In the book of Acts, in the third chapter, the apostle Peter
makes a startling statement, probably strange to modern-day believers, ‘Silver
and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus
Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk’ (Acts 3:6).
The apostle Peter, unequivocally communicated the truth of
having something which was the cause of a miracle – the miracle of the lame man
receiving strength in his ankle bones and feet which then caused to walk, leap
and praise God. The resultant episode sees Peter explaining this redemptive incident, with the ultimate result of an additional 5000 men believed, and
which caused the apostles to be dragged in before the religious authorities for questioning.
But back to Peter’s explanation of this wondrous miracle,
and let's see what we can learn about faith. Peter goes on in the same chapter, in verse
16, to say, ‘And on the faith of His name, this one whom you see and know was
made firm by His name, and the faith which came through Him gave to him
this complete soundness before you all.’ This is from the Literal Translation
of the Holy Bible version.
Notice that Peter nowhere in this explanation makes
any reference to himself, or to a faith which comes from him, Peter.
Peter locates this faith as originating solely from Jesus
Christ. This faith from Jesus Christ produced faith within Peter to have faith
on His name, which then produced this miracle. No wonder the NT writers were so
taken up by faith! Paul of course would be the apostle entrusted with the
gospel message to the Gentiles who would make the greatest contribution to the
understanding of faith from the Scriptures.
However, it is Peter who refers to this faith again in 2
Peter 1:1 as the ‘like precious faith obtained’ through the righteousness of
our God and Savior Jesus Christ. So this faith has absolutely nothing to do
with us or our worthiness or with anything we have done. This faith comes, as
Paul made it very clear in Romans 10:17, ‘So then faith comes by
hearing, and hearing by the word of God’
(EMTV).
It
is a gift! Refer to the Ephesian epistle, chapter 2, verse 8, ‘For by grace you
are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,’ (EMTV). This faith is ‘not of
ourselves, it is the gift of God.’
In
God’s Package of Salvation - His GPS to us – God has graciously included, as
part of the ‘new creation in Christ’, faith which enlivens the Holy Spirit
working in and through us, for His glory. This GPS comes with the preaching of
the gospel word with its center clearly focused on Christ, His person, His
life, His death on the cross, and His resurrection. This proclamation and
declaration constitute the good news of God’s kingdom. The preaching of this
good news of God’s kingdom coming through Christ produces, in a mysterious way,
in a miraculous way, ‘new birth’, the regeneration of our spirits, also
described as the ‘washing of the water of His word’, and ‘quickened by His
Spirit’, makes us, through the work of His Spirit, united with Christ in a new
creation. This new creation works by faith, and not by sight.
It
is therefore so crucial that preachers and pastors preach Christ, His life, His
death on the cross, His shed blood, and His resurrection. The message itself
contains power because the preaching is of Him, the Christ of God, who when
preached, produces a power within the elect to be quickened by His Spirit, and
to produce, in a gloriously mysterious yet wondrous way, the miracle of new
birth through union with Christ.
This
message, when preached under the anointing of the Holy Spirit from a
grace-filled heart itself, is used of God to bring a power of conviction and
faith as it is quickened by the Holy Spirit to call upon the name of the Lord
for salvation.
The
tragedy is that this awesome message is completely neglected in the preaching
ministry of the modern church and substituted with a preaching of various
topics, which though helpful, and certainly biblical, does not produce life.
Jesus Himself, in His running battles with the ‘Jews’, said in John’s gospel, John
5:39 You search the Scriptures, because
you think that in them you have eternal life; and these are they which testify
about Me. And in John 5:40 But you are
unwilling to come to Me, so that you may have life.
In
the meantime, the sheep are starved for true food, the bread which comes down
from heaven, Christ Himself. The sheep are fed all kinds of junk food, and when
the food of God’s word is given to them, it is not given to them within the
context of Christ and His finished work, and it drops on hard ground, or so it
seems to the preacher.
May
God recover the gospel of His Son, of His kingdom, of His truth into our lives,
and the life of the church!
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