IN FAITH (continued)
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for , the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). This is how we began yesterday and how we will begin today. This verse in Hebrews is part of what is called by many in the church the Great Faith Chapter of the bible because is gives to us a great list of Old Testament personalities who had great Faith in God. For many Christian denominations this chapter is a sail under which the ship of their doctrine moves. It is quoted frequently and at times quite out of context. Also, this is a hard chapter to fully understand as it is written to the Jews about their heredity and the promise that their fathers saw in their faith as it brought them to that present day. For us there are several points to consider because this subject is so important to the Christian Faith itself.
The writer tells us “but without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is , and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6). From this verse, it is the first part that gets much church attention. While it is true that it is impossible to please God without faith, we need to know that it is for the reason stated which is that you must believe that He is for this is the very definition of Faith in God. To this is added that you must believe that He is a rewarder of those that seek Him which is affirming the words of the Master when He tells us to “seek, and ye shall find” (Matthew 7:7 and Luke 11:9). Our understanding should be that the reward is to find what it is that we seek. Some believe this is all meant to be on a material level but it is so much more than that; the very context of the statement is in Jesus teaching on acting and living in righteousness. Thus Jesus telling us “but seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness” need be understood in the same light. He is the rewarder of them that diligently seek Him and the reward is the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness which is the real goal of every person that walks on this planet today.
Faith is an important part in accomplishing any goal and there are many kinds of faith and many kinds of goals but our emphasis here today is strictly on the application of faith to life as presented by the Master. We should understand that having or exhibiting faith in our daily lives is a matter of being able to bring that faith, like light and love and wisdom, from the Inner Man, from the Christ Within, from the Soul, into our walking and talking personality; into our hearts. That we all do have faith is attested to by the Apostle Paul who, when cautioning his listeners about thinking too highly of themselves, said “according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith” (Romans 12:3). Now this saying is spoken about differently in various Christian circles with some maintaining that the same measure is to all and others that it is a different measure to each, but a measure nonetheless and still others say that it is a gift to some.
For us, it is important to remember that our true nature is Spirit and that Paul speaks at times of spiritual things and at other times of carnal because he is speaking to people on many levels. In knowing our true nature it is likely that Paul meant what is said and that to every man the measure of faith means that we spiritually have the same measure which is full faith in God. He later says to “let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith” (Romans 12:6) alluding to varying amounts but this in the context of doing ‘spiritual’ things as men.. He is saying to them that prophesy that they should use all of the measure of faith that they can bring forth. If little, prophesy little; if much …..
You should see here a Foundation of Faith that it is in us because, as spiritual beings, we know God. We come from God, we belong to God and we return to God. In the same manner as we have Light and are commanded to “let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16), we must display and exercise our Faith for it is by faith, a we defined it yesterday, that we are able to move spiritually in this carnal world. Faith is the Power in the Light from above and from within and provides for us the essence of our spiritual lives because we KNOW.
For many the idea of faith is all that they think that they need and it is an idea that moves much of the Christian world. They are believing that praying for and believing for, which is asking and believing that you will receive, is the way to do and to get what it is that we want in life. This belief is the substance of many sermons in many denominations. Much of this is the direct result of our lead scripture from Hebrews and our scripture from yesterday which is commonly called Mark 11:24. In this we pray and we believe for things, for money, for success and for healing; we believe that giving is to receive and the more you give the more you receive and there be SOME who do get the things and the money and the success and multiples of their giving and healing. But do all? How do we console those who do not seeing they are not very different that those who do receive? There is no pattern for success and the scriptures that are used to reinforce these beliefs are really intended to be much more than ways to the material provisions that we seek.
So then what is the proper rationale for Faith. It is what the Master has told us. It is the measure in a man at to his knowledge and understanding of the Nature of God. Speaking to those who concern themselves with worldly things He says “O ye of little faith” (Matthew 6:30). Then, speaking to His own disciples who forgot the teaching and feared the sea He said “ O ye of little faith” (Matthew 8:26) which is reported by Mark as “how is it that ye have no faith” (Mark 4:40) and by Luke as “where is your faith” (Luke 8:25). All of these renditions do say the same thing. Where is your faith which is to say why don’t you use what you have; how is it that ye have no faith which is to say why are you not using it and O ye of little faith as saying that you are the same as those who do not follow me. Lets not forget His saying to His disciples who, afte hearing much of His teaching and after seeing many miracles, still did not see the truth; misunderstanding His comments about bread, they were told again by Jesus “O ye of little faith” (Matthew 16:8). I say all this to show that His disciples, and we must know they had faith to follow Jesus, were in the same place then as His disciples of today; suffering periods of doubt and uncertainty which hold us back from the real promise of moving mountains.
And the Master goes on proclaiming the faith of those who are faithful such as the centurion of whom He says “I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel” (Matthew 8:10). And of the crippled man let down through the roof and those who helped him it is noted that Jesus, when “seeing their faith”, said “thy sins be forgiven thee” (Matthew 9:2). And in so many instances His words proclaim the faith of those coming to Him for healing for themselves of for others and we should know that it was their faith that brought them to Jesus.
They come to Jesus, to God, showing that they believe that He is (for he that cometh to God must believe that he is) and they come for healing believing that He will give it to them (and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him) is the best example of the application of faith to life. Believe that He is, nothing doubting, and believe that He can and will give to you what it is that you need when you seek Him diligently.
Building on our inherent nature, that Spirit nature that we are, we should see Light which is the being of the Christ and the Christ Within and in that Light is the Love and the Wisdom of God and we should now see Faith as the Knowing of our inherent nature. When the Faith, the Knowing, that we are of God and are Spirit by nature breaks through to our consciousness in brings with it the Light or conversely when the Light of the Christ Within becomes our focus in daily living then the Knowing, the Faith, is there with it. These are inseparable parts of one spiritual whole.
Note on the Quote of the Day
This daily blog also has a Quote of the Day which may not be in any way related to the essay. Many of these will be from the Bible and some just prayers or meditations that may have an influence on you and are in line with the subject matter of this blog. As the quote will change daily and will not store with the post, it is repeated in this section with the book reference and comment.
Daniel’s Answer to the King by Briton Rivière; 1872
Leaving yesterday’s quote of the day for another day of thinking on Faith. Here is Daniel, believing that God is, knowing that God is, because he has diligently sought Him and now sees his reward in the Lord’s protection in the den of lions. If you are not familiar with this story you should read it in the Old Testament at Daniel Chapter 6.
