Faith is the essence of our relationship to God and the instrument by which the gift of salvation is received: "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Jesus, in teaching the lesson of the withered fig tree (Mark 11:20-26), demonstrates that faith is the key that releases the resources of heaven into our situation. He tells the astonished disciples, "Have faith in God...whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them" (vv. 22, 24). Strong's defines this kind of faith as conviction, confidence, trust, belief, reliance, trustworthiness, and persuasion. In the New Testament setting, it is the divinely implanted principle of inward confidence, assurance, trust, and reliance in God and all that He says.*
In seeking to deepen our understanding of faith, as well as our faith itself, let's look at the three different expressions of faith which are true of every believer. They are: saving faith, redeeming faith, and triumphant faith.
Saving Faith
Saving faith is faith that believes unto salvation. When we are born again into His heavenly family, our faith secures the promises of God for personal peace, the companionship of His daily presence, and the promise of eternal life with Him.
Saving faith is humble, because it says, "I need the Lord." Saving faith is honest, because it admits, "I have sinned." And saving faith makes us fully acceptable with God, because Jesus, the sinless Savior, was sacrificed on our behalf.
It is sin that separates humankind from God and produces death. Before the barrier of sin existed, man and God were in open fellowship and harmony, but when sin entered the picture, man could no longer approach God. Everything of God's heart reaches toward man in mercy and love, but God cannot, with indifference, allow sin in His presence. Fundamental to any matter of faith is being right, and God is the only Person who has the authority to say who is right or, as the Bible puts it, who is "justified" before Him. The righteousness we have in Christ isn't because we are right on our own terms (which would be "self-righteousness"), but because God has made us right with Him.
Redeeming Faith
God seeks to redeem His intended purpose with people, and He desires to teach us to become instruments of His redeeming power to others. Few of us believe we can become that because we are so focused on our own problems. Yet our brokenness and failure is no obstacle to God; all that's required is that we allow Him to bring us beyond preoccupation with ourselves and into availability of what He can do through us.
God's Word always incorporates both power and love in equal balance, two things that are difficult for us to mix. That's why becoming an instrument of redeeming faith isn't easy. When faced with a messy situation, we're tempted to just trash it and start over. That's because it's easier to create than it is to redeem. The mindset of our culture honors starting over, and therefore, virtually everything, from children in the womb to marriage, is legitimate for trashing.
Redeeming faith accepts God's terms, waits on God's timing, and endures apparent hopelessness. The unfolding of God's works in our life comes about because of our submission to His will and yielding to His Word. It is redeeming faith through which the Lord restores what has been lost in your past, and then beyond that, makes you an instrument of helping other people be recovered.
Triumphant Faith
Most people think of triumphant faith as "push-button" faith—that things happen "just like we believed, just like that!" Sometimes answers do come immediately, but there are other times when we're tempted to give up because the trial of faith is long and seems less than hopeful.
We walk in triumphant faith when we recognize our value in God's sight and our resource in His might. That value is His sovereign purpose in each of us. Triumph comes out of living faith, not religious pretension. Living faith is what the Bible calls our "treasure in earthen vessels" (2 Corinthians 4:7). That "treasure" consists of the life of His Son that He's put in us; the price of the Blood that's been paid for us; the new wine of the Spirit, with which He has filled us; and the promises of His Word, which He has invested in us. Our humanness is the "earthen vessel," and there are times, friend, when you and I are just having our "earth" moment.
Those moments never disqualify us from being a person of triumphant faith, but the key lies in our continuing to stand on God's Word, "looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" (Hebrews 12:2).
Here is the evidence that God's purpose is never defeated in people who stand their ground and wait for Him to show up, even when they feel as hopeless and questioning as Jesus Himself did on the Cross. "My God, why have You forsaken Me?" This is the sinless Son of God speaking questions to the Father. We are not hearing doubt or fear, but what human beings, those "earthen vessels," experience.
Triumphant faith confronts the spirit of doubt and fear and makes a choice to clearly identify it and present it to God. The Lord is constantly available to hear you when your heart is afraid or in doubt. He's the Most High God, and He isn't irritated or troubled when we open our hearts to Him. The psalmist writes, "I sought the Lord, and He delivered me from all my fears" (Psalm 34:4). If I didn't tell God my fears, He couldn't deliver me from them.
Triumphant faith holds firm, looks to Jesus, and praises the Lord in the middle of whatever trial or difficulty we face. Present yourself in your frailty, your humanity, and your need. We are the subjects of God's highest purpose, and not one of us will He forsake. Declare, "Lord I will triumph by Your grace, and by the excellence of the power that is Yours taking me through."
Can I hear an "Amen!"?
About Jack Hayford
Jack Hayford knows the awesome power of God firsthand. When he was a baby, he was gripped by a life-threatening illness. But as a result of the earnest prayers of friends and family, he was miraculously healed. The doctors had no other explanation except that the grace of God snatched him back from the brink of death. Several years later, Jack was struck down again by sickness. This time it was polio. The church elders anointed him and prayed for his recovery. God heard their petitions and granted a second miracle. These two extraordinary events ignited in Jack's heart a passion for God and convinced him that the Holy Spirit is alive and active in the contemporary church. "Contrary to our preconceptions, God is not economical with healings and miracles. Such wondrous works are frequently attending the proclamation of truth in Jesus' name," asserts Pastor Jack.
Jack Hayford serves as President of The Kings University (formerly The King's College and Seminary) in Los Angeles, which he founded in 1997. From 2004 to 2009, he also served as President of The International Church of the Foursquare Gospel. He is probably best known, however, as "Pastor Jack," founding pastor of The Church On The Way in Van Nuys, California, where he served as senior pastor for more than three decades. A prolific and best-selling writer, Pastor Hayford is the author (or co-author) of more than 100 books and has composed 600 hymns and choruses, including the internationally known and widely recorded "Majesty."
He is an acknowledged "bridge-builder," helping to forge healthy bonds among all segments of the Body of Christ. He is recognized for his balance in preaching the Word, avoiding extremes while not diluting or compromising the demands of truth. Pastor Jack's heart to bring unity across all denominational and racial boundaries has given him an open door to minister in all kinds of settings
Dr. Hayford and his wife, Anna, have four children, eleven grandchildren, and a growing number of great-grandchildren.
http://www.jackhayford.org/teaching/articles/faith-that-pleases-god/
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