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FAITH-IS.002
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WHAT IS FAITH? #2
Faith is Substance & Evidence
Foundation Texts: Hebrews 11:1, Mark 11:24, Romans 1:17,10:17, 2
Cor.5.7
CHANGE THE SEEN & FASHION THE UNSEEN BY GOD'S WORD !
2 Corinthians 4:17,18 "For our light affliction, which is but for
a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of
glory; while we LOOK NOT AT THE THINGS WHICH ARE SEEN, but AT THE
THINGS WHICH ARE NOT SEEN: for the things which are seen are
TEMPORAL; but the things which are not seen are eternal."
Paul is talking about spiritual forces that are not seen - which
are continually working - THE LAW OF FAITH (Romans 3:27)!
He said "our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh
for us A FAR MORE EXCEEDING AND ETERNAL WEIGHT OF GLORY while we
LOOK AT THE THINGS WHICH ARE NOT SEEN .... if We are used to
looking at things with our natural eyes but Paul reminds us that we
must move over into the realm of spiritual law and LOOK AT THINGS
WHICH ARE NOT SEEN .....WITH THE EYE OF FAITH!(God's Promises cover
the unseen.)
Our lives should not be dominated by the circumstances around us
and the cares of this life! Rather believers should take GOD'S WORD
into their hearts and allow it to be a spiritual force in
establishing things that we don't desire into things that we do
desire! UNSEEN THINGS ARE FASHIONED BY THE WORD OF GOD "conceived
in the heart, formed by the tongue, and spoken out of the mouth".
Charles Capps says the Word of God then becomes "creative power".
REAL faith ALWAYS works .. though it may not be manifested
immediately. God will always back His Word up WHEN the conditions
are met.
In John 5:1-15, we read of ONE MAN'S HEALING yet there was a great
number of incurables around this pool! This man was offered
WHOLENESS (for spirit, soul and body). What was offered had to be
received and acted upon! At first he said "I have no man to put me
into the pool". In other words, I NEVER MAKE IT, I'M NEVER THE ONE
THAT'S HEALED! SOMEONE ELSE ALWAYS GETS IT! He had an image on the
inside that produced words of DOUBT, FEAR, WORRY out of his mouth!
FEAR IS THE TOTAL OPPOSITE OF FAITH and it does not come from God
(2 Tim. 1:7). Some people listen to the devil who says "you're no
good, you're an unworthy person, you don't deserve it" - then they
agree with the devil and walk round with their head hanging down!
IF YOU WILL TAKE A VERSE OF SCRIPTURE AND CONFESS IT - AND HOLD
FAST TO IT WITHOUT WAVERING - YOU WILL GET AN IMAGE OR PICTURE ON
THE INSIDE OF YOU - THAT YOU ARE WHAT YOU ARE CONFESSING!
WHAT ARE YOUR DESIRES? Mark 11:24
A desire may be good or bad - beneficial or selfish! (Ephesians
2:3-10) To eat, for example, is not wrong, but it could become an
overly strong desire and then it becomes gluttony, etc. and what is
meant to be good becomes evil! A desire can stem from the mind or
the flesh (Eph.2:3) or the heart (the spirit) (Romans 10:1). Make
sure your heart's desire fits in with God's heart's desire! FLOW
WITH WHAT IS GOD'S WILL FOR YOUR LIFE.
Psalm 21:2 "Thou hast given him his heart's desire and has not
withholden the request of his lips." (Notice what confession has to
do with bringing into reality your heart's desire.) Psalm 37:4
Once you have a heart's desire and you know it is in line with
God's Word, get the Scriptures you can use - speak them out
constantly - and hold fast to that confession of faith until it
comes to pass. (Don't lose out over the TIME ELEMENT .. it's the
time element that says if you win or lose. Don't seek things for
"things" sake ... make sure your motive is right.)
Proverbs 3:13 "Happy is the man that findeth WISDOM and the man
that getteth UNDERSTANDING, for the merchandise of it is better
than the merchandise of silver and the gain thereof than from fine
gold."
FAITH IS THE SUBSTANCE..THE EVIDENCE OF THINGS NOT SEEN (Heb.11:1)
This verse is very well-known and you may be able to even memorise
it, but it is important to know how it relates to us personally to
do us any good. Let's analyse this verse to get its meaning:
NOW or IS are words used to represent TIME and PRESENT TENSE. Hope
refers to the future but faith is always in the "now",
We are not operating in faith if we are not operating in
the present tense. Therefore to say "I believe God is
going to heal me or "In God's time I will be healed",
etc. is a sign that you are not in faith. You may be
sincerely hoping for the future but the operation of
faith is a confident assurance of the things we hope for,
being the proof of what we do not see by the senses.
If God's Word is to work in our lives, WE MUST SAY
WHAT HE SAYS.
SUBSTANCE Faith is the substance .. not hope! Faith is the
confirmation or the title deed for the things hoped for
.. it becomes the raw material or the tangibility. Hope
sets our goals but "hope so" can be just a dream.,
without substance-.
EVIDENCE Faith is the evidence or PROOF of things we do not see
and the conviction of their reality! One well-known
preacher says "Proof is that which substantiates or
validates the existence of something you don't presently
have."
Therefore faith is not permanent but temporary until that
particular spiritual transaction comes to pass in your
life. Faith then is invested in another area and so
becomes an ongoing lifestyle for the believer.
THINGS These "things" cover your desires (Mark 11:24) the things
NOT SEEN not visible to your natural eyes or senses .. those
desires in line with God's will for your life.
The Amplified Bible defines it this way "Now faith is the assurance
(the confirmation, the title-deed) of the things we hope for, being
the proof of things we do not see and the conviction of their
reality - FAITH PERCEIVING AS REAL FACT WHAT IS NOT REVEALED TO THE
SENSES."
HOW CAN WE KNOW WHAT THE "THING" IS?
Whatever is covered by the Word of God! Faith is a "6th" sense or
a sense of the spirit and our faith becomes the substance of the
things revealed in God's Word, bringing the promises of God (the
unseen) into the realm of the seen .. that which is visible to your
natural eyes or senses.
THE WORD OF FAITH .. God's Word is described as "the word of
faith"(Rom. 10:8) and FAITH COMETH BY HEARING, AND HEARING BY THE
WORD OF GOD (Rom. 10:17). Notice it didn't say "Heard" or "to be
heard" but HEARING .. PRESENT TENSE AGAIN! What you "hear" (either
down in your spirit or from outside) will affect what you "speak"
and "say" and we must all remember that "BY YOUR WORDS YOU WILL BE
JUSTIFIED AND BY YOUR WORDS YOU WILL B CONDEMNED". (Matt. 12:37)
Mental assent to the truth of God's Word is not enough .. there is
no guarantee about head faith ... but REAL -FAITH - heart faith -
always works!