The Test of Faith: New Experiences

The Test Of Our Faith

Jesus Walking on the Sea

“And about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them, but when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out”
Mark 6:48-49

At times there are ways of seeing Him that defies all logic. These experiences exceed all our concepts of Him, our limited understanding, and can be unnerving. The passage above says He would have passed the disciples by but, though frightened, they cried out to Him.

How often do we allow Him to “pass by ” simply because our theology cannot embrace His unveiling? How many have “judged themselves unworthy” (Acts 13:46) of His further revelations? Please read carefully Acts 11:4-18.

It is thrilling to see the faith moving within Peter at the sight of Jesus: “Lord if it be Thou, bid me to come”. True living faith will always identify with what God is doing (present tense) and will move us to step out of our current circumstances to walk in that new thing.

The Preaching of Christ unto His Own

In the Book of Acts Paul and Barnabas preached Christ to the Jews, “proving by the scriptures”* that He was the fulfillment of God’s promises. In their unbelief and rebellion, the Gospel of grace passed them by and was preached to the nations.

“Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.”
Acts 13:46

Throughout the history of God with His people there has been the pleading and the exhortations unto them to move forward in His unveiling wonder

“Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it?”
Isaiah 43:18-19

Whether it be the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, the outreach of Christ within us to the world, or a “new thing” into which God would move each of us, the Word of the Lord is ever: “Today if ye will hear my voice, harden not your hearts”!

“We always ought to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as it is fitting, because your faith increases greatly…”
2 Thessalonians 1:3 (LSV)

Faith is ever-progressive. The Spirit’s cry echoes throughout time, “let us go on”.

“Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ,
let us go on…”
Hebrews 6:1

*NOTE – “Proving by the scriptures” must be the touchstone of any new experience in God. Sensationalism and behaviors incongruent with the Holiness and order of God are false and are to be rejected as works of the flesh and worse. Nevertheless, the wonder of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and the manifestations of the Spirit of God are to be evidenced through the lives of every believer as both the Old and New Testaments readily show. It is unthinkable that men would teach cessation concerning the gifts and truths of Christ.

“But the manifestation of the Spirit
is given to every man to profit withal”
1 Corinthians 12:7

Living faith embraces the entirety of God’s word. A faith that rests in the teachings of men rather than the Word of God will inevitably fall short of His intent.

See Related Post: Neglect

Brian Troxel