Journey of Faith (10) — Response of Faith

[Genesis 18:1–8]

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Our faith does not remain only in our hearts. Faith always appears as a response. If we say we believe in God but there is no change or response in our lives, we need to examine the state of our faith.

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Today’s text records a scene where God comes to Abraham. Abraham was sitting at the door of his tent when he saw three men standing in front of him. And as soon as he saw them, he ran to meet them, had them bring water, prepare bread, slaughter a calf, and cook it. And he stood by and served them while they ate.

The response of faith of a person who meets God is clearly shown in Abraham.

Today, let’s think about three things together.

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1. Faith is like a sensor; it will inevitably react.

There are various types of sensors in a building. There are sensors that detect temperature, sensors that detect humidity, and fire sensors that detect smoke. An important characteristic of a sensor is that it reacts when it detects something.

When the temperature rises, the air conditioning system activates, and when smoke is detected, an alarm sounds. If the sensor works properly, detection and reaction occur together.

Faith is the same.

When faith enters us, a reaction inevitably appears in our thoughts and actions. Faith is not merely acknowledging God with the mind, but a life of responding to God and His Word.

In Galatians 2:20, Paul confesses as follows: “I have been crucified with Christ.

It is no longer I who live,

but Christ lives in me.

And the life which I now live in the flesh,

I live by faith in the Son of God,

who loved me and gave himself for me.”

If Christ lives in me, things cannot be the same as before. Life changes from a life where I was the master to a life where Jesus is the master. A person who used to respond only to what I wanted begins to respond to the Word of God.

The Bible features many people whose responses of faith differed from one another.

At Kadesh-Barnea, twelve spies returned after seeing the land of Canaan. They saw the same land, the same cities, and the same giants. Yet, their reactions were different.

Ten of them responded with fear.

“We cannot go up and attack the people, for they are stronger than we are.”

— Numbers 13:31

However, Joshua and Caleb responded to God.

“If Jehovah is pleased with us, he will bring us into the land and give it to us.”

— Numbers 14:8

The situation was the same, but the response of faith was different.

It was the same before the Red Sea. The Israelites responded with fear in a situation where the sea was before their eyes and the Egyptian army was pursuing them from behind. But Moses responded to God.

“Do not be afraid; stand still and see the salvation of Jehovah, which he will accomplish for you today.”

— Exodus 14:13

Faith is not a response that comes after the circumstances have disappeared. The circumstances remain the same, but because we look to God, we respond differently.

What is our response today? When a problem arises, do you react with fear like the people of the world? Do you react to what people say? Do you react to your economic situation and environment? Or do you react to the Word of God?

Faith is like a sensor. If you are a person who believes in God, you will inevitably react when you hear God’s Word, realize God’s grace, or encounter the opportunities God gives you.

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2. The sensor of faith responds properly only when enlightenment comes.

For a sensor to work, it must first detect something. The same goes for faith. When there is enlightenment, the response of faith begins.

It’s not that we don’t believe because we don’t have God’s grace. God’s grace is already being poured out on us. The problem is how much we realize that grace.

When we deeply realize grace, our response changes.

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Consider the life of Abraham. He was called from an environment of idolatry. But when God called him, he responded to God’s word. God changed the name Abram to Abraham. By giving him a name that means ‘father of many,’ God allowed him to continue to remember the promise he had given in his life.

God showed Abraham the stars in the night sky and said,

“Look up at the sky and count the stars…

“So will your descendants be.”

— Genesis 15:5

What would Abraham remember every time he looked at the star?

It is God’s promise.

Although his reality had not yet changed, he remembered God’s word. Every time my name changed, I remembered God’s promise. God kept Abraham’s sensor of faith awake.

In Genesis 18, Abraham realizes God’s visit and responds immediately.

“I lifted up my eyes and looked, and I saw a man

“The three of them were standing opposite each other.”

And verse 2 records that when Abraham saw them, he “immediately ran” to meet them.

This is the response of faith.

When you realize, you act.

When you realize grace, you become grateful.

If you realize love, you will love.

If you realize the grace of salvation, you will worship.

If you realize God’s calling, you will obey it.

A person who has truly met Jesus cannot remain in the same life as before.

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The story goes that one American actor named Colin Evans laid down his life and turned to the path of faith after meeting Jesus Christ. It is known that she confessed her transformation to the effect that she had fallen in love with Jesus Christ. What is important is not the fame, but the fact that the realization that I met Jesus changed the direction of my life.

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People react differently depending on what they realize.

If we think of Jesus as just a religious object, worship becomes a formality.

However, worship changes when you realize that Jesus is the Savior who died on the cross for you.

Gratitude changes when you realize that everything you are enjoying right now is not something you take for granted but is the grace of God.

When I realize that being alive today itself is God’s grace, my attitude toward each day changes.

So, what is important for people of faith is to realize grace.

Because Abraham realized the grace God had given him, his attitude toward guests was different.

In Genesis 18:3, Abraham says:

“My Lord, if I have found favor in you,

“Please do not pass away from your servant.”

Abraham knew that he was a favored man.

That is why the person who has received grace flows out grace.

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3. We Respond According to the Depth of Our Understanding

There is depth to the response of faith.

Reactions differ even when hearing the same message. Reactions differ even when attending the same worship service. Reactions differ even when singing the same hymn. Even when receiving the same grace of God, some people give thanks with tears, while others pass by without any emotion.

Why is this?

It is because the depth of understanding is different.

This is clearly illustrated when comparing the behaviors of Abraham and Lot.

In Genesis 18, Abraham runs to the three men as soon as he sees them.

“When he saw them,

he ran out from the door of his tent,

to meet them, and bowed down to the ground.”

Then he brings water, prepares bread, and says he will serve them food.

The amount of food Abraham prepared is astonishing.

“Take three seahs of fine flour, knead it, and make bread.”

Three seahs is a considerable amount (almost enough for 100 people). It is a very generous amount to entertain three guests. Abraham’s response was not merely a matter of fulfilling the minimum obligation.

He responded with his utmost effort.

And looking at verse 8, after setting out the food, he stood beside them and served them.

Abraham’s response was characterized by speed, devotion, and abundance.

On the other hand, Lot, who appears in Genesis 19, also welcomes God’s angels.

“Lot saw them, rose to greet them, and bowed down to the ground.”

— Genesis 19:1

Lot did respond, too. However, there is a clear difference from Abraham’s response.

In Abraham, joy, voluntariness, and abundance are visible.

In contrast, Lot’s demeanor suggests a reluctant response.

Abraham realized God’s grace and served quickly, urgently, and with all his heart and devotion. However, in Lot, the voluntary and abundant service stemming from a deep understanding of God, as seen in Abraham, is not prominent.

We learn an important lesson from this.

Faith can be imitated, but the depth of faith cannot.

Outward appearances may be similar.

Attending church, singing hymns, praying, and serving may all seem the same. However, the depth of one’s heart toward God can differ.

Abraham responded with joy, while Lot responded reluctantly.

Abraham served with all his heart and devotion, commensurate with his realization of grace, whereas in Lot, it is difficult to find a voluntary response stemming from the depth of faith.

Therefore, we must ask ourselves:

“Am I serving God with joy, or am I merely going through the motions reluctantly?”

“Am I offering worship, or am I responding to God with a heart of worship?”

The depth of faith is revealed in our response. Those who have realized deep grace do not act under compulsion. They act out of gratitude, out of love, and willingly obey because it pleases the Lord.

In the era when the Gospel was being preached in Joseon, there was a man named Kim Chang-sik who helped Dr. William James Hall and his family. While assisting missionaries, Kim Chang-sik accepted the Gospel, was transformed, and later walked the path of a pastor. He is known as one of the first people to be ordained as a pastor in Korea in 1901.

The important thing is that when a person met Jesus, that encounter moved his life.

It did not end with merely hearing the Gospel.

He responded.

Faith is responding.

When we realize God’s grace, we respond with gratitude.

When we realize God’s love, we respond with love.

When we realize God’s calling, we respond with obedience.

When we realize the grace of the Cross, we respond with devotion.

When we realize God’s Word, we respond with a direction for our lives.

What is our faith sensor responding to right now?

Dear saints, we, too, have a faith sensor.

However, there is an important question.

What is that sensor reacting to right now?

Is it reacting to the words of the world?

Is it reacting to people’s judgments?

Is it reacting to changes in the environment?

Is it reacting to problems and fears?

Or is it reacting to the Word of God?

Looking at the same Red Sea, the Israelites were afraid, while Moses looked to God.

Looking at the same land of Canaan, ten spoke of impossibility, while Joshua and Caleb held onto God’s promise.

Before the same visitation of God, Abraham ran to welcome Him, while Lot showed a reluctant reaction.

Ultimately, in our lives, what matters more than what we see is what we react to.

Faith is not denying reality.

Faith is seeing God as greater than reality.

Faith is not saying that there are no problems.

It is trusting God’s promises more than problems.

Faith is not being completely free of fear.

It is moving according to the Word of God even when there is fear.

Abraham heard God’s promise, remembered that promise, realized that grace, and ultimately responded with his life.

We, too, must become people of such faith.

If the Lord were to ask us today, He would say this:

“You claim to believe in Me, yet to what are you responding?”

Even when we offer the same worship, our responses differ.

Even when we hear the same Word, our responses differ.

Even when we receive the same grace, our responses differ.

Therefore, let us reflect on our faith today.

Do we perhaps possess only the outward appearance of faith?

Do we perhaps remain in a faith that merely imitates others?

Are we perhaps living our lives taking things for granted, without realizing the grace we have received from the Lord?

Let us become people who, like Abraham, realize God’s grace and respond immediately.

Let us become people who obey when He speaks, give thanks when He gives grace, return love when He receives it, and willingly go forth when He calls.

If our faith is alive, a response will surely appear.

The deeper we realize, the deeper we respond. The more grace we receive, the more we become thankful.

The more deeply we know God’s love, the more we love Him.

The more deeply we realize the grace of the Cross, the more we live for the Lord.

I hope that our faith sensors awaken again today.

Let us respond to God, not to the world or our circumstances.

Let us respond to the Word of God, not to the words of men.

Let us respond to faith, not fear.

And let us respond not with a faith that merely imitates, but with genuine faith like Abraham’s.

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Prayer Requests

First, as a person of faith, help us to respond to the Lord’s Word rather than to the world or our circumstances.

Let our eyes look to God rather than our circumstances, and let our ears hear God’s Word rather than the voices of men. When problems arise, let us respond to God’s promises rather than to fear.

Second, help us to deeply realize God’s grace.

Let us not take the grace we receive every day for granted, and let us realize anew the grace of salvation and the love of the Cross. Let us be thankful in proportion to the grace we realize, and let us obey in proportion to our gratitude.

Third, help us not to remain in a faith that merely imitates, but to respond with faith like Abraham.

Let us possess a sincere faith that pleases God, not a faith that is merely plausible in the eyes of men. Let us not worship with all our hearts, serve with all our devotion, or hesitate when obeying.

“Lord, help me to reflect on what I am responding to in my life, and let me live today as a person of faith who responds to God’s Word rather than to the world or my circumstances.”

I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.