A Question of Faith, Part #2

A Question of Faith, Part #2

Romans 1:17  For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. 

This faith that the just shall live by is called the faith in the gospel.  It should not to be entangled with the natural aspects of life, such as jobs, and finances. Faith is about believing in the gospel, and the gospel is about salvation.  If we begin reading at Romans 1:1, there would be little room for misunderstanding.  In verse 16, Paul began by stating that he is not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. Being not ashamed of this strange gospel as many were in his time, he seeks to establish to the Romans that the righteous of God has been revealed to him, therefore he is not ashamed.  His faith in this new revealed gospel  embodies the substance of all that is contained in the epistle. It is the doctrine which Paul seeks to establish; and there is not perhaps a more important passage in the Bible than this verse, or one more difficult to be understood. 

There are many loose interpretations of faith and the gospel, and a great burden has been placed on the works of God by those who claim to believe.  Because of this burden and the seemly inactivity of God, the believability or faith in the gospel has suffered.   Believability in God is often promulgated through making vast promises as to what God is about to do or even what God is doing.  People are excited when God is showering down blessing, the same as when the government is giving out money.  What is this gospel that the just should have faith in?  Is it a motivational message of Moses floating down the river in a boat?  Is the gospel a message of jubilee as we go through life collecting blessings and favors or is it a message of salvation and repentance?  Jesus came preaching gospel or a message that was different from that of the ancient prophet.  Remember when Peter sought to learn from Moses and Elias, Matthew 17:5  While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.  The message or the gospel preached by Jesus should take precedent over a message of Moses defining the law of God.

 The burden of faith is often amplified when those who speak as messengers of God make a proclamation and the result is not forthcoming.  Cute clichés are cast about as if they contain some hidden message, such as, “God know what he is doing” and “God does not make mistakes”.  These statements are true, but the message can be lost in the over simplification, the same as a message that proclaims the darkness of the night or the wetness of water.   When there is a question of living by faith, before the dialog has ended, a reference to healing and/or money will often be used to validate the degree of faith that one either possess or should posses.  If you have faith God will heal your body.  To some this means refusing to go to the doctor, to other the doctors visit and hospital stay is incorporated into the walk of faith.   If you have faith God will put money in your bank account.  The simplest requirement of living by faith requires that we put God first in our lives, especially when it comes to our finances.  Ten percent of the top of your income to the church will grant you an audience with God and the pastor.  Based upon this modern day interpretation of faith, if you are sick or poor you are not walking by faith, and for a fee, there are those who are prepared to teach us, “how to get what we need from God.”

A testimony of faith can be detrimental  to those who's  indoctrination of faith is suffering.  Imagine the disbelief of a person listening to the testimony of a lady explaining how after prayer God started her car.   After oversleeping and the chance of running late for an important appointment, she dressed and rushed out to start her car.  To her dismay the car did not start and the smell of raw gas emitted from the engine compartment.   She went back into the house, kneeled down and prayed,  being led by the spirit she returned to the car and laid hands on the car.  After prayer and anointing the car, it started on the next attempt.   Her testimony of faith “Can’t God do it” evoked an emotional response that was equivalent to the crowd reaction to a touchdown  by their favorite football team.  This type of testimony has damaged the faith of many who understood the workings of a flooded car engine.

What is more confusing, is that many of todays declarations of faith are founded upon the pretentious nature of humanity.  God is blessing me right now becomes a cliché used to display one wealth.  Another pretentious element is used over the over the internet to attract followers.   If you just type “Amen” under a case full of money God will give it to you.  Bed sheets are often cut into small pieces and sold to the gullible with a promise of God’s interaction.  Many have spent a lifetime donating to religious causes, and have not reaped the fruit of their labor,  while the pious elite dance and prance in the sunshine and proclaim, ‘God is blessing me right now.”  How pretentious.  The sick, the poor and the dying, those that Jesus spoke so fondly of, are not receiving the gospel of salvation, rather they are often left standing along side the roadside of despair wondering if they have been forsaken by God. 

Why are we taught that if we have faith we can ask God for “anything” we want and he will give it to us.  Again, Matthew 7:7 is the basis of this teaching, Jesus said, “ask and it shall be given.”   The question of what was he talking about should be answered, before we become guilty of diluting the word of God and promoting a false faith.  Was Jesus talking about natural things such as asking for a car or money?  Many will say yes, while others will say no.  The testimony of one who was contending for the faith stated, “I have a lot of things that I am asking God for, and I just believe he is going to  answer my prayer.”  Soon afterward, her cancer ravished body was laid to rest.  Her untimely death, was it the result of a lack of faith?  To answer the question, “God knows what he is doing”, or “God doesn’t make mistakes”, to some is considered a non answer.  Maybe we should ask God to forgive us for blaming him for everything that happen to us. 

Luke reveals two important  elements in a true relationship with God.  These two things stand out in the discourse of Jesus and his disciples. Luke 11:1  And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.  Luke 17:5  And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.  There is a strong possibility that prayer has evolved to a level where prayer is no longer prayer, and our concept of faith is not true faith.   Remember Jesus musing in Luke 18:8  I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?  This is a question that seriously requires an answer.   Where is that faith that Jesus spoke of?

The desire for faith which is listed as a fruit of the spirit opens the door to a level of gullibility that is destructive to the process of building true faith, especially when we attempt to mix the natural with the spiritual.  This gullibility becomes a strong asset that is used to manipulate the household of faith.  There are those who are not afraid to make false claims about what God said, or what he is saying.  God often speaks during the offering time when he is telling us to give more money.   A skillful manipulator will twist, turn, shape and surgical remove certain segments of the scripture so that we end up with God saying to the church what he said to the children of Israel.  I have often attended gatherings where the drawing card was, come and get your blessing or come and be healed.  The promise of miracles and blessing once attracted people to worship services like flies to honey.  I have seen people leave the church dejected and confused.

In the first part of our dissertation, we identified the major attributes of faith as a belief, confidence or trust.  All of these things are are relative to a metaphysical god whose image is maintained through his power, and his promise.  Therefore, our faith is our belief and confidence or trust that we have in an unseen entity whose presence is made known through his manifestation.  Faith is a spiritual entity.  Galatians 5:22-23  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long  suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.   Here, the writer is describing faith as a “fruit” of the spirit. James 2:20  But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?  The understanding of faith most defiantly requires the understanding of the works of faith. 

Power and promises are the key words used in the definition of faith.  These two words also allow for the trivialization, proliferation and distortion of God’s word.  To understand faith we need to understand the power and the promises of the “gospel”.  Searching the scripture and looking for promises that God made to Abraham or to the children of Israel and claiming them in the name of faith, is not conductive to faith building.  I have been challenged on this point many times.  Consider this; as a work of faith across the nation. Try as we may, but the promises that God made to Abraham and the children of Israel are  not the same promises that Jesus made through the Gospel to the church. 

Prayer warriors often assemble and pray for the healing of the community and the nation.   The scriptural basis of their action is 2 Chronicles 7:14  If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.  The phrase, “my people”, used by God in the Old Testiment always referenced the children of Israel.  If that is not true, then the faith of many is suffering because the God of our salvation is presented as a God who is not keeping his promise. All over the world, people are praying, but the problems of the world is not being fixed,  According to the testimony of Jesus, things will get worse.  The world has rejected God and the judgment has been decreed.   Yet many are constantly praying and calling it a work in progress.  The only reconciliation of these facts is, we got the message mixed up.  Anoother point to consider is, under the law judgement was swift, under grace, judgement is delayed.

Who is talking, who is being spoken to and what is the subject matter is often the master key to understanding God’s Word.  The messenger must be careful not to shape the message to validate his irreverent position.   Imagine this, a bank president and his new assistant sitting in his office, he had just finished talking to a couple who was applying for a loan.  He sent them back out to wait in the crowded waiting room while he checked some facts.  After making up his mind, looking out of his glassed in office, he spoke to his assistant, “tell them they can  have the loan.”  Rather than the selected couple, the message was relayed to everyone in the waiting room.   Needless to say there were those who expecting a loan and did not get one. 

What does Paul mean by the just shall live by faith?  Some would say, it means waiting on God to provide all the necessities of life.   Some have even testified that everything they want, whether it be a house or car, food on the table, they tell God their needs or wants and He  supplies their needs.  The basis of this assertion is  Philippians 4:19,   But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.  Neither scripture is supportive of the above concept if we  allow the word “need” to reference the spirituality of man rather than the natural aspects of humanity.

A measure of our faith is not believing the sun will rise tomorrow, for makes the sun to rise on the just as well as the unjust.  The measure of our faith is believing in the gospel.  The Bible tells us what the gospel is in 1 Cor. 15:1-4, "Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures . . . "

 Jesus came preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God.  Mark 1:15  And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.  The Gospel is the message of the Kingdom.  What is the kingdom?  Romans 14:17  For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

Matthew 5:45  That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.  This verse should teach us that there are those things that are decreed by God or nature, the just and the unjust receive the same benefits or suffer the same consequences.  A drunk, violating the laws of humanity, driving the wrong direction down the freeway is not an instrument of God sent to exact vengeance upon any poor unsuspecting child.  Therefore God doesn’t make mistakes, is not an applicable response.  Surgical removing Bible verses from their supporting scriptures, creating sound bites  that establishes an alien context,  we establish a modus operandi that causes true faith to suffer. 

There are questions of prayer and faith, and in most instances the answers are not forthcoming from the pulpits of our churches.   In many settings prayer has become a loud, boisterous act designed to provoke an emotional reaction from the listener.   The strangeness of may church services is that they seek to obtain the same level of emotions that is achieved when a nationally known performer appears on stage. 

Based upon Paul’s definition of faith the meaning seems can seem somewhat muddled.  It was Peter’s contention that Paul sometime spoke in highly educated language that was hard to understand.  But, it is not the definition of faith, it is the application of faith that bothered me. Some describe the Christian faith as a “personal relationship with Jesus.” But, what type of relationship is the organize church encouraging and developing.  A personal relationship with Christ is defined as leaning and depending on Jesus.  Is this the type of relationship encouraged by Jesus when he said, “Take up your cross and follow me”?  Sadly, our church services, classes, and programs pursue a relationship like, “Jesus will pick us up and carry us.”  Do our faith in Christ means he will carry us through the storm?   Faith is touted as the procurer of our wants or hopes.  Is this an accurate representation of faith...

Think on these things.