Settle It - The Focus of Our Faith (Part 4)

There's a song that I love that the old-timers of Pentecost used to sing. It dates from at least as far back as the 1930's (probably earlier): Have Faith In God

Faith in God,

Will move a mighty mountain.

Faith in God,

Will calm a troubled Sea.

Faith in God,

Turns a desert to a fountain.

Faith will bring the Victory. So,

Have faith in God,

Have faith in God,

Have faith in God for deliverance,

Have faith in God.

This song is precious to me because of its focus: God. We are living in a time that tries to minimize the role of God and maximize the importance of mankind. Unfortunately, the church world falls prey to this temptation just like the secular world does. Consider the question of faith. Many modern preachers teach that our outcome depends on our ability to properly use words of faith. This line of thought believes that the secret to success is understanding the deeper nuances of our covenant with God and then learning the appropriate time and way to bring this covenant back to His remembrance. We then supposedly allow God to see our level of commitment to Him and to be convinced by our faithfulness to honor the contract and move on our behalf. The problem with the modern understanding of faith is that it shifts the focus away from the character of God and places emphasis on us and our ability to understand the problems we face and their spiritual solutions.

Please don't misunderstand me. It's crucial that we read, study, and (through The Holy Spirit) understand God's Word. Furthermore, it's commanded by God in Deuteronomy that we make choices that lead to life and blessings for us and our families. However, Faith was never intended to be a mechanical way to force an unresponsive God to recognize where we're at and then move. Faith (perhaps trust is another word) is the way for God to move us closer through relationship to His heart. I love the covenant I have with God. I cherish the promises He's made to me. But... It's nothing less than the character of Christ Himself that seals the deal for me. Any contract is only as good as the integrity of the one who signs it. Every time God calls on us to have faith, He's not needing us to remind Him of the terms of our salvation (He wrote the contract in blood, trust me He Knows). He's not calling on us to see how we'll respond (He knows every thought we'll ever have). He simply wants us in every situation to trust in His character and respond appropriately. Faith is the way to teach us about God; It's Never a way to teach God about us.

“…Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus the author and perfecter of faith.” Hebrews 12: 1-2

Let's not allow anything to shift the focus of our faith off of the nature of Christ. Let's Have faith in God, not just in our ability to have faith.

“Have faith in God for Deliverance,

Have faith in God.”

Settle it.