INTRODUCTION
‘FAITH’ is usually used in reference to having a faith in God; or belonging to a tradition of belief expressed in worship to (or of) a deity (e.g., Judaism, Christendom, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism etc.).
It is also employed to refer to fragmented sects of religious orders like the Orthodox and Hasidic Jews; or Pentecostal, Catholic and Evangelical Christians; or of Islam – Sufis, Shi’ites, Sunnis, etc.
More generally it may refer to practices of these sects as conservative, moderate, liberal, or reformist faiths.
‘Faith’ has and continues also to be used: to subject the poor, enslave groups, persecute people, rob nations of material wealth (feigning ‘conversion’); build class distinctions to subordinate and exploit the vulnerable, propagate fear to achieve segregation; create institutions (political, economic and religious), in order to control the destiny of many. ‘Faith’ has even been expressed as a seal of death, in a deliberate desire in some to die for, or to certify death to others opposed to their beliefs.
But ‘faith’ also bears expression in laudable ideals of charitable work, love, compassion, and selfless well-doing and the pursuit of justice for many.
What one attaches their faith to or define it by, is not an end in itself, but a way, a practice, an expression, a desire or hope to get to something or someone, and the direction could either be towards evil or good. This piece should trigger a deeper thought about what or who is your faith serving?
1. FAITH AND GOD’S PURPOSE
“Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews: 11:1 KJV).
Faith in God, is to believe in what one has yet not seen, such belief resting on the conviction that God’s word accomplishes its purpose. For example, the heavens and the earth were created by the word of God. The “Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters”; and “God said let there be light and there was light”(Genesis 1:1-3).
The word of God and the power of the Holy Spirit are the creative force of faith. Therefore, the things, that are seen (in the earth), were made out of something that we cannot see – i.e. the Spirit behind Gods word (Hebrew 11:2).
2. BELIEF IN GOD’S WORD – THE UNSEEN TRUTH
God’s Faith is believing in God’s word, the unseen truth. It is completely devoid of a reality experienced by sight, and rests on the conviction inspired by belief in the unseen truth of His word!
Abraham’s faith was counted for righteousness because against every reality, he believed in God’s word, that his offspring would be as many as the stars in the sky (Genesis 15:5-6). Also, in faith, the virgin Mary replied to the word of God about the conception of Jesus, saying, “… be it unto me according to thy word”.(Luke 1:38). The word being the revelation from the angel Gabriel to Mary that “The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee. Therefore also the holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:26-27 & 35).
3. “BELIEVING IS SEEING”
The faith of God goes against the proverb, “seeing is believing”. It will read more like “believing (in God’s word) is seeing”.
Jesus illustrates the purpose of God’s faith for the world: – “that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind”. Speaking to the Pharisees, he explains: “If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, we see; therefore your sin remaineth”(John 9:39-41).
In other words, the faith that asserts upon what one knows, or has seen in reality, otherwise than believing by the conviction in the power of God, (the Holy Spirit of Truth) to perform God’s word, cannot represent a faith as God’s sacrifice.
4. GOD’S FAITH IS A FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT
God’s Faith is the ‘Spirit of God’ that lightest the world, which was made manifest in Jesus, whom God sent into the world as his sacrifice to grant salvation and eternal life for humanity (John 3:16). Jesus is “the light of the world [and any one who follows him] shall not walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life”(John 8:12; 1 John 1:7). In other words, if one in faith believes in Jesus, who is the light and walks in that faith, you shall walk in his light.
Christ is “the true Light that lights every man that comes into the world (John 1:9). If we abide in him, we will bear fruit because without him we can do nothing (John 15:5). We abide in Christ through the Holy Spirit of truth, which proceed from the Father, to guide believers “into all truth”; and will testify of Christ (John 4:17 & 15:26; 1 John 2:27). The Faith of God is a fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22; John 14:26)
5. RELIGIOUS FAITH IS NOT GOD’S SACRIFICE
Brethren, to assert knowledge (i.e seeing or sight) in reliance on scripture or related doctrines taught by men, or association with religious sect, may not qualify the ‘faith’ as God’s sacrifice.
To qualify faith as God’s sacrifice, the belief, doctrine, or practice must be conditioned upon belief in Christ’s sacrifice upon conviction by the Spirit of God. Failing this, the faith one expresses becomes his/her faith in God, conditioned by what he/she claims to know, learns, practice and experience in hope that it is what God desires.
We must note that it is ONLY “by grace” that we have (or will be) saved through faith, and not by ourselves. Salvation “is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Ephesians 2:8, 9).
Even so, one must not “believe every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God”(1John 4:1-2). We can discern whether the spirit is of God because “every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God”(1 John 4:2).
6. CHRIST: THE AUTHOR OF OUR FAITH
God’s faith as sacrifice rests on what God has done for us through the sacrifice of Christ Jesus, the Messiah, who is “the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews: 12. 2). “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Ephesians 2:8, 9).
Therefore, people God, regardless of your religious conviction, harden not your heart (Psalm 95;7; Hebrews 3:15), and consider ‘the word of faith’ as God’s sacrifice:
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:8-10).
PRAYER
Almighty father, thank you for your word.
I pray for your people the Jews and all your children whom you have created in Love, who desire the truth, as they seek you. Sanctify them Father with the truth and keep them by the power of God through faith unto salvation (John 17:17; 1 Peter 1:1&5).
Incline their hearts to believe that without ‘faith as sacrifice’, it is impossible to please you (IJN) (Hebrews: 11.6).
Holy Father, you who know the hearts of your children, “bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as you have done unto us who believe that JESUS IS LORD; and “put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith” (Acts:15.8).
Father, when “the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” empower them to resist steadfast in the faith; and assure them victory over the world (1 Peter: 5.8; 1 John: 5. 4)
I make this prayer in JESUS NAME. Have a blessed Sabbath!
Lots of Love, P. Schwartz (SOG)
21/04/2017
