Scripture: “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” – Romans 10:17
Examination: Paul is explaining the process of salvation to the believers in Rome and the importance of sharing the gospel message.
Application: If I were going to categorize faith, I would give it three distinct tiers that would correspond to three specific stages of one’s spiritual life.
The first tier of faith begins on the day of salvation. This stage is characterized by incredible excitement and perhaps even an overwhelming desire to share the gospel message with anyone who will listen. Isaiah 61:10 explains the joy, “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation.” After I was saved, I spent hours telling my parents about Jesus. As a pre-teen, I had no filter, and what came out of my mouth was straight from my heart. I went to church as often as I could, but I had no real guidance as neither of my parents were saved, and there was no one at church to help me navigate the next step in my faith. I was like a flame that initially bursts into existence with a brilliant intensity, but then quickly dies to a glowing ember. The fire was never extinguished, but it was never fed to become a substantial blaze.
The second tier of faith begins with those smoldering embers and lasts until something or someone comes along to fan those glowing coals into a substantial fire. For me, this was the stage in which I remained the longest. My second tier of faith began in my late teens and lasted well into my years of career, marriage, and raising a family. It was a time when I went through a lot of the expected behaviors associated with faith, but my personal growth was superficial. Hebrews 5:13 compares this tier to a baby who can only tolerate milk. “For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.” While I did learn of biblical things, the deeper meanings were foreign to me. I made sure my family was in church, and together with my husband, we served faithfully in several church ministries. I reached a certain point in my spiritual growth, but I did not take the initiative nor feel it was necessary to explore deeper spiritual issues on my own.
The third tier begins when an individual takes it upon themselves to delve deeper into the Word of God. My third stage of faith began when I started to really ask questions about the Bible and take the time to study the Scriptures for answers. Combining what I was gleaning from church with my own in-depth study of the Scriptures poured more fuel onto the fire of my faith and created a blaze within my soul that continues to grow. 2 Timothy 2:15 states, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” As the flames of my faith are fed with a dedicated time of Bible study and prayer, church attendance, fellowship with other believers, the Spirit of God will continually stoke my fire of faith as it burns within me, growing more and more until that final day when my faith will become sight.
I have learned that we must never lead someone to Christ and then expect them to continue their spiritual journey on their own. Jesus gave Christians a responsibility in Matthew 28:20, “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” His teachings went far beyond repentance and salvation; He taught us how to worship, how to live righteously, how to love one another, etc. Salvation is more than reciting the “sinner’s prayer”. It is the beginning of an incredible journey through life with the Lord Jesus Christ as one’s companion that requires nurturing, guidance, explanations, and solid teachings from the Bible and help from mature Christians in order for faith to continue its development.
Remember, just as a fire requires three elements to grow: a flame, oxygen, and a flammable substance, so it is the same for faith. A relationship with God, a relationship with other believers, and personal time in the Word of God are critical to move one’s faith from a waning flicker to a roaring inferno! May we never douse the flames of faith, but stoke them to burn brighter and brighter until Jesus comes!
Memory Verse: “And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?” – Luke 24:32
Stretching your thoughts:
- In what tier of faith do you find yourself now?
- What can you commit to in order to help your faith grow more?
Burn in me, fire of God, burn till my heart is pure;
Burn till your life shines out in me, steadfast and strong and sure.
Burn in me, fire of God, spare not for price nor pain;
Burn till all dross of earth consume, only your gold remain.
Burn in me, fire of God, burn till your eyes can see
Jesus' own image, strong and sure, formed by your grace in me!
(from “Burn in Me, Fire of God” by Margaret Clarkson)