Effective faith

Before the cross, Jesus referred to people as having “small”, “great”, or “no” faith. But the people Jesus addressed were not yet born-again, because it was only possible to become born-again after the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Jesus was the “firstborn from the dead” (Col. 1:18). His resurrection was the beginning of the era in which people could be born-again, by receiving a new and righteous nature of the inside.

After the cross, the Bible never talks about believers having “small”, “great”, or “no” faith. The Apostle Paul said in Romans that every believer has received, not “a measure” of faith, which some Bible translations wrongfully say, but “the measure” of faith (Rm. 12:3).

Not only does every believer in Jesus have “the measure” of faith. When the apostle Peter addressed other believers, after the cross, he said:

“To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2 Pet. 1:1)

When we are born-again and receive God’s own free-gift righteousness, we also receive “like precious faith” as Peter – the man who raised people from the dead and saw multitudes healed by his own shadow!

Jesus is “the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebr. 12:2), meaning that Jesus Himself is the source of our faith. The one who has Jesus, has faith, because He is our faith! This means that all born-again Christians have all the faith we will ever need. We can therefore bring the endless efforts and quests for more faith, which seem to occupy many Christians today, to a definite end.

Although every born-again believer has faith, this does not mean that faith is working effectively in and for every believer. That’s obvious. Some Christians have their faith working for them, and reap the results thereafter, while others can’t seem to get their faith to work for them.

How then, can our faith become effective, so that it actually works in our lives and brings about the results we desire? The answer is found in the letter to Philemon. Paul says:

“That the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 1:6, King James 2000 Bible)

Our faith does not become effective by chasing God’s blessings, as if we don’t already have them. Effective faith is the result of acknowledging the good things we already have on the inside, in Christ, because of His death and resurrection. 

In other words: When we turn our eyes upon Jesus, and focus on Him and His finished work, and acknowledge who we are and what we have in Him, the faith we already have on the inside becomes effective and starts working on our behalf.

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