Faith is one of the most important elements we possess as a Christian and yet, can be one of the most misunderstood.
Some scholars even think that faith was our sixth sense however, it was lost in the garden of Eden, when Adam ate the apple.
The Bible has much to say about faith. We know that it is IMPOSSIBLE to please God without it. (Hebrews 11:6). Faith is the substance of things we hope for, the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1)
The average Joe and Jane can live their entire life without faith, yet as a Christian, it is essential – it is our lifeline to God! We must have faith to believe in something we cannot see. It took faith for us to become a Christian in the first place. And although, as a Christian, we have used a degree of faith – it has been deluded.
Faith is our positive response to what Jesus has already done for us. Faith involves believing. Instead of trying to conjure up some ethereal feeling and trying to get God to move on our behalf, it is simply believing what has already been accomplished for us and has already been done. Either we believe the Word of God, or we don’t.
We have been given “the measure” – meaning, we all have been given the same amount. (Romans 12:3) Some would think there are those super Christians that have more faith than others – this is false. They have the same amount of faith yet; some people have chosen to appropriate their belief while others have clouded their faith with doubt.
Life and circumstances have a way of telling us one thing when we sometimes are trying to believe for something else. This is illustrated in the synoptic gospels (Matthew 17, Mark 9, Luke 9) seeing the child with epilepsy. His actions were atrocious – he was foaming at the mouth and throwing himself in the fire. The disciples were puzzled why they were not able to appropriate healing, especially because they had already experienced success otherwise. Their circumstances trumped what they believed. Their “eyes” got in their way of believing.
Obviously, the child’s father had some level of faith for him to bring his child to the disciples in the first place and yet, after the disciples had a hard time – the father was beginning to doubt. He told Jesus; I do believe – help my unbelief.
The Word tells us that our carnal senses are an enemy to our Spirit (Romans 8:7) however, as children of God, we are to walk by faith and not by sight. (2Corinthians 5:7). This is where the “rubber meets the road”.
We can have faith and unbelief at the same time. We must get rid of our doubt for our faith to work. What Jesus did on the cross and what the Word says must dominate what we see, taste, hear, smell, and feel. This is faith!
Rhonda Smart, [email protected]
