Faith begins with God. It is His gift, not the result of any human effort or achievement. God initiates the relationship between Himself and humans by revealing Himself to them. Faith is and always has been the only means of salvation. In the Old Testament, the covenantal bond was the believer’s expression of faith. God initiated the covenant, and believers responded in faith. In the New Testament, it is by faith that people receive God’s grace in Jesus Christ and, through Him, the gift of salvation. If our trust in God is going to grow, we have to learn to step out in faith, move out of our comfort zone, and follow and live a Christ-like life. There are some essentials necessary to begin our journey of faith.
Studying the Word of God: Developing faith in God requires that we devote ourselves in the study of His Word. Romans 10:17 “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” I Peter 2:2 “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:” The Bible is a historical account replete with instance after instance in which the God of heaven and earth intervenes dramatically to show His existence and power. Hearing the Word of God comes in one of two ways: You can hear the Word of God spoken by a preacher and read the Bible ourselves. In either case, if we listen to God’s Word with an Isaiah 66:2 attitude, faith will grow. “For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.”
Asking for Faith: Luke 17:5: “And the apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith.” We also should turn and ask for faith in the same way the apostles did when they realized they needed faith and turned to Jesus Christ for help. The Lord will certainly help those who look to Him intrust.
Obeying God: Obedience is crucial for faith building. If we refuse to obey God, even after we recognize His authority to tell us what to do, then our faith will stagnate. On the other hand, if we act on the faith that God has already given to us, we will develop even greater faith.
Trust God: Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” If we have faith in God, then we completely trust that He will provide us with an abundant life.
Praying: Mark 11:23 instructs us to pray without doubt in our hearts, and believe that what we say will happen. In the same verse Jesus says that if we do this, it will be done for us. John 14:13-14 lays the basic foundation of the Lord's promise “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it.”
The bottom line is complete surrender with unconditional and unflinching trust.
Dr Ashwin Drummond
Laddertoheaven.co.in