Stale faith is a serious problem for anyone that thinks that all is at least spiritually adequate (good enough) between him or her and God.

In a fashion, such a thin veneer of faith is not unlike having the sword of Damocles hanging over the head of one with stale faith.

The Sword of Damocles: The famed “Sword of Damocles” dates back to an ancient moral parable popularized by the Roman philosopher Cicero. His version of the tale centers on Dionysius II, a tyrannical king who once ruled over the Sicilian city of Syracuse during the fourth and fifth centuries B.C. Though rich and powerful, Dionysius was supremely unhappy. His iron-fisted rule had made him many enemies, and he was tormented by fears of assassination—so much so that he slept in a bedchamber surrounded by a moat and only trusted his daughters to shave his beard with a razor. As Cicero tells it, the king’s dissatisfaction came to a head one day after a court flatterer named Damocles showered him with compliments and remarked how blissful his life must be. “Since this life delights you,” an annoyed Dionysius replied, “do you wish to taste it yourself and make a trial of my good fortune?” When Damocles agreed, Dionysius seated him on a golden couch and ordered a host of servants to wait on him. He was treated to succulent cuts of meat and lavished with scented perfumes and ointments. Damocles couldn’t believe his luck, but just as he was starting to enjoy the life of a king, he noticed that Dionysius had also hung a razor-sharp sword from the ceiling. It was positioned over Damocles’ head, suspended only by a single strand of horsehair. From then on, the courtier’s fear for his life made it impossible for him to savor the opulence of the feast or enjoy the servants. After casting several nervous glances at the blade dangling above him, he asked to be excused, saying he no longer wished to be so fortunate. . . The parable later became a common motif in medieval literature, and the phrase “sword of Damocles” is now commonly used as a catchall term to describe a looming danger. Likewise, the saying “hanging by a thread” has become shorthand for a precarious situation (dangerous, unsecure).

Stale faith toward God and His Word is simply not good enough and is nothing more than faith in God hanging by a thread—a thread that would not bear hardly an ounce more weight upon a person’s life before it snapped. Such faith in God is not what our Bibles reveal is required of us by God. And if we do not measure-up to His expectations, we cannot expect to receive anything from Him, including (perhaps) eternal life, if our faith has become so taken for granted and eroded that it has likely become invalid.

† Matthew 21:22 [Jesus said] And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing (pisteuo: have faith in [and]), ye shall receive.

† James 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth (hesitates, staggers) is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. 8 A double minded (two/spirited, vacillating) man is unstable in all his ways.

If you have not given your faith in God and in what His written Word says the importance and priority it demands of born again ones, you sure as Heaven better! Anyone deficient in tried, tested and sure faith in God creates a sword hanging over his or her head.

† Hebrews 11:1 Now faith (constant conviction) is the substance (what you stand on, foundation, essence, assurance[ and divine legal precedent) of things hoped for (you expect, are trusting for) [forgiveness, cleansing, Heaven?], the evidence (proof) of things not seen. [The believer’s faith is at the heart of God’s plan of salvation’s divine legal system involving conviction, legal precedent, evidence presented as proof]. . . 6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

For you to continue to physically live, how important is it to have a continual and uninterrupted supply of air and the capacity to breathe? If you cannot continually breathe in-and-out on average 12 to 18 times per minute apart from exertion, your body will suffer at some level. If you cannot breathe at all, your body will die from a lack of oxygen.

Faith is as critical to the born again-ness of your spirit and soul as air is to your human body. If you do not get enough oxygen, your brain and body will suffer, if you cannot breathe at all, your brain will die in about 4 minutes. If your faith is weak and therefore vulnerable, your spiritual life will suffer, if your faith fails, you will spiritually die and not have eternal life. Jesus warned those of us living in these last days that faith in Him is going to become a rare quality among those that think they are His followers.

† Luke 18:7 And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? 8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

That’s enough said for now on the criticality of your strong faith in God.

But what do we do with that faith? What is expected, how and when is it to be used? I hope that you will constantly remind yourself of this until it becomes such a part of your nature that is it like breathing air in and out without being aware of it: Faith must be mixed daily into the thoughts, plans, words and actions of our individual lives in order to satisfy God’s expectations. Such a personal discipline does not happen overnight or over a few days but requires your and my commitment to faith and the Bible’s objective training of our minds and hearts to daily live “by faith” (used 17 times in Heb. 11 and more times elsewhere). Our lives as Christians are to be tempered by faith.

† Hebrews 3:7 Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith), To day if ye will hear his voice, 8 Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness… 12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. 13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; 15 While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. 16 For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses. 17 But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness? 18 And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? 19

† Hebrews 4:1 Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. 2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.

By the warning of this passage we are to be instructed in something about our attitude and use of faith-in-God—and that is that for our faith to “profit” us (give the advantage, benefit) we must mix it with what the Word of God says as followers of Jesus: We must fold faith into the notable events of our lives (like an important ingredient in a recipe), and include faith in all things related to what the Gospel is to do for us all the days of our lives.

The Gospel is far more than the “good news” that we can be forgiven and born again—just like learning that you have won the lottery involves knowing how to wisely use that money from that time forward.

I just said this: “Faith must be mixed daily into the thoughts, plans, words and actions of our individual lives in order to live up to and satisfy God’s expectations” as well as to receive the many provisions He has made for us as His children. We are going to look at examples of how faith is to be an ever-present companion in our day-by-day thoughts and plans, thoughts and words, and our thoughts before taking any life-affecting action especially.

We either live each day independent from God’s intended ways—or we live our lives regulated by (guided by, inspired by) an active faith in God; the issues of life as a follower of Jesus are to be “tempered together with faith”.

Tempered: Changed by the addition of or mixture with other qualities. Made durable or flexible or resilient especially by heat treatment (tempered steel, tempered glass). Brought to the desired strength by heating and cooling. [Is your faith like pot metal (a low grade casting of melted scraps) or hardened steel?]

In the context of your and my faith, this reminds me of what Peter and James said about faith—faith itself must be tempered (strengthened) by the heat of trouble in order to be transformed from easily broken apart and crushed faith (like pot metal) into faith that is durable, resilient, and able to flex its spiritual muscle-power into all circumstances.

† James 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. [Faith that develops endurance will find it wants for nothing that is right and good.]

† 1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: 7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: 8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: 9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

With a faith that has been tempered to be strong by the training of the Holy Spirit, knowledge of God’s Word and ways, and being made tough enough to stand erect through the difficult challenges of our lives, what did Paul mean to teach us by the profit (benefit, advantage) of faith being mixed into and throughout our every day as things arise?

For one born again from Heaven, our mind, emotions, and will must have our faith in God as an always on-hand and ready fall-back position as we encounter certain decisions, responses to the unexpected, the resistance by or temptations of others, and other things that we should include God’s Word in as our chief counsel.

One of the best business men I have ever worked for in the secular realm had a saying; he said, “I don’t have to be an expert about everything that comes across my desk, I just need to surround myself with experts in the different areas of my job”.

As genuine Christians, we do not need to understand the ‘whys’ of our circumstances or have all the answers before taking a step forward. We do need to have at-hand God’s Word in our minds and hearts, an ear tuned to hear the Holy Spirit’s voice, a determination to be spiritually ethical, and as it might be sometimes needed, to have one or more Christians with experience and maturity in the faith than we are—to be ourselves “surrounded by experts”.

† Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

† Proverbs 19:20 Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end. 21 There are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand.

† Isaiah 55:6 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near. . . 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

† John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. 14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

† Proverbs 27:9 Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man's friend by hearty counsel.

Today has been to set the stage for a second part to this title, Tempered Together with Faith; a critical lesson of what still must be said about how and where to apply your strong faith in God to the needs of your life in the days ahead. Meanwhile, surround yourself with the expert-resources that are your partners on how to navigate each day with Heaven’s guidance:

Read your Bible faithfully, talk to the Lord and listen for His counsel, and heed what those called to teach you in these very days are saying.