My Faith and the God-given Faith
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January 21, 2018 |
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 When Jesus was at Capernaum, a paralytic man came to the house where Jesus was. He had heard about Jesus before and came by the help of his four friends who carried him on a pallet. But because of the crowd, he could not get into the house. His friends opened the roof of the house and let down the pallet. Eventually, he went before Jesus and seeing the faith Jesus healed him right away.
As in his case, nothing is impossible with faith. Now let's delve into how to receive answers quickly when it comes to faith.
1. You have to show faith from your side, which is to set up a 'prop of faith'.
Here, 'faith from our side' refers to fleshly faith, which is faith as knowledge. We believe God created the heavens and the earth and all things in them with His word. We believe Jesus died on the cross for our sins and resurrected on the third day. This is the faith as knowledge that we can have from our side. It is gained by hearing sermons or reading the Bible. It plays the role like that of a prop that enables us to receive the spiritual faith which is given by God and brings down answers.
The paralytic man and his four friends had this prop of faith. They certainly believed that Jesus could heal diseases. And they showed that their faith was true through their actions. They did their best to firmly set up the 'prop of faith' from their side. Jesus saw their faith in their actions and immediately responded to it saying, "Son, your sins are forgiven."
Even today, for us to receive the desires of our heart, we have to show our faith with actions and thereby prepare the 'prop of faith'. There is a minimum prop of faith we have to show to receive answers. Only when you come at least with faith as knowledge by listening to the basic messages such as "God the Creator" and "Why Is Jesus Our Only Savior?" can you experience divine healing works. Some people, though they are believers, get involved in accidents or get serious diseases and come to receive prayer. Then they have to know the two most basic commandments; Keep the Lord's Day holy and give whole tithes, and repent that they didn't keep them (James 2:26).
When you show your faith in actions, you can set up a firm prop of faith for receiving answers from God. In some cases, you have to pray earnestly and even fast if urged by the Spirit to receive answers. Depending on each one's measure of faith, you might also have to do good deeds such as evangelism, voluntary service, or charitable work by the urging of the Spirit.
When you show your faith with actions, which is to set up the prop of faith from your side, spiritual faith can be given from above.
2. You must not have any barrier of sin before God.
Today's reading passage, verse 5 says, "And Jesus seeing their faith said to the paralytic, 'Son, your sins are forgiven.'" Because Jesus knows the spiritual law very well, He first gave him forgiveness of sin before the healing.
Isaiah 59:1-2 says, "Behold, the LORD's hand is not so short that it cannot save; nor is His ear so dull that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear." If you have a wall of sin against God, even if you've prepared the prop of faith, you cannot receive answers from God.
If people have a barrier of sin, Satan can trigger negative thoughts so that their prop of faith can't be set up firmly. It can cause doubts to block the possible answer, and may even cause the loss of faith as knowledge. They might even consider other peoples' testimonies or their own past experiences as coincidences. Therefore, in order to receive the answer with faith, we must not have a barrier of sin before God.
Now, is there anybody who loses heart thinking that God will not give you an answer because you committed sins? 1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." According to this verse, if there is a wall of sin, first, you have to honestly confess your sins before God. And if you turn from sins and walk in the Light, you can be forgiven of all sins by the blood of Jesus.
Having no sin in this way, if we firmly set up our prop of faith, it means we have finished the preparation to receive the answer.
3. You have to receive the gift of spiritual faith from God.
No matter how well we have prepared, we can't receive the answer as long as God doesn't give us spiritual faith. In verse 11 of today's reading passage, Jesus said to the paralytic man who was on a pallet and let down from the roof, "I say to you, get up, pick up your pallet and go home." This was not words from faith of the paralytic man or the faith of his friends. It was a profession of faith of Jesus.
The paralytic man and his four friends set up the prop of faith, and Jesus put spiritual faith on it. Then the miracle took place. The man who had been paralytic for a long time stood up on his own, picked up his pallet and walked back home. When spiritual faith, with which we can believe from heart, comes down from above, the change and answers can take place instantly.
The walking on water by Jesus' disciple, Peter, did not happen through Peter's own faith. Peter believed that a miracle could take place if he was with Jesus. That is why he said to Jesus, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water." It means he laid the prop of faith. When Jesus told him to come, he was given spiritual faith from above and could walk on the water.
But then, while Peter was walking on water, he became afraid of the wind and he began to flounder. Namely, when Peter's prop of faith began shaking and eventually fell, the miracle of walking on water also ended. This is the spiritual principle which you should understand very well.
Therefore, in any matter, you have to set up the prop of faith with your best effort, and you should pray that God will give you the spiritual faith from above on top of your own faith. You shouldn't just act recklessly according to your own ways and thoughts saying that you prayed and fasted. If you really prayed with faith in God in your heart, you should also wait until spiritual faith is given from above.
An answer is given at the time when God gives you the gift of spiritual faith. Just like dry land is soaked with rain, when your heart is filled with the faith given by God, any kind of problem will be solved.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, God can answer the prayers of the ones whose souls prosper (1 John 3:21-22). But we should remember that for big answers for the kingdom of God, it cannot be done by one person's individual effort. The whole church has to put up the prop of faith together. I pray in the name of the Lord that you will understand this spiritual principle well, so that you can receive answers to all your prayers and give glory to God.
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