“And Jesus answering, saith to them: Have the faith of God.” (Mark 11:22 DRB)
“Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all.” (Romans 4:16 NKJV)
“Through faith in the name of Jesus, this man was healed—and you know how crippled he was before. Faith in Jesus’ name has healed him before your very eyes.” (Acts 3:16 NLT)
“We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.” (Romans 3:22 NLT)
I have learned that just like a coin, there are 2 sides to faith. Each side is critical in my life.
There is faith…
…in (trust, salvation, dependence, etc), and,
…of (empowerment, supernatural ability, creative power, etc)
A life of faith will be immersed in both sides.
Have you ever placed a coin on its edge and spun it? When it was standing still you could clearly read both sides. When it was spinning the sides became a blur. They seemed to mix together. That it is how faith operates.
There are 2 sides, but they work together in such a way that it is almost impossible to make a distinction between them. We receive the faith of God through which we are able to place our faith in God which in turn gives us more of the faith of God in order to have more faith in God, etc… (like the never ending song, it goes on and on and on and on…)
Remember Hebrew 11:6? “For without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” The first section of this verse relates to faith IN God. Most people, whether followers of Jesus or not, accept the fact that God exists. The second part of the verse relates to the faith OF God. This is where many get hung up.
God is a faith God. Everything that He created was created by faith. In Him there is no fear, doubt, or unbelief, only faith. He rewards us by giving us His faith. As He fills us with His faith we are able to begin speaking and acting as He speaks and acts. This really shouldn’t shock us. After all, when we make Jesus Lord of our life He breathes His life into our spirit which makes us a new creation. We are His children, one with Jesus, created in His image and likeness.
I have been criticized for putting faith in my faith rather than faith in God. I have learned that in order to please God, by living by faith, I need to put my faith in both God and the faith of God He deposited within me.
There are natural forces (wind, lightning, etc.). There are also natural laws (gravity, lift, etc.). There are also spiritual forces and laws. Both natural and spiritual forces and laws were created by God. The faith of God is a spiritual force that works together with the law of faith to produce supernatural results.
There is much more I have learned in this area which I will share at a later date. Until then I encourage you to dig into this on your own.
For now I will live by…
…Eric’s Life Lesson #65: “The 2 sides of Faith’s coin.”