What The Word Says
- Rom 1:17 – The just shall live by faith.
- 2 Cor 5:21 – You are the righteousness of God through Jesus.
- If you are born again, you are righteous, which is justified with God, therefore you are the just.
- Heb 11:6 – 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.
- If you want to please God, you must live by faith.
What Is Faith?
- Heb 11:1 – Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
- Faith is now, present tense, not past tense or future tense.
- Faith has substance and it is the evidence (proof of or title deed) for the thing you have asked for.
- Faith is believing that what God said in the Word is true and acting on it.
How Do I Get Faith?
- 1. Rom. 12:3 – God has given everyone the measure of faith.
- You are born with a natural faith; but when you are born again, God gives you the measure of His supernatural faith.
- Rom. 10:17 – Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.
- Faith grows as you hear the Word.
- Faith is based on the Word of God to you.
- The Word is spiritual food and, as you eat natural food to strengthen your body, you eat spiritual food (the Word) to strengthen you spiritually.
- The verb tense for hearing and hearing in Rom. 10:17 is continual tense. Literally, then, you can say faith comes by the continual hearing of the Word.
- Just like you don’t only eat food once per week, you don’t only hear the Word once per week if you want to stay spiritually strong.
- You must hear the Word every day, not just in church
How Does Faith Work?
- Mark 11:22-26 – Jesus teaches how the faith you received from God works.
- What you say with your mouth and believe in your heart shall come to pass.
- Faith will work for good things as well as things you don’t want.
- Jesus said whatever (good or bad) you say and believe will come to pass.
- Mark 11:24 – You must believe (in your heart) that you receive what you prayed for when you prayed.
- Remember, faith is now, not in the future.
- If you believe that you receive when you pray; there will be corresponding action as a result.
- Rom. 10:6 tells us faith speaks what it believes.
- Matt. 12:34 tells us that out of the abundance of your heart your mouth will speak. (Remember Jesus said you shall have what you say with your mouth and believe in your heart.)
- Mark 11:12-14, 20-21 – Jesus your example.
- Spoke what He wanted to come to pass, not what the circumstance was.
- Believed He received.
- Received the manifestation after He spoke what He believed.
- Rom 4:17-21 – Abraham is the father of your faith.
- He had the Word of God – Gen 15:5.
- He spoke what he did not have, as if he already had it (vs. 17).
- He did not consider contrary circumstances, but only what God had said (vs. 19).
- He was convinced in his heart God was faithful to His Word (vs. 21).
- Remember, Rom. 10:17 says, Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.
- He gave thanks to God for the promise of God’s word before he saw it (vs. 20).
Hindrances to Faith
- 1. Mark 11:25-26 – Unforgiveness.
- Gal 5:6 – Not walking in love.
- 1 Cor 13:4-7 – Bible definition of love.
- Matt 8:5-10 – Failure to submit to authority.
- If you submit to and obey the authority God places over you, your faith will submit and obey you.
Conclusion
- The Word tells us you must live by faith to please God.
- To live by faith means to live by the Word of God. As you submit to the Word and meditate on (speak out loud to yourself over and over) the Word, the Word will get into your heart.
- Then, as you speak your faith (the Word) from your heart (call those things that be not as though they were), it will come to pass. If you truly believe from your heart, your actions will show that and you will give thanks to God.
- While you are giving thanks, your servant, faith, will go forth into the Spirit realm and bring what you believe you received into manifestation.