Levels of Faith, Levels of Authority

Winter 2024 Table Talk

While driving to church this Sunday morning, Thing 3 asked, what is the difference between Faith and Mercy? In my mind, I said, where did that come from? It looks like someone has been following the lesson on FAITH! While I was about to answer and allow the priest of the house provide his perspective, Thing 2 quickly added- and how about the difference from Grace? Now you see why we needed a whole Winter study on the subject. Even with that, a sufficient answer to those two questions would require the help of the Holy Spirit. Faith is belief in something that makes one act in obedience. It is by Faith that we are saved. It is by Faith that we cry out to God in prayer, and we believe God will answer. Faith means that we believe in God, and we follow His instruction with actions. Faith is produced in works. The choice and decision made in the line of faith is works.

And I continued. Mercy, however, is when the outcome you receive is not according to the works that you have put in. Mercy is when the results is undeserving. Mercy is when the action you put in does not match up with the results. For example, you have an exam, and you did not study. You took the exam, and you knew you blew up on this test. Suddenly, the test results came out and you got a perfect score. You checked to confirm that it was actually your result. Then the professor said, because everyone messed up on the test, he decided to curve it. That is mercy- when the results you get is not because of the work you put in. For faith, you have to put in work to get a desirable outcome. For mercy, you put in a poor work but got an excellent outcome.

Before I describe Grace, let me share a little story. So, Thing 1 suddenly called out of the blues that a random $20 gift card was awarded to her because she signed up to read a book. Guess what, we dragged her to the family chamber and asked if she has even read this book and she said No! How come you got a gift for doing zero work? We all queried her. The mom in me felt like calling the teacher. Well, I advised her to finish the book so that she has something to share. Thing 2 quickly noted that this story was a clear example of Grace. Grace is receiving a desirable outcome without doing the work. A great example of Grace is salvation. Jesus paid it all, we only need to receive.

It is by Grace that you are saved through Faith. Ephesians 2:8-9 says For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

To be saved, you need faith. However, receiving the gift of salvation does not require any work, it comes by accepting that Jesus is God and by making God the subject of Faith. People have faith in several things- in self, other people, process, structure, institution, abilities, talents, skills, family, beauty, net worth, and other object that has the capacity to command respect, authorities or Trust. But the Faith that we will be discussing here is the Faith in God.

In the last article, we learnt that Faith is in levels. In Luke 9, a father appealed to Jesus to help cast out the devil from his only son, who had been tormented by demon. The man noted that he had brought the son to the disciples for deliverance but there was no change in the situation. Jesus scolded His friends- why are you so perverse? you of little faith. Specifically, Luke 9:41 stated “You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you and put up with you? Bring your son here". Then Jesus went ahead to cast the devil out of the son and the young lad became free afterwards.

There is little faith, and there are big faith. There is a faith that can move to the mountain. There is a faith that could stop the sun from setting.

Faith believed God for a son- Ruth 1.

Faith crossed the red sea- Exodus 14.

Faith hosted spies- (Rahab) Joshua

Faith walked on waters (Peter) Mathew 14

Faith believed a spoken word of healing- (The centurion)

The centurion believed that by just a spoken word, his servant can be made perfect. The Faith of the centurion was classified as a great faith (see Mathew 8:5-10).

Using the vision of Ezekiel, I described four levels of faith in a believer's life. Here is how I think about the Levels of Faith based on Ezekiel's vision and analogy in Chapter 47. He was taken into the temple and water was sipping through into the temple from under the right side of the temple, south of the altar. As he was walking into the temple, the angel was measuring the amount of water. Ezekiel was gauging it with his own body, the angel was measuring. At first the water was at his ankle. After a while, the water reached his knee, a while passed and the water was around his waist and then the last measurement, he could not hold himself because his body had lost balance because of the mass of the water. Water in the bible represent the word of God and sometimes the Spirit of God. While this vision can easily be likened to the move of the spirit of God, I would like to use this vision to draw the analogy of the four levels of Faith. Our relationship with God determines our level of Faith.

Everyone has been at the stage at different time. The levels of your faith will determine the level of your service and impacts in His kingdom. Faith says it is possible, Hope says it is possible for me, Love says it is possible for others. Without Faith it is impossible to please God for whoever comes to God must believe that He rewards those who diligently seek him. Your levels of faith depends on your relationship and your communion with the person of Jesus- the Holy Spirit. Like, I said, faith requires actions, either for yourself or for others. The level of faith will determine whether those instructions are for you or for others. Ability to understand God's instructions and know that God is the one telling you what to do takes some steps, process, a knowing. The question that comes to mind is How do we know? Let's discuss the stages of Faith.

Everyone starts at the Ankle faith

An ankle faith is unsure of the object of their belief. Sometimes you think of God, sometimes you think everything is God, sometimes they rely on self and think that the idea of a creator is impossible. Hope you no that everything is not God. An ankle faith is unstable. An ankle type of faith is a little faith.  And Little faith is restless. Little faith is immature. It is struggling. It is a laboring faith. It is a wrestling faith.  At this level, the balance is on you.

At this level, you rely on facts or what the motion decides on the topic. Everything is built around you. Ankle faith is self-driven. Ankle faith is self-focused. At the ankle level, your decisions and choices and action are based on what you can see with your physical eyes. At the ankle faith, you can easily opt out, you are not deep in the pool of His love. At the ankle faith, your relationship is superficial. at the ankle faith, we seem to have the look of Godliness but the power and the authority that relationship with God carries is missing. Every one of us have been at this level. The truth is God's mercy reaches out to little faith and we get answers to prayers, even when those prayers are selfish.

Knee Faith- Potential Faith

Think of the Levels of faith like you are in a pool of water. Imagine a water at your knee, how likely are you going to lose control and get drown? For me, I would say not too likely. A water that reaches your knee can't drown you. A faith that is at this low level is a potential for growth, for change and for increase. At the knee faith, your faith is beginning to mature.

At the knee faith, you know of God's power, although you still struggle on how to make that power avail for you. A knee faith can still be distracted. A knee faith can also look on the circumstances. A knee faith is sometimes afraid. A knee faith would ask God for signs. A knee faith would say how can it be? A knee faith many times believe in God for the possible but find it hard to believe God for the impossible. At this level, you are in between. At this level, your faith is compartmentalized. A knee faith has hope- they believe God for self but unsure of that grace to help deliver others. Let me be bold to say, this faith, knees at the cross. They are now in the learning stage of who they are in Christ.

Waist Faith- Service Faith

From Ezekiel vision, we noted four levels of growth which corresponds to the levels of Faith in a believer. The levels of faith also determines the extent of your service to others. With an ankle faith, it is difficult to save someone who is drowning. A waist faith is stable, but not always.

A waist faith is maturing. A waist faith is able to drag others into the outcome of their faith. Like Rahab in Joshua 2, she believed, she confessed the God of Israel as the one who is able to deliver His people. In addition, she was able to leverage that faith to negotiate the deliverance of her family. A waist faith act based on knowing. A waist faith may not necessarily have their own given promise but can rely on what Yeshua had spoken, did, and use that belief for their own result. With a knee faith, you might be able to call for the Lifeguard's attention to come help and save someone who is drowning. With a waist faith, you might be able to drag them out of the situation. But you need to be able to dive and swim to save someone who is drowning.

Great Faith

Jesus called a Faith that believed solely on His word as great Faith! A faith that follows closely like Enoch, a faith that drowns in His word like Peter, a faith that obeys His instructions without question like Abraham. Great faith is counter intuitive. Great is non-sensible. Great faith is drowned in dependence solely on God- nothing else.

Great faith is partnering with God for every step, at every season, for every situation and for any season. Great faith does not ask question even when the promise or instruction does not make sense or looks so possible. Great faith moves based on God's instruction. It is a No question asked arrangement. It is a faith that steps out of the known to the unknown, only to birth a nation. It is a faith that follows a simple command and step out of the boat, only to be the only Peter to walk on water. It is a faith that says not my will, but your will be Done- only to rise up after three days and now our Messiah the King- Jesus.

Even God had faith in Jesus, and Jesus equally had faith in God- that in putting down His life, He will have it again. Without Faith, It is impossible to please God. Every Faith Level has a potential for growth, as the just shall Live by Faith.

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Here are some Application Questions: Hebrews 11, Genesis 12

1. By Faith Abraham was told, why did Abraham get this message?

2. Why was Abraham selected to receive this promise?

3. How was Abraham able to know that God was talking?

4. How do you recognize the difference between conversation, instructions, directions and a command? 

5. What are promises?  

6. How do people get to a point that they get a promise?

7. What makes Abram privy to God’s promises?