Young Adults' Group

The Same Spirit Of Faith II

by Pastor Mark
December 08, 2017

Thank God for His blessings

The Youth Conference 2017 has just ended and we thank God for His blessings upon our young people. The Word of God was specially taught and many lives were wonderfully touched. It never ceases to amaze me to see how the power of the living Word can bring about the uplifting of the souls of our brethren. We thank God for this faith that we have in Christ. Through this faith, we have salvation and every possibility to overcome our sins and difficulties in life. It is by faith that we can be of service to the Lord. This is the same spirit of faith that Paul exemplified and taught. Let us be challenged to have the same spirit of faith.

The faith of Mary

Pastor Charles specially taught the camp officers the spirit of faith of Mary. What were some of the ways in which Mary displayed this same spirit of faith?

1. The use of “kata”

a. By Mary

This is seen in the use of the word “according”. The Greek word is “kata”. It is to indicate a pattern. Mary’s response to the angel Gabriel’s words was, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38) Mary’s response was one of humble submission. She saw herself as a maid servant. She gave a strong emotional response…to be all that was according to the word of the angel. This was her spirit of faith.

b. By Zacharias

Mary’s response stood in contrast to the response of the priest, Zacharias.  After being told by the angel Gabriel that Elizabeth his wife was going to have a child in old age, he replied “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.” (Luke 1:18) In the Greek, Zacharias also used the word “kata”.  He was actually saying, “According to what shall I know this?” This was said in doubt and scepticism. He felt that the word given was not enough as it was lacking proof. Zacharias was responding with a lack of faith. The angel Gabriel responded punitively by making him mute. In contrast to Zacharias’ response, we appreciate so much more the spirit of faith as seen in Mary’s response.

2. Mary’s magnificat

“She said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Saviour.”” Luke 1:46,47)
After she had fellowship with Elizabeth, Mary reflected her spirit of faith in song. She sang from her heart. She sang from her soul to magnify the Lord. She was not just singing. She sang from within…from deep within her soul. Mary rejoiced in her spirit. This was not a shallow kind of joy but from deep within…from her spirit. This was her spirit of faith. If we have the right spirit of faith, it would manifest in the way we sing…from the soul.

How was Mary able to have this spirit of faith? It was through focusing on God. She magnified the Lord. She rejoiced in God her Saviour. She went on to sing, “For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.” (Luke 1:48) The word “for” is better translated “because”. She had a compelling reason to sing and to rejoice. It was because of all that God had done for her. It was not about herself but everything about God…to see how God had done great things for her. (Luke 1:49) What a tremendous spirit of faith Mary had! Let us be challenged to cultivate our faith as Mary did. Let us be challenged to catch this same spirit of faith this Christmas.

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