Did you ever think seriously about what Faith in Christ is really all about?
Is it just some comforting form of meditation that we rely on when things are tough or rejoice in when things are good?
Lets use a simple comparison to explain:
Faith in Christ is like a person standing on a sidewalk in front of a great stairway.
He's on the sidewalk (not a believer) looking up the stairway (to better things).
His first decision has to be "get on the stairway" or believe in Jesus Christ.
Most people will at some point come to that decision and either continue walking down the sidewalk content in their lives, or will decide by the calling of the Holy Spirit, that they will take the stairway, (put their faith in Christ), and take the first step.
Remember this is the first step, (the most important one), but after that there are many more. Like in Jacobs ladder. Starting at the earth and ascending all the way to heaven. So are the steps we are talking about.
What is the second step? Like a newborn babe it is feeding on the Word of God so that the new believer can be nourished.
Being that I believe that the Holy Spirit must illuminate the Scriptures and thereby guide in it's truth, then this is how we must be instructed in "the Way."
The third step, as the Spirit leads is baptism. As we read the Word we notice that there are two kinds of baptisms: Water and the "Holy Spirit". There is no points to argue here as to what comes first but both should be accomplished in a timely manner after "Faith in Christ" has taken place, otherwise questions in our struggles will plague us and weaken us as to the validity of our Faith. We want to go up the stairs not down.
The fourth step awaiting our rise is prayer: All prayers are heard of God but prayer takes on a new meaning and direction once step #3 has been taken. It becomes less selfish, broader, deeper, more passionate, and more effective. "Led of the Spirit." And like anything else "better with use." The more we pray the faster we become "entering into the spirit of prayer."
There are two types of prayer: (and that is Biblical whether you believe it or not, whether you experience it or not, in fact like it or not "you have nothing to say about it!), praying with your mind/heart and praying in the Spirit or tongues. Now there are two types of tongues: A prayer language "between you and God" (unknown by man) and a language that is not a prayer language for the "promotion of the Gospel" with two parts to that side. Some times a tongue is given to the one speaking (for the promotion of the Gospel), so that the hearers will understand and be enlightened to the Faith in Christ, and the other is the "anointing" that the hearers receives in his native tongue of the preaching of the Gospel from someone who doesn't know the language of the people he is preaching to.
So that step #4 covers all about and all the types of prayer. As we walk back and forth on step #4 we will begin to experience "spiritual awareness, praying without ceasing, and answer to prayers which will "increase our Faith" that will cause us to "grow in the faith and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ" daily.
The fifth step is: Growing in the "Revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ."
What does that mean??????
That means having a personal Revelation of Christ that continues to develop over the years which is an experiencing of His presence, personality and character in your life that continually "conforms you to His image and likeness." Remember that "I must decrease, He must increase." That's what the Revelation of Jesus Christ will, and must, accomplish in your "growing in grace and understanding of Him" in your life. Some people only want Faith in Christ as a "ticket to those streets of gold" but Faith in Him comes with a responsibility back to Him. He didn't die for our salvation to become a "get out of jail card" only. He gave us faith so that we could do as He did, "glorify our Father in heaven as He did, by "seeing the works He (Jesus) did and doing them also plus greater things". Again just to "Glorify our Father in Heaven." If we haven't been led by the Holy Spirit and haven't claimed that the Word of God is true and timeless, then we will not experience the promises of God in our life, and at some point we will look around and realize that we are no different than anyone else and begin to doubt that Christ and the Holy Spirit are worth following after. We are to be a "peculiar people, a royal priesthood." That happens when God bears witness to the Truth (the Gospel of Christ) with signs and wonders following the preaching of the Gospel. Whether you can acquiesce to that or not, in terms of Scripture it doesn't matter as you are the only one who looses in that scenario.
God's work will go on, (and has, just look around you), with or without your co-operation in the matter. Yes He will always love you but He can only use you if you believe and obey Him following His ways! The Scripture says "let God be true and every man a liar." Like it or not you and I are men and like it or not "we are liars." Scripture overrides all men's fables, teachings, preaching's, or whatever is taught or practiced that does not come clearly from Scripture. So if your church says there is no "baptism in the Holy Spirit" or the gifts no longer exist, or that all the ministry positions have been eliminated, then flee that church and get into the Word of God to know the Truth that sets free, before you go and try to find another place of worship.
Step #6 and upward: All these are a continuing of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, a deepening of the Love of Christ to others, a maturing (few do) into thought, words and deeds of Christ, and a deepening of the intimacy we have with our Father in Heaven, the Holy Spirit, and Jesus Christ.
Well there you have it in a small nutshell.
Hope it was of help to someone.
Remember that the Love of God is key in all this.
Grow in the Love of God and in the Lord Jesus Christ.
See you on that set of steps...........
Love
J&E