Where IS Faith?

Have you ever wondered whether you have enough faith to do what Jesus said His followers would do?  Have you ever prayed for someone who was sick and wondered whether you believed enough?  Have you ever asked yourself whether Jesus can really work through you, or whether the things He did are beyond what ordinary believers can do today?

These are important questions, and we should not be afraid to ask them.  We need to look carefully at what Jesus actually said, what He did, and what the Scriptures tell us about faith.  We must not make God's power smaller because we have questions, just because we have not yet seen everything we believe He can do, or because we do not understand how faith works.

Jesus gave His disciples a remarkable promise.  He said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believes on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.”, John 14:12.

Think about those words! Jesus did not say that His works would stop when He returned to the Father.  He said that the person who believes on Him would do the works He did, and even greater works.  What did He mean by “greater works”?  What does faith have to do with these works?  And where is our faith when we need it?

Jesus Himself gave us the place to begin when He said, “Have faith in God.”, Mark 11:22.  Our faith must be in God. We are not being told to have faith in ourselves as though we possess power apart from Him.  We are being told to trust God, to believe what He has said, and to act according to His Word.

What Did Jesus Mean by Greater Works?

Let us look more closely at the words Jesus used in John 14:12.  The Greek word translated “greater” is μείζονα (meizona), pronounced may-ZOH-nah.  It comes from μέγας (megas), pronounced MEH-gahs, which means great, and in its comparative form means greater or larger.  The Greek phrase for “greater works” is μείζονα ἔργα (meizona erga).  The word translated “works” is ἔργα (erga), meaning works or deeds.

Jesus really did use a word that means greater or larger.  We cannot change His words to make the promise sound smaller.  At the same time, we have to read the promise in the setting in which Jesus gave it.  He said these things because He was going to the Father.  After His resurrection and return to the Father, His followers would carry His message and work into places where He had not personally walked during His earthly ministry.  The good news would spread through the power of God, and many people would come to believe.

That greater reach does not mean that every believer will perform every miracle recorded in the Gospels.  It does mean that we must not limit Jesus' words to the idea that His works ended with His earthly ministry.  The book of Acts records His followers healing the sick, casting out unclean spirits, and seeing the power of God at work.  The works continued through those who believed in Him.

Jesus also promised His disciples that they would receive power through the Holy Spirit.  He said, “But you shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and you shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”, Acts 1:8.

Notice that the promise includes power and a purpose.  They would receive power to be witnesses for Jesus, carrying His message outward to the ends of the earth.  God's work was not going to be confined to one town or to the people who had seen Jesus in person.  His message would continue to spread through those who believed.

We need to take Jesus' words seriously.  We cannot decide that His promise is impossible simply because we have not seen everything it describes.  We also cannot invent a meaning that Jesus did not give.  We should keep reading, keep learning, and keep believing what He actually said.

Is There a Measure of Faith?

Paul wrote about a measure of faith in his letter to the Romans. He said, “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God has dealt to every man the measure of faith.”, Romans 12:3.

The Greek words translated “measure of faith” are μέτρον πίστεως (metron pisteos).  The word μέτρον (metron) means a measure or standard. The word πίστεως (pisteos) comes from πίστις (pistis), meaning faith, trust, or belief.  Paul was speaking about a measure of faith in the context of humility and the different responsibilities and gifts among believers.

This verse should not be used to tell people that God has given them so little faith that they cannot trust Him for anything greater.  Paul was correcting pride.  He was telling believers not to think more highly of themselves than they should.  He was not teaching that God's power is weak or that a believer must accept a life of unbelief.

We need to understand the difference between the measure Paul discusses in Romans 12 and the growth of faith described elsewhere in Scripture.  We should not take just one verse and use it to cancel what other verses tell us. God is able to teach us, strengthen us, and help us grow in our trust of Him.

Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, “We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith grows exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other abounds.”, 2 Thessalonians 1:3.  Their faith was growing exceedingly.  If faith can grow, then we should not assume that the measure of faith we have today is all the faith we will ever have.  That is NOT what is being said here.

Faith is not something we should neglect.  We need to feed it with God's Word, put it into practice, and continue to learn to trust Him.  We should not condemn ourselves because we have more to learn.  We need to keep moving forward.

Faith Comes by Hearing God's Word

Paul explained where faith comes from when he wrote, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”, Romans 10:17.

Faith comes by hearing God's Word.  That means we need to know what God has said.  We cannot build our faith on something God never promised, on what somebody else claims, or on what we wish were true.  We need to hear His Word, understand it, and trust Him.

The more we learn what God has said, the more we have to stand on when circumstances challenge us.  God's Word gives us something firm to believe. Faith is not pretending that a problem does not exist.  Faith is trusting God even when the problem is real and the answer is not yet visible.

We see this in Abraham's life. Paul wrote, “He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; and being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.”, Romans 4:20-21.

Abraham became fully persuaded that God was able to do what He had promised.  His confidence rested on God's ability and faithfulness, not on the appearance of the circumstances.  Abraham had to learn to trust what God had said even when what he could see seemed to stand against it.

That is an important part of faith. First, we must know what God has promised, and then we must trust Him to do what He has said.  We cannot take Abraham's specific promise and claim that God has promised every person the same thing.  That’s just not true.  We can learn from Abraham that faith means trusting God to keep His Word, even when the circumstances make it seem impossible. 

There is an account in Mark that shows us something very important about faith. A father brought his son to Jesus because the boy was suffering terribly. The disciples had been unable to cast out the spirit troubling him. The father asked Jesus to help them, and Jesus spoke to him about believing.

The father answered Jesus with words that many people can understand: “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.”, Mark 9:24.

Think about that! The man believed, yet he also recognized that he needed help with his unbelief. He did not hide his struggle from Jesus. He brought it to Him honestly.

Jesus did not tell the man to go away until he could produce perfect confidence. Jesus dealt with the situation, rebuked the unclean spirit, and the boy was delivered. The complete account is recorded in Mark 9:14-29. I’ve heard of preachers telling people they “didn’t have enough faith to be healed”.  That is NOT what Jesus says.  Jesus also taught that faith as small as a mustard seed can accomplish what seems impossible.  He said, “For verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.”, Matthew 17:20.  Jesus was not telling people that they must have great, unshakable confidence before God will help them. He was showing them that faith does not have to be large in order to be real.  The father who cried, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief,” came to Jesus with both belief and struggle, and Jesus still helped his son.

This does not mean that unbelief is unimportant.  Jesus spoke seriously about believing.  But this account shows that a person can bring his struggle to Jesus rather than pretending he has none.  The father asked for help, and Jesus acted.

We cannot use this man's words as an excuse to remain in unbelief.  We should use them as an example of bringing our need honestly before the Lord.  When we discover that our faith is weak in some area, we can ask God to help us understand His Word, strengthen our trust, and teach us to believe.

Jesus told His disciples to have faith in God, Mark 11:22.  He did not tell them that they should have faith in their own ability to manufacture belief.  Our confidence belongs in God.  We can continue to learn, grow, and trust Him rather than surrendering to doubt.

Faith and the Gifts of God

Paul also taught the believers at Corinth about spiritual manifestations (actions) and gifts.  He explained that these came through the Spirit and were given for the benefit of others. He wrote, “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.”, 1 Corinthians 12:7.

He then lists different gifts and ways the Spirit works.  Among them are the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, faith, gifts of healing, working of miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, different kinds of tongues, and the interpretation of tongues, 1 Corinthians 12:8-10.

Notice that faith itself is included in this list.  Paul did not treat faith as an unimportant matter.  He included it among the manifestations of the Spirit.  He also mentioned gifts of healing and the working of miracles.  These are not things we should erase from the Scriptures because they are beyond what we have personally experienced.

Paul explained that these gifts work through the same Spirit, and that the Spirit divides to each person as He wills, 1 Corinthians 12:11.  The gifts are not given so that people can boast or claim that they are better or greater than anyone else.  They are given for the good of the body and the work of God.

Paul went on to ask, “Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?”, 1 Corinthians 12:30.  His questions show that the gifts are not all given in the same way to every person.  We need to seek God, learn His Word, and be ready to serve, without assuming that every believer has to display every gift in exactly the same way. 

We cannot turn this truth into an excuse for unbelief.  The fact that the gifts are not distributed identically does not mean God is powerless to work through His people.  Each gift is given at the time it’s needed for whomever it is needed.  It means we must respect what Scripture says about the Spirit's work and remain willing to be used by God.

Praying for the Sick

Jesus healed the sick, and His followers also prayed for and ministered to people who needed healing.  James gave clear instructions to believers concerning prayer for the sick.  He wrote, “Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: and the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.”, James 5:14-15.

James continued by writing, “Confess your faults one to another (admit to the person you faulted or sinned against, not to a priest in a confessional - that is not what this means), and pray one for another, that you may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”, James 5:16.

These verses tell us that prayer for the sick matters.  They tell us to pray for one another and to seek God.  James specifically speaks about the prayer of faith.  We should not ignore those instructions or act as though prayer is powerless.  It definitely is not!!!

I once, (after asking permission), laid hands on a woman in the hospital and prayed for her.  She went home the following day, as the doctor reportedly could no longer see anything that had before appeared on the X-rays. She did not need the surgery he had scheduled.  That experience made a deep impression on me and strengthened my prayer and faith in God to use me for His work.  I’ve had several events like that.

Experiences like this can cause us to search the Scriptures more deeply.  We want to understand what Jesus taught, what the apostles did, and how we should respond when someone is sick and needs help.  God is not limited by what we understand or believe is possible.  When He works in a person's life, we should give Him the glory and stand firm in the truth of His power.  Our understanding may grow as we continue to study His Word, but we must never allow our own understanding to become a measure of what God is able to do.

Look at what happened when Peter and John encountered a man who had been unable to walk from birth. Peter said to him, “Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.”, Acts 3:6.  Peter took the man by the hand, and the man received strength in his feet and ankles. He stood, walked, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God, Acts 3:7-9.

Peter did not tell the man that healing was impossible.  He acted in the name of Jesus Christ, and the man was healed.  Later, Peter explained that the healing was not the result of his own power or holiness.  He pointed the people toward Jesus Christ, Acts 3:12-16.  The power belonged to God, and the attention was to be directed toward Jesus.

We also read about Peter ministering to Aeneas, who had been bedridden for eight years. Peter said, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ makes you whole: arise, and make your bed.”, Acts 9:34. Aeneas arose, and the people who saw him turned to the Lord, Acts 9:32-35.

These accounts belong in our understanding of faith.  The early believers did not treat healing as something that could never happen after Jesus returned to the Father.  They acted in His name and pointed people to Him. We should take these Scriptures seriously and continue to trust God to work as He wills.

What About Raising the Dead?

Jesus did not only heal the sick.  The Gospels record that He raised people from the dead.  These accounts are part of His ministry, and they help us understand the power of God and the authority Jesus exercised.

When Jesus encountered a funeral procession at Nain, the only son of a widow had died. Jesus had compassion on her and said, “Weep not.”, Luke 7:13. He then touched the bier and said, “Young man, I say unto thee, Arise.”, Luke 7:14. The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus delivered him to his mother, Luke 7:11-17.

Jesus also raised Jairus's daughter.  Jairus had come to Jesus because his daughter was dying. While Jesus was on the way, people arrived to say that the girl had died. Jesus told Jairus, “Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole.”, Luke 8:50.  Jesus entered the house, took the girl by the hand, and called to her.  Her spirit returned, and she arose immediately, Luke 8:51-56.  Mark's account includes Peter, James, and John accompanying Jesus into the room, Mark 5:21-43.

Then there is Lazarus.  He had been dead and buried for four days when Jesus arrived. Martha told Jesus that if He had been there, her brother would not have died.  Jesus answered her, “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.”, John 11:25.  Jesus went to the tomb and called Lazarus to come forth. Lazarus came out, still wrapped in grave clothes, John 11:38-44.

These are not small events.  Jesus raised the dead, and we must not make His power small.  We also must not forget that Jesus is the One who did these things.  The accounts reveal His authority and compassion.  They are not permission for people to boast about their own power.

After Jesus returned to the Father, the book of Acts records another remarkable event involving Tabitha, also called Dorcas.  She had died, and the disciples sent for Peter.  Peter came, knelt down, and prayed.  Then he turned toward her body and said, “Tabitha, arise.”, Acts 9:40.  She opened her eyes, saw Peter, and sat up. Peter presented her alive to the believers, and many believed in the Lord, Acts 9:36-42.

Acts also records what happened to Eutychus. While Paul was speaking late into the night, the young man fell from a third-story window and was taken up dead. Paul went down, embraced him, and told the people not to be troubled because his life was in him. Eutychus was brought back alive, and the believers were greatly comforted, Acts 20:7-12.

These accounts show that the works of God did not end when Jesus returned to the Father. We must allow the Scriptures to speak. We must not claim that every believer will raise someone from the dead, but neither should we pretend these events are absent from the record of what God did through His people.

What If Fear Gets in the Way?

There is another experience that has stayed with me. It involved a relative of my children, who had died. I spoke words over him, but in my heart, I doubted that God would actually raise him through me.  It was not that I doubted God's power to raise the dead.  I doubted my own ability to believe and act in faith, trusting that God would work through me.  I do not remember the exact words I spoke, but I remember that uncertainty.  That experience has stayed with me because it reminds me that believing in God's power and having confidence that He will work through us are two different struggles.

This matters because people can carry fear and guilt for years, wondering whether they failed God, whether they said the wrong thing, or whether their uncertainty changed what happened. We have to be careful not to put a burden on ourselves or others that God has not placed there in His Word.

We should learn from Scripture rather than trying to build rules from fear. We should ask what Jesus taught, what He promised, and what He instructed His followers to do. We should be honest about what we know and what we do not know. Faith does not require us to pretend we understand every event in our lives.

When the father in Mark's account said, “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief,” Jesus did not turn away from him, Mark 9:24. That father brought his need to Jesus. We, too, can bring our fears, our questions, and our desire to believe to God. We can keep learning His Word and growing in faith.

Fear should not be allowed to become our teacher. God's Word must be our teacher. We should not let one painful memory decide what we believe about God, and we should not use an experience to establish a doctrine that the Scriptures do not teach.

Where Is Faith?

Faith is not simply saying that we believe. Faith is trusting God and taking His Word seriously. It grows as we hear and learn His Word, Romans 10:17. It can grow exceedingly, 2 Thessalonians 1:3. We can ask God to help us where we struggle, as the father did when he said, “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief,” Mark 9:24.

Faith is also not a reason to boast. The gifts and manifestations of the Spirit are given for the good of others, and the Spirit distributes them as He wills, 1 Corinthians 12:7-11.  We are to pray for the sick, James 5:14-16.  We are to remember the works recorded in Scripture, including the healing of the man at the temple gate, Acts 3:1-10, and the raising of Tabitha, Acts 9:36-42.

We cannot weaken the words of Jesus just because we are unsure how to understand them. He said that the one who believes on Him would do the works He did and greater works, because He was going to the Father, John 14:12. He told His disciples to have faith in God, Mark 11:22. These are His words, and we must give them the weight they deserve.

Where, then, is faith? It begins with God and His Word. It is strengthened as we hear and study His Word, learn what He has promised, and trust Him. It is expressed as we obey Him, pray for others, and serve according to what He has given us to do. It does not rest on our pride, our own power, or our ability to control every outcome. It rests on the faithfulness and power of God.

So keep seeking the truth. Keep on learning. Keep praying for those who need help. Don’t condemn yourself or others with burdens that God has not placed upon us. And never make God smaller than He is.

Jesus' instruction remains clear: “Have faith in God.”, Mark 11:22.

Amen and Amen.

 

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Prayer:

Holy Father, I come before You with a heart full of worship and praise. You are good, faithful, loving, and worthy of all honor. Thank You for Your Word, for Jesus Christ, and for the Holy Spirit Who helps me understand and walk in Your truth.

Father God, help me understand the faith You have given me and how it grows as I trust You. Teach me to look to Jesus as my example, to recognize the works You do through Your people, and to walk in humility rather than pride. When my faith feels weak, help me turn to You honestly and ask for Your help.

Strengthen me to pray for those who are sick and hurting, to trust You with the answers, and to share what You have done in my life. Help me keep my heart open to Your guidance and let my words and actions bring honor to You.

Thank You for hearing my prayer and for continuing to teach me through Your Word. In the Holy name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen and Amen

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daily to see whether these things are so. Open your Bible, study God's Word for yourself, and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you into all truth. Don't simply accept my conclusions. If what I've written agrees with Scripture, hold fast to it. If it doesn't, let God's Word be your final authority.

Don't take my word for it. Like the Bereans in Acts 17:11, search the Scriptures 

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© AMKCH 2026

image done by imagefree at my direction. If any of these people looks like you or someone you know, that is purely coincidental. They are not.

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