How to Build True Biblical Faith in God (Beyond Mental Assent)
In our daily Group Bible Study devotionals, we focus on Growing Faith in God and walking out our lives in true biblical faith in God. Our aim is to shift our faith from passive to expectant, trusting God to answer us in response to our faith. Let’s begin:
Scripture Reading: “You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.” — John 5:39-40
The Difference Between Practical Faith and Genuine Spiritual Trust
We exercise various forms of practical faith every single day. When we step into a taxi, we trust the driver's ability without examining their license. When we visit a physician or board an airplane, we place our physical lives in professionals' hands without conducting background checks. Yet, when it comes to our spiritual lives, many people rely on counterfeit forms of faith that fall short of saving, dynamic trust in God.
Counterfeit #1: Mental Compliance Faith
The first counterfeit is Mental Compliance Faith. Jesus issued a sobering warning in Matthew 7:21: "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." Mental compliance agrees intellectually with gospel facts, admires biblical ethics, and affirms historical doctrines, yet never surrenders the heart to Christ.
This is evident in the religious leaders of Jesus' time. They dedicated their lives to studying Scripture, but Jesus challenged them because they didn't turn to Him for true life. Their worldview didn't allow for genuine obedience or personal surrender; self stayed at the center of their lives. Mental agreement with the truth is just passive observation, never active participation in the kingdom.
Counterfeit #2: Sense-Knowledge Faith
The second counterfeit is Sense-Knowledge Faith. This kind of faith demands physical proof before it will trust God's Word. When the angel Gabriel told Zechariah that his wife Elizabeth would bear a son in her old age, Zechariah demanded proof: "How can I be sure of this?" (Luke 1:18). His demand for sensory validation led to a season of silence.
Similarly, Thomas famously declared after the resurrection that he would not believe unless he could physically touch the nail scars on Jesus' hands and side.
“Jesus said to him, ‘Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.’” — John 20:29
While the Lord graciously met Thomas in his weakness, He clearly stated the higher standard for His followers: "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed" (John 20:29).
Overcoming the "Three-Foot Wall" of Human Perception
Sense-knowledge faith keeps believers trapped within the limits of human perception. Consider the African impala: it can jump over 10 feet high and cover 30 feet in a single bound, yet zookeepers can keep it confined behind a simple 3-foot wall. Why? Because an impala will not jump unless it can see exactly where its feet will land. Sense-knowledge faith operates the same way—it refuses to move unless it can see the landing spot. True faith in God, however, is the willingness to leap over sensory barriers, trusting the unshakeable truth of God’s written Word rather than our temporary sight. Let’s look at this some more tomorrow. Keith Thomas
Application Thoughts for Daily Living
Dismantle Intellectual Buffers: Reflect on areas where you might be substituting knowledge about God for active relationship with God. Are there doctrines or scriptures you intellectually agree with, but have never allowed to alter your daily habits or life choices? Turn one area of head knowledge into immediate physical obedience today.
Step Over the Three-Foot Wall: Identify a situation in your life where you are waiting for full physical certainty or emotional reassurance before obeying God. Realize that true biblical faith moves before the visible outcome is clear. Take one concrete step of trust today without waiting to see how every detail will play out.
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Deepen Your Faith & Group Bible Study Resources
Are you ready to move past head-knowledge and experience genuine, unshakeable faith? Explore our full video teaching on "Expectant Faith" on our YouTube channel, available with subtitles in 70 languages. Click the following link:
· Bookmark this page to browse all our free 3-minute Bible meditations.
· Read the full study online: Expectant Faith: How to Grow in Faith
· Series: This excerpt is taken from the series Growing Faith in God
· Visit the Keith Thomas YouTube Channel for more teachings.
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