Bishop Eric Menees
As we continue our
discussion on the Spiritual Gifts we come to the Gift of Faith mentioned in 1
Corinthians 12:9: “....to another faith by the same Spirit….”
We are so dependent upon
God, that even our faith comes as a gift. When we think about the Spiritual
Gift of Faith, it goes beyond our desire simply to believe in God and involves
our willingly giving over to God. The gift of faith is described in Hebrews like
this: “Now faith is the assurance
of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of
old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was
created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things
that are visible.” (Hebrews 11:1-3)
This does not mean that
faith is contrary to reason - faith takes into account and goes beyond reason.
Think of Moses and the people of Israel as they finally left Egypt and were on
the banks of the Red Sea. God commanded them to move forward, telling them that
He would part the waters. Because they had seen God’s faithfulness in
delivering the plagues against the Egyptians, but sparing the Israelites; and
because Moses had seen God in the burning bush and experienced the faithfulness
of God; when the Lord commanded them to move forward, they could do so with
assurance of the hoped for promise of God. They moved forward, and the seas
were parted!
The Spiritual Gift of
Faith comes as a result of our submission to God. Not to say that we earn this
gift through submission, but rather that we open ourselves up to the Holy
Spirit’s gifting when we submit.
Ultimately the Spiritual
Gift of Faith is the supernatural belief that God is God, and that He will
continue to act according to His magnificent character. When given the gift of
faith, we are able to quite literally trust our whole selves to God’s grace and
mercy; so that when we ask the Lord to heal a brother or sister, we are not
surprised when He fulfills that request. When we call upon the Lord to cast out
a demon, we are not surprised when that demon is cast away. And when we ask God
to use us as His instruments, we are not surprised to be His hands, His eyes,
and His heart in a broken world.
I would bid each of you to
ask God the Holy Spirit for the Gift of Faith, and to trust that He will
fulfill that request!
I pray you all a truly
blessed Lord’s Day!
Bishop Menees
Catechism Questions 176 - 180
176. What is the
Second Petition?
The Second Petition is: “Thy
Kingdom come.”
177. What is the
Kingdom?
The Kingdom of God is his reign
over all the world and in the hearts of his people through the powerful and
effective operation of his Holy Spirit. (Matthew 12:28; Romans 8:12-17;
Galatians 4:6-7)
178. When you
pray for God’s Kingdom to come, what do you desire?
I pray that the whole creation may
enjoy full restoration to its rightful Lord. (Romans 8:22-25; Philippians
2:9-11)
179. How does
God’s Kingdom come?
God’s Kingdom, which was
foreshadowed in the Old Testament, was founded in Christ’s incarnation,
established with his ascension, advances with the fulfilling of the Great
Commission, and will be completed when Christ delivers it to God the Father at
the end of time. (2 Chronicles 7:1-4; Matthew 10:5-8; 28:18-20; Luke 24:1-12;
Acts 1:6-11; 1 Corinthians 15:19-28)
180. How do you
live in God’s Kingdom?
My Kingdom life as a Christian
consists of living with joy, hope, and peace as a child of God, a citizen of
heaven, and a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ. (Romans 14:17; Ephesians 4-6; Colossians
1:13-14; 3:4; 1 Thessalonians 4:11)
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