MY FRIENDS, HOW MUCH IS TO MUCH, FAITH?

July 30, 2014

MY FRIENDS, HOW MUCH IS TO MUCH, FAITH?

My friends let’s focus today on the question, can one have too much faith? and if so where is the cut off point, or is there one. First let’s go to God’s Word. How much Faith was needed from the woman in Mark 5 who had an issue of blood twelve years, “And had suffered many things of many physicians”, But When she heard of Jesus, she pressed in behind Him, “just to touched the helm of his garment”.

For she said, “If only I could touch His helm, I shall be “made whole.” and so she did, and she was made whole. Now going to Numbers 21 where the Children of Israel had murmured against God and Moses “and the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, and many people of Israel died.” But then, the people went to Moses and ask him to speak to God in their behalf and tell Him we have sinned.

Had anyone thought of going directly to God themselves. “And the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” So Moses did and if you believed and looked up, you would be made whole.” My friends how much faith did it take to look up at that serpent and be healed. Remember Israel must now believe in a God they had not even learned to talk to personally.

Alexander Maclaren tells us that “Important lessons are given by this alternation of the two ideas of FAITH AND UNBELIEF, OBEDIENCE AND DISOBEDIENCE. DISOBEDIENCE is the root of UNBELIEF. UNBELIEF is the mother of further DISOBEDIENCE. FAITH is voluntary submission within a PERSON’S own power. If FAITH is not exercised, the true cause lies deeper than all intellectual reasons.

It lies in the moral aversion of human will and in the pride of independence, which says, “WHO IS LORD OVER US? WHY SHOULD WE HAVE TO DEPEND ON JESUS CHRIST?” As faith is obedience and submission, so FAITH breeds OBEDIENCE, but UNBELIEF leads on to higher-handed rebellion. With dreadful reciprocity of influence, the less one TRUSTS, the more he DISOBEYS; the more he disobeys, the less he trusts.”

As a Child of God let’s not miss the message in God’s Word by focusing on the miracle of healing, and not on the Saving Grace of the Master and all He is willing and able to do for our Salvation. Often when Jesus healed in the gospels, He told the person that was healed not to tell anyone. My friends, that request was not because He was trying to hide The power of His miracles. But He knew the need of our focus too always be on His name, For “there is no other name by which we can be saved” and receive life eternal.

The lady in Mark 5 had twelve years of constant blood flow. The suffering and pain, exhausted and smothered by the crowd, so desperate just to get to the Savior, to be healed and once she was, Christ told her “Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole;” Not the miracle my friends. But our Faith, it takes a Joint effort to be made whole physically, and spiritually by the Master.

Ms. White tells us “A nominal faith in Christ, which accepts Him merely as the Saviour of the world, can never bring healing to the soul. The faith that is unto salvation is not a mere intellectual assent to the truth. He who waits for entire knowledge before he will exercise faith, cannot receive blessing from God. It is not enough to believe about Christ; we must believe in Him.

The only faith that will benefit us is that which embraces Him as a PERSONAL Savior; which appropriates His merits to ourselves. Many hold faith as an opinion. Saving faith is a transaction by which those who receive Christ join themselves in covenant relation with God. Genuine faith is life. A living faith means an increase of vigor, a confiding trust, by which the soul becomes a conquering power.” (E. G. White Desire Of Ages pp 347) So friends with knees bent and a sincere, heartfelt and a contrite soul ask your Savior ÏS MY FAITH SUFFICIENT ENOUGH TO GET ME TO THE PROMISE LAND.

So my friends today. Stay focused, remain faithful, love one another and endure till the end and never forget to STUDY&PRAY