Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV) 6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
We took a break from our study of applied faith because of the Thanksgiving holiday. I do want to note that giving thanks to God is one of the most important principles we can learn if we want to apply faith in our lives. Paul said that we should pray for everything “with thanksgiving.” We will never be successful in faith if we are not thankful for what God has done as well as what he promised to do.
In our study, we have emphasized certain basic truths about faith. We have looked at the process by which faith works. We have seen from Hebrews 11:1-3 that the process of creation is the same process we use to apply faith for our world. God had an image that he communicated in words. The power released in those words created the visible, physical world we live in now.
Today the process is the same with some key modifications. The image God has in his heart is still what is creative. If we apply that image to the visible, physical world it will respond to the same power that created it. The world will conform to the image of God.
There is a difference in the process from when it was used in creation. Now the image is not communicated by God directly to the world. It is communicated by his children to whom he gave dominion over the. When they speak God’s Words born in their heart, the natural and visible world will respond.
One of the principles we must learn is that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God (Romans 10:17.) When a born-again believer “hears” the Word of God his spirit is designed to respond to it. As the Word takes root it begins to cause a spiritual reaction the imparts the image and power God put into the Word when it was spoken by him to whoever wrote it down.
The action is very much like that of a seed in the ground. The seed and the ground interact and a plant is produced that gives life to the world. The seed of the Word of God interacts with the heart of a born-again person and a plant of what God intended that Word to create is produced in the believers heart. In the same way that Jesus was born of an incorruptible seed in Mary’s womb and the Word became flesh in the earth, the image in the promise, principle or other Word of God become flesh in us.
As the image of God contained in the Word becomes flesh in us, Faith is produced which connects that image to the world. We speak just as God spoke.
Romans 10:6-8 (NKJV) 6 But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ “ (that is, to bring Christ down from above) 7 or, ” ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ “ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach):
Faith speaks the Word of God. God spoke his Word in creation and the world became. We speak his word born of the implantation of the seed of the Word in our hearts. When God spoke in creation the world was created. As we speak in faith, our world can and will be conformed to the image of God in his Word.
There was a misconception surrounding this truth for many years. It was said that God would respond to the positive confession of a believer. Positive confession is much better than negative confession, however that is not the process of faith we are talking about here. The process involves speaking God’s word which has become flesh in us. Our words carry a certain level of creative power. There is no denying that but it is God’s word that created the physical world and it is God’s word which has become flesh in the heart of a believer that will change it.
Faith is the substance of what we believe is possible (hope.) Faith, and the word that produces it is our evidence that God is doing what he said he would do. I stated this in another post, but I think it is a very important part of the process. We need to use the power of evidence in our faith battles.
There is always a process of time in walking by faith. That is part of how it works. God is doing something in a place and in ways where we cannot see what he is doing. The word “seen” in Hebrews 11:1 can also be interpreted “perceive with the physical senses.” When we chose to trust God and believe his word, much happens in places we cannot perceive them. Look at Jesus’ teaching in Mark 4:26-27.
Mark 4:26-27 (NKJV) 26 And He said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, 27 and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how.
A farmer understands that the seed must work out of sight to produce a plant. We must understand that God is working where we cannot see what he is doing. The farmer must believe that the seed will produce. What is his evidence that he will get a crop? It is the seed that he planted. Spiritually our evidence is the same. We planted a seed. There is a difference. The farmer cannot see the see. We can look at our seed any time we want. Every time we do, we reinforce the truth that the seed is working.
When the devil tells a believer that faith is not working, the believer can show him the evidence. When our mind is screaming with doubt and worry, we must focus it on the evidence. Evidence is proof that something is true. Faith in God’s Word is the evidence that what God is doing what he said he will do. More important, it is the evidence that he is doing it in my life. How he does it is none of my business.
I am a reviewer and I am afraid I got a little carried away today since it has been a while since we have talked about this. I believe that it is important to be grounded in the process of faith if we are ever going to understand it. Today’s scripture lays the foundation for the principles that govern the principles that cause faith to work.
First, must come to God. If we do not come to him nothing can happen. Faith is based in relationship. We come because of that relationship and if we do not come we are not walking in relationship. Some believe that faith will be automatic. God will do what he wants no matter what we do. There are certain things that do work solely because God is sovereign. Jesus will come back and nothing we do will change that.
However, if we want God to move in our lives, we are involved in the process. We are his children. When he created Adam he gave him dominion. It would have saved a great deal of trouble if he had not made Adam his “under ruler.” Nevertheless, any father wants his children to grow up and be an active participant in life. God is not different. We must pray. We must study to show ourselves approved to God, we must believe. All of this is part of coming to God.
We must believe that he exists. This seems obvious, but God has had me meditating on this for years. He is! He exists and everything he said is true. His existence changes everything. If he does not exist, then we are on our own. We should “eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die!” However, he does exist so “all things are possible if we believe.
We must believe that he is a rewarder and not a punisher. It is his predisposition to reward. He does punish but it is not his desire. He wants to reward. He wants to reward you. It is from these ideas that all faith principles flow. Walking in them is the only way to please God.
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