The Measure of Faith
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Romans 12:3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
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There is nothing wrong with your faith believer! God has dealt to every man the measure of faith. What is the object of your faith? The word “faith has been twisted by so many; When defined by traditions of men or false doctrine it takes away from the purity of understanding of faith.
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Luke 7:8 "For I also am a man placed under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come,' and he comes; and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."
Luke 7:9 When Jesus heard these things, He marveled at him, and turned around and said to the crowd that followed Him, "I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!"
Luke 7:10 And those who were sent, returning to the house, found the servant well who had been sick.
Matthew 15:26 But He answered and said, "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs." 27 And she said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters' table." :28 Then Jesus answered and said to her, "O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire." And her daughter was healed from that very hour.
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Two times in Jesus' earthly ministry He identified people’s faith as great! What do these two people have in common who had great faith? One was a woman one was a man. One was a mother, and one was a soldier. It seems these two could not be more different and yet they both had great faith. Both were Gentiles not under the law of Moses. Why would this be important?
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John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. … 16 And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
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The object of both this man's and woman’s faith was Jesus Himself! Great faith is having the object of your faith in Jesus Christ alone. The soldier and woman did not have the traditions of the religious Jews to tell them they were not qualified to receive. They heard and believed in Jesus! The object of their faith was in the One who is full of grace and truth. Jesus called their faith great! Grace is the divine influence upon the heart; it is the exclusive way to receive from God. As John the beloved wrote we have all received from Jesus’ fullness, grace for grace. There is no other way to receive from God in this covenant of grace.
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Mark 11:22 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.
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Many who begin to teach faith use this passage and rightfully so; however many read quickly over the 22nd verse and teach on. We must have the object of our faith in God and God alone.
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1 John 5:4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world; our faith. 5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
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The victory that has overcomes the world; our faith! By bible definition overcoming faith has the object of ones faith in Jesus Christ alone. If the object of our faith is Jesus, there is nothing wrong with our faith.
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Colossians 1:12 giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. 13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.
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The Father Himself qualifies us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. Oh that men and women would get a revelation of the goodness of God. Satan will try to lie and deceive the believer, telling them they are not qualified. “If you would have done it this way” or “If you would not have done that”. It is through the blood of the Lamb of God we have gained access and qualification the Father provided. There is nothing wrong with our faith and the Father qualifies us. If God be for you who can be against you?
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Matthew 18:2 Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, 3 and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 "Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
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Jesus calls us to a child like faith! It is a shame we have allowed our theology to impede our faith; humbling ourselves as a little child make us the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Have you even seen a small child, with sweet abandon, jump into the arms of their father. Sometimes we disqualify ourselves because we have forgotten the “child like” principle of the kingdom of God . The child jumping into the waiting arms of the father shows they have absolute trust in their daddy. The object of their faith is completely in their father. The object of your faith must ever be in your heavenly Father; you can trust Him!
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Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 2 For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. 3 By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.
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Hebrews 11:1 starts with the word “now”. There has been false doctrine in consideration of this word “now”. Have you heard faith is “now” doctrine? It has taken the verse and made it read faith is now. The word “now “ in the text is not “now in time”; it is now in continuation. This “now” is written as a conjunction connecting the truth of the believing to the saving of the soul in the last verse of Hebrews 10 to the truths to be presented about faith in all of chapter 11. Now in time is a different Greek word than now as a continuation of the thought.
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Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Bible faith always connects the object of your faith being in God. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God.
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Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
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We must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Genuine faith seeks God Himself! Genuine faith is all about relationship with Jesus. Bible faith is reconciliation to God.
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2 Peter 1:2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
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God has given the believer, by His divine power, all things that pertain to life and godliness. God has no second rate believers. God’s heart and plan is for all believers to be partakers of the divine nature.
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2 Peter 1:5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
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God has given us all the faith we need; however there is a nourishing of our faith. Peter calls us to add to our faith. That word add is a furnishing and nourishment. Peter teaches the believer to nourish their faith.
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Matthew 17:19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?" 20 So Jesus said to them, "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. 21 "However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting."
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Jesus is recorded as saying “if you have faith as a mustard seed you can say to this mountain move from here to there and it will move”. Mustard seed is the smallest of all seeds. The faith God has given is enough; however there is a adding to your faith. When the disciples could not cast out the demonic spirit Jesus pointed to relationship with God. This kind go out by prayer and fasting. Nourishing of faith comes from submitting ourselves to the word of God, prayer, and fasting.
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Mark 1:35 Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.
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Relationship, relationship, relationship. Jesus Himself often would set Himself aside that He might spend time in prayer seeking the Father.
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Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith."
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We are living by faith and the good news of Christ is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes. The righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith! There is nothing wrong with your faith; you can praise God that He has given you the measure of faith.
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1 Peter 1:6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,
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Your faith is precious and although tested it will be found to praise, honor and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
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Colossians 1:26 the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. 27 To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.
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The revelation is Christ in you the hope of glory; May the object of your faith ever be Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
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