Faith is an action verb. Faith in God receives something from God. Faith in God takes something from God.
When we ask in faith believing, we expect to receive. When we seek for an answer, we expect to find. When we knock on heaven's door, we expect to see the door open.
Faith is not passive but active.
Faith does not simply accept what God is giving; faith expects something wonderful. Faith is not simply asking for something good; faith is taking something great.
Faith is not a spiritual experiment that you hope will take effect sometime soon. Faith takes from the hand of God for your specific need as a present reality.
Faith claims that Jesus your Savior is touching you now. Faith believes that your loving Lord is beginning the work this very moment. Faith sees with your mind’s eye the fulfillment of the answer.
Faith is not a sleepy compliance that waits passively for something to happen. Faith is active receptivity that takes forcefully what God wants to give.
You move beyond the belief that God can. You claim the specific blessing from the Lord. You count upon it to happen, confess it to be true, consider it done, and act as though it is a reality.
While by faith you are receiving your answer to prayer in the present, the now, you are also giving God time to work out its actual fulfillment in the way he sees best.
True faith takes.
How do you see faith as what I bring into the equation rather than a more Calvinist view that faith is something God gives to me. I see Grace as the gift God provides and faith is my acquistion of that gift. It is my faith that keeps me trusting in that grace and the other blessings that God pours out on us.
ReplyDeleteOur faith takes the gift of God. Like receiving a birthday present, we reach out and take it.
ReplyDeleteThis is different from faith as a "work". We are saved by grace through faith that "takes", not faith that "makes". Our salvation is "not by works, so that no one can boast" (Ephesians 2:9).
Pastor Smith,
ReplyDeleteAs a visual learner your statement, "Faith takes from the hand of God for your specific need as a present reality." gave me a clear picture of it means to have that faith takes. Faith that takes is a new concept to me, I now expect wonderful things from God. Thank you.
Mimis Smith
I was talking to my wife about this posting, and now I see why she was saying that by reading this, it made her feel her faith was passive. I never thought about faith in such terms as you laid out Pastor Smith. I always think of words like "receive" rather than "take" when it comes to faith. Perhaps God is leading me to be more active with my faith. Thank you for your words of wisdom and constantly challenging us. I appreciate the way you help me exercise my faith, and thus helping me to make it stronger.
ReplyDeleteYes, Garett & Mimis, some people think faith is like waiting for God to zap us, when we need to reach out and take what God is already giving.
ReplyDelete