What Faith Is -Part 2

Hope is a condition for faith. Hope is “a positive unwavering expectation of good”. Hope is for the mind (1 Thessalonians 5:8; Hebrews 6:19), an anchor for the soul. It keeps us in the place where we can believe, but it is not in itself “faith”. Yet, without hope there are no “things hoped for”, and therefore there cannot be faith.
 
Through faith we can know we have the answer to our prayer before we see anything change in the natural order (1 John 5:14,15). Jesus said, “Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.” (Mk 11:24).

God expects us, even commands us, to believe that our petitions are answered by God. AT THE MOMENT WE MAKE THEM. We must believe that the response is immediately sent WHEN we pray. Faith is like the confirmation slip in our hearts that the goods are on the way. We have that confirmation slip instantly from God. We sense it in our hearts. The manifestation of those goods, the answer received, comes later as long as we are patient and do not throw away our confidence. (Hebrews 10:35-39; Hebrews 6:12)
 
Faith is like a cheque. All you have to do is hold on to the cheque, go to the bank to present it and you can confidently expect the money to appear in your account after a certain time. If you throw the cheque away the money will not be put in your account. God is trustworthy and always has resources to back his promises.
 
Living faith always has corresponding actions. We talk what we really believe, and we act according to what we really believe. The heroes of faith like Abraham were considered men of faith because they acted on what God showed them. They acted on their faith. (Hebrews 11:17-38, James 2:21-23). To live in faith means to do and say what you believe is right, without doubting.

Faith is a rest. It is compatible with inner peace. It is not “trying to believe”. To say that you are “trying to believe” God is to say that you don’t believe Him. The man who is “trying to believe” may be sincere, but he does not have faith in that area yet.

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What Faith Is

In the general sense of the word, to have faith is to believe in something or someone, to fully trust, to be so confident that you base your actions on what you believe. To have faith is to be fully convinced of the truthfulness and reliability of that in which you believe.
 
Faith in God then, is having the kind of trust and confidence in God and in Christ that leads you to commit your whole soul to Him as Saviour (Justifier, Cleanser, Healer, Deliverer) and Lord (Master, King).
The NIV translation says, “Faith is being sure of what we hope for, and certain of what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1 NIV).
 
The NKJV of the Bible says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1).
 
Faith is a spiritual substance. When you have this spiritual substance in you, it communicates to you a certain inner knowing that the thing you are hoping for is certainly established, even before you see any material evidence that it has happened.
 
Faith is a spiritual force. Faith in God is a response to God’s Word which moves God to act. Jesus said in Mark 11:23, “For assuredly I say to you, whoever SAYS to this mountain, ‘Be removed and cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but BELIEVES that those things he SAYS will be done, he will HAVE whatever he SAYS.” Words mixed with the real, pure faith can and will move mountains or any other problem that we face.
 
Faith in God must be from the heart. It is not merely intellectual. It is spiritual. “For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (Romans 10:10)

Faith causes you to know in your heart before you see with your eyes. “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7)

Some say, “Seeing is believing.” Once you see the thing hoped for already existing in the natural order, you don’t need faith.

Fay-Ann Swearing
fayannswearing.wordpress.com
@fayswearing

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Prune Me Father

Heavenly Father prune me, remove the deadwood in my life, the sins that are in my life, the bad habits, the wrong influences.

Prune me, Lord, remove the straggly branches, the places where I have overextended myself and not relied on you. Prune me, Lord, so that I am more balanced, that the weak areas of my life may become stronger and not hinder my ministry in the stronger areas.

Prune me, Lord, so that even in areas where I am strong, that I may grow new and green and vibrant. Lord, I know that pruning will hurt, but I want to be a branch of yours that bears much fruit. Amen.

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God’s Benefit Package

Psalm 103:2-5
The passage starts, “Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.”

Hold it right there.

Did you catch that it is beneficial to be a believer in Jesus Christ? Did you see that God is in the business of blessing us? Get ready for the Lord to pour forth His greatness into your life.

Read the rest of the passage, starting once again with verse 2:”Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

“OK, so if you were to get this list written down in bullet points, it would look like this:God forgives all of your sins.
God heals all of your disease.
God redeems your life from the pit.
God crowns you with love and compassion.God satisfies your desires with good things.
God restores your youth.

This plan offers an astounding health insurance policy, an excellent life insurance policy (redemption from the pit of not only hell, but all other pits you might find yourself in when you sin), a fitness programme that beats working out at the gym (He renews your youth), a department-provided uniform (wearing love and compassion), life-changing counseling sessions (just think of how much better your mental state is when you know He forgives all of your sins), and an ongoing “satisfaction guaranteed or your money back” seal of approval that never expires (He satisfies your desires).

A six-fold blessing—I like the sound of that. I don’t know about you, but a deal like that makes me want to shout praises to the Lord. Why not do it today?

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