What is Faith? How do we develop Faith? And, what does Faith do?
What is Faith?
1. It is assurance and evidence:
“Now faith is the assurance (title deed, confirmation) of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), and the evidence of things not seen [the conviction of their reality—faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses]”. Hebrews 11:1. (Amp.)
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, being convinced of what we do not see”. (NEV)
2. It is a Fruit of the Spirit: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law”. Galatians 5:22-23
3. It is In You:“That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus”. Philemon 6
How Do We Develop Faith?
1. Recognize God has given EVERY Believer THE Measure of Faith:“ For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith”. Romans4:3. This is VERY significant…God has given each of the SAME amount of faith. Jesus often referred to faith the size of a mustard seed, which we know is the smallest of all herb seeds. In Matt 17: 20 Jesus said.. And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.” (KJV) God has ALREADY deposited in our spirit, enough faith to move mountains.
2. Hearing The Word of God: “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God”. Romans 10:17. The Word of God can literally transform our thinking and our behavior. Paul said in Romans 12:2…2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. (NLT). Here is the KJV… And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. This word “transformed is the same Greek word used for Metamorphosis, which is what happens when a caterpillar changes to a butterfly…..something completely different. Faith CANNOT be developed without the Word of God.
3. You Use The Faith You Have: “The apostles said to the Lord, “Show us how to increase our faith.” 6 The Lord answered, “If you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘May you be uprooted and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you! 7 “When a servant comes in from plowing or taking care of sheep, does his master say, ‘Come in and eat with me’? 8 No, he says, ‘Prepare my meal, put on your apron, and serve me while I eat. Then you can eat later.’ 9 And does the master thank the servant for doing what he was told to do? Of course not. Luke 17:5-9 (NLT). Jesus isn’t ignoring the apostles request to increase their faith, but rather told them to use the faith they have. Jesus wanted them to imitate him. Jesus spoke to trees, wind, waves, blind eyes, demons, the dead, fevers, the sick and they all obeyed. When you tell your servant to do something, you expect it to be done. When we exercise our faith by speaking and believing what God has said, we should expect something! And remember “ For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.” Galatians 5:6
What Does Faith Do?
1. It Believes God’s Word is Truth and Final Authority. “
“Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you”. Ps 25:5 NLT
“Teach me your ways, O Lord, that I may live according to your truth! Grant me purity of heart, so that I may honor you”. Ps 86:11 NLT
“Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me”. John 14:6 NLT
“He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you”. John 14:17 NLT
“Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth”. (NLT)
“And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness”. Col 2:6-7
“But God’s truth stands firm like a foundation stone with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and “All who belong to the Lord must turn away from evil.” 1 Tim 2:19
When Jesus was temped after his 40 days/nights in the wilderness, He overcame satan by the Word of God.. When He performed miracles, they were all based on the foundation of God’s Word. Here are some examples of how Jesus stood on the truth and authority of God’s word: “ Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.” John 14:10; He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.” John 12:48-29 (KJV)
2. It Says What it Believes and Believes What it Says:
“The next morning as they passed by the fig tree he had cursed, the disciples noticed it had withered from the roots up. 21 Peter remembered what Jesus had said to the tree on the previous day and exclaimed, “Look, Rabbi! The fig tree you cursed has withered and died!”
22 Then Jesus said to the disciples, “Have faith in God. 23 I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. 24 I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours.” Mark 11:22-24 (NLT)
“We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak; 2 Corinthians 4:13 (KJ)
“Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” Matt 21:21-22
We all believe something. What we believe we generally talk about it. But when exercising our faith it is vital that our “believing and our speech” agree! For the Christian, what we believe should be the Word of God and when exercising our faith, the Word of God is what should be coming out of our mouth. If you will take a moment and recall what Jesus did when someone came to him for help, you will notice that Jesus NEVER talked about the problem, but only spoke the answer in faith!
3. It is Determined and Persistent and Expects a Good End:
“One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. 2 “There was a judge in a certain city,” he said, “who neither feared God nor cared about people. 3 A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, ‘Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.’ 4 The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, ‘I don’t fear God or care about people, 5 but this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!’” 6 Then the Lord said, “Learn a lesson from this unjust judge. 7 Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?” Luke 18:1-8 (NLT).
Jesus is not suggesting that God’s children BEG God for what they need. He used this story to draw a parallel between an UNJUST judge and God who is always JUST. The woman that continued to come before the judge was doing so because she knew what she was asking for was right. In the KJV the word “avenge” is used which in the Greek means “a restoration of rights”. Jesus was saying that we can claim our covenant rights in prayer through faith and His restoration will be speedy. This scripture suggests a position and/or frame of mind that we should have when we pray based on God’s Word and Promises.
“ As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind beggar was sitting beside the road. 36 When he heard the noise of a crowd going past, he asked what was happening. 37 They told him that Jesus the Nazarene was going by. 38 So he began shouting, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”39 “Be quiet!” the people in front yelled at him.But he only shouted louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”40 When Jesus heard him, he stopped and ordered that the man be brought to him. As the man came near, Jesus asked him, 41 “What do you want me to do for you?” “Lord,” he said, “I want to see!”42 And Jesus said, “All right, receive your sight! Your faith has healed you.” 43 Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus, praising God. And all who saw it praised God, too. Luke 18:25-43 (NLT)
Again, here is another example of a determined and persistent faith. In spite of being told to be quiet, this blind man refused to do so. Why? He had HEARD about Jesus and he BELIEVED Jesus could help him so he SPOKE what he believed. When Jesus asked what he wanted, he said “I want to see”. That was determined faith!
“Clearly, God’s promise to give the whole earth to Abraham and his descendants was based not on his obedience to God’s law, but on a right relationship with God that comes by faith. 14 If God’s promise is only for those who obey the law, then faith is not necessary and the promise is pointless. 15 For the law always brings punishment on those who try to obey it. (The only way to avoid breaking the law is to have no law to break!) 16 So the promise is received by faith. It is given as a free gift. And we are all certain to receive it, whether or not we live according to the law of Moses, if we have faith like Abraham’s. For Abraham is the father of all who believe. 17 That is what the Scriptures mean when God told him, “I have made you the father of many nations.” This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who creates new things out of nothing. 18 Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping—believing that he would become the father of many nations. For God had said to him, “That’s how many descendants you will have!”19 And Abraham’s faith did not weaken, even though, at about 100 years of age, he figured his body was as good as dead—and so was Sarah’s womb. 20 Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. 21 He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises. 22 And because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous. 23 And when God counted him as righteous, it wasn’t just for Abraham’s benefit. It was recorded 24 for our benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 25 He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God. Romans 4:13-25 (NLT)
I think this is one of the best examples of determined and persistent faith. Abraham could clearly see that he and Sarah were too old to have children, but he refused to “consider” his circumstances. In spite of their age and all that Abraham was experiencing he chose to believe God’s Word. He never wavered and was “fully convinced”. How can you become so fully convinced that what God said is truth and expect it to materialize in your life? You have to become so immersed in God’s Word to the point that it literally changes your mind. It causes you to think differently and as a result your behavior and speech are also changed. Determined and persistent faith is a lifestyle, not something you try out and give up on at the slightest discouragement, but rather maintained even in the toughest of circumstances. It is constant and unwavering. James 1:5-8 says: f you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do. (NLT)
To have faith in God and what He says, you need to know His exact intentions toward you:
God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. 13 And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else. 14 Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. 15 These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.16 So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters. 17 Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.18 He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession. James 1 12-18 (NLT)
11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT)
By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. 4 And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires. 2 Peter 1:3-4 (NLT)
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. James 1:17 (KJV)
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