“Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” (Lu. 18:8).
What is the Lord looking for when He asks a question He already knows the answer to? Is it not to emphasize its importance? We must understand the days we are in and prepare for the days that are coming. In post-secondary education, when students prepare for their careers, they obtain knowledge and develop skills that will ensure their success. Jesus is the Master Teacher; He knows what knowledge and skills we need for the coming days. We must listen to Him attentively today if we are to stand with Him in the coming days when greater trials come. There is great tribulation coming “such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.” (Matt. 24:21). Even if you believe that Christians will be taken away from the earth before that time, you must not rest all your hope on escaping tribulations. Jesus told the disciples that a time of trials would come, even before the final Great Tribulation. “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.” (Matt. 24:8). Many prophets believe we entered that time in 2020 when the pandemic came upon the world. That event is just one of many birth pangs. The frequency and intensity of these events will continue to increase until the beginning of the Great Tribulation.
The Apostle Paul also referred to a day where believers will be pressed to stand. “Therefore take up the whole armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. (Eph. 6:13). Please note that he did not say “an” evil day, but “the” evil day. It is a day that will come upon everyone corporately. We will be able to stand in that day by taking up the spiritual armour and weapons the God provides. We cannot wait until then to do this; we must do it today. “Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: ‘Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the day of trial in the wilderness.’” (Heb. 3:7,8). We must learn to put on the breastplate of righteousness, the belt of truth, the shoes of readiness, the shield of faith, the helmet of hope, the sword of the Spirit, and persevere in prayer.
In this article I want to talk about only one part of the armour, faith. As important as faith is, however, it is not more important than love. Faith is what makes it possible for us to love effectively. By faith we obtain grace to obey (Rom. 5:2). By faith we live in Christ (Gal. 2:20). By faith we overcome sin and the devil (1Jn. 5:4). By faith we receive what God promises (Heb. 6:12). It is essential that we learn to believe because we will need faith to receive God’s help in the difficult days ahead.
The principles of faith have been taught extensively in the last fifty years, so it is not my intention to cover all these in this article. Instead, I want to remind you of the relationship side of faith. In my walk with the Lord, I do not practice “independent” faith. I am dependent on the Lord for every aspect of my life, including believing the promises. There is a familiar passage of Scripture which emphasizes this: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledged Him, and He will direct your paths.” (Prov. 3:5,6). Trust is faith in a person. We know that faith comes from hearing the Word of God (Rom. 10:17), but let us not forget that the Word is a Person, the Lord Jesus Christ (Jn. 1:1). What has helped me to believe God’s promises is not only knowing what He has promised, but also knowing the One who promised it. “All things that pertain to life and godliness” come to us through His “exceedingly great and precious promises” but we obtain them through “the knowledge of Him Who called us” (2Pe. 1:3,4).
Independent faith will take God’s promises and try to believe them, regardless of the situation. Trust, on the other hand, will pray about a situation to understand the mind of the Lord concerning it. By praying about a situation, I do not mean doubting the promises, I mean involving the Lord in the act of believing. The apostles were taught to heal the sick (Lu. 9:1-6) but later when a man brought his demonized son to them, they could not heal him (Lu. 9:37-42). When they asked Jesus why they could not cast out the spirit, He said it was because of their unbelief. He then added “However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.” (Matt. 17:20-21). We see the works of the enemy and we want to destroy them, but we do not always know the strongholds he has set up to keep people in bondage (2Cor. 10:3-5). Praying first about the situation will give us discernment. It also increases our faith because the Holy Spirit helps us. He reminds us of what Jesus has said (Jn. 14:26). He gives us assurance of God’s will through the inner witness (1Jn. 2:27). He gives us power through the gifts of the Spirit (1Cor. 12:4-11).
Jesus Himself did not walk in independent faith. He told the disciples that it was the Father in Him doing the works (Jn. 14:10). He “went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil” because God was with Him and anointed Him with the Holy Spirit (Act 10:38). The first disciples “went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through accompanying sign.” (Mk. 16:20). We can be no different. Today is the day to increase in faith so we can be strong in the days to come. “But the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits.” (Dan. 11:32).
Highway in the Wilderness 