Читать книгу MYSTERIES OF GOD'S KINGDOM - Kenneth B. Alexander - Страница 10

FAITH

Faith is the simplest reality we have in our walks with God, yet it can seem complex to the human mind.

“Behold, as for the proud one,

His soul is not right within him;

But the righteous will live by his faith” (Habakkuk 2:4).

Faith is a reality that it is entirely invisible. It cannot be seen or touched, as are things in the physical realm. It cannot be explained theologically in that most theology comes from the intellect. “His thoughts are not our thoughts” (1 Corinthians 1:17). Yet it is one of the most powerful forces in the universe and works in both the natural and spiritual worlds.

To illustrate faith in the scriptures consider the following.

“A man came to the crowd, a man came up to Jesus, falling on his knees before Him and saying, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is a lunatic and is very ill; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. “I brought him to Your disciples, and they could not cure him” (Matthew 17:14-16). And Jesus answered and said, “You unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him here to Me.”

“And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon came out of him, and the boy was cured at once.

Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not drive it out? (Matthew 17:18-20). And He said to them, “Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you” (Matthew 17:20). “The mustard seed is the smallest of all seeds” (Matthew 17:14-20).

To a righteous man faith is essential in his walk with God. “Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, “The righteous man shall live by faith.” (Galatians 3:11; Romans 1:17).

The writer of Hebrews explains faith as opposed to the Mosaic law. Under the Mosaic law, before Christ’s appearing, righteousness was acquired by adherence to a set of laws, sacrifices and rituals. Ritualistic righteousness was a type of faith in that the sinner had to believe the sacrifice of a bull or goat would cleanse the sinner. But the cleansing was not permanent. Additional sacrifices for sin had to be made time and again. Priests were the vehicles of this temporary deliverance and continually presided in the temple performing these sacrifices. (see Leviticus Ch. 1-7). All of this proved that man could not, in and of himself, become righteous in God’s eyes except for only short periods of time.

The coming of Jesus changed all that. He didn’t really introduce a new concept. Faith had been available for centuries. Abraham exercised the principle of faith thousands of years before Christ. Abraham did not receive righteousness through the law or good works but through faith.

What then are we to say was gained by Abraham, our ancestor according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.” Now to one who works, wages are not reckoned as a gift but as something due. ⁵ But to one who without works trusts him who justifies the ungodly, such faith is reckoned as righteousness. So also David speaks of the blessedness of those to whom God reckons righteousness apart from works saying, saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, And whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom, the Lord will not reckon sin. (Romans 4:1-8). Abraham made many mistakes and did not always follow God completely. Yet because of his great faith he was considered righteous by God, irrespective of his works.

Romans goes on to say: Is this blessing then pronounced upon the circumcision, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say, To Abraham his faith was reckoned for righteousness. How then was it reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision: and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while he was in uncircumcision; that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be in uncircumcision, that righteousness might be reckoned unto them and the father of circumcision. (v 4:9-12).

What the scriptures are saying is that faith and the obtaining of righteousness are not dependent on our works, however good, but of faith through grace. Righteousness is thus not obtained by working towards it but receiving it from God as a free gift.

Jesus made this very clear when He appeared bringing the New Covenant.

“Behold, days are coming, says the Lord,

When I will effect a new covenant

With the house of Israel and with the house of Judah;

After those days, says the Lord:

I will put My laws into their minds,

And I will write them on their hearts.

And I will be their God,

And they shall be My people.

“And they shall not teach everyone his fellow citizen,

And everyone his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’

For all will know Me,

FROM THE LEAST to the greatest of them.

“For I will be merciful to their iniquities,

And I will remember their sins no more.”

When He said, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear. (Hebrews 8:7-13; Also Jeremiah 31:33-34).

Thus no longer does man have to be righteous according to a code of conduct. He is made righteous simply by believing that by faith in Christ he is made righteous. By exercising faith in Christ, righteousness is simply imputed to him. It becomes part of his nature, written on his heart for all time. Over time faith will completely transform that man into the exact nature of Christ, who was without sin.

Christ through the Holy Spirit has provided us tools to exercise while we are on the way to becoming perfect (1 Corinthians chapter 12). One of these is the gift of faith (I Corinthians 12:9). A believer can use this gift, among others, to assist in the forming the Body of Christ. A mature believer will possess all the gifts but not yet being perfect does not preclude the Christian to exercise the full force of any gift, including faith. Apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers are also given to the church to perfect these gifts and ultimately the Body ( see Ephesians Chapter 4).

Ultimately, without faith it is impossible to please God. And 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 seek Him (Hebrews 11:6). God is not pleased with our works. He calls our works we do to please him filthy. For all of us have become like one who is unclean, And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; (Isaiah 64:6). Therefore, attempting to do righteous works, no matter how well intentioned does not earn us points with God; actually the opposite. He rejects them. Only faith will suffice.

Faith can be the basis of the greater works that must occur in order to usher in the Kingdom of God. There will be mountains to move, miracles to be done, nations delivered, problems solved to name a few but only through faith will they be accomplished. The wisdom of man will never prevail; he only creates more problems than he solves. Faith in our Lord can accomplish all things-right!