We are all quite clear that we are healed by faith. I'm not primarily talking about physical healing here; I'm talking about spiritual healing. We are saved by faith. Without faith, we cannot be saved. Oh, yes, faith is also essential in other kinds of healing as well. When the man came to Jesus asking Him to rid his son of a demon, Jesus said, "All things are possible to him who believes," to which the father responded desperately, "I do believe; help my unbelief" (Mark 9:23-24). And it was enough. For all kinds of healing, faith is required. So, where do we get it?
There's a famous story in Acts 3 when Peter and John were going to the Temple. They encountered a man born lame asking for money. I'm sure you remember Peter's famous words: "Silver and gold have I none, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene — walk!" (Acts 3:6). And he did. Now, we know that faith is required for such events, so where did it come from? In the sermon that followed, Peter made it clear. "On the basis of faith in [Jesus's] name, it is the name of Jesus which has strengthened this man whom you see and know; and the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect health in the presence of you all" (Acts 3:16). Peter was telling the crowd, "We didn't do it; Jesus did." But beyond that, Peter ascribes the origin of the required faith ... to Christ. The man was healed by "the faith which comes through Him." Indeed, it's not a one-off, a singular idea for this text. Paul wrote, "God has allotted to each a measure of faith" (Rom 12:3). (That "each" is written to believers in Rome, so the "each" to which God has allotted a measure of faith would be anyone who does believe, as opposed to all humans.) Paul told the Philippians, "To you it has been granted for Christ's sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake" (Php 1:29). "Granted for Christ's sake ... to believe in Him." On multiple occasions Scripture makes it clear that faith is a gift given to those who then exercise that faith for healing -- salvation and otherwise.
We like to think that our faith is our contribution to the mix, our part in our salvation. Some have said, "God does 99.9% and we supply the rest in our faith." Not really. Even that faith is a gift. We are required to trust Christ for salvation, and then supplied with the saving trust required. We exercise that trust and are given grace that saves. It's a marvelous arrangement given to sinners hostile to God. We owe Him everything.
2 comments:
It is interesting that in those that believe in the 99.9% work of God, they diminish all of His work to salvation being 100% our work. Yes, we must believe and have faith, but that faith isn't ours to muster up and give to Him, but like everything else in life, it is a gift from God that we give back to Him.
I am convinced that my faith comes entirely from God, since it is based on my knowledge of Him and formed as He reveals Himself to me (as I commented on Apr. 26). My part is to watch and learn (thus enabling God to continue to build my faith). Even my initial receipt of saving faith was all His work; my only contribution to that event was to believe the truth revealed to me--action on my part that was itself a work of God the Holy Spirit. As you point out, it’s all God!
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