FAITH

Rev. Jim Davis, The Church Triumphant of Columbus

KEY VERSE ~ MATTHEW 17:20

“And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.” (KJV)

FOCUS ~ Spiritually, everything we have comes by faith. It is a principle, a force, and is necessary for salvation. Faith comes by hearing and is cultivated by prayer and fasting, but generated from the Word by simply believing. It must be applied in order to see it in action. Faith begins where the will of God is known, and gives us spiritual energy to accomplish the task Jesus called us to do.

Faith will be the key to every victory.

FAITH is defined as allegiance to duty or a person; belief and trust in and loyalty to God; something that is believed especially with strong conviction; especially : a system of religious beliefs.

Faith is dependence on God (Luke 17:5). The disciples’ request was genuine, as they wanted the faith necessary for forgiveness. Jesus didn’t directly answer their question, because the amount of faith is not as important as its genuineness.

What is faith?

It is total dependence on God and a willingness to do his will.
Faith is not something we use to put on a show for others.
It is complete and humble obedience to God’s will, readiness to do whatever he calls us to do.
The amount of faith isn’t as important as the right kind of faith—faith in our all-powerful God.

Faith is more concerned with its life than its size (Matthew 17:20).

A mustard seed is small, but it is alive and growing. Like a tiny seed, a small amount of genuine faith in God will take root and grow. Almost invisible at first, it will begin to spread, first under the ground, and then visibly. Although each change will be gradual and imperceptible, soon this faith will have produced major results, uprooting and destroying competing loyalties. We don’t need more faith; a tiny seed of faith is enough, if it is alive and growing.

Faith rests on what Jesus Christ has done (Romans 5:1).

As Paul states clearly in 1 Corinthians 13:13, faith, hope, and love are at the heart of the Christian life. Our relationship with God begins with faith, which helps us realize that we are delivered from our past by the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Hope grows as we learn all that God has in mind for us; it gives us the promise of the future. God’s love fills our life and gives us the faith and ability to reach out to others.

Faith grows under pressure (Hebrews 10:38).

Hebrews encourages believers to persevere in their Christian faith and conduct when facing persecution and pressure. We don’t usually think of suffering as good for us, but it can build both our character and patience. During times of great stress, we may feel God’s presence more clearly and find help from Christians that we never thought would care. Knowing that Jesus is with us in our suffering and that He will return one day to put an end to all pain, helps us grow in our faith and our relationship with Him. Faith becomes stronger through endurance. Do not abandon your faith in times of persecution, but show by your endurance that your faith is real. Faith means resting in what Christ has done for us in the past, but it also means hoping for what He will do for us in the future.

Faith is hopeful anticipation.

Hebrews 11:1 says, “What is faith? It is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen. It is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it up ahead.” (TLB) Do you remember how you felt when you were very young and your birthday approached? You were excited and anxious. You knew you would certainly receive gifts and other special treats, but some things would be a surprise. Birthdays combine assurance and anticipation, and so does faith! Faith is the conviction based on experience that God’s new and fresh surprises will surely be ours.

Faith is quiet certainty.

Two words describe faith: sure and certain. These two qualities need a secure beginning and ending point. The beginning point of faith is believing in God’s character—He is who He says He is. The end-point is believing in God’s promises—He will do what He says. When we believe that God will fulfill His promises, even though we don’t see those promises materializing yet, we demonstrate true faith

Additional scriptures to study

John 20:24-3

Romans 5:3-5

Romans 8:12-25

Galatians 3:10-13