Long ago when the prophet spoke of the church he said, the just shall live by his faith (Habakkuk 2:4).
Nevertheless, Jesus having foreseen the coming disposition of the Church boldly spoke, when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth (St.Luke 18:8)?
When theologians try to minister on the definition of faith, they instinctively go to belief. Therefore, the sons of God are taught to seek out a way to believe God in the circumstances and situations of their lives. However, to walk by faith is to walk in the faith of Jesus. It is not to try our hardest to believe the way He believed. It is to walk in agreement with the Spirit within us, which being interpreted is to walk in the mind of Christ.
The doctrine of faith has been redefined by the failures and ideologies of men. While it is essential that we believe God, demons and devils believe and tremble. No my brother and sisters, faith (for the sons of God) goes beyond human belief and trust. It is the gift of another’s life. It is the life of Christ lived out in these earthen vessels. When you come to agree with these facts, there will be no stress in your attempt to obey God and walk in His purpose for your life. Hear me saints. The faith we walk in is not vulnerable to failure. When Jesus said, but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren (St. Luke 22:32), he was speaking to Peter relative to Satan’s desire to have him. However, He had prayed that Peter’s faith or belief in Jesus and the things He had taught would not fail.
Note that Jesus went on to say, when thou art converted, meaning this possible failure of faith was before the infilling of the Spirit. Therefore, it was necessary that the Master beseech the Father to help Peter in his time of weakness. Faith is the life of Christ that lives within us. That life has been tested and found to be pleasing to the Father. It is not intimidated by sin or the cares of this world. It is not detoured by offenses nor is it dismayed by suffering. This is the character of the life we inherited. When we simply agree with God, we are able to walk in that life. Our faith is the Holy Ghost. (See my Fast Track course “Faith”).
Though light and darkness are total contradictions to each other, the line that separates them is quite thin. Consequently, many have erred and crossed this line of demarcation causing perversions in the teachings of the Faith. One such perversion is self-righteousness. Jesus taught on this subject when He spoke:
St. Luke 18:9-14
9 And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:
10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
The focal points of the parable are:
1. TO TRUST IN ONESELF TO BE RIGHTEOUS
The guilty party here was a Pharisee, one who knew the laws of God and was born into the government of God during that dispensation. His testimony was that he was not an extortionist, unjust or an adulterer. He implies that he has kept the law of God. He was faithful in prayer and fasting, as well as giving to the ministry. But if God judges him as unjust, what is his sin? “God, I thank thee that I am not as other men are.” He felt keeping the laws of God had made him better than other men. He saw himself as greater in religious stature than others who walked not in the laws of God. The mindset here is that somehow obedience to God exalts us above others.
The Pharisee did not regard the fact that it was the provisions of sacrifices in the law that covered his sins. Likewise, today it is the life of Christ that enables us to live free from sin. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us (II Cor. 4:7). When we walk in such a mindset, we forget that it is the power of God that gives us the ability to overcome the world and sin. Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. For if a man thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself (Galatians 6:1-3).
2.THE PHARISEE DESPISED OTHERS
It is impossible to despise and love at the same time. When you see others as less than yourself because of sin, then it is impossible for you to love them with the love of Christ. While we were yet in sin didn’t Christ love us? This is our living example. There are no deviations from this love. We are here to procure more sons of God. But we can only do so if we see the lost as brethren needing to know the power of the grace of God. Our lives are to be evidence for hope, not an achievement that is out of their reach. Even while on the cross, Christ looked upon His persecutors with love and compassion, petitioning the Father to forgive them. He saw them as brethren for whom He was willing to die. This is the depth of the Faith. Until we come to this as a reality, we will continue to walk in the great divide, being neither hot nor cold, knowing the truth of this way but refusing to submit to it. The end of such a disposition is to be spewed out or rejected by God.
Galatians 2:20
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
The life we live in this body is to be lived by the faith of Jesus Christ. If this were indeed the case in each of our lives, there would be no controversy regarding sin, commitment to purpose or sacrifice of life. There would be no conflict of interests. We would walk in the mind of Christ. But because the Father did not make us robots, but afforded us the ability to choose to accept the truth about salvation and the new creation, many struggle with choice. But I warn you. The Lord will never take the decision out of your power. You will have to decide to submit to the Spirit within. Yes, you will have to submit to what and who you are. This will not be a forced issue. The love we have for the Father and for those who do not know God will initiate the right response to this issue, if we do not fall prey to our own want, pride and selfishness.
Recently in a leadership meeting I ministered on the hindrances to walking in the Spirit, which is the definition of faith. Below is a segment from that teaching. How does one know whether their desire to please the Lord is real? The answer is simple.
1. WHENEVER YOU FIND YOURSELF UNABLE TO PLEASE HIM, THEN THE DESIRE TO DO SO IS NOT REAL.
You may tell yourself that you are sincere, but there is no way to truly want holiness and not be able to find it. You are the Son of God. You were created in His image unto every good work. You are the righteousness of God and the fulfilling of the Law. It is your nature to be holy and to walk pleasing to the Father. It is evil desires in the heart that hinder you from doing so.
2. WHEN WHAT YOU WANT TO DO FOR GOD IS ASSOCIATED WITH FLESHY GRATIFICATION, IT IS AN UNLAWFUL DESIRE.
It is very easy to say “I want to please the Lord.” In many cases the desire to do so is very sincere. However, in some of the sons of God, this desire is initiated by fleshy lust. Sometimes it is a lust for recognition, for authority or power, or a more subtle want for preeminence. Oftentimes, those working their gift want to be acknowledged as a powerful or holy oracle of God. This acknowledgement will set them apart from the people, for they see themselves as greater than the ones they are called to serve. In such cases, they seek to be served and treated as nobility. You may think that I am simply being cynical here. But the truth is you are unable to please the Lord because you want something from this world, or the people of God, that is contrary to the mind of Christ. That want is fortified, protected and even justified by pride. Regardless of how subtle your pride may be, it is strong enough to protect your want from any influence the Word might seek to offer.
3. GOD’S AGENDA AND DESIRE FOR YOUR LIFE MAY INDEED BE APPEALING BUT BECOMES DESPISED WHEN VIEWED AND SCRUTINIZED BY THAT SECRET THING IN THE HEART THAT YOU WANT.
Consider the following:
St. John 8:29
And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.
Romans 8:8
So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
Romans 15:1-2
1 We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.
Galatians 1:10
For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.
Beloved, do not lie to yourself. You are able to please the Lord. You simply have to walk in the One who never failed Him, our Lord Jesus Christ. The faith of Jesus Christ is the measure of faith that was given to each of the sons of God. It is His faith that we are to walk in. This is not a hard thing. Neither is it something to be learned. It is the state of our being. It is the very fiber of our existence. We are in Him and He is in us. The life we live now, we live by the faith of our Lord.
Acts 9:22
But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ.
To be very Christ was not confined to Paul only. It is for all of us to be conformed to the image, character and faith of Jesus Christ. This, the Father has assured, in our born again experience. We are the righteousness of God that is only found in Jesus Christ.
