THE GROWTH OF FAITH
PART II
The beginning of the Christian life can be filled with joy as one begins to encounter new truth about life through Jesus Christ the Lord. In the parable of the sower, two of the hearts received the word with joy. Over a period of time, due to temptation and the pressure of the world, both hearts gave up. The fourth heart mentioned was one that received the word, kept it and brought forth fruit (Luke 8:11-15) . People often seek for answers to life and its complexity. Jesus is that answer. When individuals compare the evidence of the life of Jesus with what the Old Testament states, one can come to faith in Jesus.
The two kinds of hearts which received the truth with joy and then fell away show us that there must be a growth of faith otherwise our love will grow cold. There are some eight different types of virtues mentioned by Peter as being things all Christians should fill their lives with, daily (II Peter 1:5-7). It all begins with a proper attitude about coming to increase our faith. We are to give all diligence to add to our faith (II Peter 1:5). Those in the parable of the sower began but could not finish. You see, it requires putting effort into the development of faith.
What would follow if I diligently desire to increase my faith? John calls it a “…walking in the light“ (I John 1:7). Walking in the light means a lifestyle that is in harmony with the revealed will of God through the Scriptures. The Scriptures show us what it is that pleases God. The pleasing of God is tied to the idea of commandments that are being kept (I John 3:22). Why should one keep commandments? How else would faith grow? There were Jews in Jesus’ day who believed on Him but would not confess Him openly for fear of the Pharisees (John 12:42). It is therefore never enough to just have mental assent to the existence of God and the deity of Christ.
If Jesus is the Son of God, then we would all be obligated to follow Him, in whatever He commands (Luke 6:46). It is a changing of one’s lifestyle to bring it into harmony with God’s will. Paul describes it as a man who was a thief, obeyed the gospel and goes out and finds meaning employment (Ephesians 4:28). He changed his lifestyle from being a self-centered man taking from others to being a person who works hard to provide for his family and others. It would not be just finding a job but it would have to be a lifestyle change wherein work would provide the necessary funds to take care of one’s family.
I have not seen any figures of late about how much money is spent on the state lottery here in Indiana. For the most part it is people who cannot afford to throw away good, hard earned money. There is a more sinister problem that exists. The thief spent his life taking from others. Once he obeyed the truth he found honest employment and used the money gained to provide for his family and for others. When a person plays the lottery, someone must lose. If the person does not hit the winning number, then he loses. If he hits the winning number, then the state loses as it pays him. He, therefore, is taking from the State. The thief changed his lifestyle when he obeyed the gospel. Christians today who play the lottery are engaged in the taking business.
The growth of faith then calls for a change in one’s outlook on life. It is described as seeking those things that are above (Colossians 3:1,2). How would you know what the things that are above are, without the Scriptures? We return back to the truth of diligently adding to our faith. Those who want faith without a study of Scripture are on a fruitless journey (Romans 10:17). How can one trust God if one does not know God? How can one know God if they do not go to the one place where God reveals His mind to man? Faith grows as we learn how to obey the will of God in all areas of our lives. Being a righteous person is a matter of choice. We have to see the value of living in accord with the will of God.
In the case of some, as long as they attend one worship period a week they have done their duty. The growth of faith requires so much more. It is how we treat our fellow Christians, our families, our neighbors or strangers. It is a change of one’s outlook on life. Once that change begins to take place, worshipping God becomes joy and the person wants more not less.