VF: 1 The Recognition of Visionary Faith

Chapter 1

The Recognition of Visionary Faith

Pursuing human plans to obey God’s commands

Table of Topics

A) Defining Visionary Faith

B) Distinguishing Visionary Faith

C) Recognizing Visionary Faith

Extras & Endnotes

Primary Points

• Visionary faith is the faith that enables us to pursue human plans in order to obey God’s commands.
• Unlike other biblical faith, visionary faith does not have certain and specific biblical commands to base it on. It’s object is how we decide to specifically carry out biblical commands like the Great Commission.
• There is a certain “risk” to visionary faith in that there is no divine promise that the method, strategy, or plan you pursue will “work.”
• 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 is a classic biblical description of visionary faith. The Apostle is praying that God would bless and fulfill the good desires and works of faith that the church would pursue, in order to glorify God.
• The ministries and special abilities of Evangelist, Pastor, and Teacher both require and provide a visionary faith that is beyond what God expects of most Christians.
• It is important for all Christians to recognize that God gives different kinds of abilities and levels of visionary faith to His people so we are not incorrectly judging one another.

1. Defining Visionary Faith

On October 2, 1792 twelve Pastors gathered in a living room in Kettering England to form the Baptist Missionary Society. They all pastored small churches, two of them less than 25 people. At that first meeting an offering of less than $25 was given to start the Society. Six months later, William Carey, the “founder of modern missions,” boarded a ship sailing for India. He was 32 years old, had been a shoe maker most of his life, and had been rejected for ordination as a Pastor eight years earlier. His wife and four children (one a new born and all under nine years) went with him.

After eight years of grueling labor and conditions, what did the “founder of modern missions” have to show for his faith? One dead son from a virus, a wife who went mentally insane and never recovered, and one baptized convert. Only one. In eight years of evangelism. What empowered William Carey to make all that sacrifice for so little fruit? Visionary faith.

Carey’s most famous words were: “Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God.” This is visionary faith. Expecting a lot from God and attempting a lot for God in the pursuit of obeying His commands. Carey believed such faith was necessary in order to fulfill the commandment and commission of Christ to “Go and make followers of Me in all the nations” (Matt 28:19). And William Carey was a great example of visionary faith.

This is a faith that tries things without having any revelation or assurances from God that it will succeed. It is a faith we choose and exercise in order to see the purposes of God fulfilled in our lives and world. Visionary faith is the faith that enables us to pursue human plans in order to obey God’s commands.

The Apostle Paul described this kind of faith when he wrote:

Because of the return of Christ, we always pray that God will think you have lived up to His commanding invitation to experience your special privilege and responsibility as a Christian.

We pray that through His power you will accomplish any passionate resolve to do good, and every work prompted by your faith.

Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored because of you, and you will be honored along with Him. This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Thess 1:11-12) ^[1]

The Apostle was praying that God would bless and fulfill the good desires, works of faith, and human plans that the Thessalonians pursued to fulfill God’s commands and glorify Him. Paul implied that Christians are to be trying things in order to please God, even though there is no guarantee that our desires will bear observable fruit or glorify God on Earth. Which is precisely why Paul believed there was a need to pray for God’s “power” to enable the fulfillment of those desires, works, and plans.

Properly interpreting, firmly believing, and sacrificially applying Paul’s statement will change your life. Join us in a journey through this passage in the following chapters of Visionary Faith.

1. Distinguishing visionary faith

Visionary faith fits the definition of a biblical faith which is “an absolutely certain commitment of reason to a correct understanding of a divine revelation, based on divine evidence, producing divine pleasure.” ^[2] However, visionary faith is to be distinguished from other aspects of faith in Scripture. As we have written elsewhere, miracle faith is absolutely certain with no doubt because it depends on a direct revelation from God that a miracle will be performed or experienced. But visionary faith does not have such certainty because its actions are not based on a direct revelation from God.

Likewise, what we have called empowering faith is based upon the written revelation of God in Scripture. Therefore, we know God is commanding it. However, obeying God’s commands in our specific circumstances requires many steps of faith for which we have no Scripture for. Like all biblical faith, we have a written revelation of the general parameters for all the decisions we make, but the specifics are not usually revealed.

For example, consider Christ’s command of the Great Commission:

All authority in Heaven and on Earth has been given to Me. Therefore go and make followers of Me in all the nations. Baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. And teach them to obey everything I have commanded you. And be certain of this: I will always be with you until the end of the age. (Matt 28:18-20)

There are doctrines, commands, and promises here that our empowering faith can be absolutely certain about. We can be certain about the doctrine that “all authority in Heaven and on Earth has been given to” our King. We can be certain that the King commanded us to “go and make followers of Me in all the nations.” And we can be certain of His promise that, “I will always be with you until the end of the age.” We can also be certain that at a primary level, God’s strategy for accomplishing the Great Commission is the local church (cf. Matt 16:18; 1 Tim 3:15).

But beyond these instructions, you often have no more specific divine revelation. Specifically, where, when, how, and with whom are you to plant churches? And can you be certain that converts and churches will be produced? God does not normally tell us these things in advance.

Therefore, in many areas of fulfilling God’s general commands, we need to do research, get counsel, make a decision, commit resources, and exercise visionary faith to pursue human plans to fulfill God’s commands, without a divine revelation of specifically how to do so.

Could we choose wrong in these attempts to carry out God’s revealed commands and desires for our life? Yes. This is because we do not have any divine revelation telling us the answers to these questions. We have a lot of Christian books filled with opinions, wisdom, and human research on these topics, but not divine revelation.

Therefore, there is a certain “risk” in visionary faith. The location, methods, and people you choose to plant a church may fail. Visionary faith does not guarantee “success” because God has not given us a revelation or promise that our strategy or choice will have a particular result. We can make mistakes, even in the process of exercising visionary faith to fulfill a biblical command of God. Nevertheless, visionary faith is the faith that enables you to pursue human plans in order to obey God’s commands.

1. Recognizing visionary faith

In some way, all Christians need a certain level of visionary faith. God tells us to provide for our families (1 Tim 5:8), but does not tell us how. We need faith to plan and act to pursue work. God tells us to raise godly children (Eph 6:4). But not the specific plans and actions we will need in order to do this. And those things will require faith.

While visionary faith is for all Christians, this book is specifically for leaders in the church and the first book in a series called Pastor Essentials. By church leaders we are referring to those with the “equipping gifts” of evangelism, pastoring/leading, and teaching. The Apostle writes:

Christ gave the church . . . Evangelists, Pastors, and Teachers to repair and prepare God’s people for the work of ministry so that the church will be built up. (Eph 4:11-12) ^[3]

These ministries both require and provide a visionary faith that is beyond what God expects of most Christians. “Evangelists, Pastors, and Teachers” are needing to exercise faith in human plans to pursue God’s commands more than your average mom, dad, or student.

It is important for all Christians to recognize that God gives different kinds of abilities and levels of visionary faith to His people. The Apostle writes: “Reasonably evaluate yourself based on the special spiritual ability and faith God has given you” (Rom 12:3). ^[4] Some Pastors or Missionaries can become critical of other Christians who do not serve God with the same amount of commitment and sacrifice. But they must remember, as Paul himself stated, “By the special power of God I am what I am” (1 Cor 15:10).

Therefore, be careful not to misjudge, compare, or even disdain the calling that God may give us or someone else. There was a Pastor who served faithfully in ministry for many years and had an energetic, out-going wife serving beside him. Until she was stricken with dementia. Now his ministry for the past many years has been faithfully and constantly caring for virtually every need day and night, of a woman who is only a shell of who she was. In God’s sight, that is a high calling.

At this point it may be helpful to define the “equipping gifts” of Evangelist, Pastor, and Teacher. An Evangelist is a person who is especially burdened for reaching unbelievers with the Gospel to save them. They are not as concerned about the needs of believers, and their focus is on the needs of unbelievers.

A Teacher is especially burdened with the needs for spiritual growth in believers. Their focus is on transforming the lives of God’s people through the word of God.

Those gifted in pastoring have more diverse ministries. Some Pastors are more task oriented leaders, setting and pursuing the vision and goals of the local church. Other Pastors are more people-oriented, counseling and caring for the needs of the people in the church.

All of these gifted people love people, but in different ways. Sometimes one person will have multiple gifts, for example, both evangelism and leadership. But you will rarely find all of these needed ministries in one person. Which is why a leadership team of variously gifted people is best.

It is particularly people with these “equipping gifts” will have a special faith from God to pursue human plans to fulfill God’s commands. They are men and women like William Carey. Christians who plant and Pastor churches. And this book, Visionary Faith, is especially dedicated to them.

Extras & Endnotes

A Devotion to Dad

Our Father, we thank you for the Evangelists, Pastors, and Teachers You have given to the church to expand and edify it. We pray for the ones ministering to us today.

Gauging Your Grasp

1. How do we define visionary faith?
2. How does visionary faith differ from other kinds of faith in the Bible?
3. What are the “risks” involved in visionary faith?
4. What do we believe is the basic message of 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12? Do you agree or disagree?
5. Why is it important to recognize the different abilities and levels of faith God gives to serve Him? Have you ever been tempted to make a mistake in this way?

Publications & Particulars

1. “Because of the return of Christ” refers to the context of vs. 7-10 and the connecting eis “for which” that begins v. 11.

   “God will think you have lived up to” trans. axiōsē, lit. “consider worthy” (Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Early Christian Literature (BAGD), F. W. Danker, ed., 3^rd ed., 2001). Some trans. reflect the idea of “make worthy” instead of “consider worthy.” (NIV, ESV, NLT). This suggests it is God’s responsibility to make us worthy of our call. First of all, the meaning of the word is not “make,” BAGD listing 1) “to consider suitable for requital or for receipt of something; 2) to make an evaluation concerning the suitability of something, esp. an activity.” Thus the NASB is correct: “To this end also we pray for you always, that our God will count you worthy of your calling.” Charles Wanamaker comments:

   A number of scholars have asserted that this word means “to make worthy,” in spite of the fact that with the possible exception of the Epistle of Diognetus 9:1 no other examples of this sense are known. On account of this we should stay with the normal denotation of the word “to consider worthy.” This interpretation is substantiated by v. 5, where the compound form kataxiōthēnai has this meaning. (Thessalonians, 1990)

   Also, placing the responsibility on God to make us live up to our calling subverts Paul’s entire purpose for what he is both praying and writing. This is a call to the Thessalonians to take responsibility for being counted as worthy of their calling, not a promise that God will do so.

   “His commanding invitation to experience a special privilege and responsibility” trans. klēseōs, lit. “calling.” This word is obscure in English. BAGD defines: “an invitation to experience a special privilege and responsibility.” But it is more than a mere invitation. The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology NIDNTT) says, “It is used of a commanding call. Paul understands calling as the process by which God calls those, whom he has already elected for salvation and appointed for service so that he may justify them and bring them into his service.” (1986). Accordingly, the position and privileges that God has given us as His children result in an invitation and responsibility to live up to them.

   “Passionate resolve” trans. eudokian, In general it means a strong desire, will, or pleasure (BAGD). However, the NIDNTT notes that decision making is included as well. This is especially true of its verb form eudokeō, which is translated “thought it best” (NASB, NIV) or “decided” (NLT) when referring to a decision by Paul and his companions to stay in Athens (1 Thess 3:1). Eudokian is a strong desire that has been decided upon. Thus the RSV, NRSV, and ESV translate it “resolve” in 1 Thess 1:11, which Webster’s defines as: “to reach a firm decision about.” But eudokian is not just a decision, but a decision on a desire, thus our translation “passionate resolve.”

   Our translation implies that the “passionate resolve” is ours instead of God’s. However, the KJV and NKJV has, “the good pleasure of his goodness” implying that the good desire Paul speaks of is God’s. This was the view of both Calvin and Barnes. Dr. Wanamaker comments:

   On the whole, it seems best to take it [the good purposes] in connection with the readers because the parallel phrase “work of faith” [v. 11b] relates more naturally to the activity of the Thessalonians than to the work of God (Thessalonians, 1990).

   Accordingly the NIV has: “your every desire for goodness.”

   “Every work prompted by your faith” see NLT. We prefer the more literal translation of ergon as “work.” The NIV’s “deed” implies a one-time isolated action, which ergon can mean. But the kind of work that Paul is speaking of in order to see our good purposes fulfilled and God glorified seems best reflected in the another nuance of ergon: “that which one does as regular activity, work, occupation, task” (BAGD) which implies a more enduring, consistent, and perhaps even arduous working as described in section 1.6.B.

   “This is all made possible because of the grace of our God” see NLT. ↑

2. For further on the theological understanding of faith, including miracle faith, see Book 6: Biblical Faith online at trainingtimothys.org/books/book-6-biblical-believing/. ↑

3. Because the existence and function of Apostles and Prophets today is widely debated we leave them out of our discussion here. “Repair and prepare” trans. katartismon, “prepare, restore, equip” It was originally used as a medical term and specifically to mend a broken bone (BAGD). Related words in the NT mean to repair as in “mending nets” (Matt 4:21). ↑

4. “Special spiritual ability” reflects Paul’s focus on spiritual gifts. “Faith here denotes the spiritual power given to each Christian for the discharge of his or her special responsibility” (F. F. Bruce, Romans,1999). “Men’s opinions of themselves should be in proportion not to their natural capacities but to God’s gifts” (C. K, Barrett, Romans, 1991). ↑