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FAITH.008
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1992-10-03
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FAITH PRINCIPLES - No. 8
THE MOMENT OF FAITH
1. THE FAULT OF MODERN DISPENSATIONALISM
While different schools of thought exist regarding God's
dealings with man, most agree that He has dealt with the human
race in at least two different ways, ie through the Old and
New Testaments. Some Bible teachers see further division of
these two periods into watertight periods of history as far as
God's revelation to man is concerned, called Dispensations.
Scofield defines a dispensation as "a period of time during
which man is tested in respect of obedience to some special
revelation of the will of God". Scofield then identifies
seven dispensations - Innocency, Conscience, Human Government,
Promise, Law, Grace, and Kingdom. H.A. Ironside stated,
"there are various economies running through the word of God.
A dispensation or economy is that particular order or
condition of things prevailing in one special age which does
not necessarily prevail in another".
While most would agree that God dealt with man differently in
the old Testament than He deals in the New Testament, some
teachers attempt to divide between God's dealings with the
Church of the first century and the rest of the Church age.
They declare that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the
revelation of God's purpose through prophetic gifts and the
manifestation of His miraculous ability were necessary for the
formation of the Church, but are unnecessary and unavailable
since the completion of the canon of scripture. This
ultra-dispensationalism is always remote from God's power. It
accepts both past and future demonstrations of God's ability,
but does not believe it is for today. Many fundamentalists
(!) emphatically believe in both the miracles of Jesus and of
the Apostles, and also emphatically believe in the miracle of
the Rapture of the Church, but do not believe that faith in
God brings healing from sickness now.
Others believe that any miracle is totally at God's discretion
with no involvement by the recipient, ie it happens at random
to some lucky person, but others miss out. John 5:4.
However, it is the clear teaching of scripture that we must be
involved in our deliverance. John 5:6, and Matt. 13:58.
2. FAITH IS IN THE NOW
Hebrews 11:1 declares that "NOW faith IS". It is present
tense - not past and not future. It is only effective when it
is exercised now. You can't postpone faith without breaking
its rhythm.
All of our Christian experience is "for today". 1 Tim. 4;8 -
"godliness has promise for the life that now is and that which
is to come". 1 John 3:2 "Now are we the Sons of God". Mark
10:30 - "Whosoever sacrifices for Jesus' sake shall receive an
hundred fold now in this time, and in the world to come
eternal life".
Jesus is called the I AM (Ex. 3:14, John 6:35, 10:9, 11:25,
Matt. 14:27 AMP,
John 18:6 AMP). He is always in our now and is never
historical or futuristic.
Heb. 13:8.
All of God's blessings and promises are available to this
generation. There are two ways in which this needs to be
understood.
A. THE MOMENT OF FAITH
In God's sovereign purposes some things have a specific
time attached to them. There is a moment in which they
can be gained, but that moment will pass if it is not
laid hold of and the opportunity for God to meet that
need will be gone. eg:
a) Israel missed the "time" of their visitation
through rejecting Jesus. Luke 19:44.
b) At Kadesh-Barnea Israel missed their opportunity to
inherit God's promise for them. There was a moment
when the door to their future was open but they did
not enter in because of unbelief. Numbers 13.
They were out of synchronisation with God's timing.
Tomorrow was too late. if it was to be of faith it
had to be at the time He had indicated. When they
did attempt to go the next day they were slain.
Numbers 14:40-45.
B. GOD'S LAWS OF TIMING
Though every promise of God is potentially available in
our generation, the laws of timing for the release of
those promise is still in effect. one of these principles
in the law of seed-time and harvest. Note Gen. 8: 22,
Ecc. 3:1 and Lev. 23:4. There are seasons in God, even
though we are not cut off from His blessings
dispensationally.
Many of the problems associated with the exercise of
faith are due to pushing a right principle at a wrong
time or in a wrong way. In many cases "the vision is for
an appointed time" (Hab. 2:2) or the seed of faith must
be sown and allowed to germinate before a harvest can be
expected. Our responsibility is to understand the
balance between God's promises, our need, and God's
sovereignty expressed in timing.
The scripture states, "In due season we shall reap if we
faint not" Gal. 6:9.