FOOD FOR TEENS: A Crash Course On Faith

Hello my beloved teens, welcome to another month of God’s favour and prosperity. I hope you are growing in the knowledge of God? This month I want to share with you something I titled “A Crash Course on Faith” 

We know as believers that faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen according to Hebrews 11:1, but sometimes this definition muddle up the true meaning of faith, let us look at this definition from Young’s Literal Translation, Hebrews 11:1, “And faith is of things hoped for a confidence, of matters not seen, a conviction.” I love this definition because of the four keywords used to spell out faith: hope and confidence, matters unseen and conviction. 

You must agree with me that faith is one of the three major keys of the Christian faith and without which we cannot please God (Hebrews 11:6). Now let’s look at the different parts of the definition of faith according to Hebrews 11:1(YLT). 

Stage 1: Things hoped for; whenever you need you faith to scale an obstacle, you must understand that the very first step of faith is hope. At this point, you declare what you the outcome of that situation should be according to God’s word and Romans 8:24, “for we are saved by hope: for what a man seeth why doth he yet hope for?” You don’t see any obvious way out of that situation but you must always deliberately see the outcome you desire through God’s word. For example a person is sick in his body and needs to activate healing; he takes the word of God according to 1st Peter 2:24 that by the stripes of Jesus I were healed, these words on their own are powerful enough to create the healing but at this point the individual must begin to build a mental picture of a positive outcome through the word of God. Romans 4:18a, “who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations.” Our father Abraham first believed in hope which led to the second part. 

Stage 2: Confidence; To further explain the movement from hope to confidence the keyword is the word of God, Romans 10:17 tells us, “faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God.” When we activate our faith concerning a particular situation, we are like an empty vacuum but as we by our mustard seed faith begin to speak God’s word concerning that situation in hope, what happens is that we are being filled with the reality of God’s power and ability concerning that problem and confidence is built up in us, this is a step further than hope, that is why proverbs 3:26 tells us that, “For the Lord shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.” At this point of confidence, fear is taken destroyed concerning that situation which is why Philippians 1:28 says, “And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God.” This is the confidence we take to the place of prayers; Hebrews 4:16, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” This is exactly what 1st John 5:14 was also saying, “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us.” (However a lot of problems usually give way at this stage of walking by faith but not all the time, especially when it pertains to personal health. At the point of confidently thanking God, there is manifestation of the power of God in that particular situation, which is why Hebrews 3:14 tells us that, “For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end.” But there are cases where you require more faith to solve the problem which is why Jesus Christ told His disciples that this type goeth not out except by prayer and fasting). Our confidence drives us to our place of prayer which leads to the next stage. 

Stage 3: In Matter not seen; in our place of prayers, especially when we pray in the Holy Ghost; God opens our spiritual eyes and ears to understand that which He plans to manifest in the physical as the final outcome of the situation, this is the point where specific instructions are issued out by the Holy Ghost concerning that situation and these instructions usually come with deep rooted spiritual references and understanding, at this place, a lot begin to connect together, this was why Jesus was always knew what to do and how to do it during His earthly ministry, this was why He stood before Lazarus’ grave He said in John11:42a, “I knew that thou hearest me always.” This leads to the next stage. 

Stage 4: Conviction: It is at this point that you see men display actions that one would otherwise shiver to even contemplate. It is at this point where manifestation becomes a must, the instructions, directions and experience encounted in the place of prayers (spirit) begin to play out in the physical 

Conviction always leads to faith actions which lead to manifestations. Typical example is Jesus and Peter walking on water. Stage one in the midst of the storm, Jesus reveals Himself to them giving them hope, Peter taking his hope further spoke confidently to Jesus telling Him, if it be you, bid me come, this is the place of prayers which then led to Jesus bidding him (Peter) to come (specific instruction). I am sure as soon as Jesus told Peter to come; Matthew 11:28, “Come unto me all ye that labour and heavy laden, and I will give you rest” came alive in his heart and Peter walked on water due to that conviction he received through the instruction of Christ. (Matthew 14:24-33) 

But as we know through this story, that with our confidence and conviction we must be patient and keep our eyes on Jesus until He perfects that which He has started. This is the way to always overcome and win by faith in every situation. 

May God bless you as you keep walking by faith and not by sight. See you next month. God bless you