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Men who are part of the kingdom of God look radically different from what the world values in men or teaches men to become. The world often tells men to depend on no one, trust only in themselves, and view faith – especially faith in God – as weakness. Yet Jesus calls us to a life of faith. He does not merely call us to accept certain facts about Him; He calls us to trust Him enough to live according to what He says. After all, He is the King, and those in His kingdom trust Him enough to submit to His rule and authority. Therefore, kingdom men are men of faith!
Proverbs 3:5-7
To have faith is to trust. So, you must take some time to evaluate who you ultimately trust in. Many people trust only in themselves or something/someone they can see. They trust in their own ideas, beliefs, habits, and ways. Or they trust the beliefs, ideas, and ways of human “experts” or peers. Yet, faith requires trusting fully in the God you cannot see (2 Corinthians 5:7), even when what God says goes against what you and others believe! However, this kind of faith is not blind. There is great evidence concerning the existence and faithfulness of God. Therefore, you must use this evidence to establish your trust in God as the One who knows all, sees all, and is over all – and trust Him more than anything or anyone else (including yourself)!
Hebrews 11:1-3, 6
While trusting in God may seem daunting at first, it is really the only reasonable conclusion. It is impossible for the visible things throughout the universe to have created themselves. Rather, they must have been created by the invisible God (Psalm 19:1; Romans 1:19-21)! You can therefore trust the word of the God who created the universe by His word (Psalm 33:6). Your faith, based on the evidence of God and His words, can give you all the conviction and confidence you need. Even though you cannot yet see the things God has promised those who faithfully obey Him, you can have full conviction and assurance that they will happen just as God has said! This confidence leads you to yield your life in obedience to Christ rather than follow your own ideas. However, if you do not possess this kind of faith in God, it will be impossible to please God, no matter what else you may do in life!
Hebrews 11:7
Noah is a tremendous example of faith in God. Despite the wickedness of the entire world at the time, Noah chose to live according to God’s standard of righteousness (Genesis 6:1-8). Therefore, faith does what is right regardless of how the people and culture around you live! Furthermore, Noah’s trust in God regarding the flood and the salvation made available through the ark led him to obey God. He built the ark according to God’s specifications (Genesis 6:22), regardless of how unreasonable those instructions may have seemed (e.g., that the flood would come, that the ark could save him, or that he needed to build the ark in that specific way). Today, faith trusts Jesus’s promise that He will come again and end this world so completely that you prepare for His coming by obeying whatever God requires (Matthew 24:36-44; 25:1-13).
Hebrews 11:8-10, 17-19
Abraham is a man known for his faith. These verses summarize his trust in God, demonstrated by the extent to which he left his homeland and relatives to live in tents while looking for the promises God had made to him (Genesis 12:1-7). He trusted God even when he had no children, despite the fact that the promises depended on him having descendants. Then, after God blessed Abraham with a son in his old age (at 100 years old, Genesis 21), God tested his faith by commanding him to sacrifice that son (Genesis 22). Still, Abraham trusted God to obey – even if it meant raising Isaac from the dead! Today, faith continues to trust God enough to sacrifice your comforts, ambitions, plans, and earthly relationships to do whatever God says, even when it sounds unreasonable to others. You must do this because you are confident that God will accomplish whatever He has promised!
Hebrews 11:32-40
The Bible is full of great examples of faith! There were also many others whose names we may never know who demonstrated great faith in God. They encountered tremendous tests and obstacles and chose to depend on God, even when doing so meant suffering, pain, and physical death. Yet, they endured because they trusted that God had something far better waiting for them! So it must be for us today. Whether you do the will of God must not depend on the circumstances you encounter during your earthly life. Instead, you must have such confidence in God and His word that you will do whatever He says whether doing so makes life easy or hard, comfortable or uncomfortable, pleasant or difficult. In fact, your faith needs to be strong enough that you will endure the greatest earthly challenges and persecutions imaginable to do whatever God requires, because you know that what He has waiting for you is far better than anything available on this earth (Romans 8:18; 2 Corinthians 4:16-18)!
James 2:14-26
Like the men and women of the Bible who demonstrated faith in God (as in Hebrews 11), God requires more from your faith than an intellectual acknowledgment that something is true. After all, it is not truly faith to say you believe in God and Jesus and then not do what He says (Luke 6:46; Matthew 7:21-23)! True faith acts in obedience. No matter how costly God’s command may be. No matter how much you want to do something different. No matter how many other people disagree with God’s command. No matter how much His command challenges you. You do not live by faith if you do not do what God says! That would be like Noah saying he believed in God but refusing to build the ark. Or Abraham saying he believed in God but refusing to leave his homeland or sacrifice Isaac. Your faith is demonstrated by how you live, not by how many times you say you believe!
Conclusion
Men in God’s kingdom are men of faith. Rather than depending on themselves or trusting only in what they can see, they weigh the evidence, become fully convinced in who God is and that He is trustworthy, and then live accordingly. Trusting in anything or anyone else will never be sufficient. Faith in God must be paired with obedience to God if we are to experience the eternal blessings He has promised. Kingdom men are willing to go wherever God leads, say whatever He commands, and do whatever He requires. No matter the cost or consequences, they remain fully convinced that God will keep His word and they act accordingly!
Discipleship Questions
How must your trust in God compare with your trust in anything or anyone else?
Why is faith in God reasonable?
How does faith in God give you confidence and assurance?
What do you learn about faith from Noah?
What do you learn about faith from Abraham?
What do you learn about faith even from people whose names you may never know?
Why does faith require more than intellectual acknowledgement that something is true?
What does true faith do?
