The foolishness of faith

Today we are going to look at the "foolishness" of the faith of God. We started this series with the point that our "human" faith is not the same as the God-Kind of faith. Human faith is based on what the five senses tells you. Religious faith is "trying" to believe God rooted in human wisdom. This is why the Pharisee's could not know Jesus was the Messiah. Their faith rested in their wisdom, understanding and by what they saw. When Jesus healed on the Sabbath, what did they see? Did they see the goodness and love of God to set people free, or their man-made traditions. Let us read 1 Corinthians chapter 1 again:

1Co 1:25- 29, " Because what seems foolish in God is wiser than men; and what seems feeble in God is stronger than men. For you see God's design for you, my brothers, that he has not taken a great number of the wise after the flesh, not the strong, not the noble: But God made selection of the foolish things of this world so that he might put the wise to shame; and the feeble things that he might put to shame the strong; And the low things of the world, and the things without honour, did God make selection of, yes, even the things which are not, so that he might make as nothing the things which are: So that no flesh might have glory before God."

These versus tell us the nature of how the faith of God works, and how we can walk it out. One, the faith of God is foolish to men. Do you remember when they caught the woman in the act of adultery. The law demanded that she be stoned to death. All the people had "faith' in the law, but they did not have the God-Kind of faith. The God-kind of faith that could see the "present" Word of God standing before them. The second point we brought forth is that walking in faith requires action and moving ahead. When someone walks somewhere, they leave where they were and go someplace new. The bible tells us that if any man be in Christ, He is a new creation. Old things pass away, and all things become new.

If the people were walking in the faith of God, they would have seen one greater than the law was with them, Jesus Christ the fulfillment of the law. They could not see Him for who He really was "right now", the Messiah. Their faith rested in "their yesterday understanding" of the law. The bible teaches us, "NOW FAITH IS", not yesterday faith was! Jesus who was full of the faith of God did not operate in the yesterday. He sought the Lord for the "true present word from God." This did not contradict the law of Moses but fulfill it, to bring the law to its end, and inaugurate a new covenant with God's people. As Jesus sought the Father, He heard a QUICKENED WORD FROM HIM and He spoke it. "Those of you without sin, cast the first stone."

The quickening of the Word is what Jesus told us about the power of His words, "His words are Spirit and Life." As mentioned in the last article the angel Gabriel said, "no word from God comes without power." This quickening power makes the WORD a living reality in your heart. You actually agree in your spirit with what was spoken by God to you will happen. All you need do now is walk by faith and obey the Word.

Then the very WORD that God spoke to you will actually takes possession of and enable you to do the impossible.The Holy Spirit will bring into existence that which is not as though it was! In Romans chapter 8 Paul writes, "the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead quickens are natural bodies. When the Word of God is alive and active in you it becomes food and fuel. When this is mixed with the measure of the Faith of God that is in you, your receive "power from on High."

When Jesus answered the crowd, " those of you without sin." He spoke the life giving Word of God as an answer to this womans faith. A miracle happenes next, one by one they all dropped their stones and they leave her alone with Jesus. He is the only one that could have picked up a stone to condemn her, but He gave her mercy. This is what the whole law was to sum up, "that all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God." The law was to show us our need for mercy and forgiveness and our need for a savior.

Believe it or not, the woman caught in this wicked act used the God-kind of faith to obtain a miracle or the promise of God for forgiveness. She came to the only one who could save and forgive her, Jesus Christ. She knew the law demanded her to die, but the faith of God in her led her to Salvation himself! Praise God. This running to Jesus for mercy was true "walking in faith." Look at what she receives from Jesus, "woman is there anyone here to condemn you?' She replies, "no!" "Then neither do I condemn you, but sin no more!"

This woman obtained something by using the faith of God in her. She received the substance of what she hoped for and could not see. She received the evidence of the thing she hoped for. She received forgiveness and mercy, a better covenant. To walk by faith requires true faith that always sees it's true need. True faith finds the only place where it can receive the answer from God, God Himself! Walking in faith always requires a Word from God that will be foolishness to your wisdom and understanding.

It was foolish for her to think she could be forgiven for what she did. The law demanded for the people to stone her, yet her foolishness received a miracle from God. It was foolish for Peter to drop his net down again after they had fished all night in the same place and caught nothing. But at the word of Jesus, they dropped their nets and caught a catch like never seen before. Human wisdom is the barrier that must be overcome to walk by faith.

Our scripture verse teaches us that "not many wise, or many noble" are chosen. Why, because they rest their faith in what they are and what they know and not God. Do you remember Naman the leper in the old testament. He sent servants to the prophet to come and pray that he might be healed. The prophet told him what he need to do, go dip yourself 7 times in the Jordan river and you will be healed. This proud ruler would not do it and was angry to do such a thing because the Jordan was one of the dirtiest rivers in the land. Finally, his servant asked him, " if the prophet asked you to go into battle and kill thousands of people would you not have done it?" Naman said, "of course!" His servant said, then why don't you obey the word of the prophet now, because if you do obey will you not be healed?"

Namon finally obeyed and dipped himself 7 times in the river at the prophets word and he was miraculously healed. Beloved, walking in the faith of God or walking by faith requires us to be like children and simply obey what God says instantly! He will always speak a word that does not make common sense to our mind. Why? Not many wise are chosen or noble, their pride will keep them from using the faith God put in them that requires someone bigger than them to help.

Is your own wisdom today blocking you from your miracle, healing or possessing what God promised? Are you afraid to let go of your understanding and just obey what God asked you to do? In order to walk by faith and not by sight you must shut out all the other voices that say obeying God is foolish. You must not ponder on what will people think or say about me. You must not thing about what if it doesn't happen.

Beloved, use the measure of faith God has given you and OBEY! Put away your wisdom, understanding and wait upon the Lord, until He speaks a Word from His mouth to you.Then when you hear that quickened Word from God in your spirit obey it instantly. This is how you put one foot in front of the other and learn to walk by faith.