Christian Living

PERFECT THAT WHICH IS LACKING IN YOUR FAITH

by Chi Onwuchekwa
11/13/20
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  "Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith" - 1 Thessalonians 3:10

We know from Habakkuk 2:4 the overwhelming importance of faith. “The just shall live by faith” is a clear pointer that the Christian believer can only successfully live, flourish, grow and be productive only if he allows faith - in God through Christ Jesus - to steer his heart and life on all matters.

Our opening scripture however alludes to the truth that faith can be perfect or lacking; and where lacking that necessary steps should be taken to perfect that which is lacking in it. However, it is near impossible to diagnose and correct  what is wrong with an object or situation except and until we know exactly what its perfect state looks like; the same with faith. We cannot discover or perfect that which is lacking in our faith except and until we know what ‘perfect’ faith looks like. Please note that the list below  is not exhaustive but a mere guide.

So, what does ‘perfect’ faith look like?

      i.        It is faith that believes that God is – that He exists, that with Him all things are possible and that He is all that the Word affirms Him to be. A faith that believes God well enough to get saved but afterwards doubt if He is able to provide, heal, protect, deliver and help in times of need is a faith that is lacking. Perfect faith must continually believe ALL that the scriptures affirm about God – Hebrews 11:6

     ii.        It is faith that is the end-result of the ‘hearing of the Word of God’ – Romans 10:17. It is faith that has arisen from contact with God’s word. A faith that believes for a blessing that has no foundation in the written or spoken Word of God is a faith that is lacking given that God creates and upholds all things by the Word of His power – Hebrews 1:3.

    iii.        It is faith that provokes ‘works’ - James 2:18. Perfect faith is more than a mental or intellectual affirmation of the truth in Christ but one that automatically compels us to get going and do what the Word promises! A faith that believes for a change, for a new season but mentally and physically ‘sits’ in the old is lacking.

   iv.        It is faith that drives our hearts to a place of ‘rest’ – away from fear, anxiety and worry - rest because we know Him whom we have believed and are fully persuaded that He is able to keep ALL that we have committed to Him’ – 2 Timothy 1:12. Faith is almost the antithesis of fear and thus if we claim we have faith but notice fear and anxiety filling up our hearts, that in itself is a sign that something is lacking in our faith.

    v.        It is faith that confesses or expresses itself in the words we speak. Luke 6:45 states that out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. And so, if we claim that we believe God for victory in our health, in our finances, over our families -  and yet speak defeat, that in itself is proof that something is lacking in our faith.

   vi.        It is faith that trusts God implicitly and consistently. Trust comes from having unquestionable confidence in God such that we do not doubt Him even in the face of conflicting evidence. A faith that claims to trust God but is easily swayed to doubt or to question His faithfulness and goodness because of conflicting physical evidence is lacking. True faith must rest its confidence in the integrity and steadfastness of all that God is and can do – James 1:6-8.

  vii.        It is faith that is anchored in the will of God. A faith that hopes and believes for something contrary to the will of God is lacking, because it is rooted in self-will.

 viii.        It is faith that works through love (Galatians 5:6)…a ‘faith’ birthed or inspired by hatred, bitterness, envy, jealousy, strife and unforgiveness is lacking.

   ix.        It is faith that believes in the fulfilment or manifestation of that which it believes God for -(Romans 4:21). A faith that asks but does not believe that it would receive is lacking.

    x.        It is faith that believes to receive ‘now’ – in the very moment that it asks, answers and solutions to its request. A faith that asks now but confines its receiving to the future is lacking. True faith must believe God for answers to prayers in the now even if God choses to do it tomorrow – Mark 11:24. A faith that can trust God to give victory later but not now is lacking.

Faith, when it is as it ought to be, should on its own provoke and release upon him who believes the power to bring to pass that which he by faith believes for. To the woman healed of an 18 year old infirmity, Jesus said “Daughter, your faith has made you well” - Mark 5:34 and to the one leper who returned to give thanks, Jesus said “Rise and go, your faith has made you well” -  Luke 17:19. Faith is designed to produce great victories!

What else can faith do? Hebrews 11:33-35 speaks of a people:

“…who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again.”

But a faith that is lacking is one that is missing a necessary component that it needs to be able to do what faith, ordinarily, should do, for why would the LORD, who ‘…shows no partiality’  (Acts 10:34) respond to the faith of one while ignoring the faith of another?

If our faith has seemingly not delivered the victories we had hoped for, perhaps it is time to do a diagnostic of our faith to see if it be ‘perfect’ or ‘lacking’. May the Holy Spirit guide our hearts as we do so and more importantly, may He not only reveal to us the true state of our faith but also heal and restore it in Jesus’ most wonderful name.

Shalom!

Chinwe Onwuchekwa

E-mail:[email protected]

Web: www.worldrevive.org