Faith

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Seeing Life Through Eyes of Faith

John Simmons

The word 'faith' means many things to many different people. It is a word that has been defined, and re-defined in the minds and languages of many different peoples, all over the world. In a general way, 'faith' means to most people the ability to place confidence in someone or something. 'Faith' is a word that can apparently be defined in many different ways, depending on who is creating the definition of the word. In the sense of 'faith' meaning our ability to have confidence in a power that is higher than ourselves, in our Creator-Sustainer: the meaning of faith is narrowed down to our belief, and confidence in the Ability of God.

To born again Christians, the definition and meaning of the word 'faith' is conveyed to us by the Author and Finisher of our Faith: God Himself. He gives to us more than just a definition of the word, He alone is able to give us an experience of living faith. The word 'faith' occurs 247 times in 231 verses in the King James Version of the Bible. The first mention of the word 'faith' is in Deuteronomy 32:20 which says: 'And He said, I will hide my face from them, I will see what their end [shall be]: for they [are] a very froward generation, children in whom [is] no faith.' The last time that the word 'faith' is mentioned in the KJV is in Revelation 14:12 which says: 'Here is the patience of the saints: here [are] they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.' A noteworthy contrast, from faithlessness in the front of the Book, to faithfulness, in the back of it.

A Scripture that I have always considered to be one of the keys to unlocking our understanding of the nature of Biblical faith is this one. 'For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.' Galatians 5:6

The circumcision spoken of was of great value to the Jews of old, and to those today. God had commanded the Jews to circumcise their children, as an outward sign of a man's participation in Israel's covenant with God. An outward sign in the flesh that was meant to be an indication of an inward consecration and connection to God. Male children who were not circumcised were thought to suffer the penalty of 'kareit', which means to lose one's connection with their divine source. The Jew's at the time of Paul's inspired dictation of God's New Word had focused for centuries on trusting the keeping of the Laws that God had given them to make them righteous before God. Paul was illustrating how the old outward laws and customs were only meant to be a type and shadow of the reality of what God has done for us, in Christ.

We read now that the Laws were given to us as a 'schoolmaster', to teach us that we need God's Righteousness in us, that God's Love in us is the fulfillment of the Law. Love works no ill to one's fellow man. No laws are necessary where Divine Love rules the heart. Part of the duty of the Mosaic Laws was to show us that we could never keep them, by our own righteousness. Our spiritual natures, without Christ, are natures of disobedience to God's Supreme Law of Love.

'Faith that worketh by love' as a new and living concept was a threat to the legalistic priests, scribes and lawyers who not only condemned Jesus Christ, but also Paul, whom God used in a great way to channel the major portion of His Living New Testament through, onto the pages of History. Our obedience now, in Christ, need only be obedience to the Law of the "Faithfulness of Jesus Christ", Who now lives within us, as His adopted spiritual children. All of the original Ten Commandments, and other laws that were given to the Jews are fulfilled by Christ in us, by the Law of Faith that worketh by Love. There is no greater obedience and faithfulness to our Father than that which is out of love and total devotion to Him. Christ Who now lives in us was obedient, out of Love, to His and now our Heavenly Father, even unto death.

I had originally planned for this article to be primarily about the supernatural Ability of God, through faith, to work miracles of healing and deliverance. Yet I felt led to change horses in the middle of the stream. What could be greater than an eternal miracle? I have heard it said that the greatest Miracle that could ever take place in this world, is the Miracle of God changing our hearts, by giving us a new Spiritual Birth, in Christ. Our eternal spirits, that God has made in His Image, pass from spiritual death unto His Life, when we are "born again." What we call "miraculous events", that occur and have occured in the physical realm actually pale in comparison to this Greatest of all Miracles.

God is a God of Faith. From cover to cover, the Word of God tells us of His Acts of Faith. Everything God does, and has done, He has done by His Faith. His Faith that works by His Love. When He Spoke, Creation sprang into Being. We know this by the faith He has given us, faith to know that His Word is true.

Hebrews 11:3 KJV "Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear."

The Power of His Spoken Word brought forth the vastness of the Universe, and all things therein. The Word tells us that He knew the End of all Things, every event that would occur within Creation, even before He Spoke His first Creative Word. All things are contained within Him. The Lord knew the End of all things even before He created the Beginning. He knew everything that He Himself would ever "do." He knew every choice that any and all of us would make in life, everything we will ever think, or do.

The choice we all make as to whether or not we choose to accept, love and serve Him through Christ in us, is the only part of His Creation that He left to each one of us to decide. He will not force His Will on any of us. Even His mighty holy angels were created with the power of volition, the will to choose between serving Him, or not. God has said in His Word that He has given to every man a measure of faith. The primary function of this faith is given to us first of all to enable us to make that choice, whether we will yield ourselves unto Him, or no.

The fantastic things that we read of in the Word, the times and ways that faith in God wrought great deliverance, mighty wonders, stopped the mouths of lions, even stopped the world in it's orbit around the sun: these are all an aside to the first purpose of our God-given faith. As wonderful as His unlimited miracle working power through faith is, the first function of our faith is to enable us to choose to love and serve Him. The choice is ours as to whether or not we will allow Him by our faith to Work the Greatest Wonder that He could ever do in our lives: the Wonder of giving us a New Birth, in Christ.

John Simmons © December 25, 2008

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