09/02/2020
THREE TYPES OF FAITH
By Tommy D Williams
In John 11:1-44 we find the story of Jesus raising His friend Lazarus from the dead. In the way He dealt with Mary and Martha, Lazarus’s sisters and with His disciples, we can see three different types of faith. Living by faith is not a choice for the believer, but the type or kind of faith we live by is our choice. Let’s look at the three demonstrated in this scripture setting.
The first one we will look at is found in verse 27. Jesus had asked Martha if she believed that her brother (now dead two days) would rise again and that He (Jesus) was all that He said that He is. She could only answer by saying “…I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God…”, which of course is truth, but not the answer to the question which He had asked her.
The answer she gave, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of God” is what I call “fundamental faith” which is what you must believe in order to be saved. Sadly too many people stop right there. I have known many people who believe in God and would fight and die for their belief but it never seems to affect anything about the way the conduct or live their live now. They are simply waiting for eternity.
WHAT WE REFER TO AS WORD PEOPLE
Then there are people who seek to please God by how they believe and act upon everything they see in the Word. When I say “word people” those are the ones to whom I am referring. This brings me to the two other types of faith I see in John 11, and is what I want to focus upon.
The second type is found in verse 21 as Martha said “…if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.” She completely lost sight of the fact that Jesus is here now a thought He was too late to do any good. That demonstrates what I call a “limited faith.” Most word people, even though they are trying hard to believe all the Word, have a limit they reach which is as far as they can believe.
Now, I am not trying to be critical nor judgmental but I just wish to look at how we can continue to grow in the faith in which we can live. To do this let’s look at the third type of faith, which is the one we see in the life of Jesus.
THE JESUS KIND OF FAITH
Jesus taught that He never said nor did anything that He had not heard or seen from the Father. In other words He found out God’s plan before He did anything! Notice in verse 4 when He heard His friend Lazarus was sick, He said, “This sickness is not unto death…” Since He never says anything He has not heard the Father say the evidently the Father had told Him Lazarus would be alright. Everything Jesus did and said shows the type of faith He lived by. Which is the third type; I call it “unlimited faith!”
I need to say here that I believe in positive faith and in the power of confession, but neither faith nor confession is for the purpose of us getting God to do our will but they are tools with which we can do, His will. Jesus did not raise every dead person, nor walk upon every stormy sea, nor multiply loaves and fishes to feed every multitude of hungry people, and He must have passed by some sick people without healing them. What He did do was everything He saw the Father do and said everything He heard the Father say. He did not use faith to control God but rather to control Himself to obey God.
That is why the Word teaches us scriptures like Romans 8:14, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” We do not do as “fundamental believers” do and just let things happen and call it all God’s will, NO, A THOUSAND TIMES NO! We are responsible to be led by the Spirit in every situation, to find out and know what God’s will is in each circumstance and DO His will.
LIMITS TO RECOGNIZE AND CHANGE
Notice that Ephesians 3:20 teaches us that God “…is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.” We will limit our faith if we stop at our limit of asking or thinking. We must let God reveal Himself everyday to enlarge our asker and thinker. I do not know the end from the beginning as He does; I must be led every day to know His will.
This is not an excuse to make you have weak faith or give up or lose. It is a challenge to know God every day and make your faith where it has neither limits nor loss.
This subject is so large there is no possible way to cover it in only one teaching and I may be leaving you with more questions, but there is one more verse I need to touch on. Mark 11:24. “Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.” This verse at first glance seems to be saying that God will give you anything you desire, but notice He said, “when ye pray”. I say that means the desires that God gives you while you are praying are the ones that you can and will be able to receive. Again, be led, do not try to dictate. Jesus prayed “not my will but thine.”
How can you have unlimited faith? 1) Maintain a strong prayer life. 2) Follow as closely as you can. 3) Put the Word (Jesus) first, hearing brings faith, be led by the Spirit in each and every circumstance.
Faith is our power source. Find God’s plan and will—it will produce faith that will be the source of power to win!
