Reply To: Faith Discussion Board 1

[Ben]

A discussion on “Faith in the Finished Work of Christ” showing what four vital things faith in the finished work of Christ entails and how to utilize this faith.

What is faith?

According to Hebrews 11:1, faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Romans 10:17, declares that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Therefore, faith is the response of the human spirit to God’s word (that gives evidence to unseen but real things).

Faith calls as real facts what the word of God has addressed and has provided for. In this sense, faith is a supernatural force. It has no bearing or development on any natural or physical evidence.

What is the finished work of our Lord Jesus Christ?

First, as believers in Christ Jesus we have been born anew into God’s family. We have become awaken to the Fatherhood of Almighty God and in God’s family, there are provisions made available for all God’s children; through the vicarious death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. Now, we have the legal grounds to claim God’s provision for the life that God would have us live ( John 10:10) because Jesus has fulfilled all requirements on our behalf.

Our faith is required now as the only way we can have a part in the finished work (provisions of God upon the payment made by Christ on the cross) of Christ. And this faith is not self motivated but word-birthed.

Four vital things faith in the finished work entails and how to utilize this faith can be seen as follows:

1. Believing that God’s promises in his word towards us, are no more there as promises but that they have been fulfilled now in Christ Jesus. So the finished work of Jesus is like the full payment of God to bring about the fulfillment of all his promises to us (2 Corinthians 1:20). These promises are no more there for us as promises but they are fulfilled because Jesus has made full purchase by his substitutionary death. Hence, if we will receive any of these already all expense paid promises, we must say yes to them and live accordingly-that is, we must have faith (be convinced, assured, persuaded, trust) in what the Bibles says God will do for us and in us.

2. Believing that our victory over any situation in life is already established (2 Corinthians 2:14, 1 Timothy 6:12). Our default state is all round victory irrespective of what is going on in our bodies or around us. Faith in the finished work of Christ is knowing and believing that as a believer the only fight you have to make in life, is the faith of faith- holding dearly to God’s report against all odds. We are in faith in the finished work of Christ when we choose to maintain our stance of victory.

3. Believing that the sin problem has been eternally solved (Hebrews 9:12-14). Sin is no more a barrier between God and man. Faith in the finished work of Christ entails dependence on God’s testimony of the type of redemption that we have in Christ and even when we sin due to our un-renewed mind, we should go boldly before the throne of mercy to receive God’s help instead of thinking that we have lost it all, or that we can’t live up to God’s expectations. Therefore subtly allowing for guilt, condemnation and the fear of God’s wrath ( Hebrews 4:16, 1 John 1:9, 1 John 2:1-2). Faith in the finished work entails an assurance in the remission and total forgiveness of our sins.

4. Having an attitude of rest from all self works and receiving the grace of God ( Hebrews 3:19, 4:1-3). The rest described here as God’s rest for us, is to remove our trust from our works in order for us to earn what God’s grace has provided for. Our faith translates into our obedience to the things God says he has done in Christ. If he has done it, then we must not try to earn it again but receive it.

There are two kinds of faith.
1. The human faith (John 4:48).
2. The God-kind of faith (Mark 11:22).
The human faith is a function of human provision but the God-kind of faith is a function of God’s provision made available in Christ. Therefore, the believer does not have another kind of faith and should not seek to have faith outside the God-kind of faith. The believer is born by the word ( 1 Peter 1:23) and is supernatural. Therefore, his faith must be supernatural ( from the word of God only) (2 Corinthians 5:7).