Faith: God's Revelation to You by the Holy Spirit

We have been discussing Biblical contexts of faith.

I have seen three specific applications, two discussed in the previous studies.

The third application concerns faith that appears to be used in the same context as belief.
As I see it, faith in its purest form is a revelation from God by the Holy Spirit that enlightens
us to His ways of doing things regarding every area of life - spirit, soul, body, vocation etc.
The four classifications just noted are major in scope, but I have experienced His insights
in what most would consider to be minor in scope. For me, those minor revelations are
just as blessed - showing me the result of an intimate relationship with the Godhead
in Christ Jesus.

The 5th chapter of Mark's Gospel gives his depiction of the woman with an issue of blood
- she was very sick due to the chronic loss of blood.  She had spent all her resources
trying to attain help for this infirmity. The doctors were unable to help.
Pick up the reading at verse 27: "When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him
in the crowd and touched His garment. For she said, 'If only I may touch His clothes,
I shall be made well'." 

Here enters the revelation. Do you think that she invented that understanding?
It has God's fingerprint on it- short, sweet and true, with corresponding result!

Verse 29:  "Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body
that she had been healed of the affliction. And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself
that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said,
'Who touched my clothes?'"  Reading through to verse 34, 
"And He said to her, 'Daughter, your faith has made you well.
Go in peace and be healed of your affliction' ."

It is my opinion that belief is the combination of revelation and obedient action
corresponding to the revelation. The bible calls people believers, not faithers.
We are reminded that faith without works (obedient action corresponding
to the understanding) is dead.

So the revelation, if not acted upon, will not produce what God had planned.
Yet Jesus says "your faith has made you well" and did not say
"your belief has made you well".

Why?  It could be that is was more of a breakthrough for her to be willing
to receive the truth about Jesus while surrounded by a religious leaders bent
on killing Him (how hard would it be for you to act if your leaders
 - pastors, parents, peers - were questioning the validity of the One you
were running after?)

Nevertheless, this is an example of a different context of faith.
If she had not been willing to hear, she could not have received the blessing!

Action step: Ask God to reveal to you that which He knows you need to hear.
When she heard about Jesus, she pressed in to Him!   Hallelujah!
If you are willing to seek Him, you will find Him!
But ask with a heart ready to do what He says, which He always confirms
with His Word.
You won't go far if you won't read God's Word.

*The Holy Bible Verses are taken from The New King James Version

The Works that are of Faith

Most recently, I had explained that faith, fundamentally, is a revelation in the

knowledge of God. You now understand something that strikes joy in your heart

even if you don't see any personal gain (your personal lot is not enhanced) by

the understanding. It is a knowing what is right even if it COSTS you something!

It seems these revelations serve to order our conduct aright! There is joy in the

Lord Jesus that accompanies the revelation.

It is important to understand we have a decision to make when we receive
faith in Christ. I don't remember a time, having received an understanding
from God, where there wasn't some action I was required to take in response.
The most significant being those that sponsored a change of behaviour
and/or attitude. God was trying to change my will, but would I receive and
act accordingly?

James 2:14-22 says  "What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says
he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? (Comment: Faith
- the revelation - is meant to save our souls. It is the root of our salvation in Christ.)
If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you
says to them, 'depart in peace, be warmed and filled', but you do not give
them the things that are needed for the body, what does it profit?
Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works
(corresponding, obedient action) is dead.  But someone will say,
'You have faith, and I have works'.  Show me your faith without works,
and I will show you my faith by my works.
(Showing humanity what you understand about God's Word
and will by your actions)
You believe there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe
- and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith
without works is dead (useless)?"

So. Even hearing from Him is useless if we are not willing to act accordingly!
Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son
on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works,
and by works his faith was made perfect?

Abraham received an understanding of God's will- to sacrifice his son
Isaac to Him. Looking back upon that portion of scripture, we see
Abraham arose early the next morning to set off to to accomplish what God
had commanded him to do. This is as pure an example of belief as seen
in scripture. He heard God speak, he received the command and acted
accordingly. Belief is hearing and obeying!

One would say, "how do I know if I am hearing Him or the adversary?"
If we seek Him we will find Him. If we knock on His door, He will open
up to us. If we ask Him, He will give to us. This adaptation will take time
but is directly proportional to the individual's hunger for Him, His ways.
God clearly wants to help us! The one who asks is hungry.

Again notice. We can hear His conviction upon our spirits
yet make a decision not to agree with Him, resulting in uselessness in hearing.

Building on the Measure of Faith

My desire is to explain aspects of the kingdom of God which will
empower those interested to build sturdily upon the Rock that is

Jesus Christ. We have discussed the three classifications of bible
faith. All three are important, but from where I sit, faith as revelation

in the knowledge of God is integral to the viability of the other

classifications. I mentioned that God has "...given unto each one a
measure of faith" (Romans 12:3) - the given understanding by God
that He is (He exists). 

Praise God!

He has given all of humankind the ability to believe. In effect, He has

primed the pump to establish the opportunity to believe in Him!

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence
of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.
By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the
word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of
things which are visible" (Hebrews 11:1-3).

We know that God spoke all that we physically see into existence
(Genesis 1) and I am saying that He speaks (His Spirit to our spirits) to
produce spiritual things in us. This is how He builds the spiritual house
that He wants us to become,  how He directs our steps to experience
the fullness of who He is.

"Faith (the revelation of Him and His will) comes by hearing
(the Holy Spirit is the speaker), and hearing by the word of God"
(Romans:10:17). That's the reason His ministers promote us to study His
word. To build on the measure of faith requires action by us!

Do you see that faith (as revelation) is the substance and evidence to you, 

before the manifestation of all that God wants to do in us and for us -
to become partakers of the fullness of who He is?  The elders obtained
a good testimony by receiving the revelation from God then taking the
action steps God made real to them. They obtained the good testimony
because they were behaving (works) like their God!
By faith, they understood!  

What are we supposed to understand? What we did not know previously
about God and His perfect will for our lives! The elders had to understand
before they could act accordingly; and acting accordingly is a strong testimony,
speaking to our friends, family and others!

Starting to Make your Way to Him

We have discussed the cost of discipleship - what we must understand to
start off on the right foot as we receive Jesus Christ as Saviour (Luke
14:26-33). Better to know what is expected, like the prospective
medical student, than to unwittingly step through His door!
In my estimation, this understanding is crucial to successfully setting
your foot on the Rock.

The idea of faith is thought of in many contexts by people, generally.
The Biblical context of faith seems to be broken into 3 categories:

1) Faith as a revelation in the knowledge of God and His Kingdom
workings

2) Faith as an action based upon that revelation of His Word and Will

3) Faith which appears to be synonymous with belief.

Romans 12:3 states ..."For I say, through the grace given to me, to
everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he
ought to think, but think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a
measure of faith".  In my understanding, "each one"  is every human
being who is born into this world. It is the fundamental knowing that
God exists. It is from which we respond when we hear the gospel and
receive Jesus Christ as Saviour. It is that which Satan attempts to
bury under layers of carnal reasonings.

About the time Christians celebrate Jesus' birth and His death and
resurrection each year, major news sources take polls asking people if
they believe in God.  In the United States, a large majority of those
asked respond that they do believe there is a God. I am sure it is the
same around the world. Although there is a divergence about who He is
and how or in what way to serve, the understanding is in there!
World-shaking events occur, and inevitably people begin to talk about
prayer and faith. Why? Because the measure of faith is in them and
people are now looking for help and rest. Most carnal, yet a
demonstration of the point.

Next time, we will continue the discussion of faith as a revelation in
the knowledge of God and how that increases from a measure,
faith's most fundamental form.