Spirit of Faith

There is an aspect of Christ’s character, which is so intrinsically Him, we seldom stop to gaze upon its individual beauty. The character of Christ exemplifies a spirit of faith. Indeed, as 2 Timothy 3:13 says, He is faithful simply because He cannot deny Himself. Yet the faith of Christ is of critical importance. In fact, it is the faith of Christ through which all spiritual blessings flow to humanity. Gazing on the fruit of Christ’s faith is a joyful endeavor.

Personal faith is also of utmost importance—and like the disciples and the father of the ill child, we should ask that our faith be increased. Faith is a gift we receive—part of the blessings Christ secured for us with His faith. We receive those blessings by exercising our faith in Him. The greater our faith, the more Christ’s work is appreciated and revealed!

We catch an early glimpse of Christ’s faith in His confidence in the divine plan of redemption. His faith propelled Him to exchange the glories of heaven for the dark turbulence of the fallen creation. Christ’s trust in the Father—the essence of trust—empowered Him to be unshaken from The Plan: God Himself would be born a baby—that He might die for His unfaithful creation. The entire purpose of His earthly life embraced suffering and sacrifice because of Jesus’ confident trust in the Godhead’s power and love. That faith was the foundation of His life and it is that faith which provides eternal, abundant life to those who believe.

The life of Christ evidences faith in every moment recorded. Complete reliance on the Father’s plan, power and purpose embodied the miracles and ministry of Jesus. From the Divine choice of an unwed teen mother to the cruel horror of crucifixion, Jesus obediently submitted to the sovereignty of the Father. It is that absolute trust which is the spirit of faith we are to emulate in our hearts.

Thankfully, the Father entrusted the “big” parts of His redemption plan to Jesus. While the majority of modern translations replace the phrase “faith of Christ” with “faith in Christ,” the KJV rendition offers a perspective that blesses me! In both Romans 3:22 and Philippians 3:9, we see that Believers receive the righteousness of God based on the faith of Christ. What a courage builder it is to recognize that God’s view of me rests upon the solidness of Jesus, not my sometimes-wobbly faith! Reading Galatians 2 (verses 16 & 20), I rejoice that my justification—that judicial acquittal which gives me life—is founded upon the faithfulness of Jesus. In fact, reading on into Chapter 3 (verse 22), I find that every promise of God is delivered by Jesus’ faith!

The unshakeable faith of Jesus is the believer’s confidence and example. The ‘little foxes’ of life are conquered by faith…as we exercise our faith, it grows. Faith is the propellant of action that fulfills the purposes of God. Let us rejoice in the foundation provided by Christ’s faith and march forward under His victory banner.