A Nugget from New Life Network
(by Chris Musgrove of Future Now Ministries)
Scripture for the Day April 2, 2019
For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. (James 2:26)
In the area of faith, it’s important for people to see from the scriptures that God has not blessed one person with more faith than He has blessed someone else. People often see someone prospering according to the Word, whether in health, finances, family, and so forth, and they get the mistaken impression that God must have given that person more faith. So, the first thing I want you to know is this:
Every believer has been given a measure—the same measure—of the God-kind of faith.
Romans 12:3 says, “According as GOD HATH DEALT TO EVERY MAN the measure of faith.” The Greek word used for measure in this scripture is “metron” which is where we derive our English word meter from and it implies a limited measure.
Ephesians 2:8 says, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: IT IS THE GIFT OF GOD.”
You see, God gets everyone started off the same way. He doesn’t give one person more faith than He gives another. He gives to every man the measure of faith. Then your faith grows according to what you do with it. It’s up to you what you do with the measure of faith God has given you. This measure of faith can be increased. But you’re the one who increases it, not God.
Romans 10:17: Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.
I Peter 2:2: As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby.
I have heard many well-meaning Christian people ask God to give them more faith. But that would be like asking a personal trainer to give you more muscles. You get more muscles by eating foods high in protein and working out the muscles you have. In the same way, you get more faith by feeding it on the Word of God and exercising it—or putting it into practice. You hear the Word and then act on it.
You can’t base your faith on what somebody else does any more than you can base your muscles on what somebody else lifts. Some have tried to imitate the faith of others and got in trouble. You wouldn’t try to bench press 200 lbs. because you saw someone else do it, especially if you had never even bench pressed 100 lbs. If you have weak muscles you need to get on protein and begin to work out. If you are weak in faith you need to read God’s Word and begin to exercise your faith—or put it into practice.
Romans 4:19-20 speaks of weak and strong faith. “And being not WEAK IN FAITH, he [Abraham] considered not his own body now dead, when he was about a hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara’s womb.” The very next verse speaks of strong faith. 20 “He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was STRONG IN FAITH, giving glory to God.”
But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. (Hebrews 5:14)
Don’t stay weak in faith. Faith is a verb and not just a noun!!! Use it and it will grow stronger.
