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FAITH-IS.006
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WHAT IS FAITH #6
Faith is not Mental Assent
Foundation Texts: Hebrews 11, Mark 11:24, Romans 1:17,10:17, 2
Cor.4:18
When the Bible says that "the just shall LIVE by faith", it is
talking about a LIFESTYLE .. a WAY TO LIVE DAY BY DAY.
FAITH COMES FROM GOD Eph. 2:8,9, Mark 11:22
FAITH IS THE LINK BETWEEN ME & GOD 2 Cor. 4:18
FAITH TAKES THE PROMISES OF GOD FROM THE UNSEEN REALM &
BRINGS THEM INTO THE REALM OF THE SEEN!
God offers all His promises but WHAT WE TAKE, IS WHAT WE HAVE and
when the decisive word of faith is spoken as we take a persistent
stand in faith, THE ANSWER APPEARS.
MENTAL ASSENT IS NOT FAITH
In Matthew 9:27-29, Jesus DID NOT SAY "Do you know I can do this?"
but "Do you believe that I am able to do this?"
Only when our believing is acted upon, will our faith work. On the
confession of what they believed, their faith became an active
force that released the power of God in their situation. They
spoke out what they believed and it became the force of faith that
resulted in a miracle!
Again, notice that Jesus did not say, "If it be God's will, be it
done unto you No! Jesus said, ACCORDING TO YOUR FAITH BE T UNTO
YOU. If this was the way Jesus ministered to people when He was
upon the earth, would His methods have changed today? Hebrews 13:8
tells us that "Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever".
Therefore, it is not unreasonable to think that Jesus would
minister the same way today.
There are Christians who don't want to accept this message because
it makes a person responsible. But if you want results, we must be
DOERS of the Word. Study the Word of God to find out what it says
and then DO IT. THE WORD MUST BE LIVING IN US .. then as we work
the Word, it will work for us today!
Jesus said "Your faith has saved you; go in peace" Luke 7:50
NASB
Jesus said, another time, "Where is your faith?" Luke 8:25
Jesus said "Your faith has made you well ... " Luke 5:34
Jesus said "Be it done to you according to your faith"
Matt. 9:29
"And Jesus SEEING THEIR FAITH .... " Matthew 9:2
"Why are you so timid? How is it that you have NO FAITH?"
Mark 4:40
"I have not found so great faith .... " Luke 7:9
"The man believed the word that Jesus had spoken" ....
John 4:50
"Thy faith hath made thee whole ... " Mark 10:52
"If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that
believeth" Mark 9:23,24
"If you would believe, you should see the glory of God... "
John 11:40
"Your faith has restored you to health... " Luke 17:19
Mental assent is believing with the head only and, if acted upon,
could be presumption! Or foolishness! THE KNOWLEDGE THAT GOD CAN IS
MENTAL BUT THE ASSURANCE THAT GOD WILL IS SPIRITUAL! FAITH (NOT
MENTAL ASSENT) IS THE FORCE THAT RELEASES THE POWER OF GOD IN YOUR
LIFE.
DEVELOP YOUR SPIRIT 1 Corinthians 3:1-4
You can develop your spirit just as you develop your mind; just as
you develop your physical body! To make faith your lifestyle,
develop in WALKING IN LOVE; GROWING IN GRACE; INCREASING IN
KNOWLEDGE OF THE LORD JESUS; DRAWING NEAR TO GOD; TRUSTING IN THE
LORD; BELIEVING HIS WORD AND ACTING UPON IT.
Just as we have confidence in the money in our pockets or our car
when filled with petrol, so we must develop strong confidence in
God. GOD IS FOR US! GOD IS ON OUR SIDE!
BELIEVE & YOU SHALL SEE John 11 :40
You don't have to believe when you have it or see it ... you know
it then! But in Mark 11 :24 Jesus said "Believe that you receive
what you desire when you pray, and YOU SHALL HAVE IT." When we are
asking God for something we do not have, we must believe that we
receive it, WHEN WE PRAY, AND ACT LIKE IT IS SO. Then continue in
praise and thankfulness, confessing your faith, because it is on
its way .... AND YOU SHALL HAVE IT. This is why you don't have to
pray for that again but only continue in thanksgiving until it
becomes visible!
If you believed you received it, you have it by faith! If you pray
for it again, you are really saying that you didn't believe that
you received it when you prayed!
PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT YOU HEAR
When you read the Bible or attend a service, can you tell what you
have HEARD? Then do you go out and ACT ON THAT HEARING? JUST BEING
IN CHURCH IS NOT THE ANSWER. Your mind can be a hundred miles away
so that it then becomes almost impossible to "hear" anything apart
from words! BUT THE AMOUNT OF ATTENTION YOU GIVE TO THE HEARING,
DETERMINES THE DEPTH OF REVELATION YOU RECEIVE BACK (Mark 4:24,
Luke 6:38, 2 Cor. 9:6)
WALK BY FAITH, NOT BY YOUR SIGHT (OR SENSES) 2 Cor. 5:7
If faith is your lifestyle, then you will walk by the Word and not
by your senses!
2 Corinthians 4:18 declares that when you walk by faith, you are
"seeing" (with the eye of faith) things not seen in the natural but
seen in the eternal realm. You are "seeing" things that exist in
the invisible and your faith is bringing them into manifestation in
the visible.
In 2 Kings chapter 6, we read of the lifestyle of the prophet
Elisha! He was not concerned about the great army plotting to
capture him, because he could "see" what others could not see ...
he declared in faith DO NOT FEAR, FOR THOSE WHO ARE WITH US ARE
MORE THAN THOSE WHO ARE WITH THEM.
Because Elisha's servant didn't have this picture, Elisha prayed
"Lord, open his eyes that he may see" and the Lord opened the
servant's eyes and HE SAW ... AND BEHOLD, THE MOUNTAIN WAS FULL OF
HORSES AND CHARIOTS OF FIRE ALL AROUND ELISHA."
This chapter proves the reality of the "unseen", "The angel of the
Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him" (Psalm 34:7).
Faith cometh by hearing and hearing BY THE WORD! The Word must
become part of you! It produces faith that then causes "things"
"not seen" by the senses to be brought out of the "invisible" into
the "visible" realm!