The Principles of Prayer XIX

Anyone insisting that the growth of your faith or understanding of God is solely dependent upon them is neither your brother, your friend, nor someone who has your best interest at heart. They are attempting to replace Jesus, not pointing you to Him, and that makes for someone to be marked and avoided at all costs.

1 Timothy 2:5-6, “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.”

One! A singularity, one of one, without the possibility of being replicated or replaced. This singular role of Christ as the Mediator is a testament to the unique and irreplaceable relationship each of us has with Him. Jesus didn’t come to bring good news; He was the embodiment of the good news. There has never been, nor will there ever be, another like Him to walk the earth. The singularity of Christ confirms what the Word has oft repeated, that there aren’t many paths to the same destination, but one path, one way, and that is through Him.

Apart from Christ, there is no hope. Apart from Him, man can never be reconciled to God. It doesn’t matter who says otherwise, how respected they might be in certain circles, or how many followers they have on Instagram; they’re still wrong, still liars, and one day they will have to stand before God and answer for the deception they perpetrated upon the household of faith.

That should be enough for most to understand when they are being manipulated, lied to, and steered off course, but the promises of those who come in His name but are not His, the charisma of the false Christs who insist that theirs is a better way is so mesmerizing as to make many suspend common sense, disregard Scripture, and follow after them with far greater fervor and zeal than ever they followed the true Christ.

It’s eye-opening to see so many speak out in defense of men who demonstrably committed indefensible acts, with a passion they would never speak in defense of Jesus with. Would that some would defend the name of Jesus with the same zeal they defend men, there would be a renaissance of individuals standing up for the faith and boldly declaring the lordship of Jesus.

When it comes to faith, it is one of the attributes that transcends and bridges the Old and New Testaments. Although many things changed with the advent of Christ, as far as rituals, traditions, or the ability of all who would believe in Him to be grafted in, adopted, and called sons and daughters of God regardless of race, nationality, or ethnicity, faith remained a prerequisite for those who desire to know Him, grow in Him, and walk in His authority. Faith is a requirement for everything concerning man’s relationship with God.

It is the primary and indispensable ingredient. Just as you can’t make an omelet without eggs, you cannot be pleasing in the sight of God without faith.  

Hebrews 11:6, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

There is no wiggle room in this declarative statement. We are not told that without faith it’s difficult, hard but still doable, or that you can please God without faith as long as you substitute it with good works, charity, or wearing some itchy, rough-spun underclothes at all times. Without faith, it is impossible to please God!

The faith of which the author of Hebrews speaks is not generic, general, or unfocused; rather, it is a targeted, well-defined faith that has God as its purpose. One must believe that He is, have faith in Him, and not in their abilities or their accomplishments. God responds to faith. He is neither indifferent nor unmoved by it. He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him, who walk by faith and not by sight, trusting in His mighty hand and submitting to His sovereign will.

Because I have faith in Him, I know that God sees my struggle, He sees my pain, He sees my weakness, He sees my insecurities, He sees my desire to know more of Him and grow in Him, and He responds in kind without delay.

Faith is an attitude of complete trust in God. It extends beyond hope into the domain of full assurance. When my daughters were younger, to their mother’s chagrin, they liked climbing the furniture to the highest point possible, yelling “catch me, daddy”, then jumping off, not once thinking that I would let them fall to the ground. They were fully assured that I would catch them, and there was not a shred of doubt in their hearts as to this reality. To their credit, they made sure I was close enough to hear and catch them, but once that was out of the way, there was no hesitation in their leaping from the counter, the edge of the sofa, or the kitchen table.

The question isn’t whether God can catch us, but whether we are close enough so that He hears us. The question is whether we are His sons and daughters, not just in word but in deed. God can, and God will. His hand is not short, and His power is limitless.    

There is no area of our lives wherein we can withhold faith, or conclude that God cannot intervene or is unable to rectify. Faith is man’s answer and response to what God promised, to who He is, and to what He is able to do. He promised eternal life to all who would believe, and we have faith that it is so. He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, and we have faith in His permanence. He is omnipotent. Therefore, we have faith that He can do all things and is not limited by the understanding or abilities of man.   

With love in Christ,

Michael Boldea, Jr.  

Posted on 6 May 2025 | 11:26 am