SHINY4UJESUS
Member
-Faith: Quality, Not Quantity-
“ What is faith? It is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen. It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see.” +Hebrews 11:1+
Faith is the foundational element of our life in Christ that dictates our ability to receive of God; not simply salvation, but providence, favor, and power. We are told in Hebrews 10 & 11 a lot about faith, as well as it's critical impact in our walks with God, in Christ. Some believers mistakenly believe faith is an action, a work, an expression; but this is not true. Faith is an attitude, a perspective, and a direction/intention of the heart; not simply the deeds our faith reflects. We do well to look beyond the apparent fruit of faith, and instead look at the original root of faith. In this matter, the fruit can be deceiving; while ensuring the proper root of our faith will always ensure productive fruit.
Some may point to James 2:14-26 implying that, “since faith without works is dead,” faith is based in works; yet this is a misconception. Godly works and spiritual fruit may be a reflection of our faith; but it is the faith that allows the works, not the works which allow the faith. While faith can be directed as an “expression,” it is an intangible concept that simply cannot be limited to an action or series of actions. What causes one to flip a light switch on when they enter a dark room? It isn't the finger used, and it is not the end result; it is the faith that if we flip the switch, the light will turn on and shine. If we didn't have faith in the response we would have no cause to commit to the action in question whatever it may be.
Faith is like our “switch,” that opens the door for God to move and minister to us and through us in our lives. Without that switch, we would have no way to inspire or invoke a response from our Father in heaven. All to often we equivocate our actions, deeds, and “righteousness,” as the catalyst to the movement of God; however this is a greatly misguided perception. There is nothing we can do as far as an action that will open the door to providence; the only route to receiving anything of God is by faith.
“ But when you ask Him, be sure that you really expect Him to answer, for a doubtful mind is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed about by the wind. People like that should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.” +James 1:6&7+
There is a commonly used and widely known worldly phrase that applies directly to the idea of faith, which says, “The power to believe is the power to achieve.” Faith is much the same: our ability to receive of God is in direct proportion to our ability to have faith in His ability, and willingness to trust that He can do what we ask. If we doubt His ability we will not likely receive what we ask, because the trust is result based rather than faith based. If we doubt the response based on His character, we similarly impede the return on our petitions as we send them up to heaven. We must be able to trust completely in both His ability and willingness to provide the things we ask of Him.
It is written that “Faith comes by hearing the Word of the Lord,” and it is by seeking God we build our faith for several reasons. First, if we know enough about God's character and will, we have a much better chance that the prayers we send up are in accordance to His will. Second, if we know what God's specific promises are, we can be certain that we will receive a response when we claim these promises in Jesus' name. We are told in Isaiah 55:10-13 that God's Word cannot come back empty, but will accomplish the purpose it was meant to. Due to God's nature, He has no choice but to be accountable to Himself and His Word; so when we ask according to what He has stated, the reaction is guaranteed.
Third; because of God having a loving, sincere, honest, graceful and patient fatherly nature, it is His desire to care for His children. How many times did we as children run directly to mom or dad when we were scared, hurt or confused? We ran to them because we had faith that they would solve the problem, comfort us, and make things better. Why? Simply because we trusted their love for us, their willingness to care for us, and their ability to resolve whatever issue confronted us. This is the same dynamic we have with our Father in heaven, and we can employ this concept towards our faith. I would like to offer clarification here: this is not a promotion of the idea we should not mature in the area of faith, but an illustration of proper quality of faith; of proper direction. We can still have this type of "sold-out," and reverent faith as mature believers; but it will take a more intentional and dedicated approach as we apply that faith in our lives. Let us not allow our maturity to "over-think," things, but let us not lose sight of the idea of faith as being trust-based even when we don't fully understand or see what is occurring.
“ If we are unfaithful, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.” +2 Tim. 2:13+
The direction and object of our faith is paramount, as misdirected or misguided faith is a vain faith entirely. Think about it; we as humans are a weak and frail race, prone to errors in judgment, inconsistency, and dishonesty. On the other hand, God is flawless in judgment, remains faithful regardless of who we are or how we are. If we place our faith in self, will we not be disappointed at some stage as we let ourselves down? If we have faith in others, what happens if those others are no longer there? If we have faith in our finances, what happens if the economy collapses; taking all our money with it? Regardless what the object is, it will be an epic failure eventually, when we place our faith in any besides God Himself.
I must admit that I have had my fair share of struggles with pride and vanity over the years. From time to time I have both consciously and unconsciously veered towards faith in self when things started showing potential for success. It is very easy to fall prey to the idea that periods of abundance and prosperity are results of our own hard work and efforts. While there is some functional truth to the idea that hard work and diligence contribute to our worldly success; we must remember that is neither the only, nor primary factor. Anything we undertake that reaps a positive result is something that is blessed and favored of God, and we wouldn't have the life we lead or the opportunities we find if not for Him in the first place. We do well to keep in proper perspective the idea that our success and abundance are gifts from above not applause for our own efforts.
One of the more widely used terms within the Christian faith is “Victorious Faith,” but it is an item that is also somewhat misconstrued. We have developed the general idea that victorious faith is only victorious if a person's life reflects a sinless, struggle-free life which is completely without any flaw or error. This is very deceptive and is a danger to both those perpetuating the idea, and those who are having the ideology presented to them. This threatens to return the focus back to legalistic principles rather than keeping the perspective driven towards a life of righteousness through grace; by faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
“ What is faith? It is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen. It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see.” +Hebrews 11:1+
Faith is the foundational element of our life in Christ that dictates our ability to receive of God; not simply salvation, but providence, favor, and power. We are told in Hebrews 10 & 11 a lot about faith, as well as it's critical impact in our walks with God, in Christ. Some believers mistakenly believe faith is an action, a work, an expression; but this is not true. Faith is an attitude, a perspective, and a direction/intention of the heart; not simply the deeds our faith reflects. We do well to look beyond the apparent fruit of faith, and instead look at the original root of faith. In this matter, the fruit can be deceiving; while ensuring the proper root of our faith will always ensure productive fruit.
Some may point to James 2:14-26 implying that, “since faith without works is dead,” faith is based in works; yet this is a misconception. Godly works and spiritual fruit may be a reflection of our faith; but it is the faith that allows the works, not the works which allow the faith. While faith can be directed as an “expression,” it is an intangible concept that simply cannot be limited to an action or series of actions. What causes one to flip a light switch on when they enter a dark room? It isn't the finger used, and it is not the end result; it is the faith that if we flip the switch, the light will turn on and shine. If we didn't have faith in the response we would have no cause to commit to the action in question whatever it may be.
Faith is like our “switch,” that opens the door for God to move and minister to us and through us in our lives. Without that switch, we would have no way to inspire or invoke a response from our Father in heaven. All to often we equivocate our actions, deeds, and “righteousness,” as the catalyst to the movement of God; however this is a greatly misguided perception. There is nothing we can do as far as an action that will open the door to providence; the only route to receiving anything of God is by faith.
“ But when you ask Him, be sure that you really expect Him to answer, for a doubtful mind is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed about by the wind. People like that should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.” +James 1:6&7+
There is a commonly used and widely known worldly phrase that applies directly to the idea of faith, which says, “The power to believe is the power to achieve.” Faith is much the same: our ability to receive of God is in direct proportion to our ability to have faith in His ability, and willingness to trust that He can do what we ask. If we doubt His ability we will not likely receive what we ask, because the trust is result based rather than faith based. If we doubt the response based on His character, we similarly impede the return on our petitions as we send them up to heaven. We must be able to trust completely in both His ability and willingness to provide the things we ask of Him.
It is written that “Faith comes by hearing the Word of the Lord,” and it is by seeking God we build our faith for several reasons. First, if we know enough about God's character and will, we have a much better chance that the prayers we send up are in accordance to His will. Second, if we know what God's specific promises are, we can be certain that we will receive a response when we claim these promises in Jesus' name. We are told in Isaiah 55:10-13 that God's Word cannot come back empty, but will accomplish the purpose it was meant to. Due to God's nature, He has no choice but to be accountable to Himself and His Word; so when we ask according to what He has stated, the reaction is guaranteed.
Third; because of God having a loving, sincere, honest, graceful and patient fatherly nature, it is His desire to care for His children. How many times did we as children run directly to mom or dad when we were scared, hurt or confused? We ran to them because we had faith that they would solve the problem, comfort us, and make things better. Why? Simply because we trusted their love for us, their willingness to care for us, and their ability to resolve whatever issue confronted us. This is the same dynamic we have with our Father in heaven, and we can employ this concept towards our faith. I would like to offer clarification here: this is not a promotion of the idea we should not mature in the area of faith, but an illustration of proper quality of faith; of proper direction. We can still have this type of "sold-out," and reverent faith as mature believers; but it will take a more intentional and dedicated approach as we apply that faith in our lives. Let us not allow our maturity to "over-think," things, but let us not lose sight of the idea of faith as being trust-based even when we don't fully understand or see what is occurring.
“ If we are unfaithful, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.” +2 Tim. 2:13+
The direction and object of our faith is paramount, as misdirected or misguided faith is a vain faith entirely. Think about it; we as humans are a weak and frail race, prone to errors in judgment, inconsistency, and dishonesty. On the other hand, God is flawless in judgment, remains faithful regardless of who we are or how we are. If we place our faith in self, will we not be disappointed at some stage as we let ourselves down? If we have faith in others, what happens if those others are no longer there? If we have faith in our finances, what happens if the economy collapses; taking all our money with it? Regardless what the object is, it will be an epic failure eventually, when we place our faith in any besides God Himself.
I must admit that I have had my fair share of struggles with pride and vanity over the years. From time to time I have both consciously and unconsciously veered towards faith in self when things started showing potential for success. It is very easy to fall prey to the idea that periods of abundance and prosperity are results of our own hard work and efforts. While there is some functional truth to the idea that hard work and diligence contribute to our worldly success; we must remember that is neither the only, nor primary factor. Anything we undertake that reaps a positive result is something that is blessed and favored of God, and we wouldn't have the life we lead or the opportunities we find if not for Him in the first place. We do well to keep in proper perspective the idea that our success and abundance are gifts from above not applause for our own efforts.
One of the more widely used terms within the Christian faith is “Victorious Faith,” but it is an item that is also somewhat misconstrued. We have developed the general idea that victorious faith is only victorious if a person's life reflects a sinless, struggle-free life which is completely without any flaw or error. This is very deceptive and is a danger to both those perpetuating the idea, and those who are having the ideology presented to them. This threatens to return the focus back to legalistic principles rather than keeping the perspective driven towards a life of righteousness through grace; by faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
Last edited:
