“The message…did not benefit them, because it was not mixed with faith.” Heb 4:2 AMP
A catalyst facilitates change; it makes things happen! For example, Alka-Seltzer without water has no effervescence, flour without yeast produces no bread, seeds without sunshine means no flowers, blue without yellow means no green, an egg without sperm means no baby, a spark without air produces no flame. Faith makes God’s Word work in your life. Without it nothing happens. Talking about the Israelites, Paul said, “When the good news of deliverance…came to them…the message…did not benefit them, because it was not mixed with faith.” One author says: “Without specific catalysts certain results can never be achieved. To make spiritual progress it’s not enough to read the Bible or listen to sermons. The activating ingredient to understanding is faith. After we hear God’s message we must act on it…Maybe you’re experiencing bitterness or anger because of a failed relationship and God told you to put those emotions behind you, but you lack the will to do it. Let me encourage you, trust God’s Word and act in faith. His promises will bloom in your life once you activate your faith.” Faith is not intellectual assent, or paying lip service to what you read in God’s Word. It’s acting on it, confident that God will do what He promised. There’s a difference between faith and trust. You may believe a chair will hold you, but only when you sit down and put your full weight on it are you trusting it. Getting the idea?
