For by grace you are saved, through faith, and this not of yourselves; it is the gift of God; not of works, that not anyone should boast; for we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God before prepared that we should walk in them.
Ephesians 2:8-10 LITV
My Lord, my God,
You awakened me in the middle of the night with this idea…
“God has two eternal thoughts:
First, that His faith in His creation is relational
The second is that what His creation has faith in is consequential
With the breath of these two thoughts, God loves.”
I’m frightened by such epiphanies. Are they mine, or Yours? How can I know Your ways? In these times, so many voices cry out, so many claim authority. All I know is where to go in my doubt.
Digging through scripture, I could not find arguments against the expression. In fact, it was verified by a peculiar passage, Mark 11:22 LITV.
And answering, Jesus said to them,
“Have faith of God.”
“Have faith of God.”
As You seem to do a lot, I’ve been led immediately into controversy. No, I understand it’s not for the purpose of tearing apart, but for seeking understanding and resolution on behalf of Your bride―by testing. That is Your calling for me: Not always pleasant, always a challenge―for in the nocturnal message lies a tricky question…Do You, YHWH, have faith?
Most translations of the Mark 11 passage insert the preposition “in” to replace “of” God, but there is more to suggest it is Your faith, not ours that we are being asked to possess. The debate, unbeknownst to me has been longstanding and so, joining in, I have to ask: Why would you, Jesus, command devout Jews to have faith in God? They had that. It was not a matter of having faith, but in the character of that faith. Our measure of that character was on display in the life of the very one who made the request; you Lord Jesus.
And that begs another question. Why would You, all knowing, all seeing God, need faith? In that question, I’m drawn to another consideration which is indeed a brain-twister. You created the heavens and the earth; so somehow, in the eternal mechanics of things, there was a time, before that creation when You foreknew/foresaw Your masterpiece. It was not…yet. And as such, my puny human reasoning tells me that You had to have faith…belief in…the creation, for it to become.
That was then, this is…another dimension, after the fact. And I have to use the only model I’ve been given to work through the next puzzle:
Some day when I come before Your throne, there will be no need for my faith. Your presence will be the evidence of Your existence (what a moment that will be!). All that will be necessary at that point is love.
So was it the same with You? Once Your creation took form, there was no need for faith.
And what would You do with Your faith, once Your work was manifest?
It appears, at least to me, that You did what only the One Loving God would do…You gifted Your faith to Your children through grace, as Paul so perfectly points out in Ephesians. In other words:
It has never been my faith in You, but Your faith in me that I claim.
Why is this twisty-theology important? The signs and wonders of end-times seem to be piling up. Scriptural prophecy is being fulfilled at an ever increasing rate. The world is becoming more and more resistant to Your authority. The faith that You have offered to me (and any others who will receive it), is being challenged more stridently, even within Your body.
Many look at the signs and wonders to somehow predict a date of your return, Jesus. Others try to use the same evidence to disprove your existence; explaining all as a man-made formula rather than a spiritually designed miracle. Me? I confess Master that I’m tempted to fixate only on the calendar, I look at the events unfolding and I want to plug in my own calculations – rushing Your plan to completion. Instead, I now ask for you to strengthen the one thing that is provable beyond a doubt…the faith within me, which is Your faith, Father God: My faith OF God.
I ask this not for myself, but for others, because oddly; Your faith within me doesn’t appear to help me any more, or less as it strengthens―a mustard seed amount seems to be all I need according to your words, Savior. Your faith within this clay jar called Mark seems more designed to be evidence for those without faith. And so, I’m to share Your faith, pouring it out of the vessel liberally for others to see and consider.
What happens from that point forward? That’s between You and those others―I have faith in Your process. All I know is that, though Your faith within me may strengthen or weaken; like You, it is eternal. I cannot lose it. It is―because You are.
What a gift.
Lord, the time between your first and second coming is shortening. I pray that, in whatever time is left; I do not try to horde the gift of faith given to me, but find ways to share it more openly. I pray that its evidence sparks fires of new faith within those who now walk in darkness. Let the signs and wonders stir questions in the hearts of all mankind, and let Your faith be seen by them, in me…
―And by that faith; let us all know Your love, YHWH.
Amen. Come Lord Jesus…in your time, not mine,
Mark C.
Reference https://www.hopefaithprayer.com/word-of-faith/the-faith-of-god-god-kind-of-faith-smythe/
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