Have Faith in God

This article was written by Bro. Jimeno in the Philippine Islands. He has overcome the language barrier to bring us words of exhortation. In a letter accompanying the article he says, "I am greatly happy to appreciate and acknowledge every correction you will make" We felt you would enjoy reading it the way he wrote it without changing it grammatically. He makes his points very well in spite of the fact that it is worded differently and it demonstrates the difficulties he has over¬come to exhort us in our language what he has thought out in another. Ed.

“Have Faith In God”

(Mark 11:22)

When our Lord uttered these words the fig tree which he cursed has withered. Only a day ago this tree is in leaf. We read that our Lord, being hungry went near to the tree to find some fruits to eat. Our Master found none but leaves. “May no one ever eat fruit from you again,” his disciples heard him saying.

The next day, we see our Lord and the disciples passing on the same way where the fig tree was. Again, the fig tree has caught the attention of the disciples but it was different from what they saw yesterday. Its leaves were no longer green but withered, fit to be burned. It’s no longer alive but dead, fit to be cut for fuel. It was Peter who remembered what our Lord has said to the tree yesterday. “Master, look. The fig tree which you cursed has withered,” he told his Master.

The Lord did not say “Oh, yes, it is withered” to confirmed what Peter has observed. He did not say “Come, let us go near it” to verify and to add his disciples’ obvious amazement. As a matter of fact, He was not a bit surprised. He did not even feel excited. It is because the Lord knew from the beginning that the tree will die. It is because he knew that He has the power to make the tree withered. And there was an excellent reason why He made that miracle. There was a message He wanted to give for doing it. With authority and gentleness He said to the disciples, “Have faith in God.”

This was the grain He wanted to sow into His disciples’ heart. This was the lesson He wanted them to learn. This was the reason why He made that wonderful miracle. It was not to reap honour and praise from His disciples. It was not to deepen their awe and wonder on him. These were far from the thoughts of our Lord for He is meek and lowly. It was to plant the seed of “faith in God” into their hearts that he wanted to accomplish and to make it germinate as He, their Master, has faith in His Father. How appropriate and best timed to impart such a great lesson. We can picture how great the force it stimulated on the disciples.

And this same message is what we need today. It is very important to us because we are living in the last days when temptation is great and tribulations are many. We must have faith in God so that we are in line with the disciples and obtain life eternal in the end. Faith is essential and of great help to us. “Daughter, your faith has made you well,” the Lord said to the woman who touched his garment. “Go your way, your faith has made you well,” He said to the Samaritan whom He cured of leprosy. And what did He ask the two blind men who approached Him for to be cured. “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” He asked them. “Yes, Lord, “they answered Him. Now comes the words of our Lord which He said to the two blind men which we must remember. He said, “According to your faith, be it done to you.”

These three examples taken from God’s Word shows that great is the work of faith. It demonstrates that faith does make one well from his infirmities. It cured the four people from their infirmities. It has cured us. It has made us well. Yes, we were sick once. We did have infirmities. We were in need of the gentle touch of the Great Physician, for before “we were separated from Christ, alienated from the Commonwealth of Israel, and strangers of promise, Having no Hope and without God in the World ,” but now, as it was in the case of the four people cited above, we were made well by faith, as it was written by Apostle Paul saying, “we are justified by faith, we have peace with god through our Lord Jesus Christ .  . and have obtained access to the grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in our hope of sharing the glory of God.”

Faith has opened our ears to hear the Word of God for “faith cometh by hearing. . . by the Word of God” (Romans 10:17). The Word we heard we received it into our hearts for “faith is a conviction of things” (Heb. 11:1). We acted and received the burial with Christ by baptism into death for we have known that “faith if it hath not work is dead” (James 2:17). Because ‘the just shall live by faith” (Heb. 10:38), we now live and walk in the newness of life. We patiently awaits the return of our Lord for “faith is the assurance of things hoped for” (Heb. 11:1).

There is only one kind of faith that is pleasing and acceptable to God. Faith in Him must be genuine and absolute. You cannot serve God and mammon at the same time. The woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years did not act if she has no faith. She believed that she will be cured if she touch the garment of our Lord. Her conviction was firm and well attested by her words. “I shall be whole,” she said. She did not speculate. She did not guess either. She was firm and did not doubt. Her’s was “unfeigned faith.” It was absolute, able to move mountains, so to speak.

Now, the genuineness and perfectness of our faith which is “more precious than gold” can be summed up and be revealed in these words, “Without having seen him, you love him; though you do not see him you believe in him and rejoice in unutterable and exalted joy” (1 Pet. 1:8). The firmness and singleness of our faith is clearly shown on this wise: “Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) Faith that is perfect do not make one ask questions to show his doubt. Questions arises when one is in doubt, and doubt is the enemy of faith. It is stated that the faithful one does not say these in his heart for he believes that “Jesus is Lord, and God raised him from the dead.”

Faith is a “breastplate”. It is a “shield which you can quench all the flaming darts of the evil one” (Ephesians 6:16). It is “the victory that overcomes the world” (1 John 5:4). We become Abraham’s children when we have faith for “it is men of faith who are the sons of Abraham,” and we shall be blessed with him for “those who are men of faith are blessed with Abraham who had faith” (Gal. 3:7-9). The blessing that shall be obtained by being the sons of Abraham through faith is to become “heirs according to promise.” We will not only be called the sons of Abraham when we have faith. We will be the sons of God as well, for “in Christ Jesus you are all the sons of God through faith.” Gal. 3:26. To be called the sons of God is a wealth without measure and life without end.

Faith is the thing needed. There is no other choice, no other alternative, for “whatsoever is not of faith is sin.” (Romans 14:23). Faith is the foundation and the basis of our salvation, for “The outcome of your faith you obtain the salvation of your souls” (1 Peter 2:9). We cannot approach God and be near Him without it for “without faith it is impossible to please Him” (Heb. 11:6).

It is most important then to listen and remember the words of our Lord. We must have faith in God. “When the Son of man comes, will he find faith on earth?” He once asked. My brethren, let us “examine ourselves, whether we be in the faith” (2 Corinthians 13:5).