Published by admin on 06 Dec 2013 at 12:01 pm
WHAT IS FAITH FOR?
The Bible tells us in Hebrews 11:5-6 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Therefore, faith is real high on God’s list of things that He wants mankind to have. Faith is the key that opens the door to most of God’s promises, probably being only second to “obedience”. Of course, having faith is part of obedience. But what is faith for? Let’s explore that today.
Before going any further, let’s establish one thing for certain, all of us have faith, for it is written in Romans 12:1-5,
Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Rom 12:3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
Rom 12:4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:
Rom 12:5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
Though we have faith, whether we are using it or not is another question altogether. Some have told me they just don’t have faith, yet the Bible clearly says God HAS given each of us faith, and it’s a measure of His very own, so we know for sure it works, for with it He created the entire heavens and universe.
I’d like to pose a question to you; what do you use YOUR faith for? Do you use it in service to God, spending it for His service, to accomplish His will on the earth? By that, I mean using faith as a tool to show God’s mercy to the sick, oppressed, and poor? All through the New Testament we see how the Lord Jesus used His faith, not for His own creature comforts, but to bring relief unto others, to meet the needs of others, and to free them from demonic oppression. I can’t find even one instance where Jesus used His faith to benefit Himself, and we know He could have, had He chosen to.
Certainly in the Garden of Gethsemane He could have used His faith to avoid capture, on the way to His crucifixion He could have used His faith to make the cross lighter, or not to feel the pain of the injuries inflicted upon Him. Surely, had He been thinking of His own comfort, He would have used faith to have not felt the nails being driven through His wrists and feet, wouldn’t you think? Paul wrote in the passage above that every man among us should not think of himself more highly as he ought to think, in other words, but to think soberly and to consider, as to what he was given that faith for in the first place, and not be selfish with it.
Some preachers tell us to use our faith to get prosperity, that God does not want us poor. I’d agree that God does not want us poor, for how can we meet the needs of others if we ourselves are destitute? But I also observe that those very ones who have used their faith to gain riches have mostly spent lavishly upon themselves first, building big fine homes, and sometimes multiple big fine homes at that. I’m not saying they all don’t help the poor, but they make sure they help themselves first and foremost. Maybe we should revisit an old phrase, “What Would Jesus Do?” If He were here with us on the earth today, would He be riding in a Bentley on His way to His stately mansion (s)? No. I rather think He would be doing as He always did, out there taking care of others; putting others before Himself. And that remains the example to me of what I should be using my faith for, even though I could be using it for my own comfort instead.
Is it wrong to use your faith to believe for a car so you don’t have to walk everywhere? No. My car enables me to travel far and wide to respond to those who need ministry, but it sure isn’t a Bentley. Many times I’ve used my faith to believe God to provide certain things we need for our ministry work. But here we need to be careful and ask ourselves, am I using my faith to serve ME, or to serve GOD? You see, every tree is known by its fruit, and sooner or later, that fruit will manifest itself for all to see.
Knowing that God gave us faith to assist us in our labors for His Kingdom, we should keep the main thing, the main thing. It’s about souls for the Kingdom of God, it’s not about US and what makes us comfy. God said He would send the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, to help us, not necessarily to make us comfortable. Perhaps we should consider the Apostle Paul, who spent much time in prison for his testimony of Christ Jesus. He wrote much of the New Testament from prison. Perhaps he missed God by not using his faith to get out of prison and move into a nice mansion and have every creature comfort known to man at that time? Well, if we listen to many preachers today, that would be the impression we might be left with. Perhaps John missed God by not using his faith to escape imprisonment on the Isle of Patmos where he was given the book of Revelation? Seems the early disciples could have benefited by having some of the faith teachers of today teaching them how to use their faith to escape their trials and tribulations. I wonder…..
Or could it be the teachers of today have missed what the early disciples knew all along; that their faith was given them to use to win multitudes into the Body of Christ, and not for their own convenience?
Then does that mean a man or woman of God should allow Satan and his helpers to just plunder their health and goods, and cause trouble for us? No. We should use our faith to stand guard over what God has provided us with, for the provision we have has been given to us to build the Kingdom of God. That isn’t selfish use of faith, that’s wisdom; for our “Job One” is to build God’s Kingdom, and if we sit idly by and let the devil steal our resources, we are not being wise stewards for the LORD. But again, there’s a fine line between what is “our will” and “God’s will” as we put our faith to work. Faith is our servant, our helper, and it is to be used, but let us consider carefully how we are using it.
As you know, there is much corruption in the world, and in every government of the world there are people in administrations taking goods and services meant to benefit others, and diverting them for their own personal use, thereby making themselves rich. It’s nothing new; it’s been going on for thousands of years. We should look at faith the way Jesus did; faith is the key to the warehouse of God, and we are granted access to all that He has by virtue of our relationship with Christ Jesus. When you stick the key of faith in the door of God’s provision and it swings open wide, are you looking around first, and if nobody is looking, are you stuffing your pockets? Or is your heart fixed upon what God would have you do to build His Kingdom?
Remember what Jesus said in Matthew 6:33? “Seek ye FIRST the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” God is a most generous employer, if you take care of HIS business first and foremost, He will see to it your needs are met with abundance and grace. Use faith as God meant it to be used, to serve His Kingdom, and when it’s all said and done, you will be glad you did. Examine your motives carefully today.