Let’s look now at a Biblical illustration of faith:
Matthew 14:26-31 ESV But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. (27) But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” (28) And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” (29) He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. (30) But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” (31) Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
Question 5. In Matthew 14:26-31, what happened when Peter diverted his focus from Jesus to the winds and waves?
As long as Peter was focused on and moving toward Jesus, he walked on water! Now we know that walking on water is not something humans can do naturally, but then again neither is overcoming sin that has been with us for years. Like gravity, temptation and sin are a power greater than ourselves, so something greater is needed to empower our freedom from sin. Faith that looks to Jesus is the necessary power, as we can see by this story.
Faith in Jesus somehow works in our hearts to free us and enable us to live differently, to live miraculously. Up to this point in Peter's life he probably would not have believed he could walk on water, right? "No, it's physically impossible, I can't do it, never have been able to do it, never will be able to do it." Until he did it. By looking at Jesus. Faith just somehow enables us to overcome insurmountable problems, to walk on top of that which, when living by sight (or in the flesh) we would normally sink in.
This is why, dear friend, if you ever hope to win the war against the flesh, it will be through a purposeful looking to Jesus in God’s Word, and seeing the cross over and over.
But the above story of Peter walking on the water toward Jesus also teaches us something else: what happens when we lose faith?
“But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink…” When we take our eyes off of Jesus we lose faith. When we lose faith we give in to fear (the opposite of faith) and we sink into sin. If faith overcomes the world, lack of faith leaves us defeated, fearful, sinking and hopeless.
This account of Peter’s encounter with Christ on the water teaches us one more powerful and essential truth:
How we can get more faith: “beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” (31) Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
Question 6. What does Matthew 14:31 teach us about how to renew our faith?
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