Hiya Yipeng... in reply to your comment on Capps.
My view:
I do not contend that speaking out our belief saves. That is how we come to accept our salvation in Christ.
But i believe "Faith comes from hearing and hearing the Word of God (actually, if you go to the orig greek it specifies-Christos.)" - that is the principal Capps was referring to in the article I placed in the last blog post. What are you hearing today? Are you speaking God's Word or what you feel in the natural? =) That is the question we need to ask ourselves as we go through our day to day lives. At least that is the way I "catch" myself from speaking contrary to what God promises to me in His Word.
Just want to share that I love the Message Bible's interpretation of the orig Greek:
The word that saves is right here,
as near as the tongue in your mouth,
as close as the heart in your chest.
It's the word of faith that welcomes God to go to work and set things right for us. This is the core of our preaching. Say the welcoming word to God—"Jesus is my Master"—embracing, body and soul, God's work of doing in us what he did in raising Jesus from the dead.
That's it.
You're not "doing" anything; you're simply calling out to God, trusting him to do it for you. That's salvation. With your whole being you embrace God setting things right, and then you say it, right out loud: "God has set everything right between him and me!"
Further personal reflection:
Aside from confessing the salvation prayer... In our day to day life, a confession of faith is not always testimony of belief. I dare say that Faith and Disbelief can co-exist in different levels sometimes in a person. We can speak it, but it may not be a reflection of how much faith we have. Some people speak it out thinking they can command God, some people speak it to remind themselves, some people speak it to help their belief because they are in doubt. That is why we need to persist in speaking God's Word over what we feel, because as we speak it, it sinks and takes root into our hearts; as we speak it, that promises grows in us and manifests from the spiritual realm into the physical realm.
Let's face it - our faith is not constant. It ebbs and flows like the tide. Dare you say that even in the face of the toughest challenge your faith stays rock solid all the time? If yes, good for you. But for many people, their faith can rise and ebb along with their emotions about a situation they are going through. We are afterall not perfect. I for one confess that I do have moments where I feel drained, but praise God that when I rest in His Word, the healing comes and the hope is lit up again by His passion for me as seen in the Word.
I really thank God our heavenly Father is perfect, so that we can rest in His faithfulness and complete works, not in our own level of faith and what we do. We rest in the faithfulness His promises not on how much belief we have. By speaking the Yes and Amen of Jesus into our lives, we grow and rise up to a new level of spiritual growth and open ourselves up to be able to receive the LORD's blessings with the right revelation and attitude.
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2) Your view:
Jesus did not teach the apostles to plant faith with their worlds though this passage. Read in context, Jesus asked them to practice forgiveness (Luke 17:3-4). “If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.”
The disciples asked Him to increase their faith, but he told them that their mustard seed faith was sufficient as explained in Luke 17:7-10. “Suppose one of you had a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Would he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’? Would he not rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink’? Would he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’
It is our duty to forgive. Not to plant faith.
My view:
Hmm if it is just our duty to forgive and not to plant faith, then sadly our pastors should all retire from the pulpit because that is what they do every Sunday when they preach the Word of God.
It is like chicken and egg scenario- which comes first? You need the Word of God preached to plant faith in people, so that when God causes their faith to grow, they are fruitful and have seed at hand to plant and be fruitful for His glory. I wonder if you know what I mean?
Why did Jesus say you don't need more faith? Because He was rebuking the disciples to explain the point that we depend not on our faithfulness for things to happen but on His faithfulness. Jesus did say that if we ask for anything in His name, it will be done for us. But if we do not trust that He is faithful to do so, that mountain is not going to move. This is because we have chosen to believe that the mountain is bigger than God, and not the truth which is God is bigger than our mountain. The seed of faith is this - God's Word. How else did our faith come about? It came from reading the Word of God. Refer to parable of the sower. The seeds here refer to the Word of God and the various types of soil refers to the heart condition. Scripture supports Scripture. The types and symbolisms in the Word remain constant. Jesus's rebuke is that the Disciples do not know how to harness God's Word to move obstacles. They think it is about having more or less faith.
Now, the para you quoted about forgiveness is a seperate but equally important point altogether. Why must we forgive? Because guilt and condemnation are the things that keep people from having a closer walk with God.
Preaching Faith and teaching about forgiveness go hand in hand. You cannot say that one is required, but not the other. =p
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3) Your view: Please feel free to speak words of faith if you KNOW it is God's will. Otherwise make plans and be humble. After all, James 4:13-17 tells us to “...listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.”
My view:
You know what God's will is? See Jeremaih 29:11 for an example.
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Another one, this time the Word of Jesus in John 10:10 -
"The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."
God's will is definitely to bless us, to give us hope, a future, to bring us victory - that is why Christ died on the Cross. He knows we cannot have hope without His sacrifice as we can never be perfect or keep the law. He knows we cannot have blessings if He does not become a curse for us on the cross so we can be blessed. He knows that we cannot have a future (LIFE!) if He did not first die on our behalf. He knows we cannot have the victory if He does not overcome for us.
It is not good to boast of our own HUMAN plans but can we say we are lying if we are confessing the promises God has put in the Scriptures for us?
Are we thus saying God is a liar and that his promises are empty?
No. God says His Word goes forth and does not return to Him void (isaiah 55:11)! It does not get spoken and not be accomplished.
"When I say by His stripes I am healed" (Isaiah 53:5) during a bout of flu, am I being boastful and basking in vainglory?? No. I am simply doing what Jesus is when He overcame the trials and temptations of the devil in the desert by saying "IT IS WRITTEN".
We cannot overcome trials and temptations or the devil by our own words, but there is power in the Word of God, the Word of Christ.
Just read Deut 28's list of blessings - do you know we have it because we are now heirs to the promsies of Abraham in Christ Jesus and that we are not afflicted by the curses in the same chapter because Christ became accursed for us so that the curses can no longer afflict us?
Well, if you don't feel comfortable confessing God's blessings over your life, it is okay. It is up to your own personal convictions. But do not judge a brother or sister for having a better opinion of God than you do.
We are asked to judge not but to edify each other and to sharpen each other's faith and understanding of the Word. =)
That is my primary aim for putting up articles that I feel are established on bible based truths and can encourage my fellow brethrens esp in this time of trying in the World, and to help them see that God's greater than what the media says about the economic situation or the political conflicts.
I am keeping my eyes on Jesus and edifying rather than tearing down. My reason for writing back is not to tear you down, but I hope it will help you and help others understand better.
I am not saying I am greater than any other coz we are all God's project-in-progress. =) I am just sharing my own understanding of the passage and reflection (on your posting on your blog that you've linked to in my comment page) as this is afterall my blog and quiet space spot. =D
Shalom! "Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers." - 3 Jn 1:2
God bless,
Geri
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