THE POTENCY OF FAITH AS SMALL AS A MUSTARD SEED

IN THE DAYS OF HIS POWER SERIES.

TOPIC: THE POTENCY OF FAITH AS SMALL AS A MUSTARD SEED

COMPILED/EDITED BY-:
Rev. Innocent Chukwudi Peace Udochukwu
President Living Fountain Ministries Int’l LIFOM

And He said to them…. “for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you” -Matthew 17:20

A mustard seed is about one to two millimeters in size. Yet, the brush can grow upwards of 20 to 30 feet tall and wide.

The picture the Lord painted for the disciples was one of hope! Our faith doesn’t need to be outwardly large to have a large impact.

The tiny mustard seed holds the potential of a 30-foot bush! A seemingly inconsequential speck of faith can move mountains!

Your faith is meant to grow and go! Just like a mustard seed! As we come into a new year and a new decade, I pray that you would see your faith would grow like a mustard seed and that you would be encouraged with fruit from your tiniest labors of love and faith!

In Luke 17:5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Show us how to increase our faith.”

Then The Lord answered, “If you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘May you be uprooted and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you!

Faith is of the utmost importance to a Christian. There is nothing of which we should have a greater and a more earnest concern than our faith. I shall endeavor to show you this from seven or eight reasons, and may God press them to your hearts and send them so home, that every one of us may become deeply anxious as to whether we have a real vital faith which unites us to the Lamb and brings salvation to our souls.

We ought; my friends, to be extremely careful of our faith—both of its rightness and of its strength, First of all: when we consider the position which faith occupies in salvation. Faith is the salvation-grace. We are not saved by love; but we are saved by grace, and we are saved by faith. We are not saved by courage, we are not saved by patience; but we are saved by faith. That is to say, God gives
his salvation to faith and not to any other virtue. It is nowhere written—he that loveth shall be saved. It is nowhere recorded—that a patient sinner shall be saved. But it is said, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.” Faith is the vital part of salvation. If a man lacks faith he lacks everything. “Without faith it is impossible to please God.” If a man has true faith—however little he has of any other virtue—that man is secure.

Without faith”—so God’s Word declares—”it is impossible to please God.” Faith is the saving grace—it is the connecting-link between the soul and Christ. Take that away and all is gone. Remove faith, you have sawn through the ship’s keel, and she must sink. Take away faith, you have taken away my shield and I must be slain. Remove faith, and Christian life becomes a nonentity: it is extinct at once, for “the just shall live by faith:”

HOW BIG SHOULD OUR FAITH BE?

By using this illustration to describe faith, Jesus is directing our attention, not to the quantity or strength of our faith, but to the object of our faith. Our faith is only as strong as the object in which its placed.

If our faith, even if it’s the size of a mustard seed, is placed in the all-powerful God, great things can happen. In The Gospel According to Matthew, Leon Morris says, “It is not necessary to have great faith; even a small faith is enough, as long as it is faith in the great God”

The Bible defines faith as a self-emptied, dependent assurance in God’s character and promises. The most famous biblical definition of faith is Hebrews 11:1: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

The content of that faith is clarified in verse 6: “…for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists [his character] and that he rewards those who seek him [his promises].”

Biblical faith has nothing to do with personal self-effort (Ephesians 2:8-9) and has no reliance on human strength and wisdom (1 Cor. 2:5). In other words, when we talk about biblical faith, all the strength and power come from the object of faith (God himself), not the “size” of faith—even a “mustard seed” faith will do.

“It is important to observe here that it is not the ‘amount’ of faith which brings the impossible within reach, but the power of God, which is available to even the ‘smallest’ faith.”
FAITH ALONE CAN KEEP A SOUL SEEKING AFTER CHRIST UNDER DISCOURAGEMENT. Other causes may send us a certain distance along the road, but only faith will bring us to the goal of assured rest.

Faith is so powerful because of its results. Faith enlightens, enlivens and strengthens. It is written of some of old that “They looked to him, and were enlightened.” Faith sheds a light upon many things, and lets us see that even if Christ has a frown on his face, he has love in his heart. Faith looks right into the heart of Christ, and helps us to perceive that he cannot mean anything but mercy for a seeking soul. Faith also enlivens, and when the heart begins to faint, faith brings its smelling salts, and revives it. David said, “I would have fainted, unless I had believed.” Believing is the cure for fainting, and you must do one of two things, either believe or faint. Faith is so a great help to one who is seeking Christ, because it both enlightens and enlivens the soul. Faith also strengthens. It makes the lame take the prey. Beloved, it is because faith so enlightens and enlivens and strengthens, that it is the grace most useful to a soul that is seeking to lay hold upon Christ, and yet cannot get a comforting look at his blessed face.

FAITH IS A GIFT FROM GOD
Faith in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior is an act of a single moment when you repented of your sin and accepted His forgiveness and yielded your life to Jesus Christ. That is saving Fatih! It is a gift from God!
Deciding that He is Who He said and that you will put your trust in Him!
But it is also an ongoing active trust in God that continues to grow and gain strength. This is a fruit of the Spirit that comes as a result of our union with Jesus.

Jesus supplies the Faith we need: It Always produces fruit! THE WORD!

Faith comes by the WORD of God! Therefore Grow intimate with the WORD, Jesus! and your faith will increase!

Having faith to believe the Word of God is the epitome of receiving the promises from Him. Hearing or reading the Word is beneficial just as water is for seed. We are reminded to make reading the Bible a habit. As we indulge in the Word, we are enlightened of who God is and how He is so mindful of us (Romans 10:17).

Our faith in God will reflect our actions toward others. A genuine relationship with God makes our heart overflow so we treat others just as Jesus would. This is faith in action, the application of what we believe in, reflecting Jesus in our lives so others would come to know Him as well. As we continue to seek Him, we become more like Him (Hebrews 11:6).

Living a life of faith means never knowing where you are being led. But it does mean loving and knowing the One who is leading. It is a life of faith, not of understanding and reason – a life of knowing Him who calls us to go (Hebrews 11:1).

Trusting the spoken Word of Jesus even if we are unsure of what is ahead is honored by God. A fully surrendered heart is what faith is about. We are in no doubt, confident and hopeful for we know that all of what God has spoken in our lives are true and shall come to pass. There may be times that we would have to wait but we are sure that if Jesus told it, it will happen (Luke 1:37).

Coming to know God entails us to completely surrender our lives and our hearts to the One who called us. Looking toward the things that we hope for in full confidence that the Lord will fulfill all His promises. Our vision is restored as we see that God is in full control of our lives, our plans, and our future (2 Corinthians 5:7).

As children of God, we can trust Him with all our hearts, even if we cannot understand or explain the situation we experience. It is best that in all times, God is included in everything that we do so that we can express our confidence in Him to lead us to the right path. It is living a life surrendered to God’s Will and plans (Proverbs 3:5-6).

What we fear the most is where we trust God the least. The things that keep us awake at night are the things that we are not trusting God to handle. What we fear the most shows us where we need to grow with God. And like a mustard seed, we take our time to grow our faith amid adversary and uncertainty.

Zechariah 4:10 (NLT) says “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin…” You may think that what you do for God may seem small and insignificant, but God rejoices in what is right, not necessarily in what is big. The size of your faith is far more important than the size of the job. Be faithful in the small opportunities. Begin where you are now and do what you can, trust, and leave the results to God.

Faith even as small as a mustard seed can enable us to do the impossible. However small a faith we have, as long as we trust and focus our eyes on the object of our faith, we can move mountains.

What mountain or problem are you facing today? Command it to move. Declare the victory that we already have over it in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. Even the smallest amount of genuine faith placed in Jesus Christ, the one true object of faith, results in great miracles happening in our lives. All of which are for the Glory of God.

SHALOM!

FOR MORE SPIRITUAL INSIGHT/PRAYER REQUESTS 🙏 PLEASE CONTACT US AT:

PHONE:
+2348033083732

EMAIL: revinnopeace@gmail.com

WEBSITES: www.rhemaproductionstv.com, www.rptvblog.com