Faith
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The Faith principle…in relation to spiritual growth
In Scripture faith is always directly related to what God has said or promised. Simply put, faith is
believing what God says. Faith is taking and accepting Gods word as absolute truth. And “faith
cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Ro 10:17). So how can anyone have faith in
who they don’t know? Those who lack the discipline to devote daily time to the study of God’s word
can never develop a relationship with the Lord or have a faith of any substance. You cannot trust
who you know not. The believer’s faith must be established on scriptural facts and truth to escape
the error of a faith built on one’s own presumptuous ideology. And God reveals these facts in His
Word. And the faith in which we receive salvation is the faith in which we continue in “As ye have
therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him” (Col 2:6).
Basing faith on scriptural facts the believer needs to be cautious not to allow emotions or
impressions to have an influence as a means to weaken faith, but turning always to the Word of
God; not allowing conditions or circumstances in life to affect the faith of the believer. Faith has
nothing to do with how things might appear. The question is, what has God said in His Word?
Unlike the beliefs of “Word Faith” theology or the popular book “The Secret”, faith is not a force to
be drawn upon. Thinking if we wish or hope long and hard enough something will come to pass.
Faith is not based on what we say but who we trust.
And true faith is always strengthened when faced with opposing forces, but faith that is rooted
outside of God’s Word will always crumble. Someone once said what doesn’t kill us will only serve to
strengthen us. As we come to know the Lord and His promises through His word the trials, failures
and difficulties in life will serve only to strengthen our faith in the end. The trials, failures and
suffering we endure serve as instruments to awaken believers from the futility of self dependence to
a complete dependence on God in true faith. “But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he
that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek
Him” (Heb 11:6). Many believers must suffer the painful experience of complete defeat, failure and
utter state of helplessness before turning from self effort and arriving at the point of complete
dependence on God.
Discovery leads to discovery; Gods truth always unfolds, never revealed or understood in a single
moment or event. In the same way, the Christian life is lived by faith as God leads the believer into
understanding and discovery. Arriving at a point of complete defeat leads to complete dependence
on God which leads the believer to understand that in him nothing good dwells and all power for
good is received from above, having no power of ourselves. The error in believers having the
attitude that they should put forth effort, trying and hoping in the Lord to supply strength is realized.
Can you see the error in this? As Christians we are to live as those “alive from the dead” having NO
strength in ourselves whose life is IN Christ (Col 3:3). Just as salvation and justification come by
faith, the believer, by faith, appropriates all that is in Christ by the Holy Spirit of promise. Now this is
a life lived by faith that allows the believer to say as Paul said “I am crucified with Christ:
nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by
the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me”(Gal 2:20). Christ lives in the
believer and by His Spirit He becomes our power, our life, a life lived by faith in Him.
A Prayer………
Lord heavenly Father I thank you for reconciliation through Christ
I thank you for Jesus, who is my life
Christ lives in me, I pray for Christ to take my entire life in every aspect, working in me daily
I surrender my life and myself to a life of faith
I surrender myself to you Lord Jesus
To mortify the flesh through the Spirit
Teach me, lead me and reveal yourself in me Lord Jesus
Amen
Continue to.........The Time & Preparation Factor
In Scripture faith is always directly related to what God has said or promised. Simply put, faith is
believing what God says. Faith is taking and accepting Gods word as absolute truth. And “faith
cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Ro 10:17). So how can anyone have faith in
who they don’t know? Those who lack the discipline to devote daily time to the study of God’s word
can never develop a relationship with the Lord or have a faith of any substance. You cannot trust
who you know not. The believer’s faith must be established on scriptural facts and truth to escape
the error of a faith built on one’s own presumptuous ideology. And God reveals these facts in His
Word. And the faith in which we receive salvation is the faith in which we continue in “As ye have
therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him” (Col 2:6).
Basing faith on scriptural facts the believer needs to be cautious not to allow emotions or
impressions to have an influence as a means to weaken faith, but turning always to the Word of
God; not allowing conditions or circumstances in life to affect the faith of the believer. Faith has
nothing to do with how things might appear. The question is, what has God said in His Word?
Unlike the beliefs of “Word Faith” theology or the popular book “The Secret”, faith is not a force to
be drawn upon. Thinking if we wish or hope long and hard enough something will come to pass.
Faith is not based on what we say but who we trust.
And true faith is always strengthened when faced with opposing forces, but faith that is rooted
outside of God’s Word will always crumble. Someone once said what doesn’t kill us will only serve to
strengthen us. As we come to know the Lord and His promises through His word the trials, failures
and difficulties in life will serve only to strengthen our faith in the end. The trials, failures and
suffering we endure serve as instruments to awaken believers from the futility of self dependence to
a complete dependence on God in true faith. “But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he
that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek
Him” (Heb 11:6). Many believers must suffer the painful experience of complete defeat, failure and
utter state of helplessness before turning from self effort and arriving at the point of complete
dependence on God.
Discovery leads to discovery; Gods truth always unfolds, never revealed or understood in a single
moment or event. In the same way, the Christian life is lived by faith as God leads the believer into
understanding and discovery. Arriving at a point of complete defeat leads to complete dependence
on God which leads the believer to understand that in him nothing good dwells and all power for
good is received from above, having no power of ourselves. The error in believers having the
attitude that they should put forth effort, trying and hoping in the Lord to supply strength is realized.
Can you see the error in this? As Christians we are to live as those “alive from the dead” having NO
strength in ourselves whose life is IN Christ (Col 3:3). Just as salvation and justification come by
faith, the believer, by faith, appropriates all that is in Christ by the Holy Spirit of promise. Now this is
a life lived by faith that allows the believer to say as Paul said “I am crucified with Christ:
nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by
the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me”(Gal 2:20). Christ lives in the
believer and by His Spirit He becomes our power, our life, a life lived by faith in Him.
A Prayer………
Lord heavenly Father I thank you for reconciliation through Christ
I thank you for Jesus, who is my life
Christ lives in me, I pray for Christ to take my entire life in every aspect, working in me daily
I surrender my life and myself to a life of faith
I surrender myself to you Lord Jesus
To mortify the flesh through the Spirit
Teach me, lead me and reveal yourself in me Lord Jesus
Amen
Continue to.........The Time & Preparation Factor