Where is your faith?

Luke 8:22-25 (see also Matthew 8:18-27 & Mark 4:35-41)
Now it came to pass on a certain day, that he went into a ship with his disciples: and he said unto them, Let us go over unto the other side of the lake. And they launched forth.
But as they sailed he fell asleep: and there came down a storm of wind on the lake; and they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy.
And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish. Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm.
And he said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this! for he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him.

There was a storm so raging that these men crossing the lake thought they were going to die. So great a storm that “they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy.”

“Master, master, we perish.” They said.
What a scary thing to be afraid of your circumstances, and to be afraid of the outcome. The disciples in this situation weren’t sure what was going to become of them in this storm. I would be afraid too if my confidence was found in good weather. You know, weather changes constantly, just like the calm weather before the storm in Luke 8:22-25 changed so quickly into a storm.

Jesus asked, “Where is your faith?”
He asked where their faith was because He knew that their faith was not in Him. For if their faith was in Him then they would not have feared because (as evidenced by this miracle) the Lord Jesus Christ is more powerful than the changing weather.

Do you know what is as unstable as weather? Man’s attempts at righteousness. It has been said that there are two religions in this world:
* Do
** Done
1. Men try to do good works to please God and work their way to heaven. Here are some examples of those good works that men try to do thinking they may win God's favor: baptism, giving to the poor, the “sacraments”, church membership, giving money to the church, and many other works.
2. Done. Jesus said, “It is finished.” He was talking about the work of redemption. When Jesus Christ shed His innocent blood on the cross of Calvary, the only work that was necessary for the salvation of man was finished. The Bible makes it very clear that our works cannot save us:
Ephesians 2:8-9
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Titus 3:5
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us...

This is what God thinks of our righteousness:
Isaiah 64:6
But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

If I was trusting in the first religion then I would be afraid. I would be very afraid. The reason why is because the Bible makes it clear that God’s standard is perfection. If a person sins once then they have fallen short of God’s perfect standard. God says we’ve all fallen short:
Romans 3:23
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Actions have consequences. God has established the consequence/the just punishment for our sins:
Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death...
Ezekiel 18:4
Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.
Revelation 20:14-15
And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

The only way for me to go to Heaven is by being completely righteous. I can only do that if the righteousness of Jesus is applied to my account. God made a provision. If the blood of Jesus is applied to your account then you are declared righteous in the eyes of God. The Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins as a substitute (he took on Himself the consequences for our sins) so that we might be made righteous:
2 Corinthians 5:21
For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

So here’s the point I hope you’ll understand. If you try to work to get to heaven then your faith is in the wrong place and you will perish. If your faith is in anything other than God, then that is scary. If you want to be saved then you have to put your trust (aka belief, faith) completely in the Lord Jesus Christ and His personal work of shedding His blood for your sins, dying on the cross, being buried, and then raising again the third day. Here is what Jesus said:
John 6:47
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.


So I ask you, where is your faith?

(For more Bible verses to understand salvation, see the second article of April '08 titled “The Gospel”)