Faith #1

One of the most significant developments in North American Christianity in the last forty years has been the growth of the faith movement.  Word of faith preachers teach that it is God's will for us to experience physical health and financial prosperity and that if we are not experiencing these things it is due to a lack of faith on our part.  This rapidly growing movement is very controversial with many prominent teachers labeling parts of it as being heretical.  The greatest controversy seems to be centered on three main areas:  to what extent does God want us to prosper financially; to what extent does God want to heal us physically; and to what extent are we to be considered "gods" (note the small "g") because we are created in the image of God.

My purpose in writing today is not to enter into controversy in any of these three areas.  My purpose is to examine what the faith movement is teaching about faith itself and to apply it to areas of the Christian life other than prosperity and healing.  I believe that the doctrine of faith is one of vital importance to both the church of God as a whole and to individual Christians.  Faith is the key to receiving everything that God has for us.  Without faith it is impossible to please God.  Faith is the key that brings the promises of God to life and causes the power of God to be manifest in our lives.  Faith has applications far beyond physical healing and financial prosperity and we can learn a great deal from the word of faith teachers about how a Christian can grow and develop their faith.

I can't think of a better place to start studying faith than by sitting at the feet of Jesus' younger brother.  In the first chapter of the Epistle of James he wrote, "but if any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him."  (James 1:5 NASB)  The promise seems simple and clear; in fact he sounds very much like his older brother.  "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you."  (Matthew 7:7 NASB)

James and Jesus both base their expectation that you will receive an answer to prayer on the goodness of God.  James points out that "God … gives to all generously and with reproach."  Jesus tells us that "if you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him?"  (Matthew 7:11) 

I think that there are two important lessons we need to learn at this point.  The first lesson is that we need to be very careful to keep our hearts and minds clear from anything that would cause us to doubt the goodness of God.  When trials arise it is so easy for us to begin to doubt the goodness of God.  A clear understanding of God is essential to strong faith.  In fact, I think a lot of faith teachers sort of misplace their emphasis in this area.  We don't have faith in our strong faith, we have faith in God.  I would say that a man's faith is just as great as his knowledge of God, and no greater.

The second lesson is that God will answer prayer, but He will only answer by giving us that which is good.  "Your Father who is in heaven" will "give what is good to those who ask Him."  Real Biblical faith operates in harmony with the will of God.  There is no promise in the Bible that will enable you to claim something in faith that is contrary to the will of God.  I might think that it would be "good" for me to win the Publisher's Clearing House Sweepstakes right now, but God may not see it that way.  God knows that "the love of money is the root of all sorts of evil" (I Timothy 6:9 NASB) and that a good man should be "free from the love of money" (I Timothy 3:3 NASB).  He knows that it would be harmful for me to have more financial prosperity than soul maturity (3 John 2).  So He might decide that winning that money wouldn't be "good" for me and because of that He might not answer that prayer.

But then James goes on to expand upon the prayer process with an emphasis on faith.  "But he must ask in faith without any doubting."  (James 1:6 NASB)  Once again He sounds remarkably like his older brother who told us that we could move mountains with our words, but only if the man speaking in faith "does not doubt in his heart."  (Mark 11:23 NASB)  Jesus goes a step beyond James by locating the part of our being where faith is exercised:  the heart.  Satan may be attacking, putting thoughts of doubt in your head, but when you have the full assurance of faith your heart remains untroubled by these thoughts as it rests on the promises of God.

James adds this critical information.  A man who doubts "is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.  For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord."  (James 1:6, 7 NASB)  Have you ever noticed that before?  Faith doesn't just apply to prosperity or healing; it doesn't just apply to receiving wisdom or moving mountains; a man with doubts in his heart should expect to "receive anything from the Lord."  If I can't receive anything without faith then faith must be the key to receiving everything that God has to give me.  Faith is critical.  Faith is central.  Faith is important.  Faith is a really, really big deal.

How can I grow in faith until I reach the point where I can ask God for something without doubting in my heart?  That is the question that is before us and that is the question we shall seek to answer in the days to come.