Next to worshiping the Lord in studying, praising, seeking Him with our
whole heart, faith working through love; Galatians 5:6 is the next
most important thing we need to focus on.
We need to examine what faith is, why faith is, and get it down inside
us, until it is not the letter, but the life that produces.
There have been times when I thought I heard the voice of the Holy
Spirit, only to find out later it wasn’t.
However, I responded to the notions as if it were, it was a practice in
faith. I still seek the voice and guidance of the Holy Spirit, and one
day I’ll never miss it.
Now faith is:
1. Substance
2. Evidence
3. Invisible backing
4. Creative power
5. Divine testimony
6. Cancellation of natural laws
7. Pleases God
8. Trust in God’s word
9. Trust in an unknown future
10. Call those things that be not, as if they were
11. Seeing the invisible
12. Hearing the invisible
13. Confidence in the future
14. Activator of Christianity
15. Shield of Christian armor
16. Down payment of desires
17. Guarantee of prayers answered
18. Unquestioning belief
19. Loyalty
20. Access to grace
21. Fulfillment of all God’s promises
22. Infilling of the Holy Spirit
23. Our righteousness
24. Eternal life
25. Our sonship
26. Healing
These are a lot of the meanings of faith and what they should produce
in each of our lives. This is not by any means an exhaustive list but
just what I could think of.
Now if we could see the manifestation of just a few of these terms, I
believe the body of Christ would walk in unprecedented peace, power,
and love as never before.
Well then the question arises, how do we walk in it?
I see in the Word that faith seems to have a correlating action tied
to it.
James says: show me your faith without works, and I’ll show you my
faith by my works.
Not saying this is a “works” based effort, but I think that faith will
produce some sort of action.
Faith obedience- being obedient to faith
Some spoke by faith
Some acted in faith
Some simply believed by faith
We will only obey what we believe.
So then, on the other side of obedience, or after we obeyed, we will
receive the substance of the things hoped for, such as the faith
heroes of Hebrews 11.
Let’s take a look at those folks in chapter 11 for just a moment and
see what their faith did produce.
Top of the page we see that faith produces hope.
God’s faith produced creativity.
Abel’s faith produced sacrifices that were pleasing.
Enoch’s faith produced his translation into heaven.
Noah’s faith produced a work.
Abram’s faith produced a journey and a destiny.
Sarah’s faith produced a son.
Abraham’s faith produced a son back from the dead.
Moses’ faith produced endurance, fearlessness
Rahab’s faith produced deliverance
Joshua’s faith produced boldness
Samson’s faith produced physical strength
David’s faith produced complete reliance
Samuel’s faith produced integrity
3 Hebrews’ faith produced fires quenched
3 leapers’ faith produced food and spoils
Ester’s faith produced the saving of her people
Now this also is not an exhaustive list but it does bring into light
what is possible by faith in God.
So let’s break this down some more then, so that faith becomes so real
to us that the supernatural manifestation of our faith in God becomes
the norma., not just an every now and then event.
Through faith our elders obtained.
So then by faith, is the ways and means by which we can obtain the
promises, goals, or desires.
Faith will, in other words, take us to the things we hope for, or it’s
the bridge to that hope.
Faith is the substance.
Substance:
1. Essence 2. Physical matter 3. Central meaning 4. Wealth 5. The
material of which something is made 6. The real or important part
7. Confidence
So since faith has substance, it therefore can be used as evidence.
The evidence of things unseen.
Evidence:
1. Something that shows or proves, or that gives reason for believing
2. To show clearly; make plain 3. Easily seen, in plain sight
4. Proof, conviction
Evidence can and must be used in a court of law. If we have the
evidence, then do we trust it?
Trust in God’s word is the very foundation of our belief in God.
Without it we wouldn’t believe. Jesus told Thomas “you see and
believe, but blessed are those that don’t see, yet believe.”
So the question now arises, do I really believe, trust in, rely on,
and cling to the written words from God to us as if they truly are
the God breathed words for men on how to approach Him and how to treat
each other?
There is yet a more fundamental question that arises in Hebrews 11:6,
for he that comes to, or approaches God, must believe that He is. Stop.
All of Christianity pivots on this one question, aside from being able
to please God, or gain eternal life, we will not be able to reconcile
in our minds or hearts if we first don’t even believe that He is.
So then we must ask ourselves, is there really a God. And if so, can
we, and do we really trust that He has our well being and best
interest at the focus of His heart? Are we truly on His mind?
If we answer yes, then I’d say we have some very important issues to
address.
Like where is our utmost obedience? Why don’t we do the things He says
and asks of us? Are we still moved by everything that goes on around
us? Do we have the kind of unmovable faith that says I don’t care
what it looks like? I’ll not be shaken by what I see! Maybe I ought to
leave these questions unanswered for now and move on.
Can we prove there really is a God?
I’d rather not use the bible only to prove this point, however this is
all I have in front of me at this time. Let’s look at Romans 1:19&20.
Basically it says that all of creation bears the proof of a creator.
Otherwise, we will have the worlds view, that nothing working on
nothing by nothing, through nothing, for nothing made everything. And
true science rejects that theory.
So, then there is a God, based merely on the observation of the creation.
So if we truly believe in the existence of God, that He is all wise
and powerful, why don’t we believe in Him for the miraculous? Its not
about our faith, its about having faith in Him. Trust
of things unseen.
The evidence of things unseen, is what Elisha saw when the Syrian army
showed up at his door. 2 Kings 6:17
Elisha saw into the invisible spirit realm, by faith.
In 1 Kings 18:41, Elijah said to Ahab, get up, eat for there is the
sound of abundance of rain. He heard into the invisible spirit realm,
by faith.
Things unseen, therefore, can be spoken into existence and made to be
seen by words of faith.
So matter can be spoken into existence by faith.
Things that are seen, were not made by the things that do appear.
Hebrews 11:3
So, the unseen spirit realm is really the pattern or parent of this
natural realm.
According to the word of faith, we can call those things that be not
as though they are. Romans 4:20
I will say this, though, as we step out in faith in God, we will
encounter resistance from the evil one. See, he can’t call those things
that be not as though they are. He will directly challenge us on this
front. However, the Holy Spirit through James says in 4:7, submit to
God, resist the devil, and he will flee from us. He cannot maintain
an attack. Greater is the Holy Spirit on the inside of us, than any
demon or devil that roams this planet.
For whatever is born of God overcomes the world: this is the victory
that overcomes the world, even our faith. 1 John 5:4
So, then, we must be strong in the power of His might, lean not to our
own understanding, trust in the Lord with our whole heart, and commit
to Him that is faithful and just to deliver our souls from the
tormentor and translate us into the kingdom of His dear Son.
