“[That you may really come] to know [practically,through experience for yourselves] …”
(Eph. 3:19a, AB)
In the previous teaching we set out to formulate a definition of the term faith that is based on the Word, to get to an understanding of the true agents of change in the believer’s life. Explaining faith as a title act (from the Amplified Bible) makes this understanding very clear. From the Hebrew history of the concept we found the remarkable fact that the word faith is strictly speaking only found once in the entire Old Testament, in Hab. 2:4b: “But the just shall live by his faith”.
The centrality of this prophetic Scripture in the Old Testament is further emphasised by the fact that it is quoted verbatim by the apostles three times, as well as being paraphrased a number of times. This Scripture does indeed count as one of the most important foundation Scriptures of the entire Bible. We then also found that the English etymology of the word faith is the Sanskrit root “to unite,” “to bind.”
In his amazing book Jesus: A New Vision, Spirit, Culture and the Life of Discipleship, Marcus S. Borg point out the misunderstanding that exists between two different perspectives on the concept of faith. Most people think that faith is only about whether you believe in the existence of God and of what you believe of Him, in other words it is to a large extent only dogmatic, intellectual knowledge about Him.
Borg however argues that faith should rather be seen as being about the believer’s relationship with God, or rather: faith as our heart’s and life’s response in “trusting in God”.
What may thus initially seem like James is radically disagreeing with Paul in this matter (in James 2:14-26) becomes clearer within this perspective. Have a look at how conflicting it seems when we place the remarks made by the two apostles in comparison:
- Paul: “For by grace you have been saved through faith …” (Eph. 2:8a);
- James: “What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?” (James 2:14b)
It is also true that Jesus himself consistently used Paul’s version of the phrase: “your faith has made you well” (Matt. 9:22; Mark 5:34; 10:52; Luke 7:50; 8:48; 17:19; 18:42). But what James is actually referring to is not actually faith as knowledge, but active faith in the workings of God. Therefore we find that the Amplified Bible consistently translates the active verb of faith (to believe) as “trust in and rely on Him and adhere to Him”. James uses one of the largest theological facts to make his argument. In his reference to Deut. 6:4, “’Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one,’” he says the following: “You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!” (James 2:19).
Within its original meaning faith is primarily not concerned with WHAT you believe, but with the fact THAT you actively believe, thus becoming an integrated worker of God, this practical faith binding you into everything God wants to make manifest through you. We find a beautiful rendering of this in Eph. 3:19 (AB): “[That you may really come] to know [practically, through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge [without experience]; that you may be filled [through all your being] unto all the fullness of God [may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself]!” Remember that the word faith originates from the Sanskrit root which means to unite,” “to bind.”
This is not mere knowledge of faith, but instead an experience of faith – it binds you to God, unites you with Him, and then releases the working of faith. It brings us to the next principle that works WITHIN us, the knowledge that faith works through love (Gal. 5:6).
At this point we have identified three spiritual principles that WORK WITHIN BELIEVERS:
- the working of the Word
- the working of grace
- the working of faith
[An aside: It is important to emphasise that faith only works through love. We have already pointed out that the two terms are always irrevocably bound together – faith, love and hope are after all the three anchors of the Christian faith (2 Cor. 13:13). We are again and again told that the love of God should be WITHIN us, in for instance the following passages:
- John 5:42 – “But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you.”
- John 15:9 – ““As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.”
- John 15:10a – “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love …”
- John 17:26 – “And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”
- 3:17 – “that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love …”
- 1 John 4:12b – “If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.”
- 1 John 4:16b – “God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him”.
- Jude 1:20-21 – “But you, beloved … keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life”.
This is obviously only possible based on Rom. 5:5: “Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” Take note: the love of God was already completely poured out when you were baptised with the Holy Spirit. As born-again believer you thus already have access to the fullness of Him who has been defined by and consists of love, as 1 John 4:8 and 16 argues. The fact that it may not be manifesting in your life merely means that there is some instance of the carnal mind holding you back. Please selah about this – we’ll return to it later.]
Please do not lose sight of the greater context of our discussion thus far – we are still discussing the working of grace in believers, and in order to do this we need to examine a number of concepts that are linked to grace. We started with hope, and we’re currently discussing faith, and have found out that faith is also a spiritual principle that works within us. Our goal is still to examine the true agents of change in the lives of believers.
- Selah: Explain to someone what the word hope
- Read: 1 Kings 15:25 – 1 Kings 19, and 2 Chr. 17.
- Memorise: 1 Kings 19:11-12.
