VICIOUS FAITH 

I’ve sat in three courtrooms recently, with three different people. Individuals who I feel very close too.

The first courtroom the judge, was in my estimation, unreasonable and cantankerous.  

In the second courtroom the judge was reasonable and deferential. 

In the third courtroom I felt the judge was intervening in some aspects, but not fully as cooperative to my desires in the outcome.  The judge removed a specific warrant, that had been menacing and uneven, but he recused himself on a non-compliance issue.   The District Attorney, in that last court, was condescending, disdainful, contemptuous and an aggravating irritant.   

Ultimately God is the judge, according to Psa. 75:6-7, as He sets up one and puts down another.

God is concerned about our successes and failures. He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree Luke. 1:52

But our outcome in these arraignments is not the real indication of success and failure.  There is a deeper drawing, which determines achieving above the circumstance of surface events.  

We would all like a high-powered advocate to argue our case and quash all opposition, by suppressing discriminating accusations.  But ultimately we are better in our weak helplessness, for this pushes us to cry to Jesus for our defense in each cause.

One of the vital strengths of any objection, or what seems to be a grave opposition to our expectation, is to take the obstruction, whatever it’s source and turn it into a virtue.  By virtue, I mean view the challenging obstacle as an asset and advantage.  We too easily lose objectivity and become subjective victims losing sight of God’s purpose. 

When we face resistance, we need to be resilient. The solution, is in the antagonism.  For in this rejecting disapproval, is the glory of God, squeezing us to explore our faith in Him.

Faith is no easy task. We need an aggressive, assertive, vicious faith that won’t take anything but God’s will and glory as the explanation to everything. We need a suspicious faith, which as C.H. Spurgeon states: When we sleep, thinks that we are resting on the battlefield; when we walk, suspects an ambush in every hedge. —  

A vicious faith says wait, we’re not done yet.  There’s more to this story, the narrative is not finished, the last page has not been written.  Faith says I’ll pray this through to the end; I won’t yield to this condescending, I won’t surrender to anyone but God.  I’ll fight the good fight, I’ll finish the course and I’ll keep the faith by persisting through in prayer.  I’ll determine to be heard by the highest court of all courts, God Himself who loves me and gives Himself for me.

God’s Spirit guides us to pray through the things that make us groan within.  These pressing weights that make us moan in pain are the groans within that cannot be uttered.  They are the feelings we refuse but we actually need them to develop our faith.  The birth pangs of increasing pressure are what give birth to a vicious trust in the glory of God in all things. Our laments are not our losses but the language of our power and praise, it’s our howling’s that lift us up to Jesus.        

THE POWER OF PERSISTENCE LUKE 18:1-8

THE PROPOSAL V.1                          (TASK)

      BE AWARE         And Jesus spoke a parable unto them to this end,

BE ATTENTIVE

         Dependability   that men ought

Determination  always

Devotion              to pray,

BE AWAKE            and not to faint;

THE PREDICAMENT V.2                   (TROUBLE)

Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared

                             not God, neither regarded man:

   THE PLEA V.3                                  (TERMS)

 And there was a widow in that city; and she came

                              unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.

   THE PROBLEM V.4                           (TEST)

And he would not for a while: but afterward he said

                              within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man

   THE PROSPERITY V.5                       (TRIUMPH)

Yet because this widow troubles me, I will avenge her,    

                           lest by her continual coming she weary me.

THE PRIVILEGE OF PREVAILING V.6-8

  OR THE IMPACT OF THE INCIDENT

   THE JUDGE WAS ANNOYED V.6     (TICKED)

                           And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge said.

       THE LORD IS ALERT V.7             (TOUCHED)

And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day

                           and night unto him, though he bear long with them?

       THE LORD IS APPROPRIATE V.8  (TIMELY)

 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless  

                   when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?