Faith: What is it? How Can I get it?
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The Holy Spirit plays a vital role in fostering and strengthening faith. The Holy Spirit is believed to be the divine person who empowers believers to understand and believe in Jesus Christ, ultimately leading to salvation. Acts 2:17-18
- While faith is a personal response, it's also understood as a gift from God, a gift that is given through the Holy Spirit. This means that while human decision is involved, the ability to believe is seen as a divine enablement.
- The Holy Spirit and Spiritual Growth:
The Holy Spirit is believed to guide and empower believers in their spiritual journey, helping them to grow in faith and live a life pleasing to God. - The Holy Spirit's Indwelling:
Christians believe that the Holy Spirit dwells within those who believe in Jesus Christ, providing a constant presence and source of guidance. Here's a more detailed look at these principles:
- Growing in Faith:
- Prayer: Regular prayer allows for a deeper connection with God, seeking guidance and strengthening faith.
- Bible Study: Reading, listening to and studying the Bible can provide knowledge and deepen understanding of God's teachings, fostering faith.
- Spiritual Practices: Make faith your instinct. Engaging in practices like meditation, worship, and seeking guidance can also strengthen faith.
- Action: Faith should be accompanied by action, not just belief. Trusting in God's guidance and taking steps to fulfill promises is a key aspect of growing in faith.
- Community: Connecting with others who share similar beliefs can provide support and encouragement in growing in faith.
- Trust and Hope: Faith involves trusting in God's promises and holding onto hope, even in difficult times.
- Overcoming Doubt: It's important to address doubts and questions honestly, seeking guidance and support from trusted sources.
- Doubt is the opposite of faith and please notice how Satan is always casting a spell of doubt in your life.
Several Bible passages highlight situations where individuals demonstrated insufficient faith. These instances, often characterized by doubt or fear, illustrate the importance of trusting in God's power and provision. Key examples include Matthew 6:30, Matthew 8:26, Matthew 14:31, and Matthew 17:20, where Jesus rebukes his disciples for their lack of faith. Here's a more detailed look at these principles:
- Matthew 6:30: Jesus questions his disciples' worry about material needs, pointing out that God provides even for the grass of the field, and asks, "will He not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?". This highlights the need to trust in God's provision rather than dwelling on anxieties about the future.
- Matthew 8:26: When a storm threatens their boat, Jesus asks his disciples, "Why are you afraid, O ye of little faith?". This demonstrates their fear and lack of trust in Jesus's power over nature.
- Matthew 14:31: After Peter walks on water, he begins to sink because of fear, and Jesus says, "O thou of little faith, why didst thou doubt?". This illustrates how doubt can undermine even a moment of faith.
- Matthew 17:20: Following a failure to heal a boy, Jesus rebukes his disciples for their lack of faith. Specifically, Jesus taught that certain kinds of demons can only be cast out through prayer and fasting. This is often interpreted as a requirement for specific, difficult situations, rather than a universal rule for all demonic possession. Here's a more detailed explanation.
- Specific Demons: Jesus said that some demons are resistant and require the extra power of prayer and fasting to be cast out.
- Unbelief: In the context of the disciples' inability to cast out a demon, Jesus emphasized the importance of faith and suggested that prayer and fasting could strengthen their faith: “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.". This emphasizes the importance of faith, even in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles.
- The mustard seed is chosen as a metaphor because it is a tiny seed, yet it grows into a large plant. This imagery is used to illustrate the power of faith, which, even if small, can still have a great impact. However, there are smaller seeds.
- Examples:
- The phrase "faith the size of a mustard seed" is often used to encourage people to believe in the power of their faith, even if it feels small. It suggests that even a small amount of faith or Holy Spirit can be enough to accomplish great things, and nothing is impossible with faith in God.
- These verses, along with others like Mark 9:19 and Luke 17:6, serve as reminders that faith is not merely belief, but a trust in God's power and promises, even when circumstances seem unfavorable.
- But also, our free will to choose between good and evil affects our faith and can possibly limit our effectiveness. A good example is when Jesus returned to his hometown. In Mark 6:5-6, when Jesus returned to his hometown of Nazareth, he was met with rejection and disbelief. He was rejected because his townspeople were unable to accept the idea that he, someone they knew from childhood, could be the long-awaited Messiah. Despite teaching in the synagogue and showing incredible wisdom, they questioned his authority and even tried to throw him off a cliff. If that isn’t bad enough, the town’s people who witnessed Jesus’ healing power in infancy when his mother, the Virgin Mary, healed people with Jesus’ baby bath water, still mocked him by calling him “Mary’s son”, implying he had no father— instead of having faith in Jesus’ ability heal and perform miracles. Thus: “Jesus could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. And he marveled because of their unbelief". This suggests that Jesus's ability to perform miracles was limited due to the people's lack of faith. What a horrible, terrible thing to make God shake His head at you! At any rate, Jesus moved on to the next town!
- Examples:
