One question that my husband and I have been pondering since we heard a recent teaching on television concerning faith. We know that faith is a gift from God. And that w/out faith it is impossible to please God. But is faith required in order for God to move in our lives?
The teacher on television stated that “Faith does not move God” and it kind of sent my spouse in a tailspin :). The Word states that Faith pleases God. The teacher did well in showing how what God has already provided thru GRACE that we don’t need faith to “move” God or make Him do what we want because it has already been provided. I have tried to explain this to my spouse but he is still not clear and he’s just stuck on thinking that having faith, then, is pointless. Can you respond 🙂 Thanks!
Seven times in the gospels when healing someone, Jesus said some variation of “Your faith has made you well.” Six times He admonished the Disciples, saying “Oh you of little faith.” Once was when Peter faltered while walking on the water. Another time when they couldn’t cast out a demon He said that it was because they had such little faith, and that if we had faith the size of a mustard seed we could move mountains. Nothing would be impossible for us. (Matt 17:20)
Hebrews 11 makes it clear that the most powerful men in the Bible were always men of powerful faith. Faith is not pointless, it’s a force that heals the sick, raises the dead and changes destines. Many of God’s promises cannot come true in its absence.
Jesus bemoaned the fact that at the End of the Age there would be very little faith left on Earth. (Luke 18:8) I believe that the Church lacks the power to be a force for good in our time primarily because of our lack of faith.