ABOUT THIS ‘FAITH’ THING (Pt 4)

What is Faith?

FAITH IS ACCEPTANCE OF WHAT HAS ALREADY BEEN MADE AVAILABLE

Find does not “bind” God to act on our behalf. When we operate with that mindset, we become like the new-born baby who assumes (because of the cause-effect pattern he notices) that it is his cry that binds his mother to come feed him.

The babe doesn’t know that it’s his mother’s love for him that influences the result of the cry and not the cry itself.

The salvation experience is our best portrait of what faith really is. Eph 2:8  states that “For by grace are you saved through faith...”

We are not saved by faith. We are saved by the grace of God, (see Rom 3:24; Tit 3:7). The salvation didn’t come because we prayed the sinner’s prayer. The salvation was made available by Christ on the Cross long before we were even born. But at a point in time, we believed the gospel message and that faith made the saving power of the Cross AVAILABLE to us.

Paul in Eph 1:3 says that God has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. Peter said in 2Pt 1:3 that God’s divine power has given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness... and also, with respect to healing, he said by Christ’s stripes we were healed (1Pt 2:24).

When we understand that what we are having faith for was ALREADY on God’s mind and ALREADY been provided for, our prayer language will be more gratitude and less legalese.

We’ll not be quoting scriptures to God like a lawyer stating precedential cases to compel the judge to act in his favour.  Instead, we’ll be like the Psalmist in Ps 119:162 who says, “How happy I am because of your promises – as happy as someone who finds rich treasure. (GNB)

Faith therefore is the discovery of what has ALREADY been provided in Christ, and our subsequent request for its appropriation in our lives.

“But what about specifics?” Someone may ask, “What if what I need is not part of what was provided for me?”

That statement, beloved, is an indictment both of the omniscience and of the love of the Father towards us. If we spend time in the Word guided by God’s Spirit, He’ll help us to know the things that are freely given to us of God. (1Co 2:12).

Faith becomes much stronger when it’s based on what we clearly know is available for the asking.

AMEN.

More Blessings await you today; you’ll not miss them in Jesus Name.

GREG ELKAN