by Mark Morris

Created on: February 20, 2007   Last Updated: May 11, 2007

I wonder why it is that we have defined faith as belief? The definition of scripture is much richer than that, you see we are told that we are saved by grace unless any of us should start to brag about what we did to earn it. Without faith it is impossible to please God, and yet our righteous deeds, our "believing" are as filthy rags to him. How then can faith be defined as belief, which requires my initiation?

"Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things yet unseen."
The apostle Paul
No, faith has little to do with belief. By Paul's definition it is the concrete ingredient of things hoped for and the evidence of things to come.

Let me paint you a picture.Jesus once told a story, a parable, about a farmer who went out to plant a crop, some of his seed found good soil, some rocky, some hard, some landed in the weeds. Now, he explained to his disciples that the seed was the word of God, correct? And I always took this to mean the saving message of the word of salvation. What if it is more than that? What if this seed is the same seed he referred to when he told his disciples that if they had faith, "Like unto" (not as tiny as by the way) a mustard seed anything they asked would be done for them, was this hyperbole?

Before you paint me into the faith camp with Hagin and his cronies let me tell you that my mother died falsely believing that God had said he would heal her physical body short of the grave, he never said it and he did not do it, so I put no stalk in their speaking your own destiny way of thinking. Do I believe he could have healed her? Yes, with all my heart, and some days I wish he had. Do I understand his sovereign reasoning behind what he did? No I do not. But I digress.

If faith is like a seed, how so? In a seed, science tells us, is all of the necessary ingredients for a new plant! That's right! It isn't about what you can do to hang on to what God says, when he gives you faith (which he says to each is given a measure) it is the ingredients of the thing he puts in your heart to do!

Now, here is where we come in. If the farmer had never sown his seed, could he expect a crop? If it sat there in its bag in his barn, would his faith come to fruition, no!

We are the farmers, and Jesus tells us that unless that seed falls into the ground and dies it cannot bear fruit. He gives it to us, we give it back to him, he waters and provides the sun, we work the soil, he gives the increase! So does that mean that every time God says something we should expect a bumper crop? He says he rewards us according to our actions, our faithfulness, our willingness to sow the seed of the word (faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word) into the soil of our own hearts and the hearts of those around us.

But this does not mean quoting scripture until your blue in the face and "watching your negative confession" these are no less superstition than garlic for vampires. What God is looking for is a heart that is being tended, a garden that is being cared for. He wants to see if your life reflects well on the sacrifice he made for you so that you can lead others to him by your example. That is the test of true faith, will you trust him even if that seed lies buried for generations and you never see the fruit?

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