Characteristics of Faith, Part 1
The Bible and church history abound with stories of men and women who exhibited courage, conquering their fears, flaws, and failures to embody lives of brave faith.
Most of these people were just like us, choosing to trust God despite their inadequacies, past mistakes, and concerns about the future. They believed in God and His promises, overcoming challenges to achieve the impossible and bring glory to Him. God invites us to the same walk of faith today! Faith loves and adventure, Church!
Additionally, a more in-depth exploration of this topic is available in my book “Our Eyes are On You: Principles to Prevail in Faith and Prayer.” You can find it in paperback, Kindle, and audio formats on Amazon.
In the coming weeks, I would like to discuss the characteristics of faith. Faith is forward-leaning; it hears, sees, speaks, endures, and receives what is promised before its manifestation.
Have you ever been led by the Lord into something bigger than yourself that made you feel afraid? Faith is often associated with risk!
Perhaps you remember the story of Moses leading the children of Israel through the wilderness. He had been preparing Joshua to lead the people after his death. When circumstances seemed contrary, Joshua was commanded by the Lord to lead the people and to cross the flooded Jordan River.
What did the Lord tell him?
“… Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Josh. 1:9 NKJV
Faithfully following Jesus requires the courage to confront reality with hope and optimism. It takes courage to acknowledge needs, commit to change, make decisions, and adhere to convictions. Courageous faith sees opportunity in contradiction. It deflects chaos and releases God’s peace in a turbulent world. Courageous faith provides hope.
“Faith never knows where it is being led, but it loves and knows the one who is leading.” Oswald Chambers
As I shared a couple of weeks ago in “Faith of God,” faith is a gift from the Lord. It is both an aspect of God’s empowering grace and the fruit of the Spirit. But how does the fruit of the Spirit begin? From the Spirit of God!
Jesus often mentioned and complimented individuals’ faith. But the question remains, not whether they had faith, but where did they get it?
For example, Samson had great strength and was able to accomplish superhuman feats of power. But where did he get this strength? He was a physical example of what we are admonished to be in a spiritual way. Paul wrote:
“Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might.” Eph. 6:10 NKJV
Paul continually acknowledged his weakness, and yet declared:
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Phil. 4:13 NKJV
Where did Paul’s strength come from? The Lord! Where did his great faith, although weak at times, come from? The Lord!
In John 21, the disciples fished all night using their own skills but caught nothing. On the shore, Jesus calls out to them, asking, “Children, do you have any fish?” They replied, “No!”
Knowing their situation, He instructed them to cast their net on the right side. When they followed His command, their net was so full they struggled to pull it in. They caught more fish in that moment than they had during the whole night of their labor.
Jesus then invites them to bring some of the fish they have caught. Now, who caught the fish? Jesus mentions that they did.
But let’s consider once more: Who truly caught the fish? It was Jesus, showcasing His incredible power and might! Yet, in such a humble way, He said they caught them.
We partner with the Lord—astounding!
Thus, He speaks of our faith, our love, etc.—as if we are anything apart from Him.
“A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.” John 3:27 NKJV
Paul reminds us to be humble, for it is by God’s grace:
“What do you have that God hasn’t given you? And if everything you have is from God, why boast as though it were not a gift?” 1 Cor. 4:7 NLT
The crucial point is this: Our new life in Christ is a gift of God’s grace. Through His grace, we receive His faith, love, peace, gentleness, provision, healing, deliverance, and more. Although we can nurture our faith, we need to stay close to Him and depend on His overflowing grace.
Have you ever reached a point in your life that you knew, beyond the shadow of doubt, that it was God who intervened? Then thank Him and remind yourself of His faithfulness in your life!
Characteristics of Faith
Faith perceives as fact what is not revealed to the natural senses. Faith believes in God’s promises, bringing unseen realities to life on earth. Faith is forward-leaning; it hears, sees, speaks, endures, and receives what is promised before the manifestation.
Heb. 12:1-2 (NLT) says,
“1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.”
Heb. 12:2 (NKJV) says “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.”
When I want faith, I must seek Jesus and let every other weight and distraction fall away. Real faith comes from Christ, given to us by His grace. I must value spending time at Jesus’ feet, choosing the better part like Mary did. Jesus must be my desire, my longing, more than answers!
If you want to strengthen your faith, look to Jesus and ask! Additionally, position yourself by reading God’s Word, praying, worshiping, and serving Jesus as He leads. As you partner with the Holy Spirit, your faith will grow, and the impossible will become probable!
Sometimes our faith is weak, but even weak faith is not to be criticized. Sometimes, you only have enough faith to cling to Jesus—then cling!
God Gives us Faith
Faith is a gift from God, imparted by the Spirit. Each of us have received a portion of God’s faith to us—He has measured out a portion to each of us.
Paul wrote in Romans, “Because of the grace that God gave me, I can say to each one of you: don’t think of yourself more highly than you ought to think. Instead, be reasonable since God has measured out a portion of faith to each one of you.” Rom 12:3 CEB
Portion or measure from Greek métron and means measure, degree, quantity.1
Paul uses the same word in 2 Cor 10:13 “We, however, will not boast beyond measure, but within the limits of the sphere which God appointed us—a sphere which especially includes you.” (NKJV)
Paul is referring to a spiritual realm of authority, but in the case of faith in Rom. 12:3, the parallel in 2 Cor. 10:13 is a sphere or quantity of faith God measures out!
Jesus said, “to whom much is given…” When we use what He measures out, more is given, there is an increase of faith! Parable of the talents also indicates differing measures to people and their stewardship response to what Jesus gives.
Faith can only be received as it is imparted to the heart by God himself. You either have faith, or you do not. Faith is both a gift and a fruit of the Spirit; we have a responsibility to cultivate the faith or measure of faith that God has given us.
Twentieth-century healing evangelist and author Dr. Charles Price stated in his book, “The Real Faith for Healing,”
“You can believe a promise, but at the same time not have the faith to appropriate it.” 2
Simply reciting or asserting a verse isn’t faith—it’s belief. When true faith is active in your heart, you possess a knowing, a conviction, that it is done.
Again, when I want more faith, I must seek God and wait on Him for His Word and strategy in my situation. There are some promises in God’s Word that we can simply claim, as they are general in scope for all of us.
However, there are other moments when we must specifically hear God’s heart and direction on a matter before claiming a promise or declaring an outcome. That’s where mountain-moving faith comes from!
Yes, you can partner with the Holy Spirit to grow your faith, but genuine mountain-moving faith comes from God as a gift. You’ve been given a measure of faith to believe in God, and as you walk with Jesus, that measure of faith grows as you exercise it.
Faith Hears—Faith comes through a posture of hearing & listening.
“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Rom. 10:17 NKJV)
Hearing God’s word positions you for a greater increase in faith.
For example, shepherds heard a word about the birth of Jesus; see Luke 2:8-15. After hearing from the angel that Jesus, Christ the Lord, was born in Bethlehem, they said to each other:
“Let’s go see this thing…” Luke 2:15 NKJV
See this thing—what? Were they doubters of what the angel just declared to them?
Another translation of this verse says, “Let’s go! Let’s hurry and find this Word that is born in Bethlehem and see for ourselves what the Lord has revealed to us.” Luke 2:15 TPT
Let’s hurry and find this Word (or manifestation in the Aramaic text) that has been born to us…
The Greek word for “Word” is rhḗma, which means “that which is said or spoken,3 an active word,4 a happening to which one may refer—‘matter, thing, event.’5 An active word, that causes a manifestation or event.
Looking again at Rom. 10:17 NKJV, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word (rhḗma) of God.” In the Passion Translation, the verse is translated, “Faith, then, is birthed in a heart that responds to God’s anointed utterance of the Anointed One.” (Rom. 10:17 TPT)
For me, God’s word, or anointed utterance, comes in subtle impressions to my spirit. Holy Spirit gently speaks and invites me to ‘believe what God is offering.’ As I choose to respond, grace is imparted for me to believe and act.
For example, God has ‘nudged me’ numerous times to purchase sound equipment for our church. The first occurrence was a Sony Cassette and CD Player, or “boom box,” before we planted the church here in Tucson. He simply said, “I want you to go and buy a Sony Cassette and CD Player, you’re going to need it for the work that I have for you in this city!”
We had only been in town for a month, I had about $100 in our ministry account, and God was beginning to guide us toward church planting—it unfolded in incremental steps of faith and obedience. That was twenty years ago!
But, as I “heard the word,” faith was imparted to act. Now, when I look at the sound equipment in our modern sanctuary, I stand in awe of the faithfulness of God. However, I had to respond when the “anointed utterance” came many years ago!
Faith also comes from hearing God’s anointed utterance—now. While yesterday’s word is important, and often key words can provide direction over a lifetime, we must learn to hear “now” as we are led by the Spirit.
Abraham had a promise of a son, Isaac. Later, God directs Abraham to offer Isaac on Mt. Moriah. He binds his son, lays him on an altar, and is ready to slay him. God sends an angel and speaks, “Spare your son!” God provides a lamb in the bush. Abraham heard a word and obeyed by going to Mt. Moriah.
But in that moment, when his faith was tested, Abraham received a NOW word, a rhḗma word, and spared Isaac. Isaac represented a promise that could have perished without Abraham’s ability to hear God in the present.
In Acts 9, Saul is blinded on the road to Damascus. The Lord speaks to a disciple, Ananias, saying, “Go to Saul and lay hands on him.” Ananias responds, “But Lord, he is persecuting your church!” Jesus replies, “Yes, I know, he is a chosen vessel to carry the gospel to the Gentiles!” Ananias obeyed the word he heard; that’s faith!
Peter is directed by God to go to the Gentiles and share the good news about Jesus. God reveals this direction through a vision regarding unclean Jewish food that they were commanded not to eat.
Peter’s initial response to the vision is, “Not so Lord, I’ve not eaten anything unclean.” The Lord redirects by saying, “That which I call cleansed is cleansed!” It refers to the Gentiles being seen as “cleansed” or worthy of the Gospel.
Peter then follows the servants to Cornelius’ house, and as he preaches about Jesus, the Holy Spirit falls on the Gentiles, and they are converted! But consider that he was initially offended by God’s leading and direction!
44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. 45 And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. Acts 10: 44-45 NKJV
Many people failed to see the goodness of God when He arrived as a small baby, born in a modest stable. The religious leaders and most of the populace did not recognize the Messiah among them—performing miracles, healing the sick, casting out demons, and raising the dead.
Why? They didn’t recognize the Spirit in His words and actions. Jesus’ words were grace-filled, “favor that gave enablement.”
Jesus said to the disciples who kept following Him, “the words that I speak to you are Spirit and they are life.” (John 6:63 NKJV)
Question: Has God ever offended your mind with something He has asked you to do? Perhaps sharing your faith with someone else or leading you in a direction you have never considered before?
God often comes in ways that can offend our minds. To recognize what God is communicating and doing, we must be a people of His Spirit and His Word.
I’ll continue next week with Characteristics of Faith, specifically Faith that Sees!
FootNotes
1 Barclay M. Newman Jr., A Concise Greek-English Dictionary of the New Testament. (Stuttgart, Germany: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft; United Bible Societies, 1993), 116.
2 Charles S. Price, The Real Faith for Healing (Gainesville, FL: Bridge-Logos Publishers, 1997), 9.
3 Henry George Liddell et al., A Greek-English Lexicon (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1996), 1569.
4 Gerhard Kittel, Gerhard Friedrich, and Geoffrey William Bromiley, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans, 1985), 505.
5 Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 161.
