• Reread verse 1. What do you hope for today that you cannot yet see? (Think of immediate needs and eternal dreams.)

• What role does faith play in your personal testimony and in your conversion?

• Read verse 3 again, about God and Creation. Why, in many ways, should the existence of the Creator God be the easiest thing to accept on faith?

• Read verse 6 and write the message of this verse in your own words.

• Verses 7–40 unpack the lives of various biblical personages. Why is faith the central factor that defines the strength of these people’s relationship with God?

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Knowing God and having a living, strong relationship with Him requires faith. How can you strengthen your faith or encourage someone whose faith is wavering? Here are just a few ideas:

A tiny faith (like a mustard seed) is powerful and is all you need in order to grow a relationship with God (Matthew 17:20). As long as you’re willing to work with Him, God will help your faith grow.

Faith comes from hearing God speak to us in His Word, the Bible (Romans 10:17). Commit to daily Bible study and prayer.

Ask God to increase your faith (Luke 17:5). As did the father who came to Jesus with a possessed child and who “cried out and said with tears, ‘Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!’ ” (Mark 9:24, NKJV), we can recognize our unbelief and ask for God to increase our faith.

Faith and doubt can exist together (Mark 9:24). Don’t walk away from God simply because you have questions. In fact, it’s important to work out your salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12-16) and to “own” your faith rather than borrow it from another, as five of the virgins tried to do (Matthew 25:8).

Respond to the Holy Spirit and ask for more of Him in your life.

Exercise your faith. Remember that faith is not a feeling but a decision to believe. Remember that even in darkness, when you can’t see Him, God is there (2 Corinthians 5:7).

As a personal prayer of thanks to God for His faithfulness, consider the words from the hymn “Great Is Thy Faithfulness.”

<–Tuesday Thursday–>

Jesus said that if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you’ll move mountains (Matthew 17:20). If you’ve ever seen a mustard seed, you know how tiny it is. Yet, having faith this small can effect such huge change. Faith must, therefore, be very important and must also be power­ful and strong enough to do something superhuman. However, just as a mustard seed can grow into a large tree (Matthew 13:31-32), our faith should grow and not remain static.

Indeed, we need a measure of faith in order to have a relationship with God in the first place (see Romans 12:3).

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We must first understand that faith is not a material thing; it’s a human response prompted by the Holy Spirit. God is the gracious initiator, who, through the Holy Spirit, draws us to Himself when we allow Him to do so (Jeremiah 31:3). We’re saved by grace, through faith, which is a response to God’s grace given to us through Jesus’ death. We are saved because we believe in God as a result of His grace. This lies at the heart of having a relationship with Him.

Next, we must remember that faith is not a feeling. “Many do not exercise that faith which it is their privilege and duty to exercise, often waiting for that feeling which faith alone can bring. Feeling is not faith. . . . Faith is ours to exercise, but joyful feeling and the blessing are God’s to give.”—Ellen G. White, Early Writings, p. 72.

Some people might feel as though they don’t have faith because they don’t feel close to God or are not what they should be as a Christian. But faith is about believing and trusting God, not only in the good times but in darkness or in a storm, or even when you can’t fully understand what is going on in your life.

Feelings should never dominate our religious experience or our relationship with God. It’s precisely when we think we’re distant from God that we need to exercise our faith and call on Him (as did the father in Mark 9:24).

<–Monday Wednesday–>

Just because we call ourselves followers of Jesus doesn’t automatically mean our faith is strong. In fact, some people claimed to believe, but Jesus discerned what was really in their hearts (John 2:23-25).

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In Mark 9:1-50, we read about the man who came to Jesus so that Jesus would cast the demon out of his son, but who could only muster up enough faith to say, “ ‘Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!’ ” (Mark 9:24, NKJV).

In each of these interactions, Jesus noticed people’s faith, or lack thereof, and performed miracles as a result of that faith or in order to strengthen it.

Though the Holy Spirit prompts us to believe, the enemy of souls wants us to doubt or dismiss God’s involvement in our lives. “The unbelief which is cherished in the soul has a bewitching power. The seeds of doubt that they have been sowing will produce their harvest but they must continue to dig up every root of unbelief. When these poisonous plants are pulled up, they cease to grow for want of nourishment in word and action. The soul must have the precious plants of faith and love put in the soil of the heart and enthroned there.”—Ellen G. White, Faith and Works, p. 17.

When we have doubts about God, His character, or His Word, what should we do with them? God does not ignore or bypass human reason, for He created us in His image and invites us to dialogue with Him, as He did with Abraham, Moses, and Job. God invites us to learn to work within His large, infinite patterns of reason, even if at some point we must surrender to what we don’t fully understand.

<–Sunday Tuesday–>

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In 2017 hurricane Irma came through Florida, and many of us evacuated. I went to Tennessee to stay with my sister. The morning the hurricane hit Tampa where I lived at the time, I received a text from a friend there who was unable to evacuate. She said she was afraid, but she knew God was with her and that she would not get hurt. I thought to myself that God was with my mother when she drew her last breath and died. Of course, I did not text my friend back and tell her that God has been with many people while they drew their last breath. In other words, just because God is with us does not mean we won’t die in a hurricane. By faith I know God is with me in a storm, but only presumption would tell me I won’t die in the storm. People a lot more righteous and godly than I have died in storms, while I am still alive.

Just because God is with us does not mean we won’t die. When a storm comes, having faith that God is with me is one thing, but having faith that I will not die is presumption. After all, millions of people have died in various storms throughout earth’s history. I would have to be a blatant fool to think I’m a better Christian than millions of other people or even that I have more faith than those who have died in storms.

It’s the same when I get in a car. I pray for safety, and I know God is with me. I also know testimonies from people who survived a car accident where a loved one died. They also say they prayed for protection before their trip. A pastor friend of mine was killed in a car accident just a few Christmases ago. He was in his forties. Am I still alive because I am a better Christian than he was or because I have more faith? Of course not! To think I have survived storms and car accidents because I am a faithful Christian is beyond presumption. It is absurd! Millions more worthy than I have perished in storms and car accidents. I know God is with me regardless of my fate. While Hebrews celebrates the victories of the faithful, it also recognizes the deaths of the faithful.

Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented— of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth. Hebrews 11:35-38 NKJV

Faith is knowing what God has promised. God has promised me eternal life. See Titus 1:2. Presumption is assuming what God has not promised. God never promised me I would never die in a storm or car accident.

So now, let’s get to the title of our topic. How do I know I have the assurance of salvation in Jesus and am not just being presumptuous that I am saved? Let’s take a look at some biblical examples of people in the Bible who were being faithful and those who were just being presumptuous.

But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? James 2:18-20 NKJV

In the book of James, we are taught that true faith will bear the fruits of good works and obedience. “Faith” that does not bring forth good works and obedience is a presumption which will not make us any better off than the demons who believe and tremble.

Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them. Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.” Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so. And the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?” Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. Acts 19:11-16 NKJV

The sons of Sceva were presumptuous because they did not know Jesus for themselves. 1 John 2:4 says if we say we know Jesus but do not obey the commandments, that just makes us liars. We know they did not know Jesus for themselves because they said. “The Jesus whom Paul preaches.” Paul knew Jesus. They did not. They were being presumptuous, thinking the name of Jesus was a magic word like abracadabra. Jesus and Paul are not magic. They both got their power from an obedient relationship with the Father.

In Numbers 10:33-35, Moses sent the ark out before their battles and victories. However, when Israel was in apostasy, their faith in the ark turned into presumption, and the ark itself was captured by the enemy in 1 Samuel 4:1-22. The ark was not magic. The ark was a symbol of their faith and obedience toward God. Without obedience, the ark had no power for them, much like Samson’s hair. There was no magic in his hair. His long hair was a sign of his loyalty to God. When he was no longer loyal to God, the long hair was meaningless. See Judges 13:5.

Romans 1:5 speaks of faith that leads to obedience, and Revelation 14:12 says that God’s last-day saints will have faith and keep the commandments. True biblical faith produces obedience. A supposed “faith’ without obedience is mere presumption. In Matthew 4:5-7, Satan tells Jesus to jump off a tower and have faith that God would save Him. However, there is no command from God to jump off a tower. Jesus knew that jumping off the tower would not be in accordance with God’s commands and would not be an act of obedient faith but rather mere presumption. By the way, today we wear seat belts in our cars because, while we have faith in God, we were given no command to be careless and presumptuous with our safety. Jesus gave us an example of how to use common sense and faith in God at the same time. One does not cancel out the other.

By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days. Hebrews 11:30 NKJV

But a few days later, the children of Israel were defeated when disobedience led to presumption. See Joshua 7:1-26.

While Romans 1:5 and Revelation 14:12 talk about faith and obedience, David links presumption with sin.

Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me. Psalm 19:13 NKJV

Faith is when we claim a promise in the Bible, such as that God is with us. Presumption is when we claim assurance that the Bible never gave us, such as I will never die in a storm or car accident. Or even that I will never get sick,  therefore I do not need to take precautions. In the wilderness, Jesus used faith and common sense, and so shall I.

Faith leads me into good works. See Ephesians 2:8-10. Faith leads me into commandment keeping. See Revelation 14:12. Presumption encourages me to carelessness and sin. See Psalm 19:13.

Matthew 7:21-27 teaches me that claiming salvation without obeying Jesus is mere presumption. When I put God’s Word into practice, I have the assurance of salvation.

Maybe you’ve heard it said, “If I could just see the Red Sea parted, or manna on the ground, or Jesus heal a blind man, I’d believe.” Or perhaps you have had those same kinds of thoughts yourself.

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Why should it be easier for us now to have faith than it was for those in ancient Bible times? The Israelites didn’t own a whole Bible, nor did they have such a long history to look back on as we do. Moses reinforced the importance of looking back in order to remember God’s leading and goodness (see Deuteronomy 4:7-10; Deuteronomy 8:2-3). Unlike the Israelites, we have 6,000 years of Bible history to draw from (see John 20:30-31).

Every generation wants a sign, and ours is no different. But signs are all around us. If you read Matthew 24:1-51, you will see how many things have been and are being fulfilled even now.

Do we argue with Jesus and test Him as did the Pharisees? Do we make Him “[sigh] deeply in His Spirit” (Mark 8:12, NKJV) because of our lack of faith, when He has already given us all we need to believe?

“These signs were not what the Jews needed. No mere external evidence could benefit them. What they needed was not intellectual enlightenment, but spiritual renovation.”—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 406. Could it be that we, too, need spiritual renovation—a genuine, real, moment-by-moment walk with God? Perhaps we actually don’t need a sign, because we have a lot of knowledge at our fingertips, especially from our own Bibles.

So, instead of making Jesus “[sigh] deeply” because of our lack of faith, may we remember the words Jesus spoke to Thomas: “ ‘Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed!’ ” (John 20:29; see also Hebrews 11:1). God does not ask us to have blind faith—He has already given us so many reasons to believe. And yet, even with all these reasons, there is always room for doubt. The key is to focus on what affirms faith, not on what brings doubt.

<–Sabbath Monday–>

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Read for This Week’s Study

Mark 8:11-12; Matthew 15:21-28; Luke 7:1-10; Ephesians 2:8; Hebrews 11:1-40; Revelation 14:12.

Memory Text:

“Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see” (Hebrews 11:1, NLT).

Someone once said, “Faith is like WiFi. It’s invisible, but it has the power to connect you to what you need.” No doubt: without faith, there would be no relationship with God.

What is your faith like today? Has your faith in God ever been shaky? Perhaps you’ve experienced something that has challenged you to the point where you’ve not known how to move forward with your relationship with God. Or is your faith like a rose that grows from a green stem into a tiny bud that eventually opens into a bold, colorful flower and fills the room with an unforgettable scent? For truly, “faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see” (Hebrews 11:1, NLT). It’s not something we can generate by ourselves, for “God has dealt to each one a measure of faith” (Romans 12:3, NKJV). Faith is a gift of God (Ephesians 2:8-9), and even then, our faith in God is possible only because of what God is already doing in and for us.

This week let’s explore the topic of faith: what to do with doubt and unbelief; what, according to Jesus, strong faith looks like; and what it means to have “the faith of Jesus.”

*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, May 23.

Sunday–>