Monday, August 12, 2019

By Grace through Faith: Having the God kind of Faith

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, Ephesians 2:8 NKJV

Therefore it is of faith that it might be by Grace; Romans 4:16a KJV




We've begun a new series of study focusing on Faith. We've seen what Faith is and what it is not. We've seen how Faith comes and how it is released.

 Today, I sense the leading to ask what kind of Faith do you have? You see there are two kinds of Faith. The natural, man-centered kind of faith that is moved by the senses. That is a mere trusting in what it can see, hear, or feel kind of faith. The "seeing is believing" faith.  Or you can have the God kind of Faith.

 Jesus had this God kind of Faith. He said of Himself He only did what He saw His Father doing. He only said what His Father told Him to say. Jesus wasn't moved by what it looks like but what the Father said. 

 You too can have this kind of Faith. Jesus gave us insight into this kind of Faith.
22 Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. 23 For truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, he will have whatever he says. 24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you will receive them, and you will have them. Mark 11:22-24 MEV

Jesus tells us to have Faith, that is the Faith of God. The literal Greek says have the Faith of God. Jesus was offering this to us. Other translations or paraphrased versions bring this out.
22 Jesus replied, “Let the faith of God be in you! Mark 11:22 TPT

 It is clear God wants us to have His Faith in us not our own. Look at the texts we are using for this study;
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, Ephesians 2:8 NKJV

 For by Grace we are saved through Faith, and this Faith isn't of ourselves it is the gift of God. We are saved by His Faith given to us when we hear His Word. We all begin with the same measure of Faith, the God kind of Faith. We can choose to grow and develop that Faith or rely on the sensory realm faith that humanity operates on. You trust your employer enough that you work forty hours a week even though you haven't been paid first. They trust that you will work forty hours. 

 We develop and grow this God kind of Faith within us by continually feeding on His Word, and what He says about us. By continually acknowledging what we have in Christ, who we are in Christ, what He accomplished for us in the Finished Work, what Grace made available to us. What redemption purchased for us. 

 Grace makes and Faith takes. The God kind of Faith, deposits the Word within. The God kind of Faith, knowing what Grace provides puts a demand on it. The God kind of Faith speaks to the mountain of impossibility and commands it to be removed. 

 The God kind of Faith believes what God said is true, that what Grace made and purchased for us is indeed ours already. This God kind of Faith doesn't believe it because we've experienced it, this Faith believes it because God said it, because Grace made it and because it is the truth we know we will experience it. 

 Grace makes and Faith takes. The God kind of Faith speaks, calling those things that be not as though they were. Faith's constant confession agrees with the New Covenant, New Creation redemptive realities Grace made. Faith's confession creates the reality of it in your own life so you can walk in the redemption Christ purchased. 

 God's Grace has removed the disqualifiers from God's people. No longer is the promise or the provision contingent upon your performance or faithfulness. Redemption realities are already yours in Christ Jesus. They are based upon Jesus and His faithfulness and obedience and goodness no longer upon our own. All you need do is to reach out with the God kind of Faith and lay hold on them. you just need to simply believe. It is by Faith that it might be by Grace. 

In summation, what kind of Faith do you have? Do you have the sensory knowledge faith? That natural faith that must see it to believe it? That unsteady, wavering, sight focused faith? Are you ignoring the God kind of Faith that was deposited within you when you believed?  

 Simply relinquish trusting in your senses and trust in what God said about you or your situation. Don't feel saved? Don't look righteous? Doesn't seem like you have favor with God? You can trust in those feelings or disregard those feeling and consider Jesus and what He says about you and look at what Grace made and consider not your circumstances or fickle emotions. This God kind of Faith works in every arena of life. Find what Grace made and reach out with the God kind of Faith and take it and experience it in your own life. 
Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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