Faith and Works

“Let your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” – “Faith is the evidence of things hoped for, the substance of things not seen” – “Before you call I will answer.” A thing is done in heaven, and not surprisingly God wants that thing to be done on earth, but He wants us to be the agents who bring it into visibility. And therefore the faith for this thing lands in our individual laps which is the evidence that this thing actually is done and only awaits our recognition. This faith is the substance of what is yet not seen, but nevertheless exists. No wonder God can say this what sounds so silly to our ears: “Before you call I will answer”.

I have been marveling at this fact that of the twelve disciples in the boat only one walked on water. I do wonder if not the eleven remaining disciples cried out warnings to Peter: “Be careful, you might get disappointed, don’t have too big expectations, that water looks treacherous, you may get wet, it blows hard winds outside the boat, you may drown, what if you are wrong about this, this is so selfish of you, you are only out for attention!” And they may also have developed a lot of theories about faith – what it is and how it works, but Peter did it – He lived it.

Peter hadn’t a lot of theories about faith – he had walked on water. Hence he confidently could make the following observations: “Folks, don’t be surprised if your faith is tested in various trials and you face afflictions due to it. I assume you are just like me, often overcome by doubt and therefore wondering: “Perhaps this only is me….” The point is, these trials aren’t to prove that you are wrong. On the contrary, they are to prove that your faith is of God because this faith is more precious than gold. Got it?” (1 Peter 1:7).

James words on faith and works or actions have given me not few moments of condemnation until I a few days ago finally understood he is speaking about how a thing works. If there is faith there will always be a some sort of action or works. You have faith in that apple, that it will nourish you so you speak your word of faith: “I will eat it” and this faith is followed up by an action: You eat the apple. Likewise concerning the things that are outside our powers to make happen: We have faith for a thing and speak the word: “I want this or that, or I want this or that to happen” but now the Spirit brings it to pass. Again, faith and works. Pretty simple, really. This pattern was engraved into eternity when God exercised His faith and said: “Let there be…”

Faith as applied in the daily things of life, like for instance eating an apple, is a parable of how it works in what we may call the realm of the impossible or miraculous – the experience doesn’t come before after the faith commitment.

Speaking a word of faith concerning something (you shall decree a thing, and it shall be established for you – Job 22:28) is truly to walk on water. The faith that caused us to speak that word is the evidence of that the thing is done no matter how hard it may blow out there and no matter how high the waves might go. And just like Peter we will go under a few times, but the Spirit is faithful and grabs hold of us – every time.

Faith starts in desire. Jesus said: “Whatsoever you desire….” We are one with God so that His will is our will – His desires are our desires – so why not let it be as simple as that without adding all these human amendments in order to have a some sort of way out when the going gets tough?

And yes, we may receive beatings and be whipped due to our word, but as Harriet Wearren wrote me: “It is from the being beaten up and our reaffirmation of our word, that gives it strength!”