Scripture References: Jude :20-25 and 2 Peter 1: 1-8 (NKJV)
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. 22 And on some have compassion, making a distinction; 23 but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh. 24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, 25 To God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen.
2 Peter 1: 1-8
Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who haveobtained likeprecious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: 2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
I watched two people as they assembled a piece of office furniture. Each panel of the wood was designed to fit particular slots. The steps had to be followed, meticulously so that the resulting piece would be well balanced. My observation led me to realize that that was not a job for one person. Assistance and cooperation were necessary tools to obtain the desired outcome. We also have blocks to build our faith, with the assistance of the Holy Ghost.
In Genesis 11:1-6, we read of a group of people who had a plan to build. Their goal was that they would not be scattered. At face value, that seemed like an excellent plan. It even got the Lord’s attention and He declared that, with their unity and focus, everything they envisioned could be accomplished. That kind of persistence would be a positive premise for believers.
First, we must realize that we have a common cause, and the time has come for each one to reach at least one. As beings who possess a spirit and soul housed in a body, we seek to communicate with God who is a spirit. Therefore, it is important for us to nurture the spirit through the exercising of faith. God is pleased and rewards those who seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6)
In the Scriptures, we have evidence of the importance Jesus placed on faith. When the Centurion’s servant received healing, it was because of the Centurion’s faith in what Jesus could speak. That mountain in the Centurion’s life, was displaced by faith, (Luke 7: 2-10). The same power of faith is available to us today. Another instance is when Jesus prayed that Peter’s faith would remain and create a reservoir of courage, to combat Satan’s intent, (Luke 22: 31, 32). Also, a demonstration of faith resulted in healing for the woman with the issue of blood. It caused a special bond between her and Jesus, in that He called her, “Daughter”. What a term of endearment! The Lord is not partial, so He calls us the same. Faith brought wholeness to everything that was broken in her life, (Luke 8: 43-48).
In what areas do we need mending? Let faith arise! How much faith is needed to get Jesus’ attention? If we can measure or even weigh one mustard seed, that is how much faith we need for God to do the seemingly impossible. In Luke 17: 5, 6 and Matthew 17: 14-19, we have examples of the power of faith. The disciples prayed for the healing of an epileptic son, but their underlying unbelief tainted their prayer and hindered the expected results. Remember the fig tree, (Mark 11: 19-22).
Initial faith causes us to believe that God exists and that He is the Maker and Ruler of everything. Once we acknowledge God’s position, then faith must be built on that foundation. Daily, we exercise simple faith: Walking will transport us from point A to point B; The chair we are about to sit on is strong enough to support our weight; Flying on a plane will land us at our intended destination and believing a doctor’s report. No amount of special faith is brought to bear for us to trust these activities.
One of the acronyms for FAITH is Forsaking All I Take Him. Some things to forsake are : doubt, wrath, fear, discrimination, anxiety, and negative speaking. Some things to take are prayer, the Scriptures, kindness, mercy, obedience, and God’s promises. We are given several basic instructions for building faith, the substance and evidence, (Hebrews 11:1). These two intangible entities are those which give credence to our expectations. In our experiences of the here and now, it takes faith to delve into the future, knowing who controls the outcome.
The natural man needs insight to discern the spirit realm, therefore one step in building faith is to pray in the Holy Ghost, (Romans 8:26). Prayer is seen as a threat to the forces of darkness. To dispel such forces, we must persist in prayer, doubting nothing. Hardships are a necessary part of life, but they foster spiritual fortitude. The powers and rulers of darkness must succumb to the Holy Ghost. As a result, we pray in the Holy Ghost to counteract such forces.
Jude speaks to believers and he admonishes us to build our most holy faith, not just the common everyday faith that we possess to believe in the existence of God. Holy faith is built through praying, in the Holy Ghost. When the spirit searches the heart, He intercedes for us, thus ensuring that God’s will is granted. Our prayer language is a secret transmission between us and God. It is impossible for the Enemy to breach the codes that are conveyed, (1 Corinthians 14:1,2).
This opportunity to pray in a heavenly language is a privilege that speaks volumes. We are given an audience with the Most Majestic. He invites us into His throne room. Just imagine, there is angelic music in the background while we speak to the King of kings. That is when we are confident that we are asking according to God’s will.
Faith, our substance of hope, allows us to wait patiently until the manifestation comes. That kind of tenacity strengthens the inner man so that onlookers can also be supported during their time of testing. Flabby faith muscles accomplish very little. With those, the adversary of our soul brandishes a wand of defeat, if we fail to communicate with our Advocate. (1 John 2:1)
Another building block of faith is that we keep ourselves in God’s love. What does that mean? The giving of our time, resources, thoughts, and actions are offerings to be consumed on the Lord’s altar. In His mercy, He accepts them as sacrifices, (Galatians 2: 20). God so loved that He gave. Therefore, we give of our self, walk humbly with God, and build our faith stamina by persevering through tests.
Next, by nature we tend to be uncompassionate beings. Yet, we expect eternal life. It is in showing sympathy that our skeletal system of faith, hones in our needed tools to include each other on our spiritual walk. Eternal life is available to the whosoever will, but believers will be identified by the demonstration of caring and sharing, otherwise called love, (John 13: 35). Soldiers endure rigorous training to keep fit, so when we cannot reason out how we will be rewarded for our efforts, it takes faithability, not capability, to persist in doing good. Recognize that faith causes us to see everyone as being worthwhile to be summoned to Christ.
Fishermen hurl their net and wait for a catch. Sometimes nothing bites and at other times, there is a great reward. If ever there is an example of faith, that is one. Similarly, we sow seeds of kindness, tell of God’s goodness, invite others to accept Christ’s offer of Salvation, expect the Holy Spirit to woo them and live an exemplary life. Thus, we make a difference in our effort to pull others from the fire of Hell. (Jude v. 23)
What difference can we make? Hopelessness and fear seem to be running rampant in society. As believers, we have the antidote that will produce antibodies to despair. When does it seem like a good time for someone to receive the word of faith? A willingness to speak causes us to transmit faith to hearers. We must be convinced in our own heart that God is able to sustain us, (Hebrews 2:18). We need faith, especially during these trying times. Do we seek to please God?
Building faith is a moment-by-moment opportunity to be grasped from the minute we wake up. That crucial shield in our armor, wards off the enemy’s attacks and sends them ricocheting back to his camp. The weapons formed, cannot prosper, but if the faith shield is shifted, we may be wounded in battle. It behooves us then, to be convinced that God can finish the work he started. Many times, the situations that present themselves stretch our faith, but it is in maintaining our composure in Christ, that our strength is renewed. Of faith, by grace is the foundation of our Salvation. (Romans 4:16)
Have we halted the progress of building our faith? Hebrews 11:28, tells of Moses’ performing the steps of the Passover, through faith. He had never heard of a method to stay the death Angel. He had never seen the potency of belief in the blood of lambs. He had not functioned in the office of a high priest. But he had seen the devastation caused by the plague in Egypt. He may have thought, “What do I have to lose if I obey Yahweh’s instructions?” He carried out the plan just in case it should work. It worked, thus saving the Hebrews from death!
Is there a just-in-case in our hearts? When we are told to walk by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5: 7), what does our mouth dictate? Our faith testifies of us before God and man. What structure in our life, are we in the process of erecting? Sometimes, when we execute our daily activities, we may pass by an unfinished building. It may be in that condition because of any number of given circumstances. Whatever the case, it leaves answers to our making assumptions.
Ultimately, some unfinished buildings are either demolished or abandoned. Demolition crews act when the structure is deemed to lack potential. However, investors may find an abandoned building to be likely useful. In that case, it is rescued for purpose. May we, as unfinished workmanship, not abandon our foundation of faith. God has invested His Son in us, so that we can be vessels of honor.
Books allow us to travel far and wide to places that our feet may never step on. Yet, by way of the written page, we envision sights and scenes and experience various cultures. Similarly, the Bible is power-packed with imagery which feeds our appetite with invaluable life lessons. Those fascinating lessons teach us how to prepare for a flight of faith which lands in our final home.
The purpose of building the tower of Babel was that people would have easy access to heaven. (Genesis 11:1-6). Things to be considered for the trip: The number of steps to be climbed. The weight of the bags to be transported. Would there be shelter and rest stops along the way? Not to mention, not having enough water! Who would be chosen to make the journey and what would be the criteria?
Signs and wonders, including the incident with Ananias and Sapphira, happened during Peter’s journey in exercising faith. His mother-in-law was healed of a fever, Luke 4: 8 – 41. He saw a vision in which he was commissioned to include Gentiles, when he delivered the Gospel, (Acts 10:28-29). At the Gate Beautiful, the lame man received healing, (Acts 3: 1-7). Peter equated those experiences as exercises in the use of precious faith.
Like newborns entering the world with everything the human body needs, we also have all that is necessary for life and godliness. It takes knowing Jesus, so we can access those things. We have been called to glorify God by living a virtuous life. That means one that represents Christ well. Available to us are precious faith as Peter’s and exceeding great and precious promises. The building blocks here are virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and charity. These culminate in faithfulness in the knowledge of Christ, (2 Peter 1:1-8).
In building faith, we have been given a blueprint that is guaranteed by the Builder of the city to which we are destined. The invisible caption over each of us is “Chosen to Bear Permanent Fruits”. Let us use all the designated blocks so that our structure will remain intact. Abraham’s faith was credited to him, as righteousness. Our faith ancestors clothed themselves in righteousness and praise. No termite can penetrate those. Let us yearn for Christ’s righteous standard. It produces no remorse, and is nourished by our praise, God’s dwelling place. These are what give us a good report.
Finally, the blocks of faith are strengthened when we believe God’s promises and look for occurrences to see the Word at work. If we search the Scriptures, we can associate our daily experiences with the benefits found therein. Faith enables us to strive towards the prize of the high calling in God. In Philippians 3:7-10, Paul tells of an excellence in knowing Christ. Paul’s assurance was produced through sufferings, faith, and Christ’s righteousness. With those, we too will be able to withstand the storms of life and enhance the Kingdom. If our structure is dilapidated, it can be refurbished by allowing the building blocks of faith to renovate it.
Dr. O. A. James
REFLECTION
How does faith in God enhance spiritual growth?