Seeking Jesus First Jan. 14, 2025
How does our faith increase?
“… but having hope, that as your faith is increased, we shall be greatly enlarged by you in our sphere,” (2 Corinthians 10:15, NKJV)
“And the apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.” So the Lord said, “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.” (Luke 17:5–6, NKJV)
Can faith increase? If it starts as a mustard seed, then Yes it can grow. It just has to be planted, nourished and cultivated through hearing, believing and doing God’s word.
“For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.” (Romans 12:3, NKJV)
Everyone is give a measure of faith. It comes from God through His word and His Spirit. It is the faith of God that is birthed in us through hearing God’s word. It starts as a mustard seed and it is sown in our hearts. The word of God is not one word or one seed. It is many words that make up the entire word of God, just as there are many individuals who make up the body of Christ.
Every word of God is a seed. Every promise of God is a seed. Therefore, my faith increases through experience with sowing and reaping God’s word. The more of God’s word that I hear and receive, believe in my heart and speak with my mouth, and obey and “walk in” or “live by”, the more faith I will have. It all starts with faith in Christ Jesus as the Son of God who died and rose again. Then it grows as we fellowship with the word of God through His Holy Spirit.
Think about the word being a seed. Imagine that I get a packet of seeds and plant them in my backyard and they do not produce any fruit. Is it the store’s fault? Is it the seed’s fault? Why would the seed not produce fruit if it is good seed? Jesus talks about three bad conditions and one good condition in Mark 4. Focus on the good result. The seed of God’s word that is planted in good ground produces some 30, some 60 and some 100 fold. If you are planting God’s word in your life and it is not producing like that then sit down with The word and The Holy Spirit and let God plow the soil of your heart until it is good ground.