I read Bryan Chapell’s excellent book The Gospel According to Daniel and listened to his corresponding sermons on the book of Daniel at Grace Presbyterian Church in Peoria. You can listen to the sermons here or on the church’s podcast available in iTunes. Dr. Chapell also wrote the notes for Daniel in the Gospel Transformation Bible.

Here are 15 wonderful quotes about faith from chapter 3 of the book:

• Faith is not confidence in our belief but confidence in our God. Any other perspective will ultimately harm our faith.
• Faith is not trusting in how much confidence we have about things we would like to happen.
• Because we know his loving nature, we can have faith that there is a plan and a purpose for whatever we face.
• Real faith is not faith in the quantity of our confidence; it is faith in our God.
• Good things do not always happen according to our plans, wisdom, or desires—and that does not mean our faith is at fault.
• Real faith trusts God’s plan and purpose.
• One such error is the idea that God will do as we desire if our desire is righteous enough. We trust that God will fulfill our desires because of the quality of our belief.
• Confidence based on assurances that have no scriptural support damage faith more than they accomplish good.
• God does not intend for us to predict outcomes as much as he intends for us to trust him in all circumstances.
• We do not have faith because all is going well; we do not lose faith because something goes poorly. Our faith is not in what circumstances might indicate but in God’s greater purposes.
• Circumstances can never be trusted to indicate with certainty what our actions should be or what God’s purposes are.
• By their example, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego lay out a simple plan of action to help us faithfully confront the trials we face: (1) we acknowledge our needs without stipulating how God should or will respond; (2) we humbly acknowledge the ability of God either to meet our needs in the way we desire or in a way that he knows is better; and (3) we commit ourselves to uncompromising obedience whatever comes. We simply obey God and trust him to take care of the circumstances.
• Biblical faith is not merely the confidence that our God is able; it also requires the confidence that our God is good.
• We trust him because, through his Son, God has shown how much he loves us. Faith rests in this love.
• True biblical faith trusts that God knows and is doing what is right, because he gave us Jesus.

This is one of my favorite books of the year. I highly recommend it to you.