The God Kind of Faith

“And answering Jesus said to them, Have faith of God.” (Mark 11:22)

Coming out of Bethany, Jesus was hungry and looked for figs on a fig tree. He cursed the fig tree because it didn’t have fruit on it. (Mark 11:12-14) Going out of Jerusalem Jesus and His disciples passed the fig tree that Jesus had cursed. It was withered and dried from the roots up. Jesus answers their surprise. (Mark 11:20-22) The King James translation translated it “Have faith in God,” the Modern King James translation is closer to the translations in the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, Persic, and Ethiopic versions which reads, “Have the faith of God” or the God kind of faith.

What is the God kind of faith? It’s the kind of faith that believes all things are possible if we believe. “Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.” (Mark 9:23) This was the kind of faith that was needed to heal a boy with an unclean spirit. The God kind of faith can move mountains. “Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.” (Matthew 21:21) It’s faith that goes beyond the natural. “And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.” (Luke17:6)

There is a misunderstanding of faith that moves mountains. Most people ascent to the Word of God, but in their hearts do not believe.  How is that possible?  It may be that they don’t believe they have that kind of faith. But the problem is that they are placing their faith on their own faith. But it’s not faith in their faith that moves mountains and does the impossible. It’s faith in God being able to do it. Can you see how when we realize that it’s faith in our God to do the miraculous that moves mountains that our faith soars.

Our spiritual life depends on faith. It’s faith in Jesus, what Jesus said about light, life and eternity. It’s faith in what Jesus said about salvation, forgiveness and eternal life. Our very salvation is based on faith. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9) It’s God’s undeserved favor and our faith in His gift that saves us. Without faith we cannot be saved. “But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6)

The Word of God gives us an example of what happens when we don’t believe. The Israelites were to possess the Promised Land. God had promised it to them. When the twelve spies returned, all but two gave a bad report. Fear and doubt gripped the people. God was so angry, He did not allow them to enter the Promised Land. (Numbers 13:1-14:24) They wandered in the desert for forty years until that generation died. Does the punishment seem harsh? Can you imagine how insulting that was to the Lord? They didn’t have faith that God would see to it that they would possess what He had promised to them. God’s verdict was just. “Because all those men which have seen My glory, and My miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted Me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to My voice; Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked Me see it: But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it.” (Numbers 14:22-24)

To sum up, faith pleases God. It’s not faith in us to believe, but faith in God’s ability and willingness to move. This faith comes from hearing and reading the Word of God. “Then faith is of hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” (Romans 10:17) The more we know our God, the more we will believe in His ableness and willingness to move mountains.