In the School of Faith
Bible Study
From a study of Charles Stanley
Date: 9/9/14
Conclusion
It takes a personal relationship with the Lord in our faith walk. Intellectual faith isn't the same as saving faith. It's not enough to know the facts about Jesus or to believe He died and rose again. Even demons believe that (James 2:19). Salvation involves more than knowing; it requires trusting that Jesus paid the penalty for your sin, receiving His forgiveness, turning away from old sinful ways, and entering into a relationship with Him. What matters is not what we say with our mouths, but what we mean in our hearts. Why do intellectuals have a hard time with faith? Having faith is reasonable. It's not only reasonable but it's necessary. Intellectuals have a hard time with faith however because they want everything to be proven. I would have a very hard time with the concept of faith if it weren't for the fact that I have it. This isn't as obvious as it seems. "For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith17." In other words, faith is either belief through self-delusion or is a gift of knowledge given to us by God. Therefore, if you have the slightest inkling to believe in a God you have not proven scientifically, take it seriously because God is trying to talk to you. Faith to an intellectual seems more like self-delusion than it does knowledge of something real. After all, there is so much around us that we can explain, and we understand more every day. In fact, our level of knowledge grew so fast in the 20th century that it actually seems possible that we could understand the universe within the next century. Because of this perception, faith seems unnecessary in understanding the universe. In other words, God seems unnecessary as an explanation of the universe. Therefore, either God doesn't exist or He's not personal. Suppose God didn't exist and yet here we are. What then must have been the motivation in creating the concept of God? One theory is that before the age of science, God was necessary for us to try explaining the universe. This is the intellectual view of our faith in God. It doesn't even let you get far enough to discuss the gospel, because it gets no further than the fact that you have faith. Your faith as a Christian gets lumped together with other religions. From an intellectual point of view, there is no difference perceived. God calls every believer to a godly life/faith. That means Christians should obey, love, and serve the Lord on a consistent basis. A godly life isn't necessarily sinless. But eternal priorities should capture our hearts more than temporal, earthly pleasures. Our culture places a tremendous amount of pressure on those who want to pursue a godly life. The doctrines of our faith are mocked and ridiculed in the public arena. Believers are tempted to compromise spiritually and morally to fit in. If we aren't careful, the world's standards become our own. How can we resist the influence of this godless age? We must surrender our lives to God and renew our minds daily with His Word.
One of the greatest things God has given us can't be bought with money. It is the gift of faith.
We use this gift from Him continually, and the more we exercise it, the better we do with it. What is this great, precious, and powerful fruit of the Spirit? It is faith—and God provides it to every person who is rightly related to Him through Jesus Christ. There is so much to learn about trusting our heavenly Father. We are not born knowing how to rely upon Him or understanding the importance of depending on His wisdom and strength. Therefore, we must discover how to do so as we mature spiritually. Often, God's answer to our prayers about challenging circumstances is "Trust Me." This is because the first step in overcoming our difficulties is to focus on the Father and have faith in His direction. We express our absolute confidence that even though the solution may be far beyond us, He knows what to do. And we can be assured that the Lord will lead us in the best way possible because He loves us unconditionally. When we have faith in God, it glorifies Him. Unfortunately, when we fail to trust the Father, it dishonors Him. He shows us how to proceed. How to have victory in our circumstances—but we refuse to obey Him. It may be because we believe we know better than the Lord does about our situations. Or maybe we are simply fearful of what may happen if we submit to His commands. Either way, we allow our unbelief to rule us and miss His best for our lives. Faith is the key to everything in the life of a believer. Whatever we become and achieve in life is determined by our ability to trust God. Every person, even a non- believer, demonstrates a degree of faith. It is only when we believe in Jesus Christ and are confident that God will do as He promised that our lives can be transformed. This wholehearted reliance upon the Lord becomes especially important as we walk through difficulties and trials. When we are certain of the Father's presence, power, and provision, we can face any situation with hope and assurance. As Paul wrote in Philippians 4:7, "The peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Walking with the Lord Jesus is the most exciting life a person can live.
Your eternal home in heaven is assured; the opportunities ahead are full of hope; and you have the very best Companion on the path of life anyone could desire—the living God. Although being saved is a one-time experience, you have entered into a relationship with the Lord that is continuous. But what can you expect on this daily walk with Him? First, you are assured that you will get to know God in an intimate and personal way. Second, you will discover His will and purpose for your life. Third, you will learn to listen to and obey Him. Fourth, you will experience His unfailing presence, power, and wisdom in your life. And fifth, you will learn to walk by faith. The Christian life is a walk of faith. From the moment you become a believer, you enter the school of faith because, from that point on, the Father's goal is to teach you to trust in Him. Therefore, in order to live effectively and grow in your relationship with Him, you must have confidence that God—the Sovereign Lord of the universe—will do exactly what He says and fulfill every single promise He's made to you. This is why Jesus said, "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you" (Matt. 7:7). The Father has awesome blessings for you, but you must know that He cares for you enough to provide them. Unfortunately, believers will sometimes miss God's best in life simply because they do not trust Him. We get caught up in our circumstances and wonder why difficulties occur. However, when we realize that ups and downs are a natural part of maturing as Christians, we will continue to grow and progress in our faith. Throughout Scripture, it has been made evident that God honors faith. Our wholehearted belief in the Lord is important because, when we truly place our trust in Him, the Savior is glorified. Our Father wants us to always have confidence that He will fulfill His promises to us. He also wants us to completely rely upon Him, regardless of the situation or circumstance. This is because every aspect of our lives is affected by the strength and vitality of our faith.
There is a difference between "little faith" versus "great faith" and "strong faith" versus "weak faith" All these terms are used in the NT. You can read them in Matthew 6:30; 8:10; Luke 17:6; Romans 14:1-2; 15:1
Christians are trapped in their misunderstanding of what little faith is. We have learned that there is only one kind of faith but this faith can operate either in a "little" or "great" way, and it can be weak or strong.
First of all we need to realize that the faith we have is a gift from God. This is made clear in Ephesians 2:8-9. Where Paul says "it is a gift of God and not of works" the Greek specifically refers back to faith! Faith is a gift of God! Second we need to see that faith comes to everyone the same way: it only comes by hearing the Gospel. Read Romans 10:15, 17. Third we need to understand that all Christians receive the exact same amount of faith when we put trust in Jesus. Paul makes this very point in Romans 12:3 where he says that "God has given us all the measure of faith". The words "the measure" comes from the Greek work "metron" where we get our word "metre"! We have all received the same amount of faith "the metron"! So there is no faith shortage – quantitatively or qualitatively. The fact is that Paul says that every believer has within them the very faith of Jesus! That's right! Jesus has given us his own faith. See Galatians 2:16,20 in the King James Version. If this is so, then how are we to understand the NT phrases "little faith" versus "great faith" and "weak faith" versus "strengthened in faith"? As we examine these phrases we will see that all Christians have the exact same faith: in some conditions we demonstrate it in a weak, little fashion and in other conditions a strong, great fashion. Let's examine these phrases.
In the Gospels we find that Jesus speaks of great faith and mustard seed faith – in fact he commends them both! When he speaks of "little faith" he speaks in a gentle rebuking fashion! For example Jesus said that mustard seed faith will move trees and even mountains. See Matthew 17:20 and Luke 17:6. It is clear then that bigger does not mean stronger! This means that the reference to size must mean something other than what we think. However, Jesus did refer to the mustard seed because of its size but not for the reasons we think. Jesus tells us that the Kingdom of God is like a mustard seed. He also said that faith is like a mustard seed! Compare Luke 13:19 with Luke 17:6. The Kingdom of God is the reign of God in the spiritual realm. So when Jesus described both faith and the Kingdom in similar terms by referring to them as "mustard seed" he is talking about a faith that belongs to the Kingdom of God – to the spiritual realm! Mustard seed faith is a special demonstration of faith! Jesus did refer to the mustard seed because it is the smallest of seeds – see Matthew 13:32. But the reason he did I believe is because it is a seed that is so small that it can hardly BE SEEN! The near-invisibility of the mustard seed is the point that Jesus is making. He refers to its size to emphasize that it so small that it can hardly been seen! The "visibility" aspect of mustard seed is what Jesus emphasizes. Paul said that when we walk by faith we do not walk by "sight"! 2 Corinthians 5:7. Faith is the substance of things "not seen". Hebrews 11:1. By faith Noah built an ark because rain was coming that he "had not seen". Hebrews 11:7. By faith Abraham travelled to a land that he had not seen or known. Hebrews 11:8. By faith Moses obeyed God who was invisible – not seen! Hebrews 11:27. I believe it is this aspect of the mustard seed that Jesus is emphasizing.
The NT recognizes that there are two ways that faith can be demonstrated. It can be demonstrated in a little or weak way – or it can be demonstrated strong or great way. When the five senses dominate our faith and we make decisions by what we see we operate in little, weak faith. When we walk and make decisions not based on what we can see we operate by mustard seed faith – which is strong and great! Faith can be used dominated by what is seen or not seen. The latter is great, strong, mustard seed and the latter little and weak. Let me illustrate.
Jesus differentiates between two usages of faith – and although he commends only one he does affirm the legitimacy of the other. Soon after the resurrection of Jesus we read: "So the other disciples told him, 'We have seen the Lord!' But he said to them, 'Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.'" John 20:25. We would think that this was not faith whatsoever. But this is not so. Look at Jesus' response. "Then Jesus told him, 'Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.'" John 20:29. Here faith is attached to seeing and not seeing! God's best faith is clearly the latter! Jesus tells us that the greater blessing comes when we believe without seeing! Although a sensed-operated faith is legitimate it is not God's best. Note again the statements of Jesus to Thomas and others who followed him: "Unless I see I will not believe … blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed … if you believe you will see." (John 20:25, 29, cf. John 11:40). So there are two possible operations of faith. Faith by seeing and faith without seeing! Faith can either be dominated by sight or not! I believe that the latter is "great/strong/mustard faith" and the former is "weak/little faith". Little faith is a faith that is impacted by the five senses; great faith, that is, mustard seed faith is not. Generally speaking, faith for miracles is a faith that is not based on the senses! In John 11, in reference to raising Lazarus from the dead, Jesus said that people would see miraculous power manifest only if they believed first! I will return to this point when we examine what Jesus said about mountain-moving faith in Mark 11.
Every time "little faith" is mentioned in the NT the context reveals that the person is being affected more by what their five senses are telling them rather than trusting in God. For example the disciples demonstrated little faith when they focused more on the externals of their life like clothing or their circumstances rather than trusting God to provide or protect. "Matthew 6:30-31; Luke 12-27-28; Matthew 8:25; 14:30-31." They showed little faith when they tried to work out a spiritual truth on the basis of earthly logic – again relying more on what the natural realm told them instead of simply trusting in God. Matthew 16:7-8. This little faith is based more on what they can see and so is akin to the faith of Thomas! Faith is demonstrated in a little way when it is swayed by the five senses.
Faith that is not based on seeing is called "great faith". The centurion demonstrated great faith when he said to Jesus that he did not need him to come to his house to heal his servant – Jesus' word was enough. This was faith that relied solely on God's word and required no physical evidence. Matthew 8:5-10,13. This demonstration of faith is called "faith of God" by Jesus in Mark 11:22. This is exactly what the Greek text says. Unfortunately this has been lost in English translations. Yet the Greek says "Have the faith of God." Why did Jesus use this phrase? This phrase is part of the story where Jesus cursed the fig tree. Mark 11:14 recounts that Jesus had just commanded the fig tree to never bear fruit again and then we read that "His disciples heard it." The disciples saw that nothing happened to the tree as far as they could SEE. This was the point that Jesus was to challenge. The story continues and tells us that the next day "they SAW the fig tree dried up from the roots." Mark 11:20. Shocked to see the fig tree now dead, Peter exclaimed: "Rabbi LOOK! The fig tree which you cursed has withered away!" Mark 11:21. Peter was focusing on what he could SEE. He heard the day before but it is only now as he SEES that he is shocked and believes. In response to this Jesus said: "Have the faith of God!" Mark 11:22. Peter believed because he could see but Jesus called him to have God's kind of faith that believes that power is released when the word is spoken without and before SEEING! Jesus modeled "great faith" to his disciples by cursing the fig tree.
In Romans 14:1-2 and 15:1 Paul refers to two demonstrations of the same faith. He speaks about "weak in faith" and "strong in faith". Paul discusses this in greater detail in reference to Abraham. In Romans 4:17-21 Paul distinguishes between being "weakened in faith" and being "strengthened in faith". These are synonymous with "little faith" and "strong/mustard seed faith" in the Gospels since the results of both is the same. God had promised Abraham that he would have father a great multitude at a time that logic told him that it was too late – he was too old and his wife was now barren. And Paul tells us that Abraham did not "waver" between weak and strong faith simply because he chose not to focus on what he could SEE. This is clear in verse 19 where we are told that Abraham was not weak in faith because he did not focus on what his eyes and logic told him about his body and his wife's womb. He did not waver from strong to weak faith simply because he chose to believe the promise of God – something that he could not see – more than what his eyes and logic told him. See verses 20-21.
So even Paul recognizes two ways that can faith be used. Abraham would have demonstrated a weak faith (little faith) if he had chosen to focus more on what his eyes and logic were telling him rather than focusing on the promise of God. It is important to note that Abraham did not have 2 different kinds of faith: one weak and one strong. It was the same faith manifesting sometimes in a weakened state and other times in a strengthened state – and yet it was the same faith. Verse 20 is explicit. It says that Abraham was "strengthened in faith" – it was this same faith but strengthening! This shows that the same faith can operate in a weak or strong way. In Abraham's case, he chose to remain strengthened in faith by "being fully convinced"! This involves a process on Abraham's part. "Being fully convinced" is in the present tense - "being"! It was something he had to do on a continuous basis. Abraham continued to remain "strengthened in faith" by choosing to continue - "being fully convinced"- to focus more on the promise of God, God's word – something that he could not see - over against and in spite of what the natural realm was telling him.
This kind of faith is the faith of God, mustard faith, great faith which manifests itself in release of power for miracles. The point is this. All believers receive the exact same faith as they hear the Gospel: "Faith comes by hearing". Romans 10:15,17. Faith however, can operate in a weak or strong fashion – believers can either walk in little or great faith depending on where they focus their sight and thoughts.
When we live more by God's word, trusting what we can't see or touch more than what we can – we will experience a supernatural life like did Abraham. Great faith believes without seeing, natural realm "little faith" believes more what is seen – but nonetheless still believes! It is all a matter of focus. Will we choose to focus more on God's Word or our senses? The choice and the consequences are ours. So remember we all have the very faith of Jesus living within us. We do not have a faith shortage! What we may have is an ignorance problem. We don't know how to use what we have in the most effective way! What releases the power of faith is choosing to focus more on what the unseen God says than what our eyes and logic are telling us. Worry and fear manifest in little faith; but miracles in great faith. God's remedy is clear, first we must seek the Kingdom of God, trust completely in God to provide, do not even think about the situation of food, drink, or clothing, take no thought for tomorrow, and get rid of fear. Our faith will be tested with fiery trials, but we must continue to hold on and believe when we pray. God is faithful. There are numerous scriptures pointing to God's faithfulness to us and to His promises. He is our protector "But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one." (2Thes 3:3) He chose us "Because of the Lord, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you." (Is 49:7b) He always provides a way out of temptation "No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation He will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it." (1Cor 10:13) He loves us "Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love Him." (Deuteronomy 7:9).
A recount of this study: There is three types of faith, intellectual faith, godly faith, and saving faith. The grades of faith are no faith, little faith, great faith, failing faith, and weaving faith. The stages of our faith are little or restless faith, great or maturing faith, and perfect or resting faith.
I want resting faith in my Lord Jesus Christ!
I encourage you to dive into your Bible and look for more. One thing is certain. Faith is mandatory for our salvation. If you have not accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior, please do not wait. Tomorrow may never come and then it will be too late. God is faithful to His promise of life eternal with Christ in heaven, but you have to choose.
Scriptures to remember: Hebrews 11:1; Habakkuk 2:4; Romans 5:1; Galatians 3:6-7; Philippians 3:9; Hebrews 10:38; Romans 1:17, 10:17.
My next study is on "The Book of Proverbs" concerning Knowledge, Understanding, and Wisdom. Then I will study the book of Romans. This is how I study to stay focus and strong in the Lord; and to study to show myself approval unto God, not man (II Timothy 2:15); but a
