Your faith is your responsibility. You have been given a measure of faith, as everyone has (Romans 12:3). It is your responsibility to use the faith you have and to build it up. So this lesson looks at how you can build your faith.
Faith in Various Sizes
People can have “little faith” (Mark 8:26), “great faith” (Mark 8:10), “faith as a grain of mustard seed” (Matthew 17:20) and “no faith” (Mark 4:40). While we all have the capacity for faith and have all been given a measure of faith, our personal faith capacity changes over time and even from moment to moment.
The variation in our amount of faith is dependent on us. It is up to us to do something about our level of faith and to choose to activate our faith.
Your Faith Determines Outcomes
There are several occasions in the life of Jesus where He reveals that the outcome a person received was directly linked to their level of faith. The expression, “Be it unto you according to your faith” occurs several times in various forms.
“Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.” Matthew 9:29
On another occasion we are told that Jesus did not do many mighty works specifically because of the lack of faith, or the high level of “unbelief” that was operating there.
“And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.” Mark 13:58
On another occasion we see Blind Bartimaeus determined to receive from Jesus. The man called to Jesus, was told by the crowd to be quiet, but cried out even louder. Jesus sent for him and then asked him what he wanted. The man said, “That I might receive my sight”. Jesus then healed him, telling him that it was the man’s faith that made him whole.
“And Jesus said to him, Go your way; your faith has made you whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.” Mark 10:52
We see quite clearly in that series of events that the only reason the miracle occurred was because the man was sure that God “could” heal him and was determined that Jesus “would” heal him. Truly his faith was at work.
If Bartimaeus had listened to the crowd he would not have been healed.
Your Faith is Your Fault
We are held accountable for our use of the faith God has given us. God can rightly judge us if He has given us faith and we have decided not to use it.
When Jesus saw that His disciples were fearful in a storm He challenged them about the fact that they had “no faith”.
“And he said to them, Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” Mark 4:40
On other occasions Jesus told them not to be fearful but to believe.
“Then said he to Thomas, Reach here your finger, and behold my hands; and reach hear your hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.” John 20:27
He even rebuked His disciples for not believing the report of His resurrection.
“Afterward he appeared to the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.” Mark 16:14
So, your level of faith is something which the Lord could rebuke you for. If He was to check your faith right now would He have occasion to rebuke you for not activating your faith?
Activate Your Faith
We saw in the verses just quoted that Jesus could insist that people believe and even rebuke those who did not. Your faith is your fault.
So you are to activate your faith in several ways. One is to make a choice to believe. Faith is, in reality, a choice to believe. You need to make up your mind that you will believe what God said. That’s what we see in those cases where Jesus specifically instructed people to “believe”.
“Then said he to Thomas, Reach here your finger, and behold my hands; and reach hear your hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.” John 20:27
“As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken (that the man’s daughter was dead), he said to the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe.” Mark 5:36
The Apostle Jude gave us specific instruction to build ourselves up in the area of our “most holy faith”.
“But you, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit” Jude 1:20
How to Build Faith
Two keys to building up our faith that I will point out here are that of prayer and “hearing” the Word of God. The Apostle Jude, in giving us instruction to build up our faith, indicates that this is done by “praying in the Holy Spirit” (Jude 1:20).
Paul used the expression “pray in the Spirit” to refer to praying in the heavenly “tongues” language which he enjoyed and taught about. So it seems that Jude was also refer to the “speaking in tongues” type of prayer. Paul tells us that such praying means we are “speaking mysteries”.
“For he that speaks in an unknown tongue speaks not to men, but to God (that’s what “prayer” is): for no man understands him; howbeit in the spirit he speaks mysteries.” 1Corinthians 14:2
Taking time each day to pray “in the Spirit” will build up “your most holy faith”.
The other way to build up your faith is by “hearing the Word of God”, as Paul explained to the church at Rome.
“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 10:17
Hearing of Faith
When you “hear” God’s Word you need to be careful how you “hear”. If you hear it as a religious notion you won’t activate your faith. If you hear it as someone’s opinion you won’t activate your faith. You must hear the Word of God for what it is, God’s Living Word to you, in which you are to place your faith and release the power of God.
“And he said to them, Take heed what you hear: with what measure you measure out, that’s how it will be measured to you: and to you that hear will more be given.” Mark 4:24
The fact that hearing the message builds faith is captured by Paul in his term “the hearing of faith”. He challenges the believers in Galatia that they received the Holy Spirit and worked miracles as a consequence of the “hearing of faith”.
“This only would I learn of you, Received you the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?” Galatians 3:2
“He therefore that ministers the Spirit to you, and works miracles among you, does he do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?” Galatians 3:5
The way you receive, or “hear” the Word of God determines whether it produces faith in your heart. You need to open your heart to God’s Word, so it can come alive within you, you can believe it, and the Word can be “made flesh”, which means it becomes a reality in your natural life.
Steward of Your Faith
You are a steward of the faith which God has given you. He will hold you accountable for how you use the faith which He has entrusted to you.
Be a good steward. Use what God has given you and add to it, by building up your faith. Hear God’s Word. Act on the faith you have. Choose to believe. Press in for the miracles which God has for you.
Remember, God “can” do it. And God “will” do it, as a reward for those who diligently seek Him. If you choose to believe that you activate your faith and bring delight to your Heavenly Father.
Tags: bartimaeus, belief in god, blind bartimaeus, faith, faith factor, faith in god, little faith, only believe
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