GROW UP YOUR CHRISTIAN FAITH!
Heb 11:1-6
Today, I will tell you stories about faith, more exactly “growing faith” that helps us to follow Jesus. We all have faith in Jesus and in God (John 14:1). However, we need to grow up our faith to make sure that we will follow Him faithfully to the end. Growth and maturity is also very important in our lives, either spiritually or physically. Many problems, mistakes, and failures in our life come from our immaturity.
FIRST STORY
There were a young man who grew up happily in a family with loving parent. One day, one of his neighbor friend told him the man whom he called father was possibly NOT his biological father! Therefore, he want to test DNA to see whether his dad is his biological father or not. Now surely can we predict how much that idea and the DNA test would hurts his father. And I tell you even in the case of the result confirming his father is biological father, he can say no more he trusts him as his father but he knows him. The test result will definitely change his parental relationship from trusting to knowing.
According to the Bible, faith is to rely on things that does not need proof. The Bible says that faith is the guarantee of what you hope, the proof of what you do not see (Hebrews 11: 1). That means no need to prove what you believe in (parent, love, God) though you may have (indirect) evidences.
Christian faith has three characteristics. It must be living, trusting and growing.
SECOND STORY
James chapter 2 says we must have a living faith:
14 My brothers and sisters, if people say they have faith, but do nothing, their faith is worth nothing. Can faith like that save them? 15 A brother or sister in Christ might need clothes or food. 16 If you say to that person, “God be with you! I hope you stay warm and get plenty to eat,” but you do not give what that person needs, your words are worth nothing. 17 In the same way, faith by itself—that does nothing—is dead. (NCV)
In Hebrews chapter 11, we were told that many heroes of faith demonstrated their believing deeds. Many times, their deeds look strange, fool or out of mind: Noah made a boat on a mountain, Abraham sacrificed his only son - Isaac (Gen 22:16-18), Joshua and his people walked around Jericho many times, etc... Some demonstrations of faith may put Christians into trouble.
Paul taught us: “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and if you believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9)
This confession is sometimes paid for by our lives. Historically, those who persecute Christianity often asks Christians to confess their beliefs and they may die for their claim. In 156 SC, the church bishop of Smyrna (now Turkey) was taken to the arena and forced to defame God if he wanted to be spared. He confessed: "Eighty-six years I have served him, and he never did me any wrong. How can I blaspheme my King who saved me?" The result of that confession is that he was burned alive.
THIRD STORY
Charles Blondin, a famous French tightrope walker. His greatest fame came on September 14, 1860, when he became the first person to cross a tightrope stretched 11,000 feet (over a quarter of a mile) across the mighty Niagara Falls. People from both Canada and America came from miles away to see this great feat.
He walked across, 160 feet above the falls, several times... each time with a different daring feat - once in a sack, on stilts, on a bicycle, in the dark, and blindfolded.
One time he even was pushing a wheelbarrow holding a sack of potatoes. Then a one point, he asked for the participation of a volunteer. Blondin addressed his audience: "Do you believe I can carry a person across in this wheelbarrow?"
The crowd enthusiastically yelled, "Yes! You are the greatest tightrope walker in the world. We believe!"
"Okay," said Blondin, "Who wants to get into the wheelbarrow."
As far as the Blondin story goes, no one did at the time!
The crowd watched these daring feats. They said they believed. But... their actions proved they truly did not believe. This unique story illustrates a real life picture of what faith actually is.
Christian faith must be a trusting faith. Believe is accept that one is true and trust is an act of reliance based on who we believe in. James pointed out: “You believe there is one God. Good! But the demons believe that, too, and they tremble with fear.” (2:19). Demons believe there is one God, but not trusting or obeying Him. Then, it is not considered as a Christian faith.
Fourth Story
The Christian faith needs to be strengthened and grow, otherwise it will die through trials or persecutions. When Jesus knew that Peter was going to meet the test, Jesus said, "Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to test all of you as a farmer sifts his wheat. I have prayed that you will not lose your faith! Help your brothers be stronger when you come back to me." (Lk 22: 31-32). Jesus prays for our faith to be stronger too.
There are three levels of faith to grow.
SEEING IS BELIEVING
There is a habit of deer that they do not like to jump over something unless they can see what’s on the other side! So farmers advice building a stockade fences that don’t have to be as tall as other fences to keep them away. The six-foot-tall stockade fence works great; the deer will readily jump over split rail fence but they won’t jump over the stockade for they can see what’s on the other side! Seeing is believing!
In the Bible, apostle Thomas hearing that Jesus raised again from dead and appeared to other eleven disciples, did not believe and said: “Unless I see the wounds from the nails in his hands, and put my finger into the wounds from the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will never believe it!” ...29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are the people who have not seen and yet have believed.” (Jn 20:25,29, NET)
It is good enough to believe once you see (miracle, for example). But that faith is not which our Lord expects us rather He wants us being who have not seen and yet have believed.
The second level of faith is
NOT SEEING STILL BELIEVING
Hebrews 11 showed us many cases that faithful heroes and heroines have that level of faith:
7 By faith Noah, when he was warned about things not yet seen, with reverent regard constructed an ark for the deliverance of his family.
8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place he would later receive as an inheritance, and he went out without understanding where he was going.
22 By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, mentioned the exodus of the sons of Israel and gave instructions about his burial.
27 By faith he (Moses) left Egypt without fearing the king’s anger, for he persevered as though he could see the one who is invisible.
You all too are who have not seen Jesus and yet have believed in Him!
But that is still not the ultimate level of faith. The ultimate level of faith is SEEING DEATH STILL BELIEVING
Right after the birth of Christianity, many Christians were suffered from death for their conviction (James, Stephen,...). Throughout its history, many Christians martyrs who died for their faithfulness to Jesus, especially under early time of Roman empire. Today, there were still many martyrs throughout the world.
In the Old Testament time, there was Job, a faithful man of God. In his affliction, he said “Though he (God) slay me, yet will I trust in him” (13:15)
Especially, Daniel’s friends who refused to worship King’s statue and said “17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” (Da 3:17-18)
Writer of Hebrews cited: “36 And others experienced mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, sawed apart, murdered with the sword; they went about in sheepskins and goatskins; they were destitute, afflicted, ill-treated 38 (the world was not worthy of them); they wandered in deserts and mountains and caves and openings in the earth. 39 And these all were commended for their faith, yet they did not receive what was promised. 40 For God had provided something better for us, so that they would be made perfect together with us.” (Heb 11:36-40, NET)
In conclusion, a psalmist encouraged himself and others by saying
I say to God, my rock:
“Why have you forgotten me?
Why do I go mourning
because of the oppression of the enemy?”
10 As with a deadly wound in my bones,
my adversaries taunt me,
while they say to me all the day long,
“Where is your God?”
11 Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation and my God.
(Ps 42:9-11)
References:
http://www.lcg.org/cgi-bin/lcg/studytopics/lcg-st.cgi?category=Christianity1&item=1122910781
