Today, Scripture points are shared on faith, divine grace, the gift of faith, and salvation. Such elements as commitment, discernment, and experience must be in place at a sufficient level of focus and power for a believer to be effective when sharing in ministry with others. We should not concentrate upon increasing the amount or size of our faith so much as we should be careful to correctly apply and stir our faith, though it be small “as a grain of mustard seed.” A person’s overall development and maturity can not be complete and full without faith; yet, the strength or weakness of a person’s faith alone is not a true indicator of their spiritual fullness and “ripeness”. Members within a congregation will vary in what most characterize as their own spirit content (for some forbearance, gratitude, joy, or meekness, for others longsuffering, wisdom, or wrath against sin). One of the many fighters at “Yahoo! Answers” using the ID “Anonymous” (no profile information available) posted the following:
The stronger your faith, the greater your maturity?
THE GOLDEN ARROW: Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul. (Hebrews 10: 35-39, King James Version, KJV)
THE DOUBLE DAGGER: Knowing The Divine Voice? (09/02/2016); To Him That Hath... (07/08/2016); All Having One Consciousness? (06/13/2016); Yet In My Flesh... (06/07/2016); The Problem of Faith? (05/22/2016); Faith and The Cross? (03/30/2016)
“Anonymous”, among Christian believers, ones faith may be simple (we say, displays no guile or form of deceitfulness; is direct, sincere and straightforward; is lacking in depth and detail; is humble and unsophisticated; is underdeveloped), or mature (regularly displays accountability, balance, completeness, consistency, and stability). Because faith is an aspect of the full makeup of GOD (who is spirit), faith is without measurable dimensions (e.g., density, height, length, weight). Even so, faith is inseparable from all the other aspects of divine substance such as holiness, longsuffering, purity, and righteousness; and where one appears all appear, though not necessarily with the same distribution and proportion. Faith is made up entirely of “faith” just as “holiness” is made up only of “holiness”, and “righteousness” is made only of “righteousness”. Therefore, the active presence of GOD can be understood as the visible outcome of exchange, interaction, and uninterrupted processing that establishes fresh configurations of divine content. Salvation and faith appear only through divine grace. All who are “born again” receive a fresh endowment of faith and must “grow up again” by meeting life challenges upon the earth. All do not receive the “gift” from the Holy Spirit that also is called “faith” and is imparted only to those serving within the body of Christ in roles that require that specific divine endowment. Included may be apostles (i.e., witnesses to the Lord’s resurrection); workers of miracles; judges; and prophets. Sinners are to become believers who are mature in spirit (we say, ripe for harvest) to be taken up from the earth at the coming of Christ (i.e., the Advent, the Rapture, the Second Coming). Consider again the following Scriptures:
(1.) 2nd Thessalonians 3: 1-3, King James Version (KJV): 1 Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you: 2 And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith. 3 But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.
(2.) Ephesians 2: 8-9, KJV: 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
(3.) 1st Corinthians 12: 4-11, KJV: 4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. 8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; 9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; 10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: 11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
There is far more to be said, carefully examined, and spiritually apprehended. (For example, (4.) Romans 12: 4-9, KJV: 4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: 5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. 6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; 7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; 8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness. 9 Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.) Even so, I trust this fragment will be useful. Be it unto you according to your faith.
THE BLACK PHOENIX
Washington, DC
Washington, DC
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