Established in the Faith

What is needed more than any one thing among God’s people today? If you were to put the church under the microscope, so to speak, what would you find as the greatest deficiency in the body of Christ? From where does that which is lacking stem? So, you may say that the church is suffering greatest from a lack of love, purity or any number of flaws and failures present within its ranks. I propose that these are symptoms rooted in a heart that sees nothing beyond this life and the monotony of it.

The root cause of things going awry among the Body would stem from a faith that has faltered. Jesus often chided His disciples while among them with words such as, “O ye of little faith”, “how is it that ye have no faith?”, “if you had faith as a grain of mustard seed . . .”, etc. Paul also often calls into question the faith of those in Ephesus or Galatia, for instance, or calls for continued maintenance of faith from those in Thessalonica or Colosse. The writer of Hebrews points out the integral part that faith plays in the fabric of every believer and among the whole assembly in chapter 11. In fact, leading up to the key statement in verse 6, “But without faith it is impossible to please him . . .”, we find the all-important building block referenced in chapter 10 verse 38 in the common mentioning from Habbukuk’s prophecy that “ . . . the just shall live by faith . . .”  Peter lends weight to faith’s vital nature in encouraging the health and strength of our lives in Christ by growth being the very offshoot of it in 2 Peter 1:1-8.

Therefore, continue to walk by faith and not by sight. Come to see Him who is invisible. Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Continue to pray in faith, nothing wavering. God is the rewarder of them that diligently seek Him! I am reminded of the song, “My Hope is Jesus”, where it says, “. . . when faith is weak and doubt is strong, I still lift up salvation’s song . . .”  O Lord, help us to stand fast in the faith!!