THE NATURAL FAITH!

Last Sunday, we looked at “THE SUPERNATURAL FAITH.” Today, we want to look at “THE NATURAL FAITH.” 

The natural faith is also called: “Thomas’ kind of faith, Sense knowledge faith, or Mental Assent.” 

What is the natural human faith? Natural faith is the kind of faith that makes us to do natural things. Every normal human being is endowed with common sense, a kind of judgement that serves him to make ordinary decisions for his own good and welfare. 

For example, when you wake up in the morning and put your feet on the ground, you are sure that they will support you.  This is natural faith. By natural faith, we board a plane believing that the pilot and his crew are competent enough to take us to our desired destination. 

Here is the point: In natural faith there is no relationship with God; it is simply given to us by God to live a normal life in this world.

On the other hand, supernatural faith is divine, it comes from God into the hearts of the sincere. The supernatural faith is the faith that causes miracles and wonders. You cannot see the supernatural if you just have a natural faith. 

Supernatural faith is not granted to everybody indiscriminately, since it is a special gift which Christ has obtained by His death in order to bestow it upon His people. It is a divine blessing, unmerited and without which nobody can enter heaven, for by supernatural faith we are united to Christ. 

“…by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Eph. 2:8-9, KJV).

Supernatural faith originates as one hears the Word of God (Rom. 17:10), as a seed is sown into the ground: it germinates and takes root and sprouts. 

Being human we all are born with natural faith; being born from above we are given supernatural faith. 

For the supernatural faith, we are completely dependent on God. But for natural faith, you depend only on what your five senses are telling you.

The natural faith is a faith that believes only what the human senses tell us. The natural human faith recognizes the truthfulness of God’s Word, but it does not act on it. 

The natural human faith says, “When I see it, when I feel it, I will know I have it.” It says, “I know God’s Word is true , I know that God’s Word about my healing, my studies, my business is true, but for some reason, I cannot get it and I can’t understand it.” This is what they call “Seeing is believing.” It says, “I will believe only when I see.” This is what they call “Seeing is believing.” 

Apostle Thomas is an example of someone that operated this kind of faith. In John 20:24-29 Thomas said, “….Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I WILL NOT BELIEVE." 

Thomas had only a natural human faith which says, “I’m not going to believe unless I see and feel the print of the nails and the wound in His side” (Jn. 20:25). 

When Thomas was told that Jesus has resurrected, he said, “….Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I WILL NOT BELIEVE” (Jn. 20:24-29).

“And Thomas answered and said unto Jesus, My Lord and my God” (Jn. 20:28).

Then Jesus said to him, “…because thou hast seen Me, thou hast believed: blessed are they THAT HAVE NOT SEEN, and yet have BELIEVED” (Jn. 20:29). 

In order words, Thomas didn’t believe in Jesus’ resurrection by faith as you and I believe it. Thomas believed because he saw Jesus with his physical eyes; he relied totally on his senses. But we believe in Jesus’ resurrection because the Word of God says that Jesus was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father (Rom. 6:4).

Why did Thomas find it hard to believe that Jesus was alive? Thomas knew the nails that pierced Jesus’ hands and the spare that was thrust into His side. His physical senses told him that Jesus was stone dead. You see, Thomas was using head knowledge. 

This is the very thing that is preventing many Christians from receiving their miracles. For instance, you want to see the physical manifestation of your healing before you can believe that you are healed by His stripes. You want to receive the letter of promotion before you believe that God has promoted you.

The natural human faith will fight every step of the way to hold you in the realm of things seen, felt and heard, that is the realm of the physical; but we must persistently drive to the realm of the supernatural which is the realm of the miraculous.

2 Corinthians 4:18 says, “While we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” 

The issue is that: the natural human faith is not based on what God said in His Word. Rather it is based on what your physical senses are telling you. For instance, Thomas said he would not believe unless he sees first. But the Bible says, “For we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Cor. 5:7).

Unlike the “natural human faith” which is based on what your physical senses are telling you, the “supernatural faith” is a faith that believes with the heart (spirit-man) rather than believing what your physical senses are telling you. This kind of faith believes only what the Word of God says.

Look at the example of Abraham: He was threatened by alarming symptoms of childlessness. What did he do in such a situation? Did he fret? Did he consult a witch doctor? No! Rather he anchored his faith in what God said in His word about his situation. That is supernatural faith.

His physical senses told him that it was impossible to father a nation at his age, yet he considered not his own body.

But in spite of all odds, Abraham believed God’s Word, considering not his own body – his natural senses. Rather he considered what God said in His Word. Abraham did not consider his own body now dead, nor did he consider the deadness of Sarah’s womb, but he considered God’s Word, believed it, and anchored his faith on it in spite of all contrary evidence.

If you are truly considering God’s Word instead of what your senses are telling you, why are you still carrying that drug?  Rise and be healed!

Watch out for the next edition of Good news from the Pulpit!

Your friend: I. I. MADUBUNYI (Senior Pastor)