FAITH, WHAT IT IS AND HOW IT WORKS!

1) Faith and Belief:

Most people think faith and belief are the same thing. WRONG! You can believe something and not have faith in it.

A man staggers up to you he is dying of starvation. You put food in front of him, he just looks at it. You say this food will nourish you and keep you alive, Do you believe that? Yes I believe that. The man just looks at it and then he dies. Why did he die? Because he didn’t eat the food. The eating of the food is faith. Faith is acting on what you believe. Many Christians today believe the bible, they believe all of God’s promises. However if they don’t have faith and act on the word of God they will not receive all of Gods best that He wants them to have. If they don’t have faith they will die just like our man died. They will be sick but not get God’s healing. They won’t have God’s prosperity. They won’t have God’s peace and contentment. And the worst part is they will never please God without faith. Without faith you can’t please God. [Hebrews 11:6]

You have to do more than just believe. You have to act on what you believe! You have to act on God’s word! And that action is what faith is. The word of God works when you do what it says.

2) Faith, in the spirit realm and natural realm:

Faith is the same in the spirit realm as it is in the natural realm. The spiritual realm is God’s realm. The natural realm is Satan’s realm. However faith works the same in either realm. Here’s how faith works in the natural realm. 1) You are given information. 2) You believe that information. 3) You act on it. (The acting is faith.)

Example: You went to get a job, and were hired at $5.00 per hour. The boss said that you would get paid on Friday. So you worked all week believing the man would pay you. Working that week was faith you acted on what he said. You believed what the man said. A man you never knew before said he would pay you on Friday.

But, when it comes from God you have to have a sign or someone to prophesy over you to confirm that the Lord meant what he said when He said it. The word of a man you will swallow hook line and sinker, but from God who created you, and the universe your in, and who gave you the greatest instruction book the world has ever known, the Bible, YOU WANT A SIGN before you will act on his word.

You can be sick in the hospital. The Doctor comes in and says you are doing fine you will be home in three days. When your relatives come in you say your doing fine your going home in three days. You still have the pain but now you don’t say your sick. But when it comes to God you still say your sick even though His word says that by His stripes you are healed. (I Peter 2:24)

You say you believe His word. If you believe His word, but are not acting on it, God’s word will never do you any personal good.

You have an automobile, you have the key in your pocket. You can believe that key will start your car, and it will. You can believe that the car will take you home, and it will. But it will never start the car or take you home until you put the key in the lock and turn it on. God’s word is the key. You can believe His word is the key. But until you act on it and put it into the lock of life, into the circumstances of life, it will never do you any good.

3) Faith is the evidence of God’s promises.

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews11:1)

If faith is the evidence, then the thing although not seen, must be real. You can’t have evidence for something that doesn’t exists. So faith is the evidence of things not seen. What does evidence mean? Evidence is that which supports the existence of something. The fact that something exists, something that I’m unable to see, so I need the evidence to prove it.(II Corinthians 4:18) While we look not at things which are seen, but at things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. That sounds ridiculous. How can you look at something that is not seen? Only with the eye of faith.

As Christians we must live our lives by faith. (II Corinthians 5:7) For we walk by faith, not by sight: That means the man of God walks by faith. He doesn’t walk by what he sees. He bases his action on the word of God. That is why it is so important to know what the word of God says. God’s word says, “While we look not at the things that are seen, but at things that are not seen.” Don’t look at the cancer or heart disease in the natural. Look at them through God’s words. “Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sickness” (Matthew 8:17). Why did He bare them if He wants us to bare them?(I Peter 2:24 ) “by whose stripes you were healed” YOU WERE HEALED, not going to be, you are! You might say, well how come I’m sick? Because you are saying you are sick. The word of God says you are well. But as long as you take sides against the word of God, the word of God can not work on your behalf. When you get in line with the word, by his stripes I was healed, sickness and disease will flee. It will not be able to stay there.

Acting on God’s word will bring the evidence of things hoped for, (our healing, or whatever blessing you are in need of) into the natural world. As Jesus said over and over again to the people He healed, “Your faith has made you whole.” Jesus took spiritual gifts from the spirit world into the natural world. Jesus blessed us with all spiritual blessings. (Ephesians 1:3) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: Not some but all spiritual blessings, and FAITH is our blank check to draw on these blessings to give us life and give it more abundantly. So with faith we can bring things from the spirit world to the natural world. (Hebrew 11:1) Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Thank you Jesus.

4) Things you can’t see are real.

Everything material was first of all spiritual before God made it into the physical. It existed first in the mind of God before it was produced in physical manifestation. Since everything was first of all spiritual, spiritual things are more real than physical things. Just because you can’t see it or feel it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.

At this very moment the air is full of FM and AM radio waves, also UHF and VHF television pictures. But just because you can’t see them or touch them doesn’t mean that they are not real. You just don’t have the proper apparatus to tune them in. With a TV set or radio they are perfectly clear. Faith is the TV set that tunes into the realm of God. Your Bible is your TV guide to find out what programs are on. You’ll find it covers everything.

5) Faith is … present tense

(Hebrews 11:1) Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. NOW faith is … not yesterday … not next week … NOW. You can’t believe that God is going to heal you someday. You’ll never get healed. You have to believe you are healed right now before it will work. “Now faith is …”

(Mark 11:24) Therefore I say unto you, what things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. Jesus is speaking and He is saying something very important. Therefore I say unto you, what things soever you desire … things … Health or other promises of God. Believe that you receive them … Received them … He didn’t say feel you receive them … He said when you pray believe you have received them, and you shall have them! When you pray … is now believe you have receive … is now. And you shall have them … is future. If you believe Gods word …and act on it, (that’s faith) … you shall have them. In other words He will bring them into the physical world to you. If you don’t act on His words you will not get it.

Now if you believe that you have received it than you will not pray for it again. Why ask God for something you already have? If you ask again it would mean you didn’t believe you got it the first time … If that is what you believe than you won’t get it. Faith is acting on God’s word, even if you don’t see it. For we walk by faith not by sight. If we act on God’s word He will fulfill the promise. “Believe you have received them, and you shall have them.” Many of us are waiting for God to work a miracle or give us a healing, and then we will believe it. (Luke 6:46) And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? But, you see, you have to believe you have it NOW. Act like it’s true, and then the power of God comes. Because that’s how faith works, dotting the I’s and crossing the T’s, following God’s instructions exactly.

6) Faith is … the title deed

A man comes to you with a great buy, five acres for $500 dollars. You haven’t seen the land it is in another State, but you don’t need to, you want it. So the man gives you the title deed. It is yours and you will see it later. Now faith is the title deed of the things we hope for, being the proof of things we do not see … And that title deed is backed by the word of GOD! The Bible says God cannot lie (Hebrews 6:18) So if He says I have it, I have it! If He says I will receive it, I will receive it!

7) Two kinds of faith … God’s kind and man’s kind

The man’s kind of faith says, “I’ll believe it when I see it … I’ll believe it when I feel it.” The God’s kind of faith says, “I believe it, therefore I WILL see it.” The God kind of faith believes first of all, and then confesses with the mouth what it believes.

In Mark 11, Jesus went to a fig tree to get some fruit, but the tree was bear. So He spoke to the tree. (Mark 11:14) And Jesus said unto it, no man eat fruit of thee hereafter forever. And His disciples heard it. Jesus was born and raised in this part of the country, He knew when fig trees had figs, He was trying to teach his disciples a lesson. For (Mark 11:14) says, and His disciples heard it. The next day as they passed by Peter looked at the tree and it had withered away. So they asked Jesus about it.

(Mark 11:22-24) “And Jesus said unto them. Have faith in God (or the God kind of faith)” For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he says shall come to pass; he shall have whatever he says. 24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever you desire, when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you shall have them.

Concerning the fig tree. His disciples heard Him. Jesus was not afraid to commit His self. He spoke out loud. He confessed with His mouth what He believed in His heart. He believed when He spoke that the tree would obey Him. It would dry up. And He dared to speak it … Do you have that kind of faith in the word of God? Do you believe when you tell a fever to go that it is going to leave? Do you believe when you say that my needs are met in Jesus Christ, that they are met? The God kind of faith does. It believes in the heart and confesses with the mouth. It shows that you are committed to the word of God. And that you will ACT on His word.

The God kind of faith believes it, and says it, without seeing anything … That tree didn’t dry up for 24 hours. It wasn’t until the next day that Peter noticed that the tree had dried up. Jesus spoke that word. It was the word of faith. It was the God kind of faith.

8) We are God’s children

We are God’s children so we should have the same kind of faith. The Bible says if you are born again you are a son of God. Therefore we ought to exercise the same kind of faith our father does. All through the Bible it states, And God said … and when He spoke something happened. He said “let there be light” … and what happened? There was! Notice nothing came into being until God said it. The God kind of faith works by believing with the heart and confessing with the mouth.

9) How do we know we have that kind of faith?

Would you like to have the God kind of faith, the kind of faith that Jesus had? If you are a believer, if you have been born again, You already have the God kind of faith. “Yes but I don’t feel like I have it.” It has nothing to do with how you feel. It’s so because God said it is so, not because you feel like it.

(Romans 12:3) … according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

God dealt it to us. We must clarify that Paul didn’t mean every man in the world. As he was talking to the church in Rome He meant only the believers in Christ.

(Ephesians 2:8-9) For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God. 9) Not of works, lest any man should boast.You can not work to get this … it is by His grace.

How did you get faith to begin with and if you want more how do you get it? (Romans 10:17) So then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. That’s how it comes and the only way you’ll get it. A friend of mine says if you don’t go to church and never hear the word, than you had better start reading the Bible out loud.

Do you know why many people do not have divine healing, the baptism of the Holy Spirit or speaking in other tongues? It is because they don’t go to church or where they go they do not preach on these subjects. So they have no faith built up for it. You only have faith for what you have heard. A lot of Christians are saved, thank God, because that is all they have heard about. That is wonderful that will get us to Heaven. But it is not going to do us a lot of good down here. However God wants us to have LIFE and HAVE IT MORE ABUNDANTLY.

10) The God kind of faith in your heart and in your mouth

(Matthew 12:34) out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. So get the word into your heart, keep pounding it into your brain until it gets down into your heart. (When the Bible speaks of your heart it means your spirit.)

(Mark 11:23) Jesus said … “whoever shall SAY unto this mountain, be thou removed and be thou cast into the sea, and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he SAYS shall come to pass; he shall have whatever he SAYS.

So say it, speak it out. When you speak it out things will begin to happen on your behalf. Believing it in the heart and confessing it with your mouth. THAT’S THE COMBINATION THAT OPENS THE LOCK. That’s what Jesus did He believed with His heart … He said it with his mouth.

11) Why doesn’t God heal today?

When you were saved did Jesus have to die again for you? Of course not you were saved 2000 years ago. He died once for everyone. You took advantage of that gift when you accepted Christ. Now is He going to do something now to heal you? NO! He has done all the healing He is ever going to do. (I Peter 2:24) … with His stripes you were healed. (Matthew 8:17) “Himself took our infirmities, and bear our sicknesses” By His stripes you were healed … He took our infirmities … He doesn’t have to do it again. He gave you this as a gift. All we need to do is accept it, and we do that by faith. Jesus said ” if I believe it in my heart and confess it with my mouth I could have it.”Thank You Jesus.

12) Watch your confessions

Stop complaining, Stop saying how bad you feel! Start lining up with the word of God.”I am a conqueror!” (Romans 8:37) “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!” (Philippians 4:13) I don’t have to bow down to the Devil again … I’m a child of the King … I’ll live like a King … I’ll look like a King … And I’ll act like a King. Praise God, my needs are met … Praise God, I am healed … Praise God I have divine health … Praise God I will rule as a King in life … The God kind of faith believes in the heart that what it says with the mouth comes to pass, and then dares to say it!

Take Jesus at His word, He is waiting to give you all the promises of the Bible. He died for your eternal life, He was whipped and took your sicknesses to the cross. He wanted you to have these gifts PLEASE take them, and live life as He planned for you. This is my prayer for you in Jesus precious name, A man.

Several ministers had pointed out sections on faith in the Bible to me, I hope I clearly stated them and put them in a logical order. The Bible is God talking to us, so when we are working on a particular part it’s like having a conversation with Him. Many times while writing this I felt the Holy Spirit guiding me and teaching me. Only through Jesus Christ can we have this closeness with God and the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Thank you Jesus.

Ferd Sebastian