Faith and Dark Faith

 The word believe occurs hundreds of times in the bible. In the Gospel of John it occurs about 94 times. I'm particularly fond of John 6:29. Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that you believe on him whom he hath sent. What does it mean to believe? Believe means to be firm, endure, be faithful, be true, stand fast, trust, have belief. Vines Complete Expository Dictionary Pg. 15. The Amplified bible portrays belief this way. That you cleave to, trust, rely on, and have faith in.

Belief is synonymous with faith. Faith is synonymous with repentance. In other words, Belief, faith, and repentance all work hand in hand. Faith is dependent upon belief. Belief doesn't work without faith. If you have faith in Jesus and His finished work at the cross then you have turned away from dark faith. Faith in anything other than Jesus' finished work at the cross is what I call dark faith. This turning away from dark faith is called repentance.

The Royal Chair

The temptation to invest in dark faith can take on a dynamic and powerful nature. The world is totally invested in dark faith. Christianity is partially invested in dark faith. Let me explain. We are all designed to have faith in something because we are designed with an empty place within us that needs to be filled. We will automatically fill it with what we worship, delight in, and enjoy. This empty place becomes a throne. A royal chair occupied by what ever thought, experience, or idea that we embrace. It is the high and lifted up place in our heart, mind and soul. The world has placed all kinds of ideas and thoughts on this chair/throne. The believer has placed Jesus and His word on this chair/throne.

The reason the church is partially invested in dark faith is because people often decide to "share the chair". Jesus + something else = a complete or full gospel experience. A full salvation is something in addition to Jesus' work at the cross. Jesus plus church activity, signing a pledge, baptism of the Holy Spirit, glossolalia, holy underwear. The list is endless.

Church Activity

There is nothing wrong with participating in church activity. But why do you participate? What is the motive? Do you participate because if you don't participate then you will not be accepted in the church and thereby not saved nor enabled to enjoy a full gospel experience? Wrong motive! Dark faith! Don't share the chair/throne! The throne in your heart mind and soul belongs to Jesus only. Not Jesus + church activity.

The correct motive for participating in church activity is that you love Jesus and are thankful for what He has accomplished for you at the cross! You love people and want to encourage them in the faith. You love the lost and want to encourage them towards the faith. These are correct motives for participating in church activity.

Baptism of the Holy Spirit

Jesus provides everything that we need for a full gospel experience through His life, death, and resurrection. There is nothing that we can add. He provides the Spirit to regenerate us. We are baptized into union with Christ and with all other believers in Christ which is the baptism of the Holy Spirit. This is a positional work. He seals us as God's own. We are offered the privilege of continual infilling as we allow the indwelling Spirit to control us. This is an experiential work. Infilling can be hindered by some obstacle/sin that may need to be dealt with via repentance. If we are not filled with the Spirit then we feel like we are lacking.

The giving of the gift of the Holy Spirit to the Gentiles at Caesarea Acts 10:45, the Jews at Pentecost Acts 2:38, and the Samaritans Acts 8:17-20 is not something in addition to salvation but salvation itself! To view the events at Cornelius' house as being in addition to salvation is incorrect. To say that we need baptism of the Holy Spirit in addition to our salvation to complete us and make us effective denies the free gift and attaches conditions and creates confusion. Jesus + something else = a rich and effective full gospel experience. It nullifies the Gospel of grace. It contradicts the sufficiency of Christ's work on the cross.

The Church age

The Holy Spirit came at Pentecost and has inaugurated the church age. Baptism of the Holy Spirit occurs when we repent and trust in Jesus. It's not something that we need to look for in addition to salvation. It's part of salvation. It places us positionally in Christ and in the Church when we turn and trust in Jesus. He told His disciples to wait for the Holy Spirit. It fell upon mankind during Pentecost and takes up residence within us when we repent and trust in Jesus and His finished work at the cross. The church age is here. We no longer have to wait for the Holy Spirit as at Pentecost. Holy Spirit is automatically imparted to us when we repent and trust in Jesus. Hindering of the infilling of the Holy Spirit via some sort of obstacle or sin is possible. This can make us feel unsaved.

Gifts of the Spirit

There are nine gifts of the Spirit that we are privileged to experience after salvation. Wisdom, knowledge, faith, gifts of healing, working of miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, tongues which include glossolalia and xenoglossia, interpretation of tongues. These gifts evidence Jesus', Holy Spirit's, God's working through us. There are nine fruits of the Spirit. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control. These fruits evidence Jesus', Holy Spirit's, God's working in us.

These gifts and fruits are all available to us at the moment of salvation. Repenting and trusting in Jesus and His finished work at the cross. To say that we must pursue, to seek glossolalia as evidence that we are baptized in the Spirit is to partially invest in dark faith. Jesus + something else = a rich and effective full gospel experience. We already have everything that we need for a full and effective salvation and ministry because of His completed work at the cross!

In conclusion, to enjoy and utilize the gifts of the Spirit and to experience the fruits of the Spirit are wonderful privileges that we receive when we repent and trust in Jesus. We do not need to seek an additional work of baptism of the Spirit. Baptism of the Spirit is a positional work provided by Christ's work at the cross. We do need to seek infilling of the Spirit though. Sometimes it involves repentance. Often it's simply holding out the cup to receive as much as we need. Glossolalia can help facilitate infilling. Praying with understanding will also enable infilling. Sometimes we need physical healing. We need to make the connection though. Connection on a daily basis. We need to be filled with the Holy Spirit! Gal. 5:16.