FAITH FILLED SAINTS

“The Bible says that it is impossible to please God without faith. If you wish to please God, learn more about faith.” –Dr. Lester Sumrall

It is probably safe to say that for all of time, faith has been a topic of crucial concern for individuals.  Not just for those who call themselves Christians, but all people everywhere in every time zone and in every nation.   Faith is that five-letter word that has been the subject of much controversy in recent years.  In fact, last week it was announced that a high profile Hollywood actress had just found “faith” in a prison cell after serving a short stint for driving under the influence of alcohol.  What exactly does the media mean when they announce that someone has “found faith”?  Is faith something that is tied into a religion or philosophy or even a specific worldview?  If faith is exclusive to religion then is faith oblivious to the rest of humanity that doesn’t claim a certain religious system?

 I dare to make the allegation that every person that has or ever will walk this earth practices faith. In fact, I believe that every person practices a religion; the Bible says either you put Him (YHWH God) first or you make something else a god (Deut. 30:15-20). That can also mean something that is material or even a god that is manufactured in the liberal halls of societies institutions.  Faith is a necessary element within our lives and all people are practicing a form of it everyday. When you get off of work and start the drive home you are practicing faith.  You have faith that your house will be in the same spot that it was when you left otherwise you would not have driven in that direction.  Okay, so that is a weak example, but nevertheless it is a form of faith. 

            It is understandable that the “world” operates in faith and yet has no clue of what it is really all about.  What is truly inconceivable is that most Christians do not understand what encompasses faith.  I can even recall quoting the famous Hebrews scripture (11:1) and not really understanding what it meant.  It had become just a random scripture that I heard time and again, but I never took the time to research and meditate on the full meaning of faith.  I venture to say that most Christians are in that same boat.  In response to this, there are two ways to approach faith- actively or inactively.  An inactive approach is basing our understanding of God on what someone has told us were true. It may have been either a minister or even a parent that instructed us in the precepts of God.  We simply placed our trust (i.e. faith) within the thing that they told us without ever examining the scriptures to find out if it indeed was truth.  The active approach is taking in the instruction and pursuing the scriptures in context to build a belief system that is backed up with evidence.

In a previous article that I had published I made this assertion:

This problem, however, is not limited to those who claim a specific religion or denomination; no, this problem runs much deeper than I, or anyone, can comprehend.  In all actuality, it undoubtedly transcends religions, denominations and societal lines affecting all who dare claim to believe in God, or anything for that matter. For instance, many people will claim that they believe in Macro Evolution, but when they are asked what evidence led them to this conclusion of supposed truth they fall short of an intelligent response.  You see, they are not placing their belief in a truth, but in the person or institution that propelled this theoretical concoction into their mind.

Bringing this back full circle, I would like to discuss briefly how Christians walk right into this same scenario even with some of the things they believe.  For example, many Christians will say things like, “Tongues have ceased to operate and are not apart of the modern church”.  Yet, when they are prodded into providing the reason that they believe this, they often quote either a solitary scripture misinterpretation or they quote what they heard reverberated into their susceptible ears by some unlearned minister in spiritual matters.

DEFINITION OF FAITH

So what exactly is “faith”?  Faith, as I have discovered it, is a vehicle that brings the intangible into tangibility.  It brings obscurity into the light.  It’s Henry Ford taking his vision of the horse-less carriage and bringing it to fruition.  It is the sling that carried the rock that sank deep into Goliath’s flesh.  It is the invisible muzzle on the mouths of Daniel’s lions.  These and many more are examples of faith.  But then again, faith is much more than this.  In regards to David, faith began in his mind, but as it traveled to his heart it manifested in his hand in the form of a sling.  Daniel had it too as he refused to stop praying before he ever found himself in the lion’s pit.  The Bible says this about faith:

Faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen. Heb. 11:1

            For the purpose of this exercise, I believe that is it is of the utmost importance to dissect this scripture for a moment to fully understand faith.  The Greek word-the language of the New Testament-for “substance” is hupostasis (hoop-os’-tas-is).  It means a setting under.[2]  In other words, it is a support beam or foundation; that which holds something upright.  The Greek word for “hoped” is elpizo (el-pid’-zo).  It means to expect or have confidence, a hopeful trust.[3]  Faith is the support beam that gives the footings to the things we expect. Faith is the foundation of a massive building that is unseen; one that will eventually give way to a stunning skyscraper for all to see. Faith gives the thing that you are hoping for and the thing you cannot see, its tangibility.

By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith. Heb. 11:7

            In Hebrews chapter eleven, we see an outline of all that faith can do with the excerpts that are given from scripture.  I would highly recommend that you read through this chapter in your Bible very carefully. It holds the keys of the knowledge of God’s dispensational dealings with mankind. A review of these elements will provide a basic understanding of the principle of faith:

 ·        By faith we gain a good testimony v.2

·        By faith we understand v.3

·        By faith we obtain a witness that we are righteous v.4

·        By faith we please God v.5

·        By faith we can save our household v.7

·        By faith we receive an inheritance v.8

·        By faith we receive strength v.11 

If all these things come by faith, I would dare say that it is of paramount importance. 

PURE FAITH VS. PATTERN FOREKNOWLEDGE

            The Bible is literally full to the brim of true stories of striking faith.  The type of faith I am referring to is faith that moved mountains by slaying armies with a jawbone and faith that conquered kingdoms with only 300 men (Jdg. 15:15; Jdg. 8).  That is faith. There is, however, a notable difference in what I call “pure faith” and “pattern foreknowledge”.   Let me say this about pure faith:  No one alive today, or who has ever had access to the scriptures in their own tongue has pure faith.  We may have a type of faith to some degree, but we do not have pure faith.  Pure faith is especially found in the opening scenes of the Bible in Genesis and Exodus.  Pure faith is the ability to “believe” or “trust” with all of our being the unseen qualities within our hopeful expectation. It was evident when Enoch pleased God in his walk with Him and the reward that he was given for his faithfulness (which, by the way, is a type of rapture of the church; Gen. 5:23; I Thes. 3:17). Pure faith was manifest when Noah undertook his mission to build an enormous ocean liner on desert like land.  It was also seen as Abraham obeyed God’s command to leave his country and family to go to the place that God had promised for him an inheritance (Gen. 6; Gen. 12). 

            It is probably best to define pure faith by taking a look at its counterpart, pattern foreknowledge.  Pattern foreknowledge is a type of faith, but it can never be pure faith because the faith that it produces is based on a pattern of previous experiences. An example of pattern foreknowledge is not thinking for one moment about placing a key in the steering column of a car and turning it to start the engine.  We wouldn’t worry and fret wondering if the car will start.  We know subconsciously that because the car started yesterday, the day before and for months before that, that it will indeed start the instant that the key is turned. This is based on the experiences with this car; our foreknowledge of it starting is based on its prior performance or pattern.  (Now if you are one of the unfortunate ones who own a jalopy, then this analogy may not ring true for you. Rest assured that you do use pattern foreknowledge for something on a day-to-day basis.)

            Those of us who have been privileged to have a copy of the written Word of God at our fingertips have been blessed beyond measure by the myriad of stories of great faith, which enable us to have knowledge of God based on His unchanging pattern (bear in mind that there are still over 2,000 people groups who do not have even one translation of the Bible into their native tongue).  In reality, we have the ability to place much of our faith in the pattern-like stories of the Bible because we have read about the hand of God through the grand displays of the trusting patriarchs.

…For this reason I obtained mercy, that in me [Paul] first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a PATTERN to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life. I Tim. 1:16 (bracket and emphasis mine).

A PATTERN OF FAITH

            When it came time for the Israelites to leave their enslavement in Egypt, they had had plenty of opportunities to place their faith in the previous allotment of overwhelming grace that was shown to them.  First, we read about the plagues that came upon all of Egypt that never touched the Israelites.  Here we see that God was establishing a fresh pattern for them in which they could place their faith.  By the time the tenth plague occurs, there is no question in their mind that they are to place their trust and belief in God.  Secondly, God uses Moses, who was raised in relative obscurity (not really having an identity) and ordains him for His purpose to lead His people, Israel.  God gave an entire nation abundant mercy by permitting their faith to be placed in one man who epitomized the desires of His heart (Okay, two men if you count Aaron!).  The Israelites did not need pure faith because Moses acted as their intercessor until they had a pattern of knowledge in which they could place their weak faith.  Through the plagues, a pattern was established and God had shown Himself trustworthy. The result was the Children of Israel placing their faith, followed by their obedient action, into God’s hands through that pattern.  Although the same pattern was given to all parties involved, including Pharaoh and Egypt, only the Israelites placed their faith in God.

            The big test for Israel was when they were required to “put something into” or invest something into the pattern of faith that was presented to them. They were required to sacrifice an innocent lamb and apply its blood to their doorposts to protect them from the tenth plague, the death angel.  Previously, the faith of Israel rested in a man named Moses.  But now, each household had to apply the blood individually to their homes to be spared the onslaught of all the firstborn males by the death angel.

Tell the congregation of Israel…they shall take every man a lamb…for each house. Your lamb…shall be without blemish…They shall take of the blood and put it on the two side posts and on the lintel…The blood shall be for a token or sign…that when I see the blood, I will pass over you…Exodus 12:3, 5, 7 & 13 AMP

            This entire story is a type of Jesus Christ coming to set us free from our depraved sinful condition.  He gave us numerous examples by a pattern in which we can place our faith.  He was Lamb of God who sacrificed Himself for us, in our stead, so that we could be free from sin and death.

But [you were purchased] with the precious blood of Christ…like that of the [sacrificial] lamb without blemish or spot. I Peter 1:19 AMP

Moses had enough faith to take Israel through the ninth plague, but the tenth had to be secured in victory by Israel themselves. Comparatively, Jesus took our sins to the ninth degree, but we had to climb the final hill by applying what He did for us on the cross to our own lives.  We place our faith in His accomplished work on the cross, just like Israel placed their faith in the pattern that was given to them.  Each is required to manifest their faith by applying the blood appropriately.  First, we accept these truths with our mind and as they become dipped in faith, saturating our heart, it then becomes evident in our observable actions.

So, the best way to describe pure faith is that it is faith that is demonstrated or manifested when no previous pattern existed in which someone could place his or her trust.  Moses, as with several other patriarchs, should be commended because of his ability to show pure faith as he operated effectively in something that he was only faintly acquainted.  He did not have the written Word that showed him the pattern of God taking care of His people.  He may, and probably did have, word of mouth testimonies that conveyed the greatness of God (Heb. 11:23 Faith started in his parents). But he would not have had a written document that he could draw from when he needed strength.

THANKFULNESS FOR PATTERNS

            As American, English speaking people, we are blessed more than we could ever comprehend.  Currently, as this article is being written, there are over 120 English translations of the Bible from which we can draw from and read of the pure faith examples that were visible in the patriarchs and others.  Many times we take this blessing for granted.  When people are accustomed to an overabundance they tend to misuse the blessing. People who constantly eat at buffets (who demonstrate an insatiable appetite and disregard for their blessing) are eventually going to get obese.  They are abusing what God has given them to be a blessing to those who do not have enough. This was demonstrated by Ancient Israel on more than one occasion, which was to take the revelation of God to all nations, tribes and tongues.

            Instead of constantly arguing over the abundant English translations of the Bible that are available, let us choose one and be satisfied.  I have done extensive research on Bibles and translations and there are many that are not worth the paper that it is printed on, but more importantly is the fact that so many people do not have a single Bible in their own language.  Let us stop constructing more unnecessary versions, become satisfied with what we have and allow the Holy Spirit (Whom can speak through any translation- after all, He spoke through a donkey; Num.22: 28) to speak to us and through us to those who are less fortunate.  Let us stop spending countless dollars and time debating and trying to change the hardened hearts of those who believe that their translation is the best.  There is greater evil in the world.[4]

CONCLUSION

            Let us remember the examples like Moses who exhibited pure faith in “choosing to suffer affliction with the people of God than to [stay in Pharaoh’s plush palace] enjoying the passing pleasures of sin”, whom never had a written word from which to draw strength.  We are privileged to have access to the very words of God at anytime we please.  We have a supreme book that encompasses all earthly knowledge.  We have a tool in the Bible that treats patients effectively that psychologists constantly search for in their many medical manuals.  We have an instrument that condemns and sets people at liberty for the lawyer who reviews trial cases in his law encyclopedias.  We have 1,800 pages that reveal a definite truth to an MTV, relative worldview, raised teenager who constantly fears that what his mind is being subjected to is reality.  Most of all, we have remarkable examples of pure faith that we can all wrap our minds around to grow closer to God, and in so doing, step out on that limb because we know that He did it before; He will do it again!  He does not change (Mal. 3:6).