Let’s talk about faith. Let’s rehearse some things about faith. Its an important topic. We cant say, “Oh I’ve heard all I need to about faith. I’m beyond that now. I’m into deeper things.” Really???? Its not a reversal but a rehearsal! The Bible has a different attitude.
We are saved by grace through faith. We are healed by grace through faith. We are baptized in the Holy Spirit by grace through faith. Its faith that God requires from us that believe. Hebrews 11:6 states that its faith that pleases God. Roman 1:17 tells us the just shall live by faith. Its not about what we can do but what God has done through Jesus. We read in Mark 11:22 Jesus said have faith in God! Some translations say have the faith of God. The Bible talks about the faith of the Son of God in Gal 2:20. So many more scriptures dealing with faith. We fight the good fight of faith and overcome the world by faith –1 John 5:14-15. What I’ve come to learn is that I have faith, you have faith. God has dealt to every believer the measure of faith-Roman 12:3. You don’t need to ask or beg God for more faith. Start using the faith you have! The Word of God states we have like precious faith. 1Peter 1:1-3. The Apostle Paul stated we have the same Spirit of faith-2 Corinthians 4:13. You have enough to move mountains- Mark 11:23.
In Galatians 3:8 those that are of faith are blessed! Your blessed because of your faith in God! That’s a great thing!
In the Kingdom of God there are spiritual laws. Just as in the natural we have the law of gravity, the law of electricity, the laws of aerodynamics. These laws work the same for everyone. Spiritual laws work the same for everyone as well. Those who will follow these spiritual laws and exercise their faith can reap the benefits of. So we don have a faith problem, we have a knowledge problem- Hosea 4:6. Lets put away the talk, “If I only had enough faith? “You have faith, its a gift of Gods grace to you. Amen! Philemon 1:6
I used to struggled with the whole faith idea at times, even after Bible college. I focused on getting more faith, doing all I could do to obtain faith. It became a works performance mentality. The pressure was on me to do all the right things for faith to work. I’m so glad I came to the realization that Jesus did all the work through His death, burial and resurrection. That’s the grace of God. All I have to do is believe and receive! No more hoops to jump through. No more legalistic thinking, just learning to rest in God. Knowing He loves me, that I’m accepted in the beloved, that I am complete in Christ! God gave me faith to be in partnership with Him! He is a faith God! I’m created in His image and likeness, therefore I’m a faith person like God. I have God’s DNA so to speak. I can believe and so can you! Didn’t Jesus say, “All things are possible to them that believe!”-Matthew 19:26.
Understanding that faith is not just a doctrine or teaching but an outflow of our relationship with God. Faith is of the heart, the spirit of man. It grace of God that talks to us. Its our faith that talks to God! Its not just head knowledge or mentally agreeing with the Word of God- Roman 12:1-2. It can start there but it must get into our hearts by way of revelation and confession. Proverbs 4:20-24. To the point that we act upon what we believe the Word of God says. This takes time spending in the Word of God and meditating in the Word of God until it becomes real to you. The devil knows this and that’s why he tries to keep us out of the Word. He tries to steal the Word from us. He is a thief and liar-John 10:10, Mark 4:15. The devil knows there is power in the Word of God when its believed in the heart and acted upon. It can move mountains (obstacles) –Mark 11:23. In a familiar verse,
“Faith comes by hearing and hearing the Word of God.”
– Roman 10:17
Its continual hearing, not just once in awhile. I like to say that faith is already yours and it comes alive in you the more you read the Bible. It comes to the forefront in your heart, in your thinking and spoken through your mouth-Roman 10:8. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God also meaning that we gain understanding, heart penetration, we receive the Word, accept it. It becomes part of us- Mark 4:20. God’s reality is stronger that any other reality you may be facing! Faith says what God says! Even when negative circumstances are screaming at you.
Jesus the Son of God, the exact expression, the representation of His Father operated in faith as a man which we see in the New Testament. He prayed, he fasted, he preached and taught things regarding the Kingdom of God and He healed the sick and the oppressed-Acts 10:38. He did it all by faith. Again Galatians 2:20, “the faith of the Son of God.” If Jesus had to live by faith so do we! The Bible speaks of great faith, little faith, or no faith. Its not that faith wasn’t given or present but how much faith was or was not being used or exercised in a given situation. The Apostle Paul said I live by the faith of the Son of God. That faith is in your born again spirit. 1 Corinthians 6:17 (AMP) –17 “But the person who is united to the Lord becomes one spirit with Him.” 1 John 4:17b (AMP) –, “because as He is, so are we in this world.” In our spirit we are one with Him and as Jesus was so are we in this world-that is in the spirit not physically. Remember we are a tri-part being-spirit, soul and body-
1 Thessalonians 5:23. We can never say faith isn’t important! We did to remind ourselves and rehearse the principals of faith. Lets not reverse our course. Faith is a foundation for our Christian life. We need to revisit the subject of faith every now and then.
Here are some great quotes on Faith:
- I believe if you keep your faith, you keep your trust, you keep the right attitude, if you’re grateful, you’ll see God open up new doors. – Joel Osteen
- “For we walk by faith, not by sight” (Paul, 2 Corinthians 5:7)
- “Faith is like radar that sees through the fog — the reality of things at a distance that the human eye cannot see.” (Corrie Ten Boom)
- “Faith is a living and unshakable confidence. A belief in God so assured that a man would die a thousand deaths for its sake.”(Martin Luther)
- “I am not moved by what I see. I am not moved by what I feel. I am moved only by what I believe.”(Smith Wigglesworth)
- “Faith obliterates time, annihilates distance, and brings future things at once into its possession.” (Charles Spurgeon)
- “You get faith by studying the Word. Study that Word until something in you “knows that you know” and that you do not just hope that you know.” (Carrie Judd Montgomery)
- “The beginning of anxiety is the end of faith, and the beginning of true faith is the end of anxiety.”( George Mueller )
- “Feed your faith and starve your doubts.” (Also, Lester Sumrall or perhaps others)-(Kenneth E. Hagin Sr.)
- The effectiveness of our faith is directly proportional to our acknowledgment of the good things that are in us, in Christ Jesus. Philemon 1:6 (Andrew Wommack)
In closing some more truth about the subject of faith: Faith is not waiting for God to do something-He already has through Jesus! Faith says what God says. This is what the Bible calls confession-saying the same thing. It is unbelief that pulls against our faith. We need to feed our faith and starve our doubts. We don’t confess the Word of God to convince ourselves, we confess because we believe. We have two sets of eyes; natural eyes and spiritual eyes of faith. The heart can see better than our natural eyes when it comes to faith. Faith is seeing what God sees! Faith is not a formula made up of self effort, striving to get more faith. When faith is conceived it produces confidence and peace. You boldly proclaim Gods promises in the midst of adversity.
Be encouraged and steadfast in your faith. God is faithful who promised. Numbers 23:19 (NKJV) -19 “God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do?Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?
Brent and Linda