A STEP OF FAITH Vs. PRESUMPTION.
Faith begins when you know the will of God. There's no such thing as "blind faith". Faith is not blind neither does it suffer any optical defect. Faith sees accurately. It sees through the eyes of the spirit; it sees through the lens of God's Word!
A step of faith is a step taken in line with God's Word, or a specific divine instruction given to an individual.
You don't just take a step of faith arbitrarily, otherwise you'll end up in a "No man's land!"
Abraham took a step of faith; he stepped out on God's specific instruction to him. Peter also stepped out of the boat to meet Jesus. He didn't just walk on water, he walked on the word "come" (Matt. 14:28,29). He walked on God's Word alone, he acted on the Word, and not on his assumptions!
Peter sank due to his unbelief, but the worst would have happened if he had attempted to step out without a word from the Lord!
The activities of "the men and brethren" in the early Church were characterized or authenticated by the leading of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit worked in and through them "...both to will and to do of his good pleasure" (Phil.2:13), thus the "Acts Of The Apostles" could be correctly paraphrased as the "Acts Of The Holy Spirit!"
Most times what some folks call a step of faith is nothing but mere self exhibition or showmanship.
Following the leading of the Holy Spirit equals to walking by faith, but if the Holy Spirit is not involved in your step of faith then, beware!
Don't feel pressured to take a certain course of action just to obtain human approval or applause. You are not under obligation to perform or to please men!
"For am I now seeking the favor of men, or God? Or am I striving to please men? For if I were still pleasing men, I wouldn't be a Servant of Christ" (Gal. 1:10 WEB).
FAITH IS NOT BLIND, NEITHER DOES IT SUFFER ANY OPTICAL DEFECT. FAITH SEES ACCURATELY. IT SEES THROUGH THE EYES OF THE SPIRIT; IT SEES THROUGH THE LENS OF GOD'S WORD!
During the earthly ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ, some of His folks tried to put Him under pressure. They wanted Him to step out ahead of divine timing, but He responded differently: "Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready...Go ye up unto this feast: I go not up yet unto this feast; FOR MY TIME IS NOT YET FULL COME" (Jn.7:6-8).
Before then, Satan himself also tried to pressure the Lord into doing something preposterous just to prove a point.
"Then the devil taketh him up into the holy City, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, And saith unto him, if thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear the up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, it is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God" (Matt. 4:5-7).
In other words, the devil said to Him, " If you are the Son of God throw yourself off the pinnacle of the temple. The Bible says that the angels will save you, and you'll prove that you really are who you say you are."
Had Jesus done as Satan told him to do, He would not have been acting on faith. Rather, he would have been presuming on the promise of God for His selfish satisfaction.
Real men of faith are men of patience. Abraham received the promises of God through faith and patience (Heb. 6:12).
I got quite a number of letters from Dad Hagin of blessed memory, between the late 80s and early 90s, in the days of his flesh. In each of these Letters, he emphasized much on Patience, and the importance of following the leading of the Holy Spirit.
Competition and comparison is much more prevalent in this age, and that spirit has crept into the Church.
All we hear now is much noise with little or no impact. Much of self announcement and promotion while The Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit have been relegated to the background!
If The Lord Jesus Christ suddenly comes today, there will be a serious problem because the Church is not ready!
Everyone is "working for the Lord," but for the most part, the "Lord of the work" have long been abandoned
A step that doesn't line up with God's Word or specific instruction to you is a step taken in the wrong direction.
The Bible says, "Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God" (Rom. 14:22).
Don't try to impress other people with your step of faith, but rather seek to please the Lord, and follow His plans for your life.
Comments
Post a Comment