Therefore it is of faith that it might be by Grace; Romans 4:16a KJV
We've been in a study examining what it means to walk in New Covenant Faith. So far we've seen what Faith is and how Faith comes to us. We've seen how to grow in Faith.
When it comes to Faith and how it comes we must not make the assumption that tradition does that Faith comes through hard times or suffering. The truth is as we saw in our previous study on suffering, we live in a fallen world. Troubles exist because of it, but those troubles don't bring you Faith, feeding on God's Word does.
Also, we have seen what Faith is, let's briefly address what Faith isn't. Faith is not a ticket to Utopia. That troubles no longer exist. That you will never have any pressures in this world. We live in a fallen world but Faith assures us of the victory. Faith isn't foolish actions, Faith is trusting in God and what He has said in the Word and what Jesus accomplished in the Finished Work.
Now that we know what Faith is, and how it comes, what do we with it once we have it? How do we use it or release it? Is Faith passive? Is Faith stagnate? Here's a good question, after salvation, or receiving the New Birth, is Faith even necessary?
the Word of Faith
Faith is an essential part of the Christian life. Just as Grace is not simply an entry-level truth neither is Faith. Grace is the Gospel. Grace is always a vital part of life in Christ, but so also is Faith. For we must continually believe what He has done for us to walk in them and to reign over the lies of the enemy, the world system, and the religious traditions of man.
How then do we exercise Faith? What do we do with Faith once we have it? How do we release our Faith? In the simplest terms, Faith is believing in your heart and speaking out with your mouth.
Look at Jesus' words in Mark 11. Essentially Jesus said this. Faith believes and speaks forth. It doesn't vacillate between believing God and doubting Him, walking in unbelief. Faith doesn't keep changing its mind.
When the storms arise, Faith doesn't wring its hands in anxiety. It isn't crying out what are we going to do? Where is our hope or help? When the circumstances don't seem to agree with what God said, Faith doesn't change its mind. It doesn't agree with what it looks like. Faith stays steady, unmoving, unchanging, it clings like a bulldog to what God our Good Father said and has done in Jesus' Finished Work.
Over the last few centuries, it seems unbelief, doubt, and skepticism are the badges proudly worn by some in the Body of Christ, especially in the West. How do I know this? Look at the reactionary theology that is so prevalent in the modern Church.
I am not even speaking of the supernatural power of the Lord Jesus. Look at how so many react to the Gospel of Grace. We see some who've received Jesus. Yet, through immaturity, not having their minds fully renewed, not understanding what it means to be a new creation, not fully grasping what it means to be the righteousness of God, they get into sin or wrong living, poor choices and the like. The result? So many in the Church react to what they see with their natural eyes instead of looking with the eyes of Faith.
Doubt and unbelief say, "surely God is angry with that one, look how he lives."" Surely, God is going to withhold His love and Favor and blessings and goodness." "It is certain that that one has lost their salvation." Instead of speaking God's Word about the promises of the eternal security of the believer, some are speaking what they see with their eyes.
No, Faith sees what God said and agrees with that and believes that and speaks that out. Again, Faith is believing in the heart and speaking with the mouth. Some under Grace, who are shrouded by a subtle form of unbelief, deny Jesus' words in Mark as being for the Church because Jesus gave the Old Covenant stipulation of forgiveness in the same passage. They say that passage isn't speaking of New Covenant Faith, that Faith doesn't exist for all areas of life.
We have to rightly divide Jesus' words. Sometimes He spoke Law to the Hebrews but sometimes He spoke alluding of the New Covenant to come. Mark 11, the principals of Faith, believing and speaking are repeated in the New twice by Paul. So these Faith truths are universal truths that have always existed.
13 We have the same spirit of faith. As it is written, “I believed, and therefore I have spoken.”So we also believe and therefore speak, 2 Corinthians 4:13 MEV
8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart.”This is the word of faith that we preach: 9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved, 10 for with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Romans 10:8-10 MEV
We can clearly see God is trying to get our attention. Faith comes by hearing and is released by believing in the heart, without doubting, and speaking forth with our mouth. So what does this look like?
When you hear the Good News of Grace and know you were made righteous when you believed, then when thoughts come disagreeing with what Jesus did, you can reject those thoughts, taking them captive and confessing who you are. When you blow it or are overcoming addictions and accusation arises, you can speak forth Faith. You can profess, I may not look righteous or holy but God declared me righteous, and the Finished Work made me holy. therefore I am the righteousness of God and have been made holy once for all time. When you wake up and some days you just don't feel saved, or accepted or approved. You can shake those feelings off declaring I am a new creation in Christ, I am accepted in the beloved, I am my Father's delight!
In summation, the Word of Faith is a believing and speaking Faith. It is not a passive Faith. It is not a doubting and skeptical way of seeing life. Faith sees, Faith believes and Faith speaks. Faith brings us to a victorious triumphant way of living. Faith isn't moved by feelings or what it looks like. Faith sees what Jesus accomplished in the Finished Work, Faith hears what God said, Faith believes what Jesus did and the promises God made because of it. Faith speaks forth what it believes. Have Faith in God!
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