Faith, a powerful tool that predates the creation of the world, remains of missional importance. Faith defies a one-dimensional definition, but Apostle Paul offers a helpful missional statement. He said, “faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Heb. 11:1). The communal plead by the early Apostles 2000 years ago to Jesus to, “Increase our faith” is one of our greatest needs today (Lk. 17:5). To advance God’s kingdom is not the quantity of our faith, but the power of God working in us. There is no formula to increase our faith, but fasting, prayer, and righteous living are essential ingredients in the process. The increase of faith does not come through positions, hierarchies, definitions, logic, or philosophy, but by following and obeying Jesus’ teaching in response to the early apostles’ request, “Increase our faith.”

We all struggle in our faith. Every saint, prophet, president, bishop, pope, parent, church, leader, unbelieving believer, and follower all go through a time of struggle in our faith. Prophet Habakkuk cried and questioned his faith in God in the face of unrestrained oppressors and helpless victims, self-appointed prophets who twisted the word of God to suit their own agenda. Ultimately, Habakkuk says, ‘the righteous must live by their faith.’

In response to Jesus’ teachings, the apostles struggled with their faith because they found the teachings difficult to comprehend. Jesus told the apostles, “If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. Even if they sin against you seven times a day, seven times come back to you saying, ‘I repent,’ forgive them” (Luke 17:3-4). Forgiveness must be without limit, bearing in mind that offences are anything that causes a brother or sister to fall into sin. The apostles found Jesus’ teaching on guidelines for Christians in relation to kingdom living, stressing principles of discipleship, community, and how to handle conflict. The apostles’ response addressed the difficulty of such persistent, radical forgiveness, which requires a supernatural level of faith (v. 5). 

Forgiveness is for the forgiver too. To walk in close fellowship with God must be devoid of harbouring unforgiveness. Unforgiveness due to an offence breaks fellowship with God. The teaching was too difficult for the apostles to digest. It is highly demanding of them. Hence, the request: “Lord, increase our faith” (Lk 17:5-10). Jesus, in His response told the apostles, “If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed [a very tiny seed], ye might say unto this sycamine tree, be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you” (v. 6). Jesus pointed the apostles to the untapped power of faith. Jesus referred to the grain of mustard seed to change the Apostles’ mindset from the quantity of faith to the object of faith. Moving mulberry trees is not dependent on the quantity of our faith, but on God’s free initiative, power, wisdom, and love.

Faith to do a miracle is about power. In Greek, Jesus’ response means, “If you have faith – and you DO!” Practically, the apostles have faith in Jesus Christ, which is sufficient power to accomplish and carry out their missional task without making excuses. Jesus used a figure of speech, ‘be planted in the sea,’ to illustrate the importance of faith. Through faith, we receive the power to do what God wants us to do. In reflection, Jesus points to faith as power, and ‘when our lives are aligned to God, we become conduits of enormous power.’ There is enormous power in a tiny seed of faith as a principle of action and power. Men and women in the past and in the present operate by the power of faith in doing God’s mission.

Faith in Jesus Christ is the ONLY condition or requirement for receiving God’s gift of salvation and power to do exploits. Faith is not only a matter of what a person believes in Jesus Christ, it is also an active response from the heart of a person who truly desires to accept Jesus Christ as Saviour, that is, the forgiver of his or her sins, and to follow Him as Lord, that is, leader of his or her life(Matt 4: 19, Rev 14:4). Faith is more than intellectual acknowledgement that Jesus Christ is God’s Son who died to pay the price for our sins. True biblical faith brings spiritual salvation. This experience involves an active trust, whereby a person surrenders complete control of their life to Jesus Christ and commits to following His mission and purposes.

Faith, like a grain of mustard seed, is the faith that believes Jesus Christ died for our sins and rose from the dead to bring us life. Faith, like a grain of mustard seed, trusts in Jesus as one’s personal Lord and Saviour, believing with one’s heart, and surrendering to Jesus’ will. Faith, like a grain of mustard seed, involves repentance, admitting, expressing genuine sorrow for, and turning from a sinful, God-defying way (Acts 17:30). Faith as a grain of mustard seed is when obedience to Jesus Christ and His Word become a way of life, inspire by our trust in Jesus Christ, by our gratitude to God and by the life-transforming work of the Holy Spirit (Jn 3:3-6, Heb. 5:8-9). Faith, like a grain of mustard seed, is about passionate, personal devotion to Jesus Christ that expresses itself in complete and selfless trust, love, gratitude, and loyalty. Faith, like a grain of mustard seed, is both an act of a single moment, when an individual initially repents of sin, accepts God’s forgiveness, and yields their life to Jesus Christ, and an ongoing attitude of action that must continue to grow and gain strength (Jn 1:12).

Jesus, in His teaching, addressed some hindrances that block and break the flow of our faith and faithfulness as a grain of mustard seed. Among the hindrances that block the divine power from flowing through us are offences, unforgiveness, wealth, pleasure, position, power, and self-centeredness. This generation is waiting for the unleashing of divine power for revival and preparation for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. The secret is, have you been to Jesus for the cleansing blood? Are you washed in the blood of Jesus?