Faith gives hope substance. That's the actual word from Greek translated above as "assurance." "Substance." It gives it reality. And we are required, as believers, to believe things we can't see. Lots of things we can't see. Faith is the "conviction," the text above says, of things unseen. A better translation would be "proof" or "evidence." Faith makes things that don't have ready proof real and proven. So, how much is required? The text goes on to give a lot of examples. There is Abel and Enoch, Noah and Abraham and Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph, Moses, Rahab, and more. These people are listed as people who had the kind of faith the author of Hebrews is highlighting. First, faith for what? They all believed that God has provided something better for us (Heb 11:40). They all believed the promises of God even though most of them never saw them. They believed that God existed and that God rewarded those who seek Him (Heb 11:6).

How much? How much faith is required to be a "person of faith"? In so many cases in this chapter we see people of tiny faith. Abraham was afraid God wouldn't come through and lied about Sarah being his wife ... twice. Sarah laughed when God made His promise of her bearing children. Moses didn't want to be God's mouthpiece -- too afraid to speak. But, remember what Jesus's word was? The "faith of a mustard seed" (Matt 17:20). What do we know about a mustard seed? It's very small ... but it grows. And that was the characterstic of the faith of those people in the "Hall of Faith." Yes, they exhibited small faith, but it grew. Abraham was terrified God couldn't come through, so he lied to save his life, but in the end he was willing to sacrifice Isaac, his promised son, because he believed God could raise him from the dead (Heb 11:19). Sarah was so dubious of God's promise that she gave her handmaid to Abraham to "help God out" as it were, but she bore Isaac just the same. Over and over, people of little faith came to great faith. Like the father who brought his demon-possessed son to Jesus and cried, "I do believe; help my unbelief" (Mark 9:23-24), we all suffer from "not enough faith" which can be remedied by Christ. We just bring what we have and He makes it enough. We just go through trials and He improves our faith (James 1:3). How much faith is enough? If you believe at all, what you have been given is enough. He'll always provide what you need.