The Mastery of Faith
Greetings and good morning, brothers and sisters. This is Dr. James Perry continuing with our series
where we seek to explore the deeper meanings of our relationship with Jesus Christ. Over the years,
the heavenly Father has revealed many revelations of spiritual truth to me, and I want to share them
with you. This morning we seek to understand the meaning of the mastery of faith.
And now, sit back and listen to today's message.
The Mastery of Faith
"Without faith, it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and
that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." Hebrews, Chapter 11, Verse 6
Brothers and sisters, in today’’s broadcast we share with you some further insight concerning
spiritual faith. Jesus says that if we had the faith of a mustard seed, we could move mountains of
material difficulties that stand in the way of our spiritual growth. Faith is a very powerful force, so
powerful that it allows us to see God. And the Father rewards us for seeking him. What greater
reward can the Father bestow upon us than making us in the image of his Son, to reward us with
perfection of spiritual character for diligently seeking him? The Father lives in us, but “how can we
release his power so that it can function in the world, to spring forth to the refreshment of our own
souls while in transit outward and then to serve the purpose of enlightening, uplifting, and blessing
countless other souls?” Let us consider a material analogy to help us answer this question.
An automobile is a marvelous vehicle for transportation. Man in his ingenious efforts has found a
way to harness the power of the energy stored in fossil fuel to transform it energy into mechanical
energy that we use in moving from one point to another. How does this happen? There is a chamber
where the energy is released from the fuel; there is an intermediate device called a transmission that
transfers the energy to the drive shaft which turns the wheels. This transmission has several gears
or steps in which the energy is controlled and transferred to the drive shaft. Today in most cars this
is done automatically, but the process is still the same. The power is gradually stepped up to the point
where it can be used in a continuous process. But we must remember that this fuel having been spent
must be renewed, and there are places where we refuel.
First there is the gear that more or less breaks the inertia of a stationary car. This gear gets the car
moving and takes it to the point where it meets the gear that accelerates the car to the usual operating
speed. Having reached this speed, it now encounters the gear that maintains the cruising speed. Now
there are other functions associated with this transmission. There is the gear of idleness. This is really
a none-engaged gear that allows the car to warm up so that it operates at peak efficiency. Then there
is the gear that allows the car to reverse direction, and finally there is the brake on the wheels which
allows the vehicle to come to a safe stop and the steering mechanism that allows us to determine
where the vehicle goes. This vehicle has also some ancillary features such a headlights, rear lights,
signal lights, radios and antennae, and an exhaust system for getting rid of the waste left over from
the spent fuel. And now we can immediately see some spiritual parallels.
Fuel (power needed to move a vehicle) is similar to faith (power needed to achieve spiritual
progression). The transmission is similar to our will that allows us to transfer spiritual energy into
actual decisions, choices, and mind sets taking place daily. Gears are similar to the degrees of faith
exercised by the soul. When our desire becomes supreme, when all other desires are below it and
none are above it, then does our faith operate at peak efficiency. This is the cruising speed of faith
that we use in whatever spiritual tasks we are confronted with.
But sometimes even as with the motor vehicle, we have to stop and pause for various reasons, but
for the sake of our discussion, let us say the vehicle is brought to a stop because we made a mistake
and need to reverse course so that we can continue our journey to our destination without undue
delay. And while it is wise to warm the car engine sufficiently before engaging the gear, sometimes
we idle the engine too long and waste valuable fuel. Likewise, while it is wise to assess the situation,
in effect recalling the wisdom and strategy needed for the particular spiritual problem, it is not wise
to keep our faith in the idle state too long. Procrastination, equivocation, insincerity, ease seeking,
and unfairness squanders the energy of faith, result in failure.
And sometimes we cruise along at an inadequate speed. And we have all seen vehicles moving too
slow for the prevailing conditions. This is similar to presenting truth that is far below that which is
needed. We have also seen situations where a vehicle is moving too fast for prevailing conditions.
This is dangerous. This is similar to presenting advanced truth to those who are unprepared for it,
causing a blindness that prevents the individual from seeing anything. Every believer needs to know
that he/she is a son of God, but all the ins and outs of what that really means cannot be imparted until
the believer has accepted his divine sonship. And there are times when we need to readjust our
course. Sometimes--lacking wisdom--we leave the road of truth, and must reverse our course (evil)
to return to the road of truth.
But we also have headlights and rear lights of truth, the Spirit of Truth that guides us and controls
the relationship of other souls as we move down the road of perfection. We also have rear view
mirrors that allow us to see where we have come from (in reality, reflection and mediation). And our
radios of faith pick up various stations broadcasting the values of truth, beauty, and goodness and
transforms these values into meanings that we can comprehend and enjoy as we drive our cars of
faith.
All that is needed is for us to start the engine of our faith by a simple act of will. And it is true that
time is required to master this vehicle. Like learning to drive a car, as we practice going from one
place to another, we eventually reach a degree of competence where we can go anywhere we choose
to go, as long as there are roads. And our faith is the same way. It takes some time to learn how to
use this faith, but as we continue to practice, we eventually arrive at a place, where our faith will take
us anywhere that the Spirit of Truth directs. As long as we journey on the highway of truth, we can
go to any destination.
And as we move down road of truth using the power of faith, we meet and overcome all obstacles
that stand in our way. And here we depart from our analogy somewhat. In the material analogy, when
we run into a barrier, we go around it or avoid it altogether by taking a different route if it is known
beforehand. But in our faith journey, we don’’t avoid obstacles to our growth--we don’’t go around
them. We submit to them, and in submitting to them with love, patience, mercy and forgiveness, we
master them. As Jesus said: ““In the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, for I have
overcome the world.””
And no wonder, this faith is invincible; nothing can stand in its way. It overcomes all things that are
inconsistent with the Father’’s will. The only factor that prevents this faith from being unleashed is
doubt. " And He did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.”” ““The believer has
only one battle, and that is against doubt——unbelief.”” Doubt can only be vanquished by the soul
going though each and every barrier that stands in its way of divine perfection——the soul thus
discovers that this faith is invincible.
Finally we must refill our spiritual gas tanks and conduct routine maintenance because spiritual work
depletes spiritual energy, which must be restored. Repairs must be made in the way of being
receptive to instruction and guidance. Prayer and communion is the process whereby we replenish
our depleted energies, repair and conduct maintenance. And we must have some mechanism for
getting rid of the byproduct of the spiritual work, and there is. Worship is the process whereby we
rid the soul of excess tension and accumulated stress.
By diligently carrying out these processes we have mastered faith; rather, faith has mastered us. We
know this because our desires and our attitudes, not just the words but every choice of good over
evil, truth over error, beauty over ugliness, love over hate discloses "not my will but yours will be
done." This attitude expresses absolute confidence in the Father and his way and leads to the reward
of spiritual perfection, which results from exercising faith.
This concludes today's message on understanding the meaning of the mastery of faith. We hope you
find something in this message to ponder and pray about as you go about your day.
Until next time, this is Dr. James Perry.
Inspirational Messages
By Dr. James Perry
Your Kingdom Come, Your Will Be Done!
The Mastery of Faith
