Module 4:

THE GMRC TEACHER AS GOD’S MASTERPIECE

Lesson 1: Faith as Inner Source of Hope
Song analysis:
Listen to the song of Don Moem entitled “GOD WILL MAKE A WAY”
God will make a way
Where there seems to be no way
He works in ways we cannot see
He will make a way for me
He will be my guide
Hold me closely to His side
With love and strength for each new day
He will make a way, He will make a way
(Sing it together)
Oh, God will make a way
Where there seems to be no way
He works in ways we cannot see
He will make a way for me
He will be my guide
Hold me closely to His side
With love and strength for each new day
He will make a way, He will make a way
By a roadway in the wilderness, He’ll lead me
(Rivers in the desert)
Rivers in the desert will I see
Heaven and earth will fade but His Word will still remain
And He will do something new today
Definition of Faith
In viewing the many emphases of faith throughout the Scriptures, whether in the Old Testament
or New Testament, one thing is certain: faith is a basic and necessary quality of the believer.
Moreover, true faith in the vocabulary of Christians is not only belief and trust, but also
faithfulness and loyalty.
Hence, true faith may be defined as a whole-soul committal to God:
(1) The believer’s intellect must encase complete trust in the Lord;
(2) His emotions must desire what God designed and desires for him; and
(3) His will must involve a complete commitment to the Lord.
We see that hope has a vital connection with faith and love. Both have provided for the believer
“a confident hope,” which not only gives assurance of a heavenly future, but which enables the
believer to live a godly life here and now.
The importance of an active faith, which should under-gird all of our doings is emphasized. Faith
is being sure of what we hope for; being convinced of what we do not see. Indeed, faith in
Christ’s finished redemption should provide an impetus to hold fast to this assured hope
regardless of life’s difficulties or opportunities.
Our hope is based on the unfailing promise of God; why should we not cherish it confidently
and share it boldly. Both faith and hope should spur the believer on so as to be an example,
encouragement and support to an active life lived in God’s love.
Believers should seek to love others even as God loves them. This is especially true for the
believing community. The reality of Christian love should be demonstrated in the personal
relationships and mutual concerns of the Christian community. The faith that produces hope is
produced by “faith working in love,” which enables the believer to be led by the Holy Spirit for
“the hope of righteousness”.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO HAVE FAITH AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
We know that faith and hope are both needed for our success in life. Faith being the substance
of things hoped for means that we must have a base mindset of faith in order to receive what
we need from God. We have to truly know and believe that what we set in our minds to believe
and focus on is what will come to pass. Hope speaks of the future and faith speaks for now in
life, faith and hope truly work together for our good.
Hence, the basic value of our faith experience in spiritually ,while at the same time asking
ourselves about the space that faith occupies in our lives is something we need to ponder upon.
Because of faith ,God is encountered in the measure to which he is sought, Jesus considered
faith to be a rarity “I TELL YOU SOLEMNLY ,IF YOU FAITH WERE THE SIZE OF A MUSTARD SEED
YOU COULD SAY TO THE MOUNTAIN ,”MOVE FROM HERE ,TO THERE, AND IT WOULD MOVE;
NOTHING WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE FOR YOU.”(Galilea,1991)
Today more than in the past ,we realize how difficult is to believe .It is not easy for those who
have faith and it is even harder for nonbelievers .The experience of the world today harshly puts
faith to the test .Injustice exists in thousands of forms and rampant misery of the human race .
Growing violence and inescapable crises surround us like (covid-19 pandemic) .Millions of our
brothers and sisters live in sub-human conditions , destined only to be born, survive and die . In
such a world ,it is not easy to have faith, to believe in a personal God who directs history with
love .We have come to ask ourselves, anxiously ,what good is faith in this situation? What
difference does it make to have or not to Faith .
True faith therefore is a whole-soul commitment to God. Faith in God we professed can work
miracles in our everyday lives. Our faith which could move us to act and respond to the needs
of our brothers and sisters . Faith in the almighty is an innate trademark Filipino value. All of us
has it , Filipinos pray together, with an extraordinary faith to get through many calamities. Such
an attitude clearly defines the Filipinos unique regard for the value of faith in the Almighty .We
should take pride in our faith and use it to improve our lives.