- Jun 13, 2005
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Luke 17:5 And the apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith." 6 So the Lord said, "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,' and it would obey you. 7 And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, 'Come at once and sit down to eat'? 8 But will he not rather say to him, 'Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink'? 9 Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not. 10 So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.'" NKJV
I have wondered, because of Jesus' reply above, how much faith does it take for salvation? If a mustard seed's amount of faith can pull up a mulberry tree, it must take more than that to get us saved. Is getting a man from earth to heaven harder than pulling up a tree? Only God knows, but with God all things are possible.
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. NKJV
Above is the definition of saving faith and it is the faith of all listed saints in chapter 11. If you read Hebrews 11 in the hall of faith almost every named person did nothing more than trust God's word. God would tell them to do something and they did it. Even the prophets when they predicted the future, the prediction came from God. I am not saying that the saints did not have great faith, they did. But even Sampson, in his last show of strength, did not say “pillars fall down.” No, he called on God to give him strength. Again I am not denying that they had great faith, but none of those saints decided to do the deeds they did on their own. David in his battle with the lion and bear stated that he struck them, it shows great bravery and faith, but it is not David saying “be dead lion or bear.”
1 Corinthians 12: 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: 8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills. NKJV
Paul when he named the gifts stated in verse 9 wrote “to another faith”, he could not be referring to saving faith as one has to have saving faith to receive any gift. What kind of faith is he referring to? Also in verse 10 one of the gifts is the working of miracles. If I saw someone say to a mulberry tree “be pulled up by the roots” and it happened, I would call it a miracle.
1 Corinthians 13:1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. NKJV
Later in Corinthians Paul stated those with “all faith” could move mountains. It seems to me if one could move mountains by their faith, they could also do the same to a mulberry tree. Does all faith mean all the different kinds of faith? Or does it mean the maximum amount of saving faith? We need more scriptures to determine the answer.
Mark 11:20 Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. 21 And Peter, remembering, said to Him, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away." 22 So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God. 23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. 24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. NKJV
Faith in God is saving faith. I would say that a person needs to have the greatest amount of saving faith that one can have. That also explains Jesus' answer in Luke 17: 7-10. The only way to get faith to move mountains is to exercise your saving faith and strengthen it through continued obedience to God. In doing that you will come to realize that your ultimate and main job is to glorify God and further His kingdom by giving grace and loving everyone. If you have the correct mindset then you will not misuse any power given to you by God as James and John wanted to do in Luke 9:54. Once you exercised your faith and have the correct mindset, God will gift you with all faith.
I have wondered, because of Jesus' reply above, how much faith does it take for salvation? If a mustard seed's amount of faith can pull up a mulberry tree, it must take more than that to get us saved. Is getting a man from earth to heaven harder than pulling up a tree? Only God knows, but with God all things are possible.
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. NKJV
Above is the definition of saving faith and it is the faith of all listed saints in chapter 11. If you read Hebrews 11 in the hall of faith almost every named person did nothing more than trust God's word. God would tell them to do something and they did it. Even the prophets when they predicted the future, the prediction came from God. I am not saying that the saints did not have great faith, they did. But even Sampson, in his last show of strength, did not say “pillars fall down.” No, he called on God to give him strength. Again I am not denying that they had great faith, but none of those saints decided to do the deeds they did on their own. David in his battle with the lion and bear stated that he struck them, it shows great bravery and faith, but it is not David saying “be dead lion or bear.”
1 Corinthians 12: 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: 8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills. NKJV
Paul when he named the gifts stated in verse 9 wrote “to another faith”, he could not be referring to saving faith as one has to have saving faith to receive any gift. What kind of faith is he referring to? Also in verse 10 one of the gifts is the working of miracles. If I saw someone say to a mulberry tree “be pulled up by the roots” and it happened, I would call it a miracle.
1 Corinthians 13:1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. NKJV
Later in Corinthians Paul stated those with “all faith” could move mountains. It seems to me if one could move mountains by their faith, they could also do the same to a mulberry tree. Does all faith mean all the different kinds of faith? Or does it mean the maximum amount of saving faith? We need more scriptures to determine the answer.
Mark 11:20 Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. 21 And Peter, remembering, said to Him, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away." 22 So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God. 23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. 24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. NKJV
Faith in God is saving faith. I would say that a person needs to have the greatest amount of saving faith that one can have. That also explains Jesus' answer in Luke 17: 7-10. The only way to get faith to move mountains is to exercise your saving faith and strengthen it through continued obedience to God. In doing that you will come to realize that your ultimate and main job is to glorify God and further His kingdom by giving grace and loving everyone. If you have the correct mindset then you will not misuse any power given to you by God as James and John wanted to do in Luke 9:54. Once you exercised your faith and have the correct mindset, God will gift you with all faith.
