“Lord, increase our faith!” (Luke 17:5)
Why should your faith remain little? Faith includes an intellectual assent to the truth of God and the Gospel, but it is vitally so much more. It is a deep trust in the Person of God, in His character, in His promises, and in His faithfulness in fulfilling them.
Donald Macleod writes,
“We turn to Christ and we look to Christ. Our faith is directional. It is dynamic. It is mobile. It is faith in; it is faith into; it is faith towards; it is faith upon. Faith is a leaning grace. It leans on God. Faith is a grace that wraps the soul around its Saviour, not all that far removed from love. It is a personal relationship” (175).
I want to challenge you today – how is your faith? Is your faith merely a recognition of the information of the Gospel and no more, or does it look like a leaning on God, a close and loving reliance upon Him? And, even when our trust is a personal dependence and resting in the goodness of God, often it can be weary, weak, and stumbling. That is common to us all. Helpfully, Macleod summons us further:
“Why should our faith remain little? We should feed it. Sometimes we try to feed faith on faith, giving it a diet of teaching about faith, teaching about assurance and analysis of the grace itself. What feeds faith is a sight of the glory of the Word of God and above all, a sight of the glory of Christ. Often, faith is little, faith is malnourished, because it is starved of Jesus” (180).
Have you sat quietly to behold the profound glory of the Word of God? The supreme glory of Christ Himself? Have you been astonished by His majesty, by His trustworthiness, by His goodness, and as a result drawn nearer in faith? If your faith feels more like a superficial knowledge of God, come and look at Jesus. If your faith is alive but small, come and look at Jesus.
Open one of the Gospels, or the opening chapters of Ephesians, Colossians, Hebrews, 1 Peter, or Revelation 4 and 5. This glory is everywhere! Be captivated afresh by the ultimate and unfading beauty of our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Ancient, and often persecuted, Christians knew that they were speaking of the most rich and precious treasures in their souls when they gathered and acclaimed together:
Christ has died,
Christ has risen,
Christ will come again.
“Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2 NKJV) we will celebrate and rely upon Him on our winding journey Home, and be joyfully welcomed by Him at last.
Macleod, Donald. A Faith to Live By. Christian Focus Publication, 2016.
Why should your faith remain little? Faith includes an intellectual assent to the truth of God and the Gospel, but it is vitally so much more. It is a deep trust in the Person of God, in His character, in His promises, and in His faithfulness in fulfilling them.
Donald Macleod writes,
“We turn to Christ and we look to Christ. Our faith is directional. It is dynamic. It is mobile. It is faith in; it is faith into; it is faith towards; it is faith upon. Faith is a leaning grace. It leans on God. Faith is a grace that wraps the soul around its Saviour, not all that far removed from love. It is a personal relationship” (175).
I want to challenge you today – how is your faith? Is your faith merely a recognition of the information of the Gospel and no more, or does it look like a leaning on God, a close and loving reliance upon Him? And, even when our trust is a personal dependence and resting in the goodness of God, often it can be weary, weak, and stumbling. That is common to us all. Helpfully, Macleod summons us further:
“Why should our faith remain little? We should feed it. Sometimes we try to feed faith on faith, giving it a diet of teaching about faith, teaching about assurance and analysis of the grace itself. What feeds faith is a sight of the glory of the Word of God and above all, a sight of the glory of Christ. Often, faith is little, faith is malnourished, because it is starved of Jesus” (180).
Have you sat quietly to behold the profound glory of the Word of God? The supreme glory of Christ Himself? Have you been astonished by His majesty, by His trustworthiness, by His goodness, and as a result drawn nearer in faith? If your faith feels more like a superficial knowledge of God, come and look at Jesus. If your faith is alive but small, come and look at Jesus.
Open one of the Gospels, or the opening chapters of Ephesians, Colossians, Hebrews, 1 Peter, or Revelation 4 and 5. This glory is everywhere! Be captivated afresh by the ultimate and unfading beauty of our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Ancient, and often persecuted, Christians knew that they were speaking of the most rich and precious treasures in their souls when they gathered and acclaimed together:
Christ has died,
Christ has risen,
Christ will come again.
“Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2 NKJV) we will celebrate and rely upon Him on our winding journey Home, and be joyfully welcomed by Him at last.
Macleod, Donald. A Faith to Live By. Christian Focus Publication, 2016.