Over fifty years of church attendance and Bible study is bound to have an impact on anyone’s Christian life. When listening to a sermon or watching a televangelist I often know the scriptures by heart and can quote the verse that follows. Sometimes I get a feeling of ”well, I’ve been there, done that”. But quite recently I was surprised to discover that faith was a gift of the Spirit, not a fruit of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:9).
I know some people who undoubtedly have the gift of faith, but I am not one of them. .However, people like me can build faith. “But you, beloved, building yourselves up in the most holy faith…”(Jude 20).
Our storage dams holding water that is vital for life on this planet are built thick and strong enough to resist enormous pressure. And so we who do not have the gift of faith need to build it up against the temptations and deceptions which are sure to come our way before Christ returns. ”Therefore as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him rooted and built up in Him established in the faith as you were taught”…(Colossians 2:6,7).
Jesus told us not to use ‘vain repetitions’ when we pray. But storing up knowledge like this is certainly not in vain but a solid defence against the torrents of temptation waiting in the wings. I had better beware of the feeling that I’ve been there and done that.
I could be of great help to someone new in the faith and still lacking knowledge and understanding.
The televangelists I have seen tend to twist scripture and use it to “proof-text” their own confirmation bias for what they want to talk about. “Been there, done that” is helpful for one not to fall victim to their distortion. It is also quite helpful in guiding new believers into growing a Christ-centered, scripture-based lifestyle.