TOWARDS AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE CONCEPT 'HAVE FAITH IN GOD'
by Cynthia "Nadirah" Jordan
Welcome to The Faith Walkers' Forum! This blog has been created for the expressed purpose of beginning a global conversation on the concept of 'having FAITH in God.' The intent here is to build a worldwide online community of FAITH WALKERS by providing an opportunity for open, honest, respectful and enlightening spiritual discussion. It is anticipated that by sharing ideas, experiences, inspirational and motivational viewpoints that each participant will grow in Faith and develop his/her spiritual muscles to be able to do more and “greater works” (NKJV: John 14:12). It is also hoped that through this blog much understanding will be gained about: "What" Faith is; "Why" Faith is necessary to successful living; and, "How" Faith in God can be increased. In preparation for this blog, a cursory survey was made through Google of Strong's Concordance, to determine how often the word "FAITH" is used in the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible. The results state that it "occurs 247 times in 231 verses in the KJV".
The belief that guides and shapes this blog is that FAITH is the divine principle by which ALL things are brought into manifestation. Faith is a spiritual power that when understood and applied to physical circumstances can make everything possible. Nothing is impossible to those who walk by faith. (NKJV: Luke 1:37 and Mark 11:24.) Every human being is born with a degree of faith but must learn how to activate, utilize and increase this wonderful spiritual ability. (NKJV: Romans 12:3; 2 Timothy 1:5-7.)
If the statement is made that, every person is born with the ability to sing but requires voice training in order to excel as a singer, this will be accepted readily as valid. There is no contention about this proposition because the basis of it is physiological and resides in the domain of sensory perception. We can hear people sing and we have seen how people who start out with raw talent – such as competitors on American Idol or America’s Got Talent - progress and become polished singers. However, when statements are made about spiritual abilities, there is considerable reluctance to accept their existence because of the problem of verification. The “Scientific Method” has taught us that we should not only be able to verify but to replicate phenomena. Thus we have been forced, by the insistence on validation and proof, to disregard those things which do not lend themselves to authentication by this methodology.
In a time of increasing unbelief, doubt, cynicism and skepticism - intensified by a lack of trust in public and secular institutions, governments and religious leaders - it is essential that FAITH, the quintessential spiritual principle which represents the underpinning and undergirding of ALL other spiritual principles, be brought into centrality. Despite the acute fear, anxiety and at times despair which appears to be plaguing our world, as a result of natural disasters and the various man-made conflicts, God is seeking to raise up a generation of FAITH WALKERS in the earth so that His glory can be manifested through them. (NKJV: Joel 2:28-29.) God is recruiting men and women who will serve as co-creators in the earth and who will affect the process of spiritual and social transformation globally.
There is much to be done to ameliorate human suffering in the areas of HIV/AIDS, abject poverty, homelessness, hunger, illiteracy, cancer and the myriad of other ills that affect the human condition. God will not come down from His throne in heaven to do this work! Instead, He expects and is determined that the work of the earth will be carried out by human agency equipped with emboldened Faith. This is the manner in which God works according to His Holy Word. Moses (i.e. human agency) was sent to deliver the Children of Israel from Pharaoh (Exodus 3:4-17); Samson was born for the specific purpose of delivering “Israel out of the hands of the Philistines” (Judges 13:1-5); Esther was chosen to marry King Ahasuerus in order to save her people from death (Esther 2:5-20; 4:1-8); and Jesus Christ, The Messiah, was sent to be the Redeemer of humanity from the bondage of sin and death (Luke 1:26-38).
In speaking to His disciple, Peter, in the Gospel of Mark, Chapter 11, Verse 22, Jesus used the phrase, "HAVE FAITH IN GOD". Peter called Jesus' attention to the fact that the fig tree, which He cursed the evening before, had "dried up from the roots" the following morning. This is a highly intriguing and informative text which will be analyzed in an upcoming post. It has been referenced at this time solely to situate and ground the concept of faith where it appropriately belongs, which is, in the Word of God. There are many benefits to this approach of grounding the concept in its original source. As a concept, "Have faith in God", is an abstraction. However, by grounding the concept in its original source we get to see it in motion, made into reality or concretized. Jesus was constantly teaching His disciples about the importance of Faith and this was His greatest area of concern in terms of their spiritual development. Whenever He agonized over them and/or spoke harshly to them it was about their lack of faith.
Further, an examination of Jesus' tenure with His disciples demonstrates that not only was He was committed to teaching them about FAITH (theory), but that He always took them into situations where the practice of FAITH (praxis) was necessary and required to ensure a victorious outcome. It should also be noted that Jesus demarcated the concept of Faith and tied it, NOT to a specific religion, denomination or sect but to God Himself. This distinction is timeless and utilitarian in that it allows us to dispense with the plethora of definitions on faith. By de-limiting the concept, Jesus wanted His disciples to always be sure about “What” and “Whom” He was talking. He wanted them to understand that there is a God and that this God would work through their human agency to supernaturally affect His purpose in the earth. This was only possible if they could BELIEVE and maintain AN UNWAVERING BELIEF in His power which would be transmitted through them.
In other words, Jesus made His disciples understand that they would be the conduits or the channels through which God’s power would flow. God would always be The Source or the supplier of the supernatural power the disciples would receive to fulfill their life purpose. Of Jesus’ many teachings on Faith, John Chapter 15 best exemplifies the relationship that is attained through the faith of human agency in direct connection with The Source. Here Jesus used the analogy of a vineyard and deconstructed the relationship between the vine and the vinedresser, or the person who has the primary responsibility for cultivating the vine.
“Who” are the FAITH WALKERS? A working definition would be that Faith Walkers are those people who have made a commitment at the level of SPIRIT, MIND and ATTITUDE to reject fear as an operating principle in their lives and to embrace an unwavering belief or faith in the supremacy and sovereignty of God over all things. They understand that “FEAR” is antithetical to “FAITH” and that one cannot live by fear and faith at the same time. Individuals are governed and dominated by fear or by faith. At the level of consciousness a decision must be made as to how one will function, either with fear or with faith (NKJV: 2 Timothy 1:7). Faith Walkers by necessity must relinquish doubt, ignore their critics and detractors, and step out in faith no matter how futile stepping out appears to be, how dismal the circumstances look, orthe time and cost involved in the stepping out process.
GOD’S WORD: Hebrews 11: 1, 8, & 9 (NJKV) states:
[1] "Now FAITH is being SURE of what we hope for and CERTAIN of what we do not see. [8] By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. [9] By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise."
AFFIRMATION: Today, I step out IN FAITH knowing that God has already provided everything I need to fulfill my Life Purpose!
Cynthia, this is a very powerful path that you take your readers on to explore the inner workings and substance of our spiritual makeup. I look forward to seeing more of your work and writings in this area. - Abundance
Interesting notions. There seems to be an evident paradox that a "Faith Walker" needs to deal with. Looking up the definition of FEAR through various sites it has been noted as False Evidence Appearing Real which is contrasted against faith being the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Heb 11:1). Hence throughout life there is false evidence that we are presented with constantly and yet we need to strengthen our spiritual "sense" in order to "overcome" such physical evidence and obtain comparable level of certainty in the absence of the evidence that is desired. As Paul writes in the book Romans 4:16-18
16 Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all 17 (as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did; 18 who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.
A little evidence availeth much hope and one of the main hurdles that we all encounter in "faith walking" is getting confirmation, affirmation that the exercise of faith does manifest in the physical. In your example of singing, a progression can be seen through learning the basics, practicing (repetition) and observing the evidence of improvement. In the religious realm the concept of faith is juxtaposed with God's will such that we get conditioned into thinking that the absence of experiencing the manifestation of our faith is due to it not being God's will.
Paul writes that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17) so it becomes evident that linking God's word to everyday activities in a progressive manner becomes a key in the journey of Believing, Acting, Manifesting.
Cynthia, this is a very powerful path that you take your readers on to explore the inner workings and substance of our spiritual makeup. I look forward to seeing more of your work and writings in this area.
ReplyDelete- Abundance
Interesting notions. There seems to be an evident paradox that a "Faith Walker" needs to deal with. Looking up the definition of FEAR through various sites it has been noted as False Evidence Appearing Real which is contrasted against faith being the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Heb 11:1). Hence throughout life there is false evidence that we are presented with constantly and yet we need to strengthen our spiritual "sense" in order to "overcome" such physical evidence and obtain comparable level of certainty in the absence of the evidence that is desired. As Paul writes in the book Romans 4:16-18
ReplyDelete16 Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all
17 (as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did;
18 who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.
(http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%204:16-18&version=NKJV)
A little evidence availeth much hope and one of the main hurdles that we all encounter in "faith walking" is getting confirmation, affirmation that the exercise of faith does manifest in the physical. In your example of singing, a progression can be seen through learning the basics, practicing (repetition) and observing the evidence of improvement. In the religious realm the concept of faith is juxtaposed with God's will such that we get conditioned into thinking that the absence of experiencing the manifestation of our faith is due to it not being God's will.
Paul writes that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17) so it becomes evident that linking God's word to everyday activities in a progressive manner becomes a key in the journey of Believing, Acting, Manifesting.