1 John 5:4-5
...for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
First, the truth faith is built on God's Words, for God's Words are the truth that never changes. If your faith is built on any worldly thing that changes, one day you will face the so-called "faith crisis". If the faith is built on anything that change, this kind of faith is so weak that it cannot take any blow. The Bible tells us that this world and all things in it are like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever. Whenever we built our faith on God's Words, our faith will be stable and not wavering.
Second, faith itself is some kind of assurance and confidence. Hebrews 11:1 says: "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see." What is faith? It is the confidence and assurance about God in your heart. You cannot force yourself to have this kind of confidence and assurance. Rather, they come naturally out of your heart.
Third, faith comes from God and one cannot be forced to have faith. No one can squeeze any faith out of his heart, nor can he convince himself to accept any experience beyond his understanding. I have told many people that faith is actually nothing simple. If God doesn't give you faith, you will never have it. If the questions in your heart keep growing till one day you cannot convince yourself, your faith will break down, for there is only artificial faith inside you, not the faith that comes from God. The faith mentioned in the Bible is not the one that comes from us. The truth faith comes from God.
Fourth, we need to actively seek faith. Even though faith comes from God, we still need to ask for it with hunger in our heart. When we feel that we don't have enough faith, we should come before God, acknowledge our weakness and shortcoming, and ask God to give us faith. The Lord then will strengthen our faith and become our strength and help.
Pray with Pastor Tong Liu
Lord, we thank you, for you are the God that gives us faith and your Words. May the Spirit open the eyes in our heart, so when we read your Words, we can get confidence and assurance from them, and we can march forward boldly by faith every day. May you bless each brother and sister that needs faith. We thank you and we pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!
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