"…Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?"
— Luke 18:8 KJV
Faith is Christianity's bedrock — the first step to following Jesus. But the serpent in the Garden opposed God's instruction and manipulated God's image before Eve. His primary aim? To destroy her faith.
Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, "Has God indeed said, 'You shall not eat of every tree of the garden'?" And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.'" Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.
— Genesis 3:1–7 NKJV
After the fall, the enemy continued trying to blind the world to God's truth and manipulate how believers perceive God's nature. A world developed that disbelieved God's purity and good intentions, rejecting the Creator's instructions to stumble in darkness. Scripture tells us of God's grief:
"Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart."
— Genesis 6:5–6 NKJV
But God found faith in Noah — a believer who walked with God, obeyed commands, and followed Him. His household was spared.
Will Jesus Find Faith?
Since Jesus' ascension, we live in the last days. One day the King will return. Will He find faith on the earth? Will He find anyone believing He is good? Anyone obeying commands at the expense of comfort? Anyone willing to know Him intimately? Anyone still following so others might be saved?
"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand."
— John 10:27–28 NKJV
Jesus describes His sheep with four critical characteristics:
1. Believe
John 3:16 says "whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." But if belief alone sufficed, why aren't only that characteristic listed? Noah's life answers: faith without works is dead. Noah believed, so he built the boat. Belief without obedience would have meant perishing. Do our lives — our speech, where we go, our time, money, and treatment of others — show genuine faith?
2. Hear
Jesus said "My sheep hear My voice." The Greek word for "hear" means to hearken, heed, or obey. God expects that when we hear His voice, we obey. Hearing without action is not the hearing Jesus describes.
3. Know
The Greek word for "know" means to know by experience — intimately. Jesus knows His sheep intimately: every flaw, thought, fear, joy, and sin — yet loves them the same. If we allow Jesus to truly know us, we should produce the fruit of His Spirit in our lives. "He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing" (John 15:5 NKJV).
4. Follow
God's kindness, love, and desire to know all creation intimately compel us to follow. Jesus gave the Great Commission — to go and make disciples. But an adversary seeks to prevent belief and following, trying to destroy the faith of God's children at every turn.
Sifted But Not Destroyed
"And the Lord said, 'Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.'"
— Luke 22:31–32 KJV
Satan sifted Peter to the point of following Jesus at a distance — to the point of denying Him three times, even cursing and swearing. Yet Jesus had prayed for him. Satan desires to sift every believer from following Jesus, from knowing Him intimately, and from obeying His commands. Without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6).
The enemy has used Eden-like tactics to make God's children believe He is not a rewarder — twisting God's Word, planting deceitful thoughts, pitting divine timing against us, and trying to foster frustration with God's plans. But just as Jesus prayed for Peter, He prays for us: that our faith will not fail, that we will return to our first love, and strengthen our fellow believers.
"To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne."
— Revelation 3:21 NKJV