1022 – Different Kinds of Faith 信心的种类

While the topic on faith is important, it has also brought about a lot of damage to the body of Christ because of the lack of definitions on the different kinds of faith mentioned in the Bible.

There are four different kinds of faith in a believer’s life.
1) Saving Faith – We believe in the gospel and respond in faith to be saved.
2) The fruit of faith – It is the ability to be faithful which is part of the fruit of the Spirit. It has to do with faithfulness.
3) General Faith – Every believer has it. We will continue to grow and develop our faith in God based on His word.
4) The gift of faith – It is a special supernatural faith but NOT every believer has it because it is given according to the Holy Spirit’s distribution of gifts. Even for those who have the gift of faith, it is not always in operation but is used at a particular time for a particular purpose/season for the benefit/profit of someone or the church.

John 20:25 (NKJV) The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” So he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”

Thomas represents a large group of people who need to see and feel the evidence before believing. If we need to see the manifestation of the promise or feel it with our senses, then faith is not required. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
In the general kind of faith, we need to exercise our faith by refusing to be moved by what we see or feel, but to stand solely on the Word of God that’s connected to God’s promise. We have faith because of a word of promise that is given to us by God or faith that is based on the redemptive work of Jesus Christ on the cross. The general faith will be able to get stronger when we exercise the faith based on what we have learnt from the Bible. BUT we are not to be foolish and presumptuous by operating beyond the abilities that He has given us, if what we are about to do needs a miracle!

However, the gift of faith is the ability to not look at the circumstances and have the ability to RECEIVE the miracle from God. The gift of faith is where God works through the person to work the miracle which he could not normally do. This faith is unlimited because God is the source!

The general faith is like a muscle that has to be exercised in order for it to get stronger to carry different loads. However, the gift of faith is like a forklift that has the ability to carry heavy loads without the need for exercise.

Sermon Series: CG Campaign – Spiritual Gifts Can Help Your Church Grow (Part 5)


信心的种类

尽管关于信心的课题很重要,但由于对圣经中提到的各种信心缺乏定义,也给基督的肢体带来了不少损害。

信徒生活中有四种不同的信心

1) 救恩的信心 — 我们相信福音,并以信心回应得蒙拯救。
2) 信心的果子 — 信实的能力是圣灵所结的果子之一。 这与信实有关。
3) 普遍信心——每个信徒都有。我们将以圣经为依据不断壮大和发展我们对上帝的信心。
4) 信心的恩赐——是一种特殊的超自然的信心,并非每个信徒都有,它是根据圣灵的恩赐分配给予的。即使对那些有信心的恩赐之人来说,它也不总是起作用,而是在特定的时间为了特定的目的、或是在特定的节期为了某人或教会的益处而使用。

约翰福音20:25 那些门徒就对他说:“我们已经看见主了。”多马却说:“我非看见他手上的钉痕,用指头探入那钉痕,又用手探入他的肋旁,我总不信。”

多马代表了一大批人,他们需要在相信之前看到和感受到证据。如果我们需要看见应许的显现,或者用我们的感官去感觉,那就不需要信心了。信是所望之事的实底,是未见之事的确据。

对于普遍的信心,我们需要通过拒绝因所见所感而动摇来操练我们的信心,惟独站立在与祂的应许相关的经文之上。我们有信心,是因为上帝给我们的应许,或是基于耶稣基督在十字架上救赎的工作。当我们按照圣经之所习来操练信心时,普遍的信心会变得更强大。但是,如果我们所要做的需要一个神迹时,我们就不应该犯蠢去不自量力地僭越祂所赐我们的能力来操作!

无论如何,信心的恩赐就是转眼不看环境的能力,以及从上帝那里领受奇迹的能力。信心的恩赐是上帝通过某人来做一些他通常做不到的奇迹。这信心是无限的,因为上帝是这信心的源泉!

普遍的信心就像肌肉,需要锻炼才能变得更强壮,以承受不同的负荷。而信心的恩赐则像叉车,可以不需要锻炼就能负重。

讲章系列:细胞小组活动 – 教会通过属灵恩赐得以成长 (5)