Author:
Apostle Paul Odendaal
Paul serves as a called and confirmed Apostle in the restored government of God, and he is an IDCCST Spiritual Life Coach. Apostle Paul helps you break the cycle of falling short of faith’s potential with new discipleship instruction. View my profile.
I recently watched an animation movie with my daughters and in the movie an old man said to a young man, “to understand this book and the power of the song that is found in the book one needs to have faith.” The young man replied, saying: “I have many questions, and doubt some things.” To this, the old man replied, “You have more faith than what you think, for faith needs questions to grow….”
This made me think of how God designed man to reason in faith by resourcing His knowledge for wisdom. “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD…” (Isaiah 1:18) “… for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.” (1 Samuel 2:3) So one could say, yes, faith needs questions; but the more important consideration is, what questions are prompted by faith?
When doubt and uncertainty rules in the mind, the natural man fights and reasons with logic to resolve the unrest in the soul. Many man-made philosophies and doctrines have created a perception of God wherein God is sought to resolve the inner conflicts experienced. But God designed reason for faith to resource His holy knowledge in following the due process of His covenant to know Him, and serve Him; which obedience results in experiencing the powers of His peace and rest. In contrast, the mind under the rule of false knowledge strives for equity and peace; desiring to rid itself of doubt and double mindedness, yet the result is to sink deeper rather than to rise above.
The Battlefield Matters
The battle of the mind is common to man, but without the right instruction it ends up fought on the wrong battlefield (the flesh), where question after question is asked and frustration upon frustration is felt as the kingdom resourced for results cannot bring the desired peace strived for. Doubt, fear, guilt, and shame follow when the questions center on the resolve of earthly circumstances and confirmation of carnal aspirations. When the knowledge used for reason centers on man, the result felt in the soul lacks the substance of Christ and therefore will frustrate the soul.
But by the needful instruction of faith in the apostles’ doctrine, the battle shifts away from the flesh and onto the battlefield of faith where Jesus has already equipped our victory. The questions that are prompted by faith are then shown to not be motivated by the drive for resolve, but rather the choice to know and serve God. Different goals pursued, different questions asked, different knowledge resourced, different outcome gained. God requires a covenant relationship where truth (the doctrine of Christ) separates the soul from the draw of false knowledge; bringing it into the care of God.
As everyone faces conflicts and contradictions in this time when God’s judgments are clear and evident all around the world, His mercy is reserved for those who come into His covenant and learn how to serve Him by the standard He set in Jesus Christ.
John 4:22-23
22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.
23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
His Spirit, His Truth
The experience of believers who lack apostolic instruction in the terms and function of Jesus’ new covenant (whereby to rightly worship God in Spirit and in truth), will always fall short of the fullness of Christ desired. Instead, emotional comfort is sought in the witness of others, and attempts are made to build a relationship with God based upon personal experience accompanied by confirmation sought in precept of scripture. Instead of the substance of Christ, what results, is only the testimony of man.
What changes when the transition is made into the covenant Jesus provided by His blood for our sanctified union with God (IN Spirit and IN truth)? For starters, we no longer give ourselves over to the natural line of questions presented to the mind in times of contradiction, but weigh our thoughts to construct questions that direct reason in service of faith’s increase. Questions prompted by faith resources the holy knowledge (truth) to which the Holy Spirit is given to bear witness. Thus, our questions center on building with the anointing, our questions do not strive against circumstances and judgments, but as truth replaces the logic of man, there is agreement and equity with God.
When faith reasons with grace it’s not under the spell of the logic of man, but it’s under the power of God’s divine wisdom, knowledge and understanding through Christ. Under this divine power, God brings temperance to the desire to control circumstances and pursue aspirations (for the false promise of honor and equity in the flesh). God creates new appetites and new desires that focus on fruit bearing for His Kingdom. Those who worship God in Spirit and in truth function with holy knowledge; and His knowledge provides direction for faith to continually reason with grace and not wonder and struggle for resolve.
Faith Seeks God’s Face
Believers who honor God in obedience to His covenant have continual free access to the grace of God, and His provision of supporting powers to assist in the transitioning process from natural thinkers unto spiritual thinkers. Our questions then center on building with the anointing and submitting to the righteous judgment of God, as we gain the mind of Christ through reason of faith.
So, yes, questions do assist faith’s growth, but without the right knowledge, faith has nothing divine to reason with.
God’s desire for those seeking Him is that their faith would bring forth righteous fruit through the due order of covenant contact with Him, and not struggle for peace and security with temporal things.
Coming into covenant with God is undoubtedly the most important decision that anyone that truly desires to know and please God can make. By this divine joining, He transforms your faith from the struggle of uncertainty which is common to man, unto that which is exclusive to those within the Ark of Jesus’ spiritual covenant; the undeniable, ever-increasing experience of the presence of God that assists faith daily for the soul to take on the image and likeness of Christ.
If you have not yet done so, it is time to ask the right questions and make this divine transition. Our IDCCST Course will fully equip your faith through transitional knowledge training to share of the liberty of Jesus’ holy covenant.
