Principles of Faith
When the Bible says that all things are possible with God, we say, "Of course. He's God." We relate easily to the idea. But when the Bible says, "Everything is possible for him who believes," (Mark 9:23), we're not so sure. That puts the onus more on us. It's no longer about us waiting for God to do something, but apparently something we can initiate. It's something we choose to do or choose not to do. We activate faith. There are faith principles that we can learn and use.
This is very liberating, yet also troublesome, and raises a number of pastoral issues. If we're not experiencing as much blessing as we'd like, or as much as others seem to enjoy, does that mean it's because we're not using these principles of faith correctly? Is our negative experience our own fault? This idea can place people under a great burden of condemnation and a tremendous pressure to perform. Or do unwelcome things sometimes happen to us in spite of our faith? These pastoral concerns are real. Sometimes, for all our faith, we experience a reversal, and we have to acknowledge that. But we cannot let these times stop us from learning and operating in the principles of faith that the Bible teaches.
In the powerful "Principles of Faith" Series, George Alexander takes a fresh look at what the Bible teaches in this area.
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