Faith – Living or Dead (Part 1 of 2)
Over the last several months I have been praying for God to reveal more about faith to me. As I study the scriptures, I realized that there is much I have yet to understand. This study is the result of a lot of seeking and praying. While I believe that God has answered this prayer, I also realize that there is much more to learn. One thing I have learned is that I don’t even know what I don’t know. May we continue to seek God through His word knowing that we as finite people will never cease from growing through God’s infinite knowledge or reach the end of our understanding of His word. As I look back over the years I realized that I have taught more on faith than any other subject. As I grow in my own faith and study the word, I realize how much more there is to learn and I see the need to dig deeper into this subject to increase our understanding. Each time I go through the scriptures, the need to understand authentic faith becomes apparent. The bible contrasts a false faith to His living faith as we are challenged to examine our own faith against His word.
Two Measures of Faith
Let’s first look at how we receive our faith. The Bible gives us two ways that God gives faith to each person. The first is common to all mankind. The first measure is found in Romans 12:
3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.
Every one means every person. There is not a person who has ever existed that was not measured a portion of faith. God instills within our hearts the power to believe in the gospel so that we can obtain salvation. The Bible also states that God has put eternity in our hearts (Ecclesiastes 3:11). God places within each of us the faith we need to hear and answer His call. Some are confused with passages that imply differently such as this one from 2 Thessalonians 3:1-2
Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you, 2 and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for not all have faith.
How can the Bible state that God has dealt to each person a measure of faith and then state that the wicked do not have faith? I believe the answer can be clearly understood by seeking understanding through the rest of scriptures. Jesus made a fascinating statement that aids in our understanding of this subject in Mark 4:23-25
23 "If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear." 24 Then He said to them, "Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given. 25 "For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him."
Jesus reiterates this principle on at least four different occasions in His teachings. Each person was indeed given a measure of faith by God, but take heed how you hear for if we reject the word, God will take away what He has given. All faith is given by the mercy of God and God has indeed extended His mercy on all; however, the Bible also states that God will not always strive with man. The wicked are those who reject the faith God has given as they resist the truth of God. For those who will not hear, God will take away their faith and give them over to the wickedness they have chosen. Consider this passage from Romans 1:17-19
17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith." 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.
Notice how this passage begins – God reveals Himself through faith. Only after God draws us by faith through our faith will He reveal His wrath against the unrighteous. God manifests Himself to each person and then we either respond by faith or suppress the truth within our heart. God reveals the truth to all. God deals with some people over time as He draws them out of the misconceptions and misunderstanding and toward the truth of His gospel. I firmly believe that God knows each one’s heart and deals with us until our spiritual eyes have been opened. Once God has shown Himself to them, then He holds each person accountable for the gospel. When the truth is suppressed, faith is lost. If you continue on in this passage, the Bible explains this further. Look at Romans 1:21-25
21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man -- and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. 24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
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28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, 30 backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; 32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.
Don’t miss the important truth that God does not turn someone over to a debased mind until after they suppress the truth. A person may indeed be corrupt and wallowing in the mire of their sins but God does not reject us for our sins, but for our refusal of His righteousness. God affirms this truth again in 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12
9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
It is only after the truth has been suppressed within the heart and rejected by someone’s willful rebellion and choice to disbelieve that God turns anyone over to the lie. He allows us to receive what we choose to receive. God first measures to us His faith, then reveals Himself to us by the gospel through faith. If we respond by faith, God saves us by faith and accounts our faith as righteousness. If someone responds by suppressing the truth and instead determines that their pleasure will be in unrighteousness, God takes away what faith the wicked had and for this reason turns them over to a lie and to their own sinful passions.
It is also important to understand that only God can determine when someone is called. Just because someone hears the gospel message and does not accept Christ does not mean that they have rejected the truth. It is when we feel the Spirit of God drawing us that the call of God is given. Those who hear the call and choose to suppress and cling to a sinful lifestyle are those who fall under condemnation.
Why are atheists, New Age followers and other religions so opposed to the message of the gospel? If someone truly did not believe God existed, would they be so passionate about stamping out the name of Jesus or the influence of Christianity? Atheists always equate Christian beliefs with the Easter Bunny, but I have never heard of anyone filing a lawsuit to get the Easter Bunny taken out of school. The reason the atheist is so enraged against the God of the Bible is because the truth is being suppressed. Anyone suppressing the truth will react with anger against anyone who threatens to expose that truth. Suppressing the truth is like holding a beach ball under the water. If you loose your grip, the ball pops to the surface. The truth becomes self-evident if it is ever exposed; therefore, the only way to stamp out the truth is to keep it suppressed and out of view.
God indeed deals every one a measure of faith and He calls us by that faith through the message of the gospel. He will then harden our hearts or write His word upon our hearts based on how we respond to His call. Only after the Holy Spirit opens someone’s eyes and reveals the truth of righteousness to them are we told that God takes away what has been rejected.
The Gift of Faith
The second measure of faith is a specific gift given by the Holy Spirit for the purpose of edifying the whole church. While everyone is dealt a measure of faith which enables us to believe and walk victoriously in this Christian life, not everyone is given the spiritual gift of faith. There are various gifts of the Spirit that God distributes within the church to make the church complete. Look at 1 Corinthians 12:7-12
7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: 8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills. 12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ.
There are many gifts and this topic is worthy of a new study, but for now I would like to bring your attention to the beginning of verse 9, God has given ‘faith by the same Spirit’. There is a measure of faith given to each person and there is the spiritual gift of faith given to individuals that God has chosen by His own sovereign will. The purpose of the gift of faith is the same for all gifts, “for the profit of all”. If you are walking in the Spirit and the fruit of the Spirit is coming out in your life, then you will also see God’s gift from the Spirit being revealed in your life. Many people go through life wondering what their spiritual gift is. There is no need to be concerned with spiritual gifts until you begin to develop spiritual maturity. If you are not walking with God in the Spirit, you will not understand your spiritual gifts and even if you knew what it was, it would do little good if you are not allowing the Spirit to work through your life. The gifts of the Spirit are only useful within God Spirit. If you are walking contrary to the Spirit you cannot use the gifts of the Spirit. It is not possible to act for the profit of all the church without abiding in Christ as a daily lifestyle.
God gives some a powerful faith by His Spirit. It is a gift; it is not merited and is not built by any of our efforts. Like all things that are of God, if we are walking in the flesh, we are quenching the Spirit. The things of the Spirit are made manifest when we put to death the flesh, submit ourselves to God and allow His Spirit to work through us. This passage explains how we build our lives upon faith. Look at Jude 1:20-21
20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
You build yourself up on your most holy faith – you do not build your faith. You cannot build faith, produce faith or acquire faith. The only thing you can do is quench the Spirit by walking in the flesh or submit to the Spirit so that God can crucify the flesh and remove its dominance over your life. You either build up the flesh or build up yourself upon your faith that God has given you.
The difference between dead and living faith.
God has dealt each one a measure of faith, but your faith is not alive until the Spirit of God calls us by faith and makes us alive in Christ. Look at Ephesians 2:1-5
And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
This is reiterated again in Colossians 2:13-14
13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, 14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
Until the Spirit of God calls us by faith and makes us into a new creation born of the Spirit (2 Corinthians 5:17, John 3:5-8), we are dead in our sins and dead in our faith. This is why the Bible says that God is revealed from faith to faith. God has measured to us faith and then He calls us through faith into the Spirit. It is impossible for anyone to decide to become a Christian. God calls us into the faith as He calls us to the door of salvation which is Jesus Christ (John 10:7-9). When we answer God’s call, we are born again into a new life which is created by God at the time of salvation. Until we respond by faith through obedience, our faith is dead. Look at James 2:21-26
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." And he was called the friend of God. 24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. 25 Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? 26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
This must be taken in light of the rest of scripture so that we understand what the scripture is teaching. Look also at Galatians 2:
16 "knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.
Also apply this to Ephesians 2:8-10
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
The Bible says that we are justified by faith by our works and the Bible says that we are justified without works? Is this a contradiction? No, not in the least. Since we are two thousand years removed from the Jewish law, most do not understand what the scripture is teaching and this has caused much confusion pertaining to the Christian life. Each time we are told that we are not saved by works it is always pertaining to the works of the law. In almost every instance where this is addressed in the Bible it is the law of circumcision. When the gospel began to be preached among the Gentiles, many Jews came in and said that salvation could not occur unless the convert believed on Jesus and kept the Law of Moses – specifically circumcision. The apostle Paul encountered this everywhere he went and addressed it in almost every letter he wrote to the church.
Most of the law that God gave to the Jews was given as a tutor that pointed to what would be fulfilled in Jesus Christ. This is explained in Galatians 3:23-25
23 But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. 24 Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.
God gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision which was an act in the flesh that foreshadowed what would later be performed by the Spirit in the heart. In fact, both Romans 2:29 and Jeremiah 4:4 identify the true circumcision to be that of the heart. Both the Old and New Testaments reveal this truth about circumcision. The circumcision of the heart is our submission by faith by which the Spirit of God removes the flesh. Also, the Law of Moses concerning the sacrificing of animals for sin was a tutor that pointed to Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Lamb of God that takes away sin. Once Jesus died for our sins, there is no longer a need for the tutor because faith has come and fulfilled what the sacrifice represented. So, the works of the law are no longer needed and it is impossible for the works of the law to have any role in our salvation. The works of the law only pointed to Christ. Now that Jesus has come, the law has passed away. Anyone who tries to justify their lives by the works of the law is denying the sufficiency of Christ. Instead of believing God, those who keep the Law of Moses are proclaiming that they must do what God has reserved for Himself. To seek to justify ourselves by the law is to proclaim ourselves as the source of salvation rather than Jesus Christ.
The same principle of works by the law applies to anyone who tries to use any religious practice in order to merit their own salvation. Salvation is the work of God and the only effort of the flesh is to suppress the truth and resist the call of God. If your salvation is dependent on something you do for God, you have replaced Christ and denied the faith. Responding to the Spirit’s call is not a work of the flesh or work of the law, but our surrendering to God.
Some Christian circles have taken this position so far out of context that they require a dead faith. Any action, thought or response to the Spirit on our part is falsely believed to be works and then this is claimed to be a human effort. Some teach that we just believe and do nothing else. Any prayer, alter call, or outward response is thought to be works that would disqualify salvation. This is far from the truth. If you pray for Jesus Christ to forgive you of your sins, you have done nothing to merit salvation so this cannot be works. Baptism is not works, kneeling at an altar is not works and submitting to God in obedience are not the works of the law.
Now that we are armed with this understanding, let’s look at the passage from James 2 where we are told that without works we cannot be justified. What works is the Bible referring to? It is not the works of the law, but the response of our faith. We already know that God has given us faith, but if we resist the Spirit, our faith remains dead. If we recognize the Spirit of God drawing us to respond and we follow that call, the Spirit works within us to produce righteousness. Abraham believed God and his faith was credited to him for righteousness. How did Abraham work to reveal that he believed God? God first promised Abraham that Isaac would be his seed by which God would fulfill all the promises given to Abraham. God then called Abraham to sacrifice his son and Abraham rose early and obeyed immediately without question. Because he believed the promise, Abraham knew that God would either provide a substitutionary sacrifice or He would raise Isaac from the dead and he obeyed God by faith.
Each time God tested Abraham, Abraham responded by immediate obedience. His obedience was the works that justified Abraham. It was not what Abraham did for God; it was his obedience out of faith that justified him and proved that his faith was alive. If Abraham believed that God COULD raise Isaac but then disobeyed God, that belief was meaningless and his faith would have been dead. If you believe God and obey, your faith is alive. If you live in apathy or rebellion, you have no faith regardless of what you claim to believe. Everyone claims to have faith, but the only faith that means anything is the faith that is quickened by the Spirit of God. Our faith is alive when we believe God and obey His commandments.
When the Spirit stirs in our hearts, we must act in obedience by faith or our faith is in vain. God gives us the faith to believe and then calls us to obey. Faith is first given to us as an act of God’s grace. The Holy Spirit of God then works within our heart and draws us by faith to believe God and follow Him in obedience. The flesh challenges our faith with doubt and unbelief. We must now choose to put our trust in God through faith or to put our trust in the flesh by unbelief.
The Bible says that Abraham did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was fully persuaded that what God promised, He was able to perform (Romans 4:20-22). For this reason, his faith was accounted for righteousness. The same principle applies to everyone God calls by faith. If you waver at unbelief, your faith is dead. If you believe God and are persuaded to act in faith because you believe God will perform what He has promised, you will show this by your actions (or works). If we act in faith and obey, God's Spirit gives us life, quickens our faith and credits us with His righteousness. If we suppress God's call, then our faith is dead and we stand in disobedience. It is not our works that gives us life, but God’s Spirit – who first works in our hearts to reveal God’s faith, calls us to obedience and then gives us life.
So hopefully you can see that it is not our works that justify us, but the Spirit of God working within us as we yield ourselves to God’s call. All good works are from God. God works within us to work and do His will and we respond by faith and submit ourselves to God so that we are willing instruments of God’s righteousness. The works are obedience to God and God’s righteousness is given to us as a gift as we receive all God is doing in our life by faith.
Increase Our Faith?
In truth, you cannot increase your measure of faith. The problem in the faithless man or woman is not the lack of faith, but inability to see God’s hand in all things. Look at Luke 17:5-6
5 And the apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith." 6 So the Lord said, "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.
Most people never grasp what Jesus is teaching in this passage. His disciples ask for more faith, but Jesus teaches them that more faith is not needed. A grain of faith is sufficient to accomplish anything God has placed before us. In other words, God has dealt us a measure of faith and it is more than sufficient to overcome any obstacle. This is explained further in 1 John 5:
4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world -- our faith.
If you are in Christ, you have all the faith you will ever need. The problem with the struggles we face in this life is not that our faith is too small, but that we have made obstacles too big. What is greater than God or what can resist His will? Nothing? If that is true, why are we so easily defeated? Consider the account of Jesus sleeping in the ship in Matthew 8:25. A storm arose that tossed their boat around and it began to take on water. The disciples did what anyone would do when their ship was sinking in a violent storm – fear for their lives. They woke Jesus up and asked if Jesus cared that they were about to die, yet Jesus rebuked them for their lack of faith. Why? This is also the way most Christians live out their faith. Problems arise that are beyond our control and we are frequently threatened. Like the disciples, we are often in despair and maybe even for our very lives. We respond just as Jesus’ disciples did, “Lord, don’t you care that we are perishing?” In truth, if we believe that God is in control of our lives, we should be able to rest in the confidence that He has already made a way through the storm and our circumstance is part of His perfect plan. So what role does faith play in these circumstances?
Faith overcomes the world because faith trusts in God and brings us under submission to His will. If we are in His will, the gates of Hell cannot withstand and the attacks of the devil cannot hinder the will of God in our lives. The disciples were looking at the physical and could not see the supernatural. In their boat was the Master of the sea. How could He have hand picked His disciples for the purpose of building the church and then lose them to a storm? The only way they could have perished would be if God’s plan had been fulfilled and their work was done. God, in His sovereign will can choose to take us home at any given time; however, our lives cannot be taken without God’s knowledge and approval, for not even a sparrow falls to the ground outside of God’s knowledge (Matthew 10:31). By sight, the problems are powerful, but by faith, we know that God’s will is the only driving force in our lives. Faith says, “If God be for us, who can be against us”? (Romans 8:31).
So what makes a Christian weak in faith? I believe that Matthew 17:18-21 provides an important clue in this mystery:
18 And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour. 19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?" 20 So Jesus said to them, "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. 21 "However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting."
First notice why the disciples were not able to cast out this demon – their unbelief. Jesus then goes on to reiterate a similar illustration He used earlier – if you have faith the size of a grain of mustard seed, you can remove anything. Jesus then states that by faith, “nothing will be impossible for you”. Did the disciples have enough faith? Absolutely! So why couldn’t they do what Jesus said that they should have been able to do? Their flesh was strong and their faith was weak. Unbelief is not the absence of faith but putting our trust in the flesh rather than the faith of God. Unbelief is the result of allowing our flesh to control our lives rather than walking in the Spirit. Since faith is of the Spirit and unbelief is of the flesh, the disciples were being hindered by the flesh.
The purpose of prayer and fasting is to humble ourselves before God, deprive the flesh so that it is weak, and our spiritual life begins to emerge. Fasting denies our flesh of its desires in order to bring it under subjection and prayer submits ourselves to God so that we are focused on the Spirit. Our faith is not increased, but rather our flesh and its passions are decreased. We all suffer from the problem of Matthew 26:41
"Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."
John the Baptist said, “I must decrease but He (Jesus) must increase”. This is true in every Christian’s life. Your flesh must decrease but the Spirit of God within you must increase. Your spiritual life will not increase until your flesh decreases and is brought under subjection.
Eddie Snipes
Exchanged Life Outreach
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