Hebrews 11:11(Amplified) says that, "Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things (we) hope for, being the proof of things (we) do not see and their reality (faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses)."
Under the Law, the things hoped for were things that the senses could see. Men walked in the faith of visual sacrifice and offerings that they could realize in the sense realm. Now, faith in what God says is without the visual signs is where we walk in grace. We, the new covenant people, are required to walk by faith in the sacrifice of Jesus over two thousand years ago.
The great Apostle Paul never spoke to us in the epistles like Jesus spoke to the people under the Law. Jesus asked them "where is your faith?" Paul was speaking to people who have already received the salvation of Jesus in this new covenant, by faith. We cannot even by saved without faith in Jesus under this new covenant. Now, everything in this new covenant requires faith in our covenant sacrifice...Jesus.
Now,we realize that we, as the new covenant people, already have faith so faith isn't really a problem. What has been the problem with the Church today is not a faith problem, but a revelation problem. Anyone who believes God must surely know that if He is God (and He is), then there's nothing He cannot do. Do, it's not a matter of believing God can do it, but it's a matter of wondering will He do it.
The biggest problem in the Church of the Lord Jesus is not knowing what God's will is. 1John 5:14-15 (Amplified) says, "And this is the confidence (the assurance, the privilege of boldness) which we have in Him; (we are sure) that if we ask anything (make any request) according to His will (in agreement with His Own plan) He listens to and hears us." Verse 15 goes on, "And if (since) we (positively) know that He listens to us in whatever we ask, we also know (with settled and absolute knowledge) that we have (granted us as our present possessions) the requests made of Him."
This has been a stumbling block to our faith for many years in the Church. We have had a lack of faith in His willingness to do certain things in our lives. We've somehow removed Jesus from the human factor in our lives. Hebrews 4:15-16 (Amplified) says, "For we do not have a High Priest Who is unable to understand and sympathize and have a shared feeling with our weaknesses and infirmities and liability to the assaults of temptation. But One Who has been tempted in every respect as we are; yet without sin." Verse 16 goes on, "Let us then (fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace (the throne of God's unmerited favor to us sinners) that we may receive mercy (for our failures) and find grace to help in good time for every need (appropriate help and well-timed help), coming just when we need it."
Also, in Hebrews 3:14 (Amplified) we read, "For we have become fellows with Christ (the Messiah) and share in all He has for us. If only we hold our first newborn confidence and our original assured expectation (in virtue of which we are believers) firm and unshaken to the end."
The "first newborn confidence" that we had in Jesus was far different from what most of us have today. Many of us have replaced "Who we know, for what we know." We've allowed tradition to replace personal relationship with Jesus. What we have allowed to creep into our lives, is a new and misplaced faith. It's not a lack of faith or an absence of faith, but it's simply misplaced faith.
The whole of Christianity is a relationship with God as Father through Jesus. It's not a change in tradition or a new religion or doctrine, but a relationship with Him. This is the subtlety of the serpent to draw us away into our own way of doing for ourselves instead of relying on faith in God. With this faith in our own traditions, we once again, make the Word of God to no effect. Mark 7:8 (Amplified) says that, "You disregard and give up and ask and depart from you the commandments of God and cling to the traditions of men (keeping it carefully and faithfully)."
We've placed our faith much more in traditions than in the Word. In so doing, we've cut short the truth of our new covenant. Each believer has an obligation to seek our God on his own. It's great that we have teachers and preachers in the Body of Christ, but they were never intended by God to take His place in our lives. It isn't the teacher's place in High School to make a way for you in the world. It's the teacher's place to show you how to make your own way.
Nothing in the Church can be more important than the individual relationship with Jesus. Revelations 2:4 (Amplified) says, "I have this (one charge to make) against you; that you have left (abandoned) the love that you had at first (you have deserted Me, your first love)." Do you remember how simple it was when you were first saved to receive from the Father? That's because all you knew was Him. You didn't have tradition, doctrine and the religious teachings that told us God doesn't do these things anymore.
Am I telling you not to go to church? Am I telling you not to learn the Word of God? Am I telling you that only one person has the truth? No, to all these things. What I am telling you is that nothing takes the place of your own relationship with Jesus. Never replace Jesus with doctrine and never replace fellowship with Jesus for fellowship with people.
1John 2:27 (Amplified) says, "But as for you, the anointing (the sacred appointment, the unction) which you received from Him abides (permanently) in you (so) then you have no need that anyone should instruct you, But just as His anointing teaches you concerning everything and is true and is no falsehood, so you must abide in (live in, never depart from) His (being rooted in Him, knit to Him) just as (His) anointing has taught you (to do)."
This scripture doesn't mean that you're to be a "Lone Ranger" Christian, but that the Holy Spirit Who dwells in you will help you to know what is true and what is not. We're to be led by the Holy Spirit and by the Word. The only way to know God's will is to know Jesus on a personal basis. Jesus was and is the perfect will of God.
Keep you faith on track with Who Jesus is and your faith will work like it did before. Everything the Father has granted us in this new covenant must be received by faith. No tradition, doctrine or religion can give it to you. Only faith by the Father can. Our righteousness, our justification, our forgiveness of sin, our sonship relationship, our healing, our deliverance, our peace of mind, our conscience being free from sin and the past and our final place with the Father when we leave here are through faith.
If we misplace our faith for doctrines or other man-made traditions, then it doesn't mean God doesn't do things anymore. But, it can mean that we may fail to receive them. Many of us in the Church have become frustrated and sometimes bitter or angry with God over things that didin't come out the way we wanted. Mostly, it was because we didn't know any better or were taught wrong and simply missed the will of God.
Faith always works. It worked when you asked for salvation and it works for everything else. By misplacing our faith, we come to a place of not being able to trust God. It's hard having someone that you can't trust. Galatians 5:6 (Amplified) says, "For (if we are) in Christ Jesus; neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith activated and energized and expressed and working through love."
When we don't understand what God's will is, we keep off balance with our faith. If we're afraid to trust Him, then we are also afraid to submit to or give ourselves over to Him completely. If I can't trust Him, then I can't completely walk in love with Him. According to Galatians 5:6 (Amplified), "my faith must be activated by love."
1John 4:18 (Amplified) tells us, "There is no fear in love (dread does not exist) but full grown (complete, perfect) love turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror! For fear brings with it the thought of punishment and (so) he who is afraid has not reached the full maturity of love (is not yet grown into loves complete perfection)."
The only way to know this love is to personally know Jesus. No doctrine, tradition or message can teach you this. A message about Jesus can introduce you to Him, but learning to know Him is your responsibility. The more you know Him, the more you trust Him. The more you trust Him, the stronger your faith becomes by the perfecting of love. There's nothing wrong with our faith, but only what we put faith in. Place your faith in Jesus as the completion of everything you will ever need. If you want to know what God's will is, then learn to watch and know Jesus like Hebrews 1:3 (Amplified) teaches.
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