Faith that moves mountains

[NathanBai]

It is often a part of our new year’s resolutions to want our faith to grow or strengthen it. However, in recent years, I have observed an aspect of faith that neither involved size nor strength. I saw something that was more powerful, and relevant. What I had observed was evident faith. James 2:20 says that faith apart from works is “useless” (ESV), or even, “dead” (KJV).

God’s power is unleashed when we take action on our faith. This is what I call evident faith – faith that people can see and experience. Jesus said that a faith, even as small as a mustard seed, is enough to move mountains. Hence, the fruit of our faith is not directly proportional to its size.

Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” (ESV)

Here, we see the word conviction. Conviction is a very powerful expression of belief. Convictions precede actions. In fact, genuine convictions should lead to actions. If we are unwilling to take action, then the validity and existence of such conviction should be questioned. It can be said that convictions not resulting in actions are mere considerations or ideas.

I mentioned that not every action requires a conviction. However, all of our actions actually result from a universal conviction to be happy, and happier. This drives all of our other convictions and actions, and every conviction is ultimately in agreement with our universal conviction.

Even in the mind of a person taking his or her own life, the desire for happiness overcomes the fear of death, believing that suicide is the “happier” alternative to life.

Biblical faith is having the conviction that Jesus Christ himself is our only joy and happiness. We were created to crave this perfect happiness, and God gave His son Jesus Christ out of His love for us, to satisfy our craving.

Shall we ask ourselves: Do I have the conviction that Jesus Christ is my only joy and happiness? What actions and decisions in my life give evidence of this conviction?
Do I make decisions that contradict this conviction?

Faith that is evident makes God-honoring decisions and actions. It makes evident our desire to want Christ and godliness over everything of this world. Let us consider what we “give up” and “endure” for Christ as joy and gain because the utmost happiness comes from surrendering our lives to Jesus Christ.

 

[*Charis*]

I've heard it said that faith is the root, good works are the fruit.
Just as faith without works is dead, so are works without living
faith.

 

[Calebt]

Does this mean all good works - all charity deeds that are not done with Christ are dead? Can you imagine this? Everything - all charity works are dead. I was watching this biblical preacher say it's like spraying cologne on a corpse. And the reason why they're dead is because there is no life there - you can't have life without God.

"But I'm alive and I'm doing works - how can I be dead and my works be dead!"

Because anyone who hasn't come through and to Christ are dead spiritually. Your flesh might be alive and kicking but it is slowly, evidently on it's way to death so everywhere we do that's not through Christ is dead.

 

[Noxot]

wiki says:
in that the fast-growing nature of the mustard plant makes it a "malignant weed" with "dangerous takeover properties". Pliny the Elder, in his Natural History (published around AD 78) writes that "mustard… is extremely beneficial for the health. It grows entirely wild, though it is improved by being transplanted: but on the other hand when it has once been sown it is scarcely possible to get the place free of it, as the seed when it falls germinates at once."

if you had a handful of mustard seeds and threw them in a garden they would take over the entire garden.

Luke 13:18-21 (YLT)
And he said, `To what is the reign of God like? and to what shall I liken it? It is like to a grain of mustard, which a man having taken, did cast into his garden, and it increased, and came to a great tree, and the fowls of the heavens did rest in its branches.' And again he said, `To what shall I liken the reign of God? It is like leaven, which a woman, having taken, did hide in three measures of meal, till that all was leavened.'

Matt 13:44-46 (YLT)
`Again, the reign of the heavens is like to treasure hid in the field, which a man having found did hide, and from his joy goeth, and all, as much as he hath, he selleth, and buyeth that field. `Again, the reign of the heavens is like to a man, a merchant, seeking goodly pearls, who having found one pearl of great price, having gone away, hath sold all, as much as he had, and bought it.

the more you see who God is the more you will want God. Christ told us to hate our own soul and that we have to die to our old self/natural man on the cross, you know what the soul is? the mind! and what do we get when we forsake all to follow Christ in this kind of faith? the mind of Christ and the Spirit of Christ:

Luke 14:26-27
`If any one doth come unto me, and doth not hate his own father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brothers, and sisters, and yet even his own soul, he is not able to be my disciple; and whoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, is not able to be my disciple.

1John 5:20 (YLT)
and we have known that the Son of God is come, and hath given us a mind, that we may know Him who is true, and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ; this one is the true God and the life age-during!

2Cor 3:14-16 (YLT)
but their minds were hardened, for unto this day the same vail at the reading of the Old Covenant doth remain unwithdrawn--which in Christ is being made useless-- but till to-day, when Moses is read, a vail upon their heart doth lie, and whenever they may turn unto the Lord, the vail is taken away.

1Cor 2:14-16 (YLT)
and the natural man doth not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for to him they are foolishness, and he is not able to know them , because spiritually they are discerned; and he who is spiritual, doth discern indeed all things, and he himself is by no one discerned; for who did know the mind of the Lord that he shall instruct Him? and we--we have the mind of Christ.