The Sunday News
GREETINGS beloved nation. Hebrews 11:6, “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”
The scriptures are very clear about the importance of faith in the life of a believer. Faith is important to God; it pleases Him.
Hebrews 11:6 tells us that there are two key things that we must believe about God: (i) that He exists and (ii) that He rewards those who seek Him with all of their hearts. God is not pleased with us if we do not have faith, in fact the Bible says it is impossible to please God without faith. So meaning there are great rewards for those who seek Him with all their hearts. As we read in the scriptures we can see how important faith is by the way Jesus would address different people that he ministered to, either by rebuking their lack of faith or by celebrating their having faith.
As we read in the scriptures we will discover that there are different levels of faith ranging from no faith, to little faith or weak faith up to great faith. We read about different individuals who showed different levels of faith. The stories that we read about in the Bible are there to teach us lessons or to provide a pattern that we should follow. So as we read about the different people in the Bible they teach us about the different levels of faith that we as believers can get to in order to live lives with results. I want to look at a few levels of faith that we read about in the scriptures.
No faith or little faith Mark 4:40 “And he said unto them, why are ye so fearful? How is it that ye have no faith?” Jesus and the disciples had sent the crowds away and were crossing the sea of Galilee in a boat when suddenly a great wind-storm rose up. Jesus was asleep in the stern and the disciples woke him up saying, “Rabbi, do you not care that we are perishing?” Jesus stood up and rebuked the wind, and ordered the sea to be calm. Then he said to them: “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” The disciples had been with Christ, and had been hearing the Word day after day. They walked with him, talked with him, and had seen the miracles he was capable of doing. They were supposed to have faith. Yet in the midst of their storm, they dropped what they had heard and were found without faith. Despite spending so much time with Christ, they had not embraced the faith of the Word they had been hearing.
So Jesus had to ask them that question how come after all your hearing that you still have no faith. The disciples’ faith should have increased by hearing the Word taught by Jesus. Yet, when the disciples’ faith was tested by the storm, they only had little faith. Where does faith come from? Romans 10:17, “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” This is the reason Jesus expected His disciples to have greater faith. He had preached the day before about the Kingdom of God and faith. They heard the Word but didn’t really accept it. The disciples didn’t allow their faith to grow and therefore, Jesus rebuked them. This is case with many believers. They think that they have faith, because they go to church, pray and do everything that Christians generally do. But when the storms of life hit them, when calamities and illness comes, when loss comes, will they really stand in faith?
Today many people believe in God, walk with God, pray, study the Bible and take notes, enjoy praising and worshipping God. But when they come to facing problems and challenges, when they come to the testing of their faith — they end up with failed results. How is it that believers live their lives without faith, while they are fully engaged with the person of Christ, who gives faith? The problems have disarmed them. They are called by God — but when they face problems, they drop what gives them faith. And so that is why Jesus asked his disciples, how come that you still have no faith? After hearing the word being preached and having walked with Jesus, the word who became flesh, they still had no faith. Other versions of the Bible say in Matthew 8:26, “yea of little faith” Great faith in Matthew 8:10,
“When Jesus heard it, He marvelled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!”
Here we read about the Roman centurion who wanted healing for his servant, and told Jesus that He did not need to come with him to the house, to perform a healing in person but said: “Only say a Word and I know my servant will be healed.” Jesus was amazed at the level of faith that the centurion had.
This man had a revelation about the power of the word, he understood that Jesus did not need to physically touch his sick servant, but just his word alone was enough. The one with great faith knows that when they speak the Word in faith, it will happen because God makes sure it happens. Isaiah 55:11 says, “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” When we speak His Word, it is words He has already spoken. Therefore, He will make sure His Words will do what He desires them to do. This is the basis for great faith. Ladies and gentlemen, God starts off by giving each of us a measure of faith, but that faith is supposed to grow from one level to another.
The Word of God is the key to growing our faith. If you have great faith, you look at the promise with your eyes of faith. You are not bound by the limitations of what your natural eyes tell you. You don’t need to see to believe — you trust in His Word. People of great faith are hungry for the Word. They know they depend on His word. I would like to invite you to receive Jesus as your personal Lord and Saviour, by believing in your heart and confessing with your mouth that he is your Lord and saviour, and you shall be saved. May God bless you all. Amen.
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