Let me start by bringing us into an understanding of what the believers Faith is, before we now launch into the communication of that Faith. I believe we know and are aware that our Faith as believers, is premised on the finished works of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary. It is based on the Scriptural facts, and not assumptions, that Christ died for our sins and then He rose again for our justification. If you read 2 Peter 2:22 & 24, the Bible says:

 

"Who committed no sin,
Nor was deceit found in His mouth”;

24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed."

 

Listen to Podcast: THE COMMUNICATION OF OUR FAITH

 

Did you see that? Jesus bore our sins in His own body on the tree; our sins, and not His own sins. Verse 22 already showed us that He committed no sin whatsoever, and there was no deceit found in His mouth to warrant the kind of torture and punishment that He went through, it is for our sakes. In case this account is not enough, let me show us another account that corroborate the same thing that Jesus did on our behalf. 1 Corinthians 15:3-8; the Bible says:

 

"For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. 6 After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. 7 After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. 8 Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time."

 

So, the believers Faith is reposed in what God had done for us in Christ Jesus. To be able to effectively communicate this Faith, it is important that we understand what it is and how we came about it. Haven said all these, what then is the communication of the believers' Faith and how can we effectively communicate it so that it can achieve what it is meant to achieve?

 

"I thank my God, making mention of you always in my prayers, ⁵ hearing of your love and Faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints, ⁶ that the sharing of your Faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus."

Philemon 1:4-6

 

First, we were made to understand that each time apostle Paul prays, according to him, he makes mention of Philemon in his prayers. So we can assume by saying that there is no time apostle Paul prays that Philemon is not remembered in his prayers. Why did he always do this? Verse 5 and 6 tells us that. It is because Philemon's love and Faith towards the Lord Jesus and the people of God (the saints), have been so impressive. So in order for him to do more, apostle Paul wouldn't fail to mention Philemon each time he prays; maybe for more strength from the Lord to be able to do more I believe, and for the grace to finish the race as well.

 

Now, part of the content of Paul's prayer for Philemon is documented in verse 6, and it is that "The sharing of Philemon's Faith", according to the Scripture above, "becomes effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in him in Christ Jesus." Before we proceed further, I would really love to explain to us what that phrase "become effective" means in the context of this Scripture. Now, the more Philemon is able to communicate his Faith, by acknowledging everything that Christ has done in him, the more he is able to convince others as well to believe in the finished works of Christ and then, get them to come to accept Christ.

 

If you truly have Faith in Christ Jesus, you must get to that point where you should be able to communicate that Faith so that others too can believe and also come to enjoy the things that you are enjoying in Christ Jesus. It is at this point that we can say your Faith is effective. The provisions in Christ Jesus is both for you and for as many people who would accept Christ Jesus as their personal Lord and savior. However, there is need for you to communicate this Faith through the acknowledgement of the things that God has done for you, so that others too can hear and benefit. This is the essence of our Faith. John wrote something in line with this, in 1 John 1:1-4. The Bible says:

 

"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life— ² the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us— ³ that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. ⁴ And these things we write to you that your joy may be full."

 

Now, I was able to note three things in this Scripture that John said was the reason for writing what he was sharing with us here.

 

Number one, John said they have received eternal life through the Word of life. Jesus Himself is the Word of life and so, He impacted them with this same life and it became eternal life in them. John said we (talking about himself and the other apostles), will not keep quiet until they have impacted others with this same eternal life that they have received through Christ. This is the number one essence of our Faith as believers, communicating that eternal life which has been made available in Christ to others so that they also can be partakers of it. Eternal life is the God-kind of life. It is a life that is above Coronavirus and every other viruses that we cannot even see with our naked eyes. When you communicate this to others as a believer, then your Faith becomes effective.

 

Number two, John talked about a special kind of fellowship with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ that they enjoyed as well. This kind of fellowship cannot be compared with any other kind of fellowship. For three and half years, the disciples enjoyed first class fellowship with Christ Jesus. He said "that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ." John said we are declaring this fellowship to you so that you also may come into terms with it and be partaker of it. This fellowship is not available in religion. This fellowship, even though you can get a bit of it within the four walls of a church building, is not restricted to it. Because for almost five weeks now, churches across the world have been asked to close down. So what happens, if your fellowship with the Father and with His Son Christ Jesus is limited to the four walls of your church alone? Does it mean you haven't fellowshipped since that time?

 

John said this fellowship is unlimited, is not restricted and it is a one-on-one fellowship with the Father and with the Son. It is the kind of fellowship you enjoy with the Son through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us. This fellowship is unlimited! It cannot be locked down! It is not restricted to the four walls of a church building alone. Why? Because the Holy Spirit is unlimited. The Holy Spirit brings un into this fellowship with the Father and His Son. Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 13:14: "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen." Paul said that communion of the Holy Spirit; which is (the spiritual union between you and the Holy Spirit or the unity between you and the Holy Spirit) brings about this fellowship with the Father and His Son Jesus Christ that apostle John was talking about. And guess what; the Holy Spirit resides inside of you.

 

So, the communication of our Faith as believers is to bring others to come partake of this experience. The reason a lot of people are depressed and are suicidal in the world today is because many have not come into this vital fellowship with God the Father, and His Son Jesus Christ; through the Holy Spirit. You cannot be fellowshipping  with God and thoughts of suicide will be welling up in your mind. It is absolutely not possible. This is why believers are admonished to communicate their Faith so that others too can come benefit from the grace of God which has been made available in Christ Jesus.

 

The third reason John said he wrote this Scripture to us is so that our joy may be full. Verse 4 says: "And these things we write to you that your joy may be full." John wrote what he and other disciples of Jesus saw and experienced with Him so that our joy may be full. As a believer, a disciple of Jesus Christ, it is your responsibility as well to communicate this Faith to others, the same way Philemon did, the same way John did, so that the joy of others may be full too. Jesus told His disciples to go into all the world and teach all nations (Matthew 28). He did not ask them to bottle up everything they have seen and received from Him and keep them as secrets. Jesus said specifically in Matthew 28:20 to His disciples: "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you."

 

If the disciples had not obeyed the commandment of Jesus, maybe we would not have heard about anything called the gospel today. The same principle is applicable to you as a believer. The Faith that you have received is not so that you can move your own mountains alone and solve your own personal problems. That Faith that has helped you build your home, build your business, build your ministry, build your career, that Faith that you received that solved all your problems and brought solution your way; is meant to be communicated to others too, so that they also can have results, and their lives too can be glorious.

 

So, why is it important that you communicate your Faith as a believer? Verse 6 of out text shows us the answer: "that the sharing of your Faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus."  The communication of your Faith makes your Faith effective; that is, it brings about result, both in your own life and the life of those you are sharing it with.

 

What Must You and I Do So That We Can Communicate Our Faith Effectively?

 

1. Acknowledge Every Good Thing In You In Christ Jesus. The reason your life is this beautiful, peaceful and excellent is because Christ made it so. Communicate this to others, let it be your testimony. Share it among your friends, among your family and to the whole world how Christ has changed your life. Don't be shy or be afraid to do so. Teach people who will in turn teach others as well. Paul wrote to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:2; "And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to Faithful men who will be able to teach others also." This also must become what we do regularly as believers. Acknowledge every good thing in you in Christ Jesus and then share it with others as well.

 

2. Let Your Life Reflect What You Are Sharing. The reason why many unbelievers refer to believers as hypocrites today is because the believers' life does not reflect what he or she is talking about. Many unbelievers today are not only interested in what you want to tell them about Christ alone, they want to see you live that life too. They want to see the light of that glorious Faith you are communicating radiate in everything around you; in your business, in your organization, in your family and in your community as well. Christianity is not limited to attending church meetings on Sundays alone. Christianity is a life that we live. People want to see your life reflect the same thing before they would listen to you. Jesus said in Matthew 5:16; "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." If you want the communication of your Faith to be effective, then let your life reflect the message you convey.

 

3. Make The Conversation Simple.

"Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. 6 Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one."

Colossians 4:5-6

 

I believe you have been blessed!

Thanks for the gift of your time, I am Obayomi Abiola Benjamin!

Feel free to share your thoughts or testimony in the comment box below. I promise to respond to them as soon as possible!