Faith Made Perfect

Just found another definition of faith in my Nelson Open Bible: faith is confidence in the testimony of another. Faith in God, then, would be defined as having confidence in the testimony of God (better known as His Word or the Bible). And going a bit further with the definition we would say: and acting in accordance with that confidence.

So now we know that faith without works is dead, and that works without faith is sin ("Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." Matthew 7:22-23 KJV). What then is perfect faith?

The Book of James says: “Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?” (James 2:21-22 KJV)

We see by this scripture that faith and works are intertwined in such a way, that without one (works), the other (faith) is not made perfect, and yet the works came out of Abraham’s faith in God (or Abraham’s confidence in the testimony of God) and, combined with the works, formed “perfect” faith.

We’re all familiar with chapter 11 of Hebrews that speaks so abundantly of faith, listing so many of the men and women of the bible whose faith was made perfect by their works. And then it finishes with these “works” of faith made perfect:

“…who through faith:

- subdued kingdoms,
- wrought righteousness,
- obtained promises,
- stopped the mouths of lions,
- quenched the violence of fire,
- escaped the edge of the sword,
- out of weakness were made strong,
- waxed valiant in fight,
- turned to flight the armies of the aliens,
- women received their dead raised to life again,
- and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection,
- and others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment,
- they were stoned,
- they were sawn asunder,
- they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins,
- being destitute, afflicted, tormented, (of whom the world was not worthy),
- they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.

And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.” (Hebrews 11:33-40 KJV)

The ten Boom family is in that list somewhere, even though you do not see their names written. Betsie, herself is one that did not receive the promises, although God showed her in visions what was to come. She died without seeing them, yet she believed. And Corrie believed and lived to witness them all, as even some of us are doing through the reading of this book.

May ALL of us BELIEVERS, having confidence in the knowledge that Jesus Christ resides within us, walk in perfect faith by the power of HIM WHO WAS PERFECT.

[This blog is an ongoing study of the lives and the faith of Christian women who have experienced and demonstrated victorious living through Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The current study is about Corrie ten Boom which began on September 21, 2009.]