Day 9: Realistic Faith

The fourth mark of the renewed mind is something that’s not always easy for us to understand. We go back again to the words of Paul in Romans 12:3. He says we are “to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.” The renewed mind stays within the proportion or the measure of God‑given faith. It doesn’t make unrealistic boasts or claims. It doesn’t claim to have a faith that isn’t real.

One of the big problems I’ve encountered in people, as a minister, is that they think they have much more faith than they have. And they say, “I believe God is going to do this and that,” and it doesn’t happen and they’re cast down and depressed and sometimes they almost blame God. The problem is they went far beyond the proportion of God‑given faith.

I’m going to show you in the coming studies that there’s a reason why God gives us a certain proportion of faith. If we understand God’s reasoning and we’re in line with His purposes, we’ll find that the proportion of faith He’s given us is that which we actually need. We don’t need more faith than God Himself has allotted to us. He allotted to each one of us the proportion of faith that we need but it’s a very common thing with religious people, people who fancy themselves to be spiritual, to try and believe for more than they really can believe. And it leads to many kinds of problems.

Sometimes people who could legitimately have medical help go without it because they believe they have faith for healing but they don’t get healed. You see, faith is always humble. That’s something we need to remember. Habbakuk 2:4, the key verse on justification by faith, says this:

“Behold, as for the proud one, his soul is not right within him; but the righteous will live by his faith.”

The King James Version says:

“Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.”

Whichever version we follow, you see that the soul that exalts itself, that’s puffed up, that makes claims that are not justified, is not in faith. Faith is humble. Faith does not have a big “I” and a small “god.” Faith has a big “GOD” and a small “i,” and we have to move within the proportion of God‑given faith.