Jesus Christ must be at the center of genuine faith

What faith is and is not …

Faith and the Centrality of Jesus Christ -
Hebrews 12:2 (CSB)- " keeping our eyes on Jesus,the source and perfecter of our faith."

The situation: Christians can spend years attending church, taking part in Bible studies, serving and still not experience faith beyond what it took for them to get saved in the first place. 

I believe this is why we keep running into Christians who after many years have failed to achieve significant victory over different areas of their lives: healing, finances, relationships, and even fulfilling the Lord’s call on their lives. While we all experience tribulations, grief, sickness, and other setbacks at times, the Lord never intended for us to be perpetually downtrodden.

Men and women who have been Christians for years, and who are in their 50s or older, are virtually hanging on for dear life. A closer examination of their spiritual lives may reveal that they never developed a close relationship with the Lord. Over the years, they relied on Sunday sermons from the pastor and others. They were not discipled; they did not seek the vital teachings to help them, and neither did they seek what they needed to grow on their own.

Faith is …

The Bible defines faith as the “substance” of things hoped for, the “evidence” of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1 (KJV).

Substance: Material. (Another translation uses “confidence.”) A material is something that in the physical you can hold, touch, see, smell or taste.

Evidence: Proof. (Another translation uses “assurance.”) There is enough information available to enable you to arrive at a conclusion. In court speak, proof leads to a finding of guilty or not guilty in criminal matters, or to an approval or dismissal of a civil suit.

From a divine perspective, faith appears to have a tangible value; it is heaven’s currency.

How do we get faith? By hearing the Word of God. And how can we "hear?" The Bible tells us that hearing comes by the Word of God. "Yet faith comes from listening to this Good News—the Good News about Christ." (Romans 10:17-TLB). When we are born again, our spiritual senses are awakened; we can hear (or read) God's word and understand it. Before salvation, we were dead spiritually and what the Bible contained seemed like nonsense.

Jesus said His words are essential. “The Spirit is the one who gives life. The flesh doesn’t help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.” – John 6:63 (CSB)

We cannot grow spiritually – we cannot grow in faith – without God’s words being planted and nourished in our hearts. Listening for and receiving God’s Word, in spirit and in truth.

How do we learn, spiritually? Isaiah 28:10 tells us it doesn’t happen overnight. It is a process. Christianity - following Jesus - is a lifestyle.

“For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, Line upon line, line upon line, Here a little, there a little.” (Isaiah 28:10 NKJV)

We must receive God’s word in our hearts and have hearts ready to receive and nourish His word. It’s up to us to prepare the good soil in our hearts. [See the entire parable of the sower in Matthew 13:1-23]. 

In that chapter, Jesus said: “Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. ⁹ Whoever has ears, let them hear” (Matthew 13:8-9 – NIV). Jesus makes it clear that “good soil” represents the condition of our heart when it is ready to receive and apply God’s Word to our life and situation.

Faith presents a choice to believe

Believe what? It’s more like, believe WHOM. Faith offers us a choice to believe what God says – about Himself, about you, about the world, about the future, and so forth.

God is trustworthy. He cannot lie. It is impossible for Him to lie. Numbers 23:19; Titus 1:2; Hebrews 6:18. The Israelites that wandered in the desert for 40 years never got that.

Jesus said He is the Way, the Truth and the Life (John 14:6). Our faith must be directed at Him. Not in “nice sayings,” “positive thinking,” or “powerful prayers.” Some of these acts, as well meaning as they might be, are based on superstition, as if they contained some kind of magic.

When we accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, it required a step of faith on our part to reach out to Him. We decided to step out, even if some of us did so only in an act of desperation. The Lord is so merciful.

The sad thing is that many Christians rested on that one act – believing for salvation -and then failed to grow further in their faith. What was missing? Possibly a lack of teaching (discipleship), a lack of self-discipline, a lack of fellowship with other Christians, a weak prayer life, disobedience, a lack of consecration (2 Corinthians 6:17 (NKJV) “’Therefore “Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.” A failure to grow in our faith can occur because of one or these or all these things.

Faith after salvation

After salvation, our faith is tied to our obedience. We learn what is in God’s Word, act on it, and grow. We do what the Lord asks of us individually to do - by faith. Leaving the old life behind and reaching out every day for the new. If we disobey, then we must confess and repent. It’s simple process that keeps us up to date, spiritually speaking.

A brief review of faith heroes from the Bible

Abraham - did not have the Bible (Or Torah) – BUT - he had an encounter with the Lord. He knew from that encounter (and several more) that the Lord is God and that He is to be trusted. His faithful obedience stemmed from his understanding that it is worthwhile to follow and obey the Lord.

Joshua - was involved in amazing miracles – including asking the Lord to hold the sun still so that the Israelites could win a key battle, as well as the walls-of-Jericho event. What feats of faith! From observing Moses, Joshua had learned to obey the Lord, and why.

Joseph (Old Testament) - at a young age, exhibited a deep reverence for God, even after his faith was severely tested. His brothers sold him into slavery, he was unjustly imprisoned, and yet he went on to live and govern in a land that was culturally foreign to him. Joseph's reward at the end was not so much that he was elevated to a position of importance and helped save the Jewish nation during a severe famine; his real reward was the reconciliation he experienced with the brothers that betrayed him and being reunited with his father Jacob and beloved younger brother Benjamin. His complete healing did not come until then.

Daniel – remained obedient in a culturally idolatrous society. How? He prayed every day and kept himself pure. Yes, it’s possible, to live in the world and not be a part of it.

Esther – acted on her faith, risked her life, and as a result saved the entire Jewish nation from annihilation.

Mary – had an encounter with an angel of the Lord. Like Joshua, her instant obedience was linked to her faith. She did not hesitate. She did not tell the angel, ‘I need to consult first with my parents, with Joseph or the rabbi’ before giving her response. As the Messiah’s mother, she went on to suffer greatly – witnessing the crucifixion of Jesus – but she also lived to witness His resurrection and ascension.

It is important to realize that the people mentioned here were not superhuman. They were regular people like you and me. Their faith in the Lord is what set them apart, and that is why God was able to use them at key moments in history.

Keep it simple - keep Jesus at the center

How do we really grow in faith, if it is not by memorizing the Bible, going to church every time the door opens, being involved in ministry, doing acts of charity, and so on? 

It is by growing in our relationship with Jesus Christ. We must get to know Him. We must spend time with Him. Yes, we learn about Him through the Bible, but it is in developing an intimate relationship/friendship with Him that we really get to know Him. 

Abraham was called a “friend” of God (James 2:23). Jesus called His disciples “friends.” 

How do friendships grow? By spending time with them, investing in them, sharing the good and bad times together, praying for one another, being supportive. It’s all about the trust factor. We come to learn that we can safely give the Lord our pain, our suffering, our disappointments, our weaknesses. He in turn, according to Isaiah 61:3 (NLT), offers:

"To all who mourn in Israel,
    he will give a crown of beauty for ashes,
a joyous blessing instead of mourning,
    festive praise instead of despair.
In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks
    that the Lord has planted for his own glory."

For us today, the “promised land” contains all the promises and blessings that the Lord has set aside for his children. They include healing, deliverance from demonic forces, overcoming strongholds, financial freedom, and so much more.

The Israelites that wandered in the wilderness for 40 years were not allowed to enter the promised land,. The Lord waited on them to change. But, they continually complained and rebelled. They witnessed major miracles in their lifetimes, but they also applied a selective memory that constantly fed doubt and undermined their faith.

The word of God tells us plainly that the sin of unbelief was at the root of their rebellion and idolatry. Because of their unbelief, the Lord did not permit them to cross Jordan to appropriate the blessings that waited for them them on the other side of the river. The promised land today also includes God’s calling on our lives. If we are to fulfill that calling, then we must trust and obey. 

“We walk by faith and not by sight.” 2 Corinthians 5:7

Shalom

Next: Slaying the giant of unbelief [From the "Following Jesus" series]

Diana Washington-Valdez

Faith Today Christian Ministries

Exalting the Name of Jesus