THE FAITH - LUKE 18:8
by Keith Hunt (January 1997) from a "forum" I was on at the time.
Concerning this subject of Sickness/Healing/Faith. Some are
pointing to Luke 18:8 and saying people of God will lack faith at
the end time. That may be true for some, and others it will be
"little faith" and for still others "great is thy faith." BUT
Luke 18:8 is not talking about faith for healing.
The Greek reads "Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes,
will He find THE faith on the earth." The definite article "the"
is in the Greek.
I know that the definite article in the Greek appears in places
where it would then read very strange, but it is there in this
passage. Sometimes it could be important for the real truth of
the passage. I believe this is one of those times.
Look the context. Jesus is teaching us that we aught to pray
and not faint. Pray about WHAT? To be healed of sickness? No!
verse 3, "....Avenge me of my adversary."
As Christians living as lights in the world of darkness,
giving forth the truths of God, Jesus knew we would be persecuted
and have enemies, even be killed and put to death for the truths
of God. That has happened down through the last two thousand
years and will yet happen again during the last three and a half
years of this age, when the Beast power rules.
We are to pray and never give up praying that God will
avenge us, bring this age to an end, destroy those who are
destroying the earth, and persecuting and killing us for living
the true doctrines and ways of the Lord, living "THE way of God"
- "THAT way" - see Acts 18:26: 19:9,23 and the context.
Christians are to live and contend, never faint or give up
on, "earnestly contend for THE faith which was once delivered to
the saints"(Jude 3). We are never to faint for THE body of true
doctrines and teachings (the teachings of God as given once to
the early NT church).
We are to "cry and sigh for the abominations that be done in
the midst thereof"(Ezekiel 9:4 and context). We are not to faint
in doing well the things that are the truths and faith beliefs of
God, "And let us not be weary in WELL DOING: for in DUE SEASON we
shall reap(the judge of Luke 18 will avenge us and the wicked
will be punished) IF we FAINT NOT" (GAL.6:9).
We are to keep praying "Thy Kingdom COME" as Jesus said
elsewhere. We are to "endure to the end" - faint not, because of
the wicked and evil that shall abound, and persecutions that may
come upon us for holding fast to the true teachings of God.
Ah, God will hear us, our prayers, and our faithful
endurance to the faith once delivered to the saints. He will
AVENGE us of our adversary(Satan and the wicked). He will do it
SPEEDILY, during the prophetic Day of the Lord, and during the
day that Christ returns, when the blood of the saints will be
avenged and the 7 last plagues will be speedily poured out.
Although it is written, and so it will be, Jesus
nevertheless asked the question, "....when the Son of Man comes,
shall He find THE faith on the earth?"
Jesus knew the times would be so bad just before His return,
that the evil would so abound the love of many would wax cold,
that deception would be so strong that IF it was possible even
the very elect would be deceived (Mat.24:8-13,24). As Paul was
inspired to write, people would turn their ears away from the
truth and turn unto fables, and men having itching ears (2
Tim.4:1-4).
Will people be on this earth that will faint not and be
holding to THE faith (the body of true teachings and the way of
God) when Jesus returns? Oh, indeed there will be, but they will
be the "little little flock"(as the Greek is) that fear not(faint
not) to whom it is the Father's good pleasure to give the
Kingdom(Luke 12:32).
That is THE faith Jesus was talking about in Luke 18:8. He
was not talking about faith for healing of sickness in that
section of scripture, at least not in any individual specific
way. He talked about that issue elsewhere.
"This is THE endurance (patience) of the saints: here are they
that KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD AND HAVE *THE* FAITH OF JESUS"
(Revelation 14:12).
...................
