In Mark 11:22, Jesus said to His disciples to have faith in God. Why is it so important to have faith in God? If you have faith in God, you can move mountains and shall have what you say. But how to have faith in God? What must you do to have faith in God according to the Bible?
Peter and John had faith in Jesus Christ and went in His authority
In a previous blog post, the story of the lame man was discussed. The lame man was brought daily to the Temple and asked for alms to the people. When Peter and John passed by, the lame man asked them for alms. But instead of alms, the lame man received healing.
When Peter spoke to the people about the healing of the lame man, Peter told the people, that this man was healed by faith in the Name of Jesus.
Ordinary people, who had laid down their lives
Peter, John, and the other disciples had spent much time with Jesus. They were together with Jesus on a daily basis. Therefore they got to know Jesus Christ and the will of God. The disciples were no scholars, but they were ordinary men, who were willing to lay down their lives and follow Jesus.
Jesus taught them daily about the Kingdom of God, whereby their mind was renewed with the words of God.
Even though the disciples were still the old creation, who belonged to the faithless generation and walked after the flesh and could not understand the things about the Kingdom of God, they still remembered everything Jesus had taught and commanded them.
When the disciples received the baptism with the Holy Spirit, they became born again in the spirit.
Their spirit was raised from the dead and became alive, by the power of the Holy Spirit. They received the Holy Spirit inside of them. When they received the Holy Spirit, they received God’s nature.
They became a new creation, who would no longer walk after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
All the teachings of Jesus became clear to the disciples. With a renewed mind, they were ready to go into the world in the Name of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit and fulfill the great commission that Jesus gave them (and all believers) in Matthew 28:19-20, Mark 16:15-18, and Luke 24:47-49.
The disciples obeyed the words and commandments of Jesus and went out in His Name. They came in the Name of Jesus in His authority everywhere they went. The disciples did everything they had seen Jesus do.
They dedicated their whole lives to Jesus. Their relationship with Jesus didn’t end on Ascension Day. But they were in constant communion with each other through the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ was living in them, and they were living in Him.
Jesus had faith in God
And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen (Matthew 28:18-20)
Before all power in heaven and on earth was given to Jesus, God had all power. Jesus came to the earth in the Name of God; in the Name of His Father, which means in His stead and His authority (power). All the works Jesus did, He did in the Name of God.
I am come in My Father’s Name, and ye receive Me not:if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive (John 5:43)
The works that I do in My Father’s Name, they bear witness of Me (John 10:25)
Jesus had spent much time with His Father in heaven and on earth.
During the nights, while everyone was sleeping Jesus spent time with His Father. Because Jesus spent much time with His Father, Jesus knew His Father thoroughly; they were One.
Jesus had faith in His Father, because Jesus knew His Father and His will. He had heard His Father speak and had seen His Father do many signs and wonders, which are written in the Old Testament. Jesus did the same things, as He had seen His Father do:
Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He seeth the Father do: for what things soever He doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth Him all things that Himself doeth: and He will shew Him greater works than these, that ye may marvel. (John 5:19.20)
Jesus spoke and taught with authority and did all these signs and wonders because Jesus had faith in God.
Why it’s so important to have faith in God?
And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. (Mark 11:22)
Why is it so important to have faith in God? When you have faith in God, then all things are possible. If you have faith in God; faith in Who He is and faith in His authority and power, and don’t doubt in your heart, you can move mountains. Because you believe that what you say (which is according to the will of God) will come to pass.
Jesus did many signs and wonders, because Jesus had faith in God. He believed in God because He knew, who God was and knew His will.
Jesus had spent time with His Father and walked in the will of His Father. Jesus knew exactly, what pleased His Father and what didn’t please His Father.
The disciples knew Jesus because they had spent time with Him. They had given up their own lives and their will and did the will of Jesus because they loved Jesus.
Because they knew Jesus, they had faith in Jesus. Therefore they also spoke the words of God with authority and the same signs and wonders as Jesus followed them. They did everything, that they had seen Jesus do. Just like Jesus did everything that He had seen His Father do.
How to have faith in the Name of God?
How can you walk like Jesus, as the new creation? By spending time with Jesus; the Word and getting to know Jesus. Through the Word, you will get to know God the Father.
When you get to know God, through His Word, you will get to know His will and read about His mighty works. By getting to know God, you shall be able to trust God. You will not only learn to trust God, but you will also believe God. When you believe God, you shall have faith in God.
Faith has everything to do with trust. You can’t trust someone without getting to know the person.
Believe in Jesus Christ
When you heard about the redemptive work of Jesus Christ on the cross, His blood, and His resurrection from the dead, you believed it. You believed in the Name of Jesus, that’s how it all started.
When you repented and gave your life to Jesus, you only knew Him, on the basis of one work; the work at the cross. After your repentance and acceptance of Jesus, as your Savior and Lord, it was time to get to know Him, by spending time with Him; the Word. Because you only get to know Him by reading and studying the Bible (God’s Word) and by spending time in prayer.
You can’t get to know someone, by not spending time with that person. When you get to know someone, but don’t spend much time together, then you think you know the person, but the truth is, that you don’t know this person at all.
You will create a character of that person, according to your character, will, and heart desires. You will create an imaginary image of that person. (Read also: ‘A counterfeit Jesus produces counterfeit Christians)
Many children have imaginary friends
Look at children. How many children have imaginary friends? This can be a doll, a soft animal, a person, who they created in their mind, or… you name it. This imaginary friend is for children a reality. They think that this friend really exists. But the truth is, that this friend is not real but a fantasy. They have created a fantasy according to their needs and desires.
There are many people, who have created their own image of Jesus, and God, without getting to know Them through the Word. The image of Jesus and God is therefore surreal. They think it is real, but the truth is that it is not.
How to have faith in God?
There is only one way to get to know Jesus Christ and God the Father and that is through God’s Word; the Bible. There is no other way. When you get to know Jesus, you will get to know God the Father. By getting to know God, you will be able to trust God and have faith in God.
‘Be the salt of the earth’