God Gives According To His Love; We Receive According To Our Faith

Does God always require faith? Won’t He waive the requirement of faith for things that are truly vital to those He loves? Isn’t there a difference between critical needs and casual desires?

atlas-landscape-by-maxfield-parrish-350-webLook at the world; does it appear that God is responding based on need, or love? The answer is no. If He did, we wouldn’t know it by what we see around us. What does His word say?

For God so love the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes on Him should not perish, but have everlasting life…..He that believes on Him is not condemned: but he that believes not is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. John 3:16, 18

The Bible text is clear. God loves the whole world, but we are expected to release faith in order to receive eternal life. And there is nothing more important to an individual than salvation. If God won’t make an allowance for this then He surely will not make an allowance for other things. The simple truth is this, God does not differentiate, all things require faith.

We have this false notion that if God loved us and if the need was important enough, He would answer based on His love. But if we pray according to that notion, and the answer doesn’t come (and it won’t), we become disappointed and confused. Why didn’t the answer come? Wasn’t it His will? Doesn’t He love me? Surely if He loved me, He would have sent the answer. Then we start to doubt His love and think, ‘Maybe God doesn’t love me’, or, ‘Maybe God wants me to go through this pain’, or even, ‘Maybe God is the source of this pain’. We are left wounded and confused.

This confusion undermines trust in His love and character. We confuse God’s love with how God works. Let there be no doubt, God does love us, but God does not bless based on love alone. Yes, God gives graciously according to His love, but His justice requires that we receive according to our faith. That is why the Bible says that justification is by faith (and not by love). Again, the truth of the matter is that God does not differentiate between needs or desires, big things or small things. All things are to be received by faith, and are only to be received by faith. God gives according to His love, but we receive according to our faith. This satisfies the love and justice of God Almighty.

All things are to be received by faith

The image I want to present is this – God is standing with His hands outstretched full of blessings, ready to give them out. His face is radiant with love and acceptance. However, there is a chasm between you and Him, and that chasm can only be crossed by faith. There are no other options, and there is no other way. God is there waiting but getting to Him will require faith. Receiving faith then is the only obstacle. God and His blessings are on the other side of faith. His will for this world is on the other side of faith. We must all travel the way of faith.

God loved the world this way: He gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him will not die but will have eternal life. John 3:16 God’s Word Translation

What is offered in love can only be received by faith.
Read Part Two: Mercy – Bending the Rules of God

Comments

  1. God said “have faith in God – translated- have God kind of faith !! Faith comes by hearing – you believe more of what you say than anyone else SO – say SAY ” I have faith of God in me – this plants that seed in your heart and you water the seeds by continually speaking over and over – I have the faith of God in me . — I am healed by the stripes of Jesus- I am blessed – God supplys all my needs according to His riches in Glory and let the weak say I am strong – God leads me besides still waters – I am a child of the most High God and I hear His voice !!! This is agreeing with our Father – this stirs us up in Christ in us. These are His words that do not return void- this is the saying that begins to water the seeds of faith in our hearts and will always bear fruit !! These seeds do sprout and bring forth fruit in Gods ways. One example of starting to ACT in the faith is the literal action of the act of saying !! Mark 11 :23 -24 states clearly over and over – we are to SAY …to SAY …to say … ( this is the meditating in the spoken word of God – muttering the word of God over and over) . These acts of faith, cheer you up , lift you up and make the ground a good ground in your heart which will bear the fruit of Gods promises… Speaking faith and then doubt blocks the flow of His Eternal nature and the joyful , peaceful life filled truth He has for you to experience! AND GOD SAID…..

  2. I have never received his love or heard his voice. I long to be loved
    But my faith has all but evaporated. I have read my Bible all the way through, twice, and have been in church most of my life. It seems very cruel

  3. How can I receive Love by faith? How can I receive anything by faith if I don’t have enough faith. Just hearing and trying to believe that God loves me doesn’t help at all. If I try harder to believe will God actually show me that he loves me personally, and individually? My heart cannot “see” love in something that happened 2000 years ago or doesn’t happen ’till after I die. where is love today? belief isn’t enough.

    1. Author

      Roy – You need to read some of the articles on this site on faith and receiving faith. I don’t have time to list them now. And read this article again, I think you missed the point.

      Basically, God loves everybody no matter who they are or what they have done – period. The faith that moves Him is received from Him as we seek Him through His word. We don’t work up faith or “try harder to believe.” Romans 10:17 says that ‘Faith comes’ by hearing his voice to our hearts as we seek His face.

      We accept His love and hear His voice. He truly loves you right now. We love you too. God bless. Rex

      1. Faith Mechanic
        Awesome reply

        U explained the whole sermon in just few sentences
        Classic answer

        U r a gud teacher

        God bless u dear

  4. Your Comment *If this is so why did Job pray and I assume he did pray with faith and his prayers for his children went unanswered. Without faith no one can believe in God and hence please him but I think you are making a misstake when you assume that God will answer prayers acording to our desires even though we had strong faith. You are setting people up for dissappointment and disillusionment when you tell them that God will do anything they ask if they only believe. God does only according to his own will in heaven and earth and we must except this for for our own comfort.

    1. Author

      David – Faith is not based on our desires or our will. We don’t choose to believe. It is based on a hearing from God – hearing and knowing His will. Romans 10:17 says that, “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the (spoken) word of Christ.” If faith is based on the known will of God, there is no contradiction. God will do it because it is His will. His speaking it is His confirmation. It is the ‘title deed’ (Greek word for KJV ‘substance’) of our hopes, as stated in Hebrews 11:1.

      His stated word is His will. It is made personal and alive to us by hearing Him. Rex

  5. God bless all your efforts in reaching the world with the gosple in Jesus name.

  6. This is a great site and is very helpful. It would be great to have a mobile app of your site that everyone can use anywhere 🙂

  7. Dear Prayer Warriors, Please pray that my plots in Goa, India are sold off quickly. That the caretaker and the neighbours who are plotting and making it difficult for me to sell dont trouble me any more. And that i am able to sell both the plots at a very good price and I am free from the knots and bondage that is holding sale of my plots for last 25 years. In Christ Luiza Menezes (Mrs), Mumbai, India.

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