Faith 1.4

Faith=Divine Evidence and Conviction
Single person faith, this would mean that God would give you an evidence that was only for you and no one else. In order for this to happen it could only be with regard to a thing that is so personal to you that it can be for no one else. There is one area of your life that this can and will happen but beyond that I cannot think of another matter or circumstance under which God would give you faith that would be solely for you.

Consider the statement I made in the last article that talked about an invention and you thought about that thing and now someone else has come up with the idea and now is making millions from taking it to market. It would appear that God tosses these things out and those who are willing and wanting to hear will hear, out of that group some will jump on it and start running immediately with it then fall by the way side and not complete it. If you recall the story Jesus shared about the sower you will have a good idea how this works. Only about 25% will actually start working on a project and out of that only about 25% will take it to completion and out of that only about 25% will perfect it and out of that the first one to complete the project may or may not win the prize consider some of the people who were only appreciated after they died.

Over the years I have done research on historical figures and without exception the people in our world who have achieved what most would call the incredible, at some point received  vision which prompted inspiration, which produced work, which resulted in the achievement. The incredible thing about this, you have just as much of an opportunity as any one else because the one who inspires it is no respecter of people. If you choose to step out and go after they thing you have inspiration for God will lead you just as He does the next person. The real question at hand is are you willing to do what it takes?

Jesus set forth a pattern that leads to success in all things, it falls under a statement He made that is as follows and I quote; "Ask, seek, knock". If you are looking for a pattern to success in this faith business the key lies in this quote. A simple word study on this will reveal the truth and power in this statement, unfortunately it also reveals why more people don't find the happy end to the journey of faith. Ask means you have a thing your inquiring about so you have been illuminated, but how long do you ask? My youngest son is amazing at the art of asking. If he wants something he will ask for it, if I tell him no he will change the wording and ask again, if I tell him no again he will keep on asking until he wears you down or you walk away from him. Now if you walk away from him he will ask again the next time you come around. He will bargain with you and will change the angle of approach until he wears you down. The point of this is the word Ask means exactly that, you do not stop asking until you receive and answer.

Typically the answer is an opening to a way now the second step, Seek. Jesus gave several parables with regard to seeking. One of the best examples of seeking is the story of the healing of a woman's son. The woman comes to Jesus and while he doesn't say no He throws obstacles in her way, and she leaps over each of them and finally He declares "Never have I seen such great faith in all of Israel take the keys to my kingdom your son is healed".

Now the last step, you seek until you come to a door and what do you do? You knock how long do you knock until the door is opened! You don't stop you continue even to the last ounce of strength and you lift your hand for the last time to knock, this is the knocking that is required to break down the hurdles that stand in the way of those who would have the reward of the vision God lays in your heart. Those who are willing to follow Faith in this manner will find the reward. Many of the people who have shaped our world today struggled down this road to achieve the success they are now known for, faith always calls us out to follow a narrow path that leads to the end of it's calling.

I used this little blurb about the natural world because it helps me illustrate a point in the spiritual realm. There is no greater prize than to have your name written in the Lambs Book of Life and the journey to that is by way of the above. Jesus said "Many are called few are chosen" there is a reason we are called to the narrow way for it is a way that is not at first easy and requires all of you. We live in an age when people declare themselves Christians by virtue of their decision or status preference, they say they have faith but it is not what we have described in these articles. To be a born again Christian runs far deeper and is not for the faint of heart.

So what is saving faith? I will look at this in the next article.