Acts Day 53 - What Does Faith Have to do With Anything?

3:12 “Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why do you look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? 13 The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go. 14 But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, 15 and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses. 16 And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all."

Faith. Who's faith? Who's faith healed that crippled man? His own? Yes and not really. Had Peter never stopped and looked him in the eye and said "...in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk" the man would have had nothing to have faith in. Peter had to have faith before the man could have any. Peter had to hear and believe the Voice that told him to offer healing to this man. So the man had faith in Jesus in response to Peter who also had faith in Jesus but it doesn't stop there. Peter could only exercise faith in response to the Voice just like the man could only exercise faith in response to Peter's offer.

Faith does not originate with us. It never does. The Bible speaks of the faith of Jesus. Jesus had faith when He came to this earth. Jesus had faith when He selected twelve men. Jesus had faith when He went to that cross alone and by human calculation it appeared His mission was a colossal and complete failure. Jesus had faith when it got so dark that day that it seemed even His own Father had abandoned Him. He had faith when in opposition to that feeling of abandonment He declared "Father into Your hands do I commit My Spirit." Jesus had faith when met Mary near the tomb and said "...go tell My disciples and Peter..." Jesus had faith when He met them on the beach after they had given up and gone back fishing. Jesus had faith when He made them breakfast and three times said to Peter "Feed My sheep".

Faith originates in Jesus. The Bible says faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Jesus is the word of God. He speaks to us of impossible things. Some hear and respond by faith. Others turn a deaf ear.

Jesus had faith in Peter. That blows my mind. He has faith in us still. That really blows my mind.

Do you know what else blows my mind? Peter's faith response when Jesus whispered "Offer healing to this man" created the opportunity for that lame man to put his faith in Jesus. Does that mean my faith affects the faith opportunities of those I come in contact with?

Think about that...