Growing In Faith

Growing in Faith

Wouldn’t it be nice to go to the pharmacist and get a pill that gives us our daily dose of faith? Perhaps K-mart could have a “blue light” special on faith. Or, maybe we could get it from an infomercial on one of the Christian TV stations. The truth is that faith is a bit more complicated than that. It isn’t a static, tangible thing that can be possessed in some definitive way. In fact, it is for most of us, like riding in a rubber life raft on the ocean – it waves up and down, it ebbs and flows, it gets tossed to and fro. So, how do we grow in our faith? If it is a moving target, how can we attain a higher level of faith that will sustain us through the years?

Much is said about faith in the scriptures. Jesus talked to us about having just a mustard seed’s amount of faith to move mountains. Paul defined faith for us - Heb 11:1

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

KJV

The first thing we need to understand is that growing in faith is a process. It isn’t an event, or a destination. In order to grow in faith we must be surrounded by the things that teach us faith, sustain our faith and encourage our faith.

Text:

Deut 6:4-9

4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. 5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

NIV

What we have here is a clear picture of how faith is a process. Note verses 7-9….

We successfully proceed in our faith journey when we surround ourselves with the things that teach us faith. Regular Bible reading and study is absolutely essential to growing in faith.

We also grow in faith when we rely on God’s promises toward us in times of trouble and temptation. It is in those times we nourish or sustain our faith.

2 Thess 3:3

the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.

NIV

1 Cor 10:13

No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

NIV

How do we surround ourselves with encouragement to our faith? Look at Heb 10:22-25

23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another-and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

NIV

When we attend church with others we encourage each other in the faith. Those that believe they can stay close to God and not attend a local assembly regularly are deceiving themselves. There are a number of good evangelist and pastors that broadcast on TV and radio, but they cannot provide to you the encouragement of brothers and sisters in Christ that see you and know you.

Conclusion:

Paul wrote that the “righteous will live by faith”. “Without faith, it is impossible to please God.” Faith is the core attribute of a believer. Without it is impossible to come to God at all. Without it we cannot continue as disciples of Christ. We are to continue in this faith and will if we are continuously surrounding ourselves with the proper environment and influences for faith’s growth.