Today’s New Covenant nugget is from Luke 17:5 (TPT)
Upon hearing this, the apostles said to Jesus, “Lord, you must increase our measure of faith!”
Jesus had just been talking to the disciples about ‘offenses,’ and how they would come, (The Greek word translated as ‘offenses’, is literally referring to a relational stumbling block) and then Jesus went on to share with His disciples about how to deal with offenses and those who offend and say and do things that could cause others to stumble. (We all have opportunities to get offended, and all of us can unintentionally offend others.)
In Luke 17:3-4, Jesus talks about how to deal with offense, and forgiving those who do things that bother us, or things we have issue with. Isn’t that so close to life today… there’s always someone saying something, or doing something that will ruffle someone else’s feathers, if not yours… but I love how the Word of God is there to remind us how to react and how to respond; because, as God’s children, we want to walk in love and grace toward one another, and we want to be able to work through the little things in life that can become pebbles in our shoes.
What stands out to me in this chapter is verse five… Jesus immediately talked about forgiving, and letting go. He talked about ‘forgiving’ over and over, no matter how many times in one day that same offense would try to stick out its head… immediately the disciples responded with the sentence, “Lord increase our FAITH” and as the passion translation says, “Lord increase our measure of faith”.
What has FAITH got to do with forgiveness and overcoming offenses?
Did you ever think that forgiving someone would takes FAITH? Why would forgiveness take faith? Everything we do is by grace, through faith. Our strength, our ability, everything we do as Christians comes from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ… even the ability to forgive, comes by grace, through faith. GRACE is the power and ability, and FAITH is the vehicle that carries… By Jesus’ ability, (by grace) the faith that He has given us carries supernatural forgiveness and the ability to overcome offenses.
The disciple’s response to what Jesus told the disciples about forgiving seventy times seventy was, “Jesus, we need a bigger truck… all that forgiveness is not going to fit into our mini-van… increase our faith!” Forgiving someone and overcoming an offense takes supernatural faith… the good news is, Jesus has already given you a huge measure of faith, and He has given us the grace to go with it!
Jesus gave us the example of grace and faith, and how they work… we experience forgiveness for our mistakes by grace, through our faith in Jesus, not because we deserve it, but because Jesus paid the price in full for our forgiveness… in the same way, when we forgive others, they may not deserve it, but because we have the Holy Spirit living inside of us, that same grace that Jesus bestowed on us, flows freely from Him, through us to others, by FAITH!
When the disciples asked Jesus “Lord increase the measure of our faith”, what an amazing request they made… Jesus did not only increase ‘their’ measure of faith, or their ability to walk in faith at that time, but when He died on the cross, He ‘gave’ every born-again believer a full supply of GRACE, and ‘a huge measure of FAITH’ as their inheritance. Now, by His grace, we can access and activate that supernatural faith and ability to forgive whenever needed. We do not overcome offenses, or forgive in our own strength, or by our own doing but, by His supernatural ability working in and through us… operating by His grace through the measure of faith that we have received from Him.
If you are struggling today to forgive someone, or you have been bothered by frivolous gossip, or false accusations; by things said, done or handled in an incorrect way, then, just pray, “Lord, thank You for the measure of faith that You have given me, I activate that faith right now, and by grace through faith, I declare, ‘I forgive, I let go, I speak a blessing by grace through supernatural faith, because it’s by your grace, and your gift of faith flowing through me, that I can forgive today and stand free and whole. In Your powerful Name I pray, amen!’” - Selah
In His amazing love, Esther
