Main menu
6.2 (Wonderworking) Faith
This is the first of the expressions of power discussed here. This gift is at the same time the foundation of both of the following expressions of power: healings and powers.
How tremendous is it, that in a time in which so much misery and darkness become visible, we get a talent of the Spirit from God’s side, which also enables us to conquer exceptional difficulties.
What a love from God to provide us with the power of the Holy Spirit! Let’s also and especially focus on Jesus in this, who is our great Example in how the gifts and expressions of the Spirit can function. Jesus was baptized in God’s Spirit, brought the Gospel of the Kingdom and recovered and released people, who where overwhelmed by satan.
If He is indeed our Example and if we want to follow Him, it is rational, that we also follow Him in this!
Do you ever think about this…?
The gift of (wonderworking) faith is a dynamical working of power of God, that establishes a faith in us, through which ‘miracles’ can happen.
The faith through which man is saved is not meant with this gift of ‘faith’. Indeed all believers have that kind of faith (if it’s correct). The ‘faith’ that is given here to some, is the ‘wonderworking faith’. Paul refers in 1 Corinthians 13:2 to this ‘faith that moves mountains’. Through this faith people receive special answers to prayer from God (Mark 11:24) and for example possessed ones are set free (see Matthew 17:20). In a certain way the ‘gifts of mercy of healings’ and the ‘workings of powers’ named after this can be seen as examples of such a type of faith.
Just as with the other gifts it’s here also about the edifying, the construction of the Church (1 Corinthians 12:7), in other words: the ‘gifts of mercy of healings’ are not given to the sick person, but to the believer who is being used by God to heal others. We also see such gifts being revealed in the life of Paul (according to 2 Corinthians 12:12; Acts 19:11,12; 20:10;28:8,9). The plural ‘gifts of mercy’ (see also the plural ‘workings’ and ‘distinctions’) suggests, that it ‘s not about a gift that is permanently owned by a believer, but that it is an independent working gift of God with every healing.
In this way the believer who receives the gift is continuously dependent on God, Who gives.
In this way there is prevented, that there are ‘performers of miracles’, that people follow, instead of going to their God!
The expression of faith:
Is not: natural faith. All people posses natural faith. For example otherwise it would not even be possible to have contact with each other. By this faith you acknowledge the facts of history, that people landed on the moon, that New York exists, while you have never been there yourself, that water comes out of the tap when you open it.
You belief people, when you make appointments with them.
In that way many people belief that God exists, that Jesus lived about two thousand years ago and has died on the cross – therefore an historical faith.
We will not be saved by this kind of faith!
Is not: the normal ‘Biblical’ faith. The Biblical faith is a matter of the heart. This adds the spiritual dimension to the natural faith. The natural faith focuses on the visible, the noticeable; the spiritual faith focuses on the spiritual reality.
By the Biblical faith – this is the acknowledgement of facts as; the birth of Jesus, of what He accomplished for us by his death and resurrection, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, God’s Plan – a person surrenders to God’s words with his whole heart (his being). This is the faith through which the believer is saved, redeemed and grows up as a son of God.
This faith is by hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17 – “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ”). And ‘Christ’ is the human being or indeed the son of Man who was baptized in and fulfilled with the Holy Spirit and in whom the powers of the Spirit fully worked! Our Example…!
The expression of faith:
Is indeed: a supernatural expression of the Holy Spirit, through which He lets us share in his persistent trust (faith), for that situation at that particular moment.
Is indeed: to instantly get a certainty firm as a rock (trust) in particularly touchy situations.
Is indeed: a deep sense of being evenly relaxed, realising, that God will give relief in this particular emergency.
You see, it is about exceptional answers to prayer in all situations (almost identical); so it doesn’t look like a gift owned by a believer ‘permanently’. God will be giving more clarity in this, according to the development of our faith.
For wellbeing
We can indeed imagine what a tremendous peace it will give, if we don’t panic in emergency situations.
The dynamical power of Jesus Christ will keep you profoundly relaxed by this expression of faith.
We clearly see the difference in Jesus’ life, if this expression functions indeed, or not.
Jesus is with his students in the storm at the lake. It looks like a hurricane. Jesus continues to sleep through everything. His trust in God is persistent, even in the midst of the roaring storm, in which they are in danger of dying! Gods plan’s never fail after all!
The gift of the (wonderworking) faith worked in Jesus.
The students, who aren’t fulfilled yet with the Holy Spirit, are terrified. They don’t know what to do anymore in their fear. They call Jesus and wake Him up and shout out loudly: “Master, don’t You care that we are going to drown?”
In this situation they need a deed of power from Jesus facing the storm.
Jesus rebukes (…) the storm.
We can say with emphasis, that the expressions of the Spirit, so also this particular expression of faith, are not given as a substitution of the normal contact with Jesus.
They are a surplus, an extra, to be able to conquer in situations wherein the powers of darkness attack us extra heavily!
Of course we build up our Biblical faith in the contact with the Lord, by the Word of God.
And this Word is always connected with the Spirit of God.
« Back | Next »