Developing Pillar-Like Faith

By K.D. Anderholm

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A pillar is not a tiny reed shaken with the wind. It stands upright, it does not lean to the left or to the right and it does not bend with the pressure of outward circumstances. A pillar holds some weight. A pillar carries its own load and remains faithful day after day because it is securely fastened to a solid foundation. This is a prophetic picture of what those In Christ are destined to become—pillars in the temple of our God. (Rev 3:12)

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Abraham developed pillar-like faith. He learned to walk uprightly and lean on his relationship with God. The first thing that God said to him was, "Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you." (Gen 12.1) In other words, God was saying, "Get up from the place that you are familiar with, move from your comfortable surroundings and go to a place that you have never been before!" It’s helpful to study the revivals of the past, but the outpouring of the Spirit that is coming cannot be compared with anything in the Church’s history. It will be unlike anything the world has ever seen. You and I must be ready for it. We must develop unshakable, pillar-like faith to be ready for it!

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When Abraham stepped out to obey the heavenly vision, Lot went with him. (Gen 12:4) As the story progresses, we see that Lot and his servants never developed their own faith with God. They spent all their time leaning on Abraham’s faith and drawing on Abraham’s blessings. (Gen 12:3) Lot and his servants caused many problems for Abraham. Lot’s servants and Abraham’s servants were constantly quarreling with one another. (Gen 13:7) Lot and his servants were captured by the enemy and Abraham had to rescue them. (Gen 14:12-16) Lot moved into Sodom and Gomorrah and it was Abraham who rescued him again through his prayers. (Gen 18:17-33) This is a picture of many in the local church today. They attend a good church, get blessed by the preaching of the Word and the gifts of the Holy Spirit, but they never develop their own personal relationship with God. As the result, they develop "leaning faith." Their faith is reliant on the faith of others.

 

"Leaning Faith" in the Local Church

"Leaning faith" is faith that leans on the Pastor or the elders instead of the Lord. "Leaning faith" develops when believers neglect or forsake the study of the Word and their intimate prayer time with God. They don’t have a fresh overflow of life to bring into the church services. They have to lean upon the corporate faith of the church and the individual faith of other believers just to stay alive.

 

Christians with "leaning faith" cause many problems in a local church. They constantly ask for prayer but they rarely offer to pray for others. They secretly grumble and complain about the church and often come looking for a handout, taking advantage of the many generous but undiscerning believers in the congregation. These are not "baby" Christians that I am referring to, these are individuals who have "professed" faith in Jesus Christ for many years.

 

Christians with "leaning faith" are often found quarreling with leadership or striving for positions within a local church. Like Lot, they are constantly in trouble and "Abraham" has to come running to their rescue. This is why the average church size in America is only 100 people. "Leaning faith" cripples a church’s ability to grow.

 

Sometimes it’s the leaders fault. They don’t wean the people off of themselves and onto the Lord. These things must change. Leaning faith must go. The people must begin to develop pillar-like faith in their own private prayer times with the Lord.

 

People with pillar-like faith are a real support to a local church. They bring life, joy and freedom into the church services. The overflow of their spiritual life fills the congregation with life and victory. I’m not talking about an emotional roller-coaster type of victory, I’m talking about an unwavering force of liberty that comes from a life that is real with God. Churches filled with Christians who have pillar-like faith will be mighty in these last days. Churches filled with dependent members who don’t have a real walk with God will turn into stagnant cesspools of motionless religiosity.

 

Nehemiah’s Workers

In the book of Nehemiah, we read the story of another man of God. Nehemiah had a vision to build something great for the kingdom of God. Like Abraham, Nehemiah had those who went with him. There was a notable difference however, between those that went with Nehemiah and those who went with Abraham. In Nehemiah chapter 4 and verse 6 Nehemiah writes: "So we built the wall, and the entire wall was joined together up to half its height, FOR THE PEOPLE HAD A MIND TO WORK."  (Neh 4:6)

 

Here we see an incredible sight! Nehemiah’s vision was only halfway complete and yet his people still had a mind to work! Amazing! In addition to working grueling hours, they had been mocked, attacked and ridiculed by their enemies—yet they still had a mind to work! There was no strife of striving for position. There was no one resting while others worked double-time. They all had pillar-like faith from the least to the greatest—each bearing their own load and fighting their own fight of faith for the kingdom of God! What a glorious sight! Oh how the local-church needs this type of faith today!

 

Building Pillar-Like Faith

So how does one build pillar-like faith? First, you must enter into prayer. Not religious prayer. Not praying for an hour in the morning and then forgetting about God as you go about your everyday affairs. I’m talking about entering through the veil and staying there. I’m talking about walking in the Spirit. I’m talking about having a life that is real with God. You can’t develop pillar-like faith overnight. It comes as you learn to maintain unbroken fellowship with the Lord even when the baby is screaming and the outward circumstances of life are demanding your attention.

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Secondly, you have to lay aside the weights and sins that so easily beset you. Weights are the things that take up the time that you should be giving to the Lord. Television, hobbies, relationships etc., are weights which keep many from developing their relationship with God. For others, it’s habitual sin which breaks their fellowship the Father. Weights and sins will keep you always dependent upon someone else’s faith. "Abraham" will constantly have to rescue you.

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If you lay aside the weights and sins which so easily beset you and you develop your relationship with God, pillar-like faith will be the automatic by-product. You will have something to bring into your church—you will not just take from it all the time. You will be joyful and strong even when all hell is breaking loose around you. If you learn how to develop this world-overcoming kind of faith, Jesus promises to make you a pillar in the temple of our God! (Rev 3:12)

© Copyright 2018 — K. D. Anderholm

All Rights Reserved

All rights reserved. This article is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Unless otherwise identified, Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version, Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Nashville, Tennessee. All references to deity have been capitalized.