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AGUEST SAID
Good morning and peace to you all!
We can ask for more faith, as faith is a "fruit" of God's holy spirit and we can certainly ask for that spirit and it's fruit (Luke 11:13) and even MORE of it, where we believe/know we are lacking. Indeed, when and where we need it, we should ask for more of ALL of them: love, joy, peace, faith, mildness, kindness, goodness, patience/long-suffering, and self-control. I can't answer for anyone but myself, but I know I often fail in ALL of these and so I have to keep asking for "more."
It is true that all one needs is faith "the size of a mustard seed," but that was the point: if we HAD that much faith... we COULD move mountains, walk on water, etc. The truth, though, is that we DON'T even have that much.
We have several example in the NT where faith was the reason for one's finding favor with Christ, as well as where a lack of faith became an issue. Even among the disciples. There are just too many to list (at least 15 alone in Matthew and up from there for the other gospels). I think the verses some of you might be thinking of, though, perhaps include the following:
The account record at Matthew 17:14-21 and Mark 9:14-29, where a father whose son was afflicted by a "speechless and deaf" demon that rendered the child an epilectic said he had faith, but needed help to have more faith. This after the disciples were unable to assist and expel the demon due to what appeared to be their lack of faith. Turned out, prayer and fasting by the disciples was also required... because this demon could not HEAR them: it was deaf. So they needed help. And there is the account recorded at John 17:5, where the disciples themselves were recorded to have asked for "more" faith.
There are several reasons for a lack of faith, but I am learning that one of the primary ones is that people don't really know what faith really IS. Because of what they've been taught by the "scribes and Pharisees," religious leaders, writers, and even scholars, they confuse faith with things like repetitiveness, trust, loyalty, reliability, and things like these. For example, one who regularly attends meetings/mass, etc., is considered "faithful" because they seem to do such "faithfully." Etc.
But I've learned over the years that what I THOUGHT was faith (and love, and peace, and joy... etc.) is NOT what faith WAS. I won't go into what it is here because I touched on it, above. No need for redundancy.
If folks would... and I'm sorry but this truly is the right word here... condescend to ASK... about faith AND perhaps for faith... or, for even for more faith... and did so without doubting... they would receive what they ask for: accurate understanding, so as to know what to "cultivate" and "exercise," as well as how... and more of a portion of the fruit of God's holy spirit that IS faith. It is not God that you must ask, however, at least, not alone - it is His SON... the One to Whom "all authority" has been given... or least go THROUGH that Son to ask it directly.
Let me repeat that, because I am sure some will miss it's truth and it is a very important truth:
You cannot go directly to God; you MUST go THROUGH His Son, the Door ("No one comes to the Father... except THROUGH me" - John 14:6). So, just as Israel had to go to Joseph way back when, we must do so today: we must go through the One who fulfills "Joseph"... the Holy One of Israel, JAHESHUA, the Chosen One of JAH. AND... we must go in that One's NAME. Just as, say, Naphtali, might have wanted some of Pharaoh's grain... he would had to go TO Joseph to get it. But, okay, let's say he wanted to personally request it directly from Pharaoh. He would STILL have to go to Joseph and get that one's permission to even be able to enter and SPEAK with Pharaoh. Because Joseph was the only to give access to Pharaoh! NO ONE could get in to see/speak with Pharaoh... unless Joseph first agreed to and approved it! And upon entering, he would have to show that it was by means of that permission that he was even there. And so he would have said that he had come "in Joseph's name." In this way, invoking the name of Joseph, he was not only vowing that he indeed HAD permission to be there, but... more importantly... acknowledging JOSEPH'S authority, which was granted directly by Pharaoh. To ignore that authority... overstep it, try to go around it... would have been to ignore, overstep, and try to go around a decree set by Pharaoh himself... thus, ignoring PHARAOH himself!
Some, though, believe that if there IS a God, such one is OWED something by/from Him. In this, however, such one is only seeking to "elevate" oneself while "bringing God down." And it just doesn't work that way: the Most Holy One of Israel owes man nothing - it is we who owe Him... because He gave His most precious possession... His SON... FOR us. Thus, it's not "elevate yourself and God will be humbled before you," but "humble yourself before God... and He will exalt YOU."
He does that by allowing His Son to grant you that "water"... His holy spirit. You are "exalted"... by the "product" such "fruit" of His spirit manifests in YOU: you "bear MORE fruit." This, of course, because of your UNION with Christ (John 15:1-6). Some will say, "Well, wait, you're saying I have to believe in God and Christ FIRST? Because one that doesn't doesn't HAVE a union with Christ!" Well... yes! I mean, can you [attempt to] approach either of these, God OR Christ... WILL you... if you don't even believe they exist? Of course you wouldn't. So the message about asking for faith is for those who believe there is One who can GIVE it. Or for one might have SOME faith to start with, but is asking for MORE faith. It has no value or meaning... indeed, makes no sense... to one who has no faith... AND doesn't believe there is anyone who can give it!
So, I hope this helps. Please, if you doubt that perhaps you truly know what faith IS... go the One who grants it and ask HIM to "open" up the truth about it to you. If you think you can't hear him TELL you... ask for EARS. Ask him to "prepare" YOUR body... the one that HE controls even better than you do... so that you can HAVE ears to hear him. On this matter and any other that he might be speaking about.
Again, peace to you all!
YOUR servant and a slave of Christ,
SA
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