| Gift of Faith By Rev. Mark Vatcher For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8) |
The dictionary defines faith as a confident belief in the truth, value, or
trustworthiness of a person, idea, or thing. Christians believe our faith is a
secure belief in God and a trusting acceptance of God's will. By His holy
grace we were chosen, for His glory, and faith is one of the many gifts we
received when He chose us.
Jesus taught us, through a parable about a simple mustard seed, all
about faith. The apostles wanted Jesus to give them more faith, (Luke 17:5-
6)” The apostles said to the LORD, "Increase our faith!" He replied, "If you
have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree,
'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you. A mustard seed is
a very tiny seed, so was Jesus telling us that we only need but tiny faith to
do mighty things. Well yes, conviction in faith is required, but you need only
a little faith. If faith is a conviction, how can it be small? You are either
convinced or you aren't, aren't you?
As many Christians will be able to tell you, it is one thing knowing the truth
and it is another thing acting to on it. You can be fully convinced of
something, but when "evidence" mounts up or difficulties or uncertainties
arise, sometimes the reaction is doubt not faith. So when Jesus said "If you
have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree,
'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you," what I believe he
was saying was, "Yes, you will have doubts. You will also have faith. But if
you act in faith, no matter how great the doubts, you will get what you ask
for." How about that, just a tiny bit of faith moves our LORD to give you
what you desire. This is Gods love for us all, when we hold firm in our faith
in Him. Furthermore “without faith it is impossible to please God, because
anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards
those who earnestly seek Him”. (Hebrews 11:6)
Our daily walk with the LORD, (praying, doing good, reading the Word
daily), all these things builds our faith in the LORD and likewise His gift of
faith to us grows. Jesus even tells us in (Mark 11:22-23) "Have faith in
God," Jesus answered. "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this
mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart
but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Imagine
that brethren to have that kind of walk with the LORD that you could
obtain such a faith through Him. I say that is what we are to strive for as
Christians, to have such a strong conviction of our faith, God will do
anything for us. It’s not magic friends, for God can do all things and we can
do all things through Jesus Christ. If we would just seek Him diligently
with the gift of faith He has already given to us. This blessed gift of faith
bestowed to us not by our will but because of His love for us, “so that Christ
may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted
and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to
grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to
know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the
measure of all the fullness of God”. (Ephesians 3:17-19) So remember His
loving promise to you in (Mark 11:24) “Therefore I tell you, whatever you
ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours”.
Now let us pray for our faith:
trustworthiness of a person, idea, or thing. Christians believe our faith is a
secure belief in God and a trusting acceptance of God's will. By His holy
grace we were chosen, for His glory, and faith is one of the many gifts we
received when He chose us.
Jesus taught us, through a parable about a simple mustard seed, all
about faith. The apostles wanted Jesus to give them more faith, (Luke 17:5-
6)” The apostles said to the LORD, "Increase our faith!" He replied, "If you
have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree,
'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you. A mustard seed is
a very tiny seed, so was Jesus telling us that we only need but tiny faith to
do mighty things. Well yes, conviction in faith is required, but you need only
a little faith. If faith is a conviction, how can it be small? You are either
convinced or you aren't, aren't you?
As many Christians will be able to tell you, it is one thing knowing the truth
and it is another thing acting to on it. You can be fully convinced of
something, but when "evidence" mounts up or difficulties or uncertainties
arise, sometimes the reaction is doubt not faith. So when Jesus said "If you
have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree,
'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you," what I believe he
was saying was, "Yes, you will have doubts. You will also have faith. But if
you act in faith, no matter how great the doubts, you will get what you ask
for." How about that, just a tiny bit of faith moves our LORD to give you
what you desire. This is Gods love for us all, when we hold firm in our faith
in Him. Furthermore “without faith it is impossible to please God, because
anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards
those who earnestly seek Him”. (Hebrews 11:6)
Our daily walk with the LORD, (praying, doing good, reading the Word
daily), all these things builds our faith in the LORD and likewise His gift of
faith to us grows. Jesus even tells us in (Mark 11:22-23) "Have faith in
God," Jesus answered. "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this
mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart
but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Imagine
that brethren to have that kind of walk with the LORD that you could
obtain such a faith through Him. I say that is what we are to strive for as
Christians, to have such a strong conviction of our faith, God will do
anything for us. It’s not magic friends, for God can do all things and we can
do all things through Jesus Christ. If we would just seek Him diligently
with the gift of faith He has already given to us. This blessed gift of faith
bestowed to us not by our will but because of His love for us, “so that Christ
may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted
and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to
grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to
know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the
measure of all the fullness of God”. (Ephesians 3:17-19) So remember His
loving promise to you in (Mark 11:24) “Therefore I tell you, whatever you
ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours”.
Now let us pray for our faith:
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