PREFACE | Lessons: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

PREFACE - 9/27/05
Doubt is debilitating, often destructive, and I had not realized how afflicted I was with this malady until I began to ask myself, “What is Faith?” Really, what is it? How do we obtain it, practice it, hold onto it? We who are born again by the blood of Jesus Christ certainly exercised faith when we accepted His salvation, but we were totally without hope otherwise.

So, does this mean that real faith—Godly, biblical faith can only come when we reach the end of ourselves and have no other Hope but Him? Or, do we, by His grace, begin to grow in our faith, unveiling it’s mysteries through experience?

Why is it so difficult to just believe in His Word, His promises, without question? These are valid questions that everyone asks at on time or other, and I, for one, need some Bible based, learned answers.

Paul tells Christians of Rome, and everywhere “how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher” (Romans 10:14) Then he says, “so then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God”. (Romans 10:17).

That is what this series is all about; preachers who will teach us lay people about faith. Habakkuk 2:4, Romans 1:17, and Hebrews 10:38 say the same thing: “The just shall live by faith.” This sounds very important. Hebrews 11:6 says, “But without faith it is impossible to please him. We must—it is imperative that we, as God’s children, be thoroughly furnished in the doctrine of faith.I pray that each man of God will write as the Holy Spirit inspires. I pray that we, who read these teachings will find some of the clouds of mystery, concerning this deep and powerful subject, begin to lift, increasing our faith and enriching our lives.

~Kyla Rowland

Lesson #1 - "A MINOR PERSON WITH A MAJOR FAITH"
9/25/07 by Rev. Bruce Graham

He is called a “Minor Prophet,” but there is nothing minor at all about the faith Habakkuk had in God. When you read Habakkuk 1:1-4, you notice that, like some of us today, Habakkuk bore a burden concerning the social and judicial injustices of his day. Much like us, Habakkuk questioned if God was aware of the suffering, if God would answer prayers, and if God would save His people from all the violence. Have you felt like Habakkuk?

God assured Habakkuk through His Word (1:5-6) that He was aware, that He cared, and that He was orchestrating an unbelievable, marvelous, divine plan for His people, which would involve the Chaldeans. God’s plan was to allow the Chaldeans to invade Israel. To most of us, the thoughts of a foreign power invading our land and conquering us are not very comforting.

Habakkuk was not comforted in this either. The news was devastating and hurtful. But his faith really began to manifest itself during the time of impending doom. While the wound was still aching, Habakkuk chose to see the bigger, Heavenly perspective (1:12). Habakkuk’s faith saw that God was implementing the Chaldeans as a rod of discipline against Israel. Habakkuk resolved within himself, that he would abide by these famous words (2:4), “THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.” Do you choose to succumb to the fear of impending terror and doom, or do you resolve to trust God and live by faith?

Habakkuk’s faith reminded him that even though the Chaldeans were unmerciful tyrants, and that the nation of Israel would face great suffering in the hands of the Chaldeans, the suffering would not last forever. Habakkuk believed that the great trial facing him and his earth would be filled with the knowledge of God’s glory (2:14). Faith reveals to us that present suffering is temporal, but the glory of God is eternal.

Faith does not demand that we live in some metaphysical trance while the maladies of life unfold around us. Habakkuk was a realist. He knew the terror of the Chaldeans was real. His heart was heavy for the judgment that was upon Israel. What did Habakkuk do? He prayed. In his prayer (3:1-2), Habakkuk admitted his fear. He requested that God’s purpose would be accomplished in the years that followed. Finally, Habakkuk prayed that in His wrath, God would remember mercy. Faith helps us overcome our legitimate fears. Faith seeks for God’s will to be accomplished. Faith requests that God remember mercy.

Undoubtedly, every believer at some point, in some crisis, at some critical moment in life, has questioned God’s strategy. Why this financial reversal? Why this broken relationship? Why this devastating illness? Why the death of someone so dear? Why now? Why me? We wonder why God uses certain strategies, methods, or ways, to accomplish His divine plan and its ultimate end. Habakkuk spoke in faith (3:6) that God’s ways were everlasting. He also spoke in faith (3:13) that God’s strategies, however inconvenient and uncomfortable to us, are all part of a great conflict between the forces of Good and Evil.

Faith rejoices that God has stepped out on our behalf and secured salvation for us all through His “Anointed,” Jesus Christ. The Enemy and the forces of evil have suffered a mighty blow to the head. Have you placed your faith and trust in the “Anointed” One for salvation? If so, rejoice! You are more than a conqueror through Christ, Who stepped forward to defeat the Devil and secure salvation for you and all who would receive it.

This realization came to Habakkuk (3:16): despite the turmoil, he could because of faith, “rest in the day of trouble.” Even when (3:17) there were no figs or grapes (no food); there was no olive oil for cooking or lighting lamps (no utilities); the crops failed and there was no harvest (no income); the animals used for food and clothing were gone (no supplies), the just shall live by faith.

Habakkuk determined that even in the worst of circumstances, when desolation and despair prevailed, he would rejoice in the Lord (3:18) and joy in God. For the believer, faith transcends the circumstances and despair. Faith determines that “the LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places.”

The minor prophet, Habakkuk, possessed a major faith. Most of us are just simple, minor people, who often fell like victims of social injustice, living in a great big world of chaos. But with faith the size of a grain of mustard seed, we are not victims, we are major victors.

Lesson #2 - "FAITH: What It Is And Why We Need It"
11/16/07 by Rev. Mike Holcombe

The WORD of GOD declares to us what faith is in the book of Hebrews chapter eleven, and verse one, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” But to better understand what faith really is, we must also know what faith is not. There is virtually no faith in the “think so, hope, so, maybe so,” kind of persuasive thinking or believing. The kind of faith the Bible speaks of is real knowledge of truth, hands and hearts on experience, actual possession of things hope for! Biblical faith does not deal with what is unreal, imaginary, fanciful, visionary, superficial, or deceptive. True Biblical faith deals only with truth and reality. It is knowing what is real, experiencing what is real, and possessing what is real.

That great servant of God of a former generation, whom so many appreciate so much, Matthew Henry, makes some excellent statements that are well worth our thought: “Faith and hope go together; and the same things that are the object of our hope are the object of our faith. It (faith) is a firm persuasion and expectation that God will perform all that He has promised to us in Christ; and this persuasion is so strong that it gives the soul…possession…of those things.”

The word “substance” (hypostasis) means the foundation, assurance, title-deed, and guarantee of things hoped for. The word “evidence” (elegchos) means conviction. According to most commentators, this is what is meant by these two words. Therefore, faith would be defined as: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” What is being said is that faith is being described as an act, an act of the mind and heart. That is, our heart and mind believe something and we have assurance and conviction that it is true. This is certainly true; faith is an act of the mind and heart. But many of the earlier interpreters understood “substance” (hypostasis) to mean real being, substantial nature, and the real nature of a thing. This is not to argue with God’s dear servants who stress that faith is primarily and act of the mind and heart. It is only to say that Scripture seem to be saying that faith is more than an act. Scriptures seems to be saying that faith is the actual possession of reality. Is this not what the definition “title-deed” is saying? It is ours already! Certainly from God’s perspective, we already possess His promises; He has already seated us in the heavenlies, and already possesses eternal life. It is not that we are going to possess it; we already possess it. The point is this: holding the title-deed to property and possessing something is more than assurance and conviction. It is possessing reality, actually holding something that is substantial and real. It is possessing the land, the promises of God. Faith is possessing the substance of the promises of God, the evidence of things not seen. If we possess them, the substance is there; the evidence is there. The substance and evidence, the fact that we already possess them, is our assurance and conviction. And so, faith is the substance, the actual possession, of things hope for, the evidence and reality of things not seen. It is both an act and a possession of the thing believed. It is believing and trusting in that which actually exists—in that which we can process. We may not be able to see it, but it is real and existing, and we can possess it by believing and having faith in it. We can possess it now—we cannot see it, but we can actually possess the very substance of it by believing and entrusting our lives to it. Faith is trusting and possessing all that God is and says. And, faith is hoping for something and possessing it because God is (exists) and has promised it.

Faith, (that is Biblical faith) makes us courageous, bold, hopeful, contented and peaceful. We are made whole by faith. In fact, faith (Biblical faith) is the only way to be completely whole! Faith makes us to know that our labors are not in vain in the Lord, and that HE will never leave nor forsake us, but will be with us all the way even unto the end, and beyond; that we are in the palm of HIS hand, in HIS will, highly favored and submerged in love and compassions past our comprehension makes this soul, mind, and body shout “Hallelujah, what a Savior, what a God!” Bless HIS name! HE made me HIS, and now HE and all that HE is, and all that HE has, is mine!

Lesson #3 - "FAITH"
07/15/08 by Rev. Michael Soop
Pastor, New Canaan Baptist
Lawrenceville, GA

Plenteous mercy, amazing grace, great love: These adjectives seem so small. When we experience grace there is no word to describe it, and mercy is beyond all human understanding. And love; I defy human tongue to explain or describe God’s perfect love. These are His part, but our part is important because we must accept, by faith, what He wants to give.

Scriptures are merely beautiful words unless we are sensitive to what they are telling us, unless we absorb them; believe them so that our thinking and our behavior is adjusted to them.

Suffering is the most difficult aspect of Christian living for God’s children to deal with. We try to understand it but that is why we are so confused by it. We cannot understand suffering but must accept, by faith in His mercy, grace, and love that the scriptures concerning it are true. II Corinthians 12:8:10—Paul writes of his thorn in the flesh: “For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”

God knows this is tough for us, to glory in pain, to praise and thank Him when He does not remove our suffering. It is very difficult for faith to see grace. But, oh, when faith finally grasps the glory of suffering for Christ’s sake, when faith finally sees through the cloud of pain the sufficiency of God’s grace, then our hearts become sensitive to the truth in “for my strength is made perfect in weakness.”

How could we possibly realize the fullness of faith until we see clearly that we are totally, absolutely dependant on God. When His strength becomes evident and visible in us, our weakness is then evident and it is obvious that there is joy in our suffering for Christ’s sake. Then we can, as Paul did, “rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

God’s power is the REWARD for faith in Him and glorying in Him through our suffering. God’s power moves mountains, parts waters, stands on a stormy sea and says, “Peace, be still.” God’s power defeats enemies, heals bodies, saves sinners.

When we feel that we can do all these things within our own power, then we can choose to rebel against suffering. But if we feel we have no power, except from God, then we can glorify Him through every pain, every dark day. His power “resting” on us makes it all more than worth it.

When faith can begin to see the truth in Paul’s words, then we can gladly allow God to lead us to utter weakness.

Lesson #4 - "THE TERMINOLOGY OF FAITH"
09/12/08 by Rev. Greg Hodges
Pastor, Amazing Grace Baptist
Collinsville, VA

Faith - what a glorious and magnificent word! Yet, how grossly misunderstood and misapplied it has become even in modern Christian circles. To so many, faith simply means to give mental assent, to agree. With this theory, all it takes to be saved is for someone to give mental recognition to a few sundry facts about Jesus! There is no change, no transformation, and no “new creature.” While believing is certainly fundamental to the notion of faith, there is so much more! Might I add – how beautiful that “much more” is!

A quick perusal of Hebrews 11 will show the reader that each mention of faith is followed up with a specific act of obedience. While this chapter is often correctly referred to as God’s Hall of Faith, it might also bear the moniker of God’s Hall of Obedience. We are told that “Abel offered” (v.4), Noah “prepared an ark” (v. 7), Abraham “went out” (v. 8) and “looked for a city” (v. 10), Rahab “received the spies” (v. 31), and so on. The pattern becomes so obvious! In every Hebrews 11 example, faith always, without exception, results in an outward action! Please understand that for none of these heroes is the action the cause of his or her salvation. Rather, in each case it is the evidence of salvation. What a glorious thought!

Note the following example. Did Abraham leave his home country and journey to a city he knew nothing about so that he could be saved? Of course not! His actions were simply the outward evidence of his upward faith! The very same idea holds true for modern believers as well. True, genuine faith demands action, for it implies Lordship! Likewise, the word itself is underpinned with obedience, commitment, and submission!

Believers love to quote Ephesians 2:8-9 (and rightfully so!!), for these precious words remind us all that we are saved by the faith we have in Jesus Christ. It is nothing that we have done (or, “not of works”), but rather, it is the grace of God allowing our faith to be the conduit of salvation.

However, we must also remember that the often un-quoted next verse (v. 10) plainly reminds us that we are “His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works...!” Like Abraham, Noah, Rahab, and all the other Hebrews 11 characters, the believer’s work for Christ is not the cause of salvation. Rather, we submissively, lovingly, and obediently work as evidence of our salvation.

While others view faith as just providing mental assent, we must acknowledge that it means so much! Indeed, our faith must not be a lazy couch of “do-nothingness.” On the contrary, our faith should be a springboard of action where we happily and willingly serve the object of our faith – our Lord Jesus Christ!

Lesson #5 - "THE TEST OF FAITH"
10/09/08 by Rev. Greg Hodges
Pastor, Amazing Grace Baptist
Collinsville, VA

In our previous article, we examined the terminology surrounding the Biblical word faith. In this article, we direct our attention to those times that seem to test our faith – those moments that leave us wondering if our faith is misdirected, our hope misguided, and our courage misplaced.

These times are called many things by many different men of God. Words like trials, tests, storms, circumstances, tribulations (just to name a view) are ushered from pulpits every Sunday! Whatever term is adopted, we can be sure that these difficult times routinely dot the landscape of every believer’s life. Many preachers have rightfully uttered, “You are either in a storm, coming out of a storm, or fixin’ to get into a storm.” Truer words have scarcely been spoken.

Certainly, the great heroes of the Bible were no strangers to life’s storms. Of course, one of the greatest examples is Paul who reports in his second letter to the Corinthians that he had been beaten, stoned, and shipwrecked three times (II Cor. 2:25). Yet, despite these trials, never do we see the faith of Paul waiver! Never do we see him question the direction or the will of God for his life! To put it simply, the harder things get, the more the storm rages, the firmer our grip must be on the reality of our God, His goodness, and His perfect will and direction for our life.

In recent days, I have been praying with and for a close relative of mine whose husband is in the last stages of cancer. The last two years have been emotional maelstroms for this young couple and their two small children as each doctor’s visit, each lab result, and each medical test revealed just how quickly and viciously the cancer was spreading. However, during this time, she rededicated her life to Christ, and her husband was gloriously born again after having been raised in deep Catholicism. Certainly, there have been times of spiritual and emotional weakness, but both have grown to realize that while God may not chose to Divinely heal him as He has done others, this saved man is about to cross over to a land where cancer is a forbidden word! Whether in this life or the next, he too will be healed! What a glorious promise and a reality for those whose faith is placed in Christ alone!

So, Christians, as we embark on this journey of faith, let’s do so realizing that there will be times of great tribulation along the way. However, just as Paul said to Timothy, we must not allow these storms to shipwreck our faith (I Tim. 1:19). Rather, we must hold on even more tightly to that faith, bathe ourselves in His presence and His Word, and understand that He who has brought us safely to this point in life will lead us onward to the next!

Next: The Triumph of Faith

Lesson #6 - "THE TRIUMPH OF FAITH"
11/26/08 by Rev. Greg Hodges
Pastor, Amazing Grace Baptist
Collinsville, VA

After having looked at both the terminology as well as the tests of faith, we will now direct our attention to the triumph of faith. To examine this concept to its fullest, I want to recall a passage from Isaiah, chapter six. In this familiar chapter, God’s preacher is distraught over the death of King Uzziah who had reigned in the southern kingdom of Judah for over a half a century. Moreover, the king had for the better part of those 50 plus years remained faithful to God and ushered in a time of spiritual and material prosperity that had not been witnessed since the day s of Solomon. Now, the king is dead, and the future looked bleak indeed until the Lord intervened! What God gave to Isaiah transformed his life and turned a time of testing into a vision of triumph! Of course, God can still do the same today, but in order to get the kind of victory that Isaiah received, there are some things we need to note!

First of all, we must see what Isaiah saw! In his moment of tragedy, the great preacher looked Heavenward and saw a vision of the Lord sitting upon His throne, high and lifted up! He also saw the angels themselves hovering above the temple and singing the thrice Holy chorus. Verse four notes that the presence of God was so powerful that His voice shook the very foundations of the temple itself! In our last lesson, we noted the fact that for the believer, trials of the faith are a constant reality. When those storms begin to lap against our life’s boat, it is imperative that we turn our spiritual vision Heavenward! Doing so will allow us to catch a fresh glimpse of our Savior in His rightful position and reminds us that despite the obstacles confronting us, we will have the presence of the King Himself guiding us through life’s storms!

Secondly, we must also sense what Isaiah sensed! After seeing this tremendous vision of God, the prophet describes himself as having unclean lips that needed to be purged. Accordingly, he allowed the angel to provide him with the cleansing instrument that would allow him back into communion with the Holy One. It is no accident that the closer the Isaiah grew to God, the deeper became his recognition of his own sins. Would that every believer could grasp the reality of this truth! The close we draw to Heaven’s Lamb, the more we realize our own need for daily cleansing and restoration. I am convinced that the prayers of so many modern Christians go unanswered today because of this lack of daily spiritual purification. The great Apostle Paul indicated that he dad to die daily! How much more must we as believers do the same!

Finally, we must also say what Isaiah said! After witnessing a great vision, God asked who was willing to be sent out for Heaven’s work. (Please note that the question only came AFTER Isaiah had been cleansed of his sin!!). Without question, concern, or hesitation, Isaiah boldly proclaimed, “Here am I, send me!” What was a time of mourning over the death of a man became a time of triumph because of a fresh focus on the Master!

If I may, I would like to end the study be relating a personal experience. Two years ago I was diagnosed with a rare and potentially fatal pancreas disease. Despite five surgeries, sixty plus pills a day, and multiple visits with experts, I was faced with a “last hope” procedure that would remove the diseased organ altogether. The doctors had indicated that I would be hospitalized for three to four weeks and could expect at least a year of recovery at home. Just weeks before the operations, the swept presence of the Holy Ghost moved during our Ladies Conference, and senior ladies of churches in our community began petitioning God on my behalf. While folks had been praying for me for months, there was a remarkable manifestation of His presence at the altar that day. I was able to see God magnified, glorified, and in total control of me, my disease, my church, and my future in a way that I had not seen before. When my wife and I got up from the altar, ladies were crying and praising God for healing, while others were shouting the victory. I had a new and deep-settled peace that whether it was before or after the surgery, I was going to experience a unique Divine healing! When I went for my final visit just before the surgery, my non-believing doctor was amazed at how the pancreas was beginning to heal and how I was pain free for the first time in years! Needless to say, the surgery was cancelled, for the Great Physician had already done the procedure!

While my experience many not be the same as others who suffer difficult times (whether they be physical, financial, spiritual, or otherwise), I guarantee that a fresh glimpse of the One who is on the throne will bring about a transformation! It allows Him to take the tests of our faith and turn them into triumphs of His grace and glory!

Lesson #7 - "FAITH"
03/04/09 by Kyla Rowland

Each time we post something new about “Faith” on the web, I determine that this will end the series on the subject. But it’s like an irresistible force that prevents me, a compulsion too powerful to deny. The only explanation I can find is that we will never mine all the depths of this limitless subject. Just like the earth continues to gold, and those who desperately desire its wealth and beauty cannot help themselves, Faith continues to perplex, thrill, even haunt us.

Faith will end one day. When we abandon this mortal body it won’t be even a memory. Faith will be as though it never exacted so much praying, so much speculation, for we will be in the presence of the One in whom our Faith was placed. We will no longer hope, dream, struggle, waiver, or guess.

When one hopes a loved one will be saved, and then it comes to pass, Faith is no longer needed. When we hope to be healed of a physical illness, and then we are, there is no need for Faith. A hope realized eliminates any further purpose for Faith for that particular need. When we are bowed at Jesus’ feet, resting by the Crystal Stream, basking in the warmth of Paradise, Faith will be forgotten.

When we get to Heaven it is absurd to think we would rehash old memories of our battles with doubt, fear, and despair. Jesus sent an angel to John The Beloved on the Isle of Patmos: “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John” (Revelation 1:1).

Revelation came down through the Divine chain of command: God gave it to Jesus, Jesus gave it to his angel, the angel gave it to John, John gave it to the churches. John just took dictation. He wrote it down exactly as it was sent down from above, and what an excellent job he did. He was chosen, of course, because God knew that he was the best one for this task.

Among those revelations are the promises of what won’t be in Heaven. “They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore...” (Revelation 7:16). Physically we will not hunger a thirst anymore, but spiritually as well. We will never hunger and thirst for knowledge or wisdom, courage or strength to travel another mile.

And what about all those things that will be passed away, as promised in Revelation 22: “Tears, death, sorrow, crying, pain” will be gone and all things will be made new.

If, then, we will never hunger or thirst for knowledge or wisdom; if sorrow, pain, tears, and pain will be passed, we know that Faith will be the furtherest thing from our minds. “What a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?” (Romans 8:24).

We will see Jesus! Our hopes, dreams, longings—all that we have waited for will be visible and our war with Faith will end the moment we gaze upon His glorious face.

Pain and tears are associated with this thing called “Faith,” but they cannot enter the land of “No More.” I don’t believe most children of God need another reason to long for Home, but ending the Fight of Faith is a little added bonus.

Do you know why we must “fight” a Fight of Faith? Satan works diligently to weaken us, and our flesh is vulnerable to his lies. Naturally, a battle ensues. We know we’re saved, we know God is Sovereign and Faithful, but the Enemy has a way of attacking the soft underbelly of our trust in the Lord. He is cunning and skillful.

I will end with a quote from Mother. Miss Eulalia had a way of bringing the most difficult issues down to a level we can all understand. She said of Satan, “He don’t want to take a bite out of me! My hide is so tough he might lose a few teeth.” Interpretation: Our Faith can become so strong that Satan’s attacks will leave him whimpering, perhaps even thinking twice before he attacks the saint with a Faith of Whitleather.