Transformed By Faith

CRISTINE COLE | Proclamation! Copy Editor—Printed Version |

Several years ago, my husband and I decided to add a loft to one of our bedrooms that had a very high ceiling. After the workmen finished the base of the loft, but before they added the guardrails and stairs, I decided to go up there to look around. I got a 6-foot ladder and was able to hoist myself up easily enough to the loft which was built about 10 feet up from the bedroom floor. However, when I decided to come back down, I became frightened and wasn’t sure I could make it down safely. The ladder was still where I had left it, but as I looked down, the bedroom floor seemed like such a long way off! I called my husband to come and hold the ladder steady for me, which he did. But because I had to go down feet first, it was difficult to see where my feet would land. I would tentatively lower one foot and then pull it back up. After several unsuccessful attempts at grabbing my foot so he could plant it on the ladder, my husband exclaimed in exasperation, “You need to have faith in me!” I finally surrendered my foot to him. He placed it securely on the ladder, and I was able to come down safely.

That seemingly insignificant event got me thinking and asking myself: do I have faith in others and especially in God? What is faith, anyway? And what happens to a person who has faith?

Webster’s dictionary defines faith as a “belief and trust in and loyalty to God”. In the Bible I found that Paul, in Romans 4:21, defines faith as “being fully persuaded that God (has) the power to do what He (has) promised” (NIV). This means that true faith is tied to my trust in God—He is the important person here. And when He is the focus of faith, a life transformation begins. Reading through the rest of Romans 4, I saw how Abraham was credited as righteous because of his faith. This transformed his life and enabled him to obey God. It also allowed Him to believe God’s promise that he would become a father of many nations even though he had no children at that time.

…many people of faith listed in Hebrews 11 did not see or experience any earthly rewards.

The faith chapter of Hebrews 11 also shows how this faith transformed many to become courageous individuals. It lists men like Noah, who built an ark even though he had never seen a drop of rain but believed God’s condemnation of sin and the coming destruction of the earth; and Gideon, who led a small army of 300 that completely annihilated the mighty Midianite army. Then there was Rahab, a female Gentile, who risked her life to save the Israelite spies; Daniel, who refused to give up his prayer time with God even when it meant he would be thrown into the lion’s den; and John the Baptist, whose preaching against sin and standing up for truth resulted in his losing his life.

In yet many others, we can see how faith in God turned their perceived personal weakness into strength. Moses, though he was unsure of himself and did not consider himself a good speaker, led millions of Israelites out of captivity in Egypt towards the freedom of the Promised Land. This same type of faith also caused young David, a shepherd boy dressed in shepherd’s clothes and unarmed except for a slingshot, to overpower the armored giant Goliath.

It is also significant to note that many people of faith listed in Hebrews 11 did not see or experience any earthly rewards. However, because of their faith in God, they received God’s approval and died looking forward to a future reward living with Him in eternity (Hebrews 11:39,40).

Seeing these extraordinary examples of faith enabled me to step out in faith and make choices to follow God, no matter what the cost. A year after my ladder incident (and by that time I had years of in-depth Bible study), I decided to leave the Seventh-day Adventist denomination to worship God in truth. For me it meant risking rejection by family members and friends. However, God has been faithful to me, and I have found that the blessings of knowing Jesus and trusting that He knows what is best for me are worth everything! 

As you read this issue, let God show you areas in your life where He is calling you to step out in faith and let Him direct your feet so that you, too, can experience a transformed life. †

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Cristine Cole lives in Southern California with her husband and two sons. She has served as the copy editor of Proclamation! for three years. [2007]

—Republished from Proclamation!, January/February 2007.