2 Peter 1:1
Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ. To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ:
Peter uses an interesting word about how we get faith, received. He didn’t say chose. What part do we play in this process? Is it our belief, are we given faith or both?
The bible teaches that faith comes from God. Romans 12:3 says, “… as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.” This is surprising. This is partially because we have a poor understanding of what faith is. It’s not mentally agreeing with things. For example, we believe in physical laws of the universe. Entropy is one. This says that things slow down or devolve over time. The spinning top slows and eventually stops. That’s a belief. It’s not faith.
What is faith? Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” It’s a knowing that God is and will do what He says. The well nurtured baby knows that mom will respond to a plea. This confidence gives the child peace. A panic isn’t required. The child knows that mom cares and will respond. As we grow in our faith, we have that same peace. An anxious christian is one that hasn’t tapped into faith. God wants our hearts to be rested in Him.
Lord, thank You for faith and more importantly thanks for You; the one whom we have faith in. The one who loves us and the one that can be trusted. Thank You that our hearts can rest in You