PRESENT-TENSE FAITH

Jesus said unto her, I AM the RESURRECTION, and the LIFE: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: – John 11:25

Many people have a past-tense faith – they believe God DID things, but may not be able to do them again. They believe anything if it occurred a long time ago. Others have a future-tense faith, believing that God will act a long time ahead, maybe sometime in eternity. They find it hard to believe, for example when God says: “I am the Lord that heals thee” (Exo.15:26). Professors of past-tense faith believe in the God of the Past, the God of Abraham, Moses and Elijah. They believe that Jesus performed miracles; and that the Holy Spirit empowered the apostles, but find it hard to believe that God can do and still does the same TODAY.

When Christ came to raise Lazarus from the dead, Martha met Him and said, “If you had been here, my brother would not have died” (Jh.11:21). That was a marvellous faith for YESTERDAY, but completely unproductive for today. Jesus told Martha, “Your brother will rise again,” and she replied, “I know he will rise again, in the resurrection at the last day” (Jh.11:23-24). Martha suddenly switched from Yesterday-faith and expressed faith for TOMORROW – the last day. This is the stance of many “believers” – hoping for a miracle sometime, somehow, in the vague by-and-by, in God’s good time, when revival arrives or when God’s time is ripe. Some hold that miracles today are spurious, that tongues are counterfeit and angels are hallucinations! Such unbelieving ‘believers’ refute the miraculous and the supernatural.

When Jesus confronted Lazarus’ grave and commanded that the stone blocking the mouth of the tomb be removed, Martha marvelled, saying, “Lord, by this time he smells. He had been dead four days” (Jh.11:39). The Master’s response reverberates through the ages: “If you would believe, you would see the glory of God” (Jh.11:40). His Word demonstrates the NOW Faith, the Present-tense faith, the Today-faith! Death bowed to He Who IS “the Resurrection and the Life.” Lazarus walked out of the grave! The Living faith in the Living Word defeated the law of death and ignited the Law of Life!

Bible faith is LIVING Faith; it has to be TODAY’s faith, NOW faith, and PRESENT-TENSE faith. This is God’s recommended faith. This is the faith the Just must live by! This is the faith that you must live by!!