Christians Only Material: Faith is not enough

By Tope Banso
“But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith” (2 Peter 1:5 New King James Version).
One thing common to the ten lepers that Jesus healed in Luke 17 was faith to be healed. You may not like the fact that the nine lepers didn’t come back to give glory to Jesus, seeing they had been healed on their way to see the priests, but you cannot deny that they had faith.
They lifted up their voices to Jesus to have mercy on them (Luke 17:13). Jesus didn’t pray for them or touch them. He simply told them to go, show themselves to the priests (verse 14). They believed His Word and went. As they went, they were cleansed.
Evidently, from their attitude, after they had been healed, the nine lepers lacked other important things. Many people today are like these nine lepers. They have faith, but lack other Bible truths in their lives. Faith is not enough.
It is true the Bible says faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen; for by it the elders obtained a good testimony (Hebrews 11:1-2). And without faith, it is impossible to please God (verse 6). Also, the believer is saved by grace through faith and justified by faith (Ephesians 2:8; Romans 3:28). The just shall live by faith (Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11, Hebrews 10:38) and live by his faith (Habakkuk 2:4).
Jesus even said that if you have faith and don’t doubt, you won’t only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, “Be removed and be cast into the sea,” it will be done. Whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you’ll receive (Matthew 21:21-22).
All these scriptures are true. But faith is not enough – the faith to be saved, to receive your miracle, etc. You need faith supplements, as outlined in 2 Peter 1:5-9. Verse 1 starts by saying, “But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith” (2 Peter 1:5 New King James Version). If faith were enough, you wouldn’t need to add anything to it. The supplements of faith, in 2 Peter 1:5-9, are virtue (goodness), knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness and love.
Verses 8-9 say, “For if these things are yours, and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins” (New King James Version). Your faith in Jesus has saved you, but you must grow by having all these supplements in your life to be fruitful.
Faith is not enough. 1 Corinthians 13:2 says though you have all faith, so that you could remove mountains, but have not love, you’re nothing. Faith works through love (Galatians 5:6). Love is the fulfillment of the law (Romans 13:10). Faith, hope and love abide, but the greatest of these is love (1 Corinthians 13:13). Faith is not enough; you also need patience (Hebrews 6:12).
PRAYER POINT: Father, help me to add to my faith everything you require of me.
This is wisdom for living, and it’s worth sharing. Please share.
(For more inspiring messages, visit: www.cedarministry.org).
▪ Banso, an Abuja-based minister can be reached at Cedar Ministry International
cedarministryintl@yahoo.com, cedarministryng@gmail.com
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