MATURE FAITH

 

 FAITH is an Action, based on a Belief, sustained by a Confidence that GOD will DO WHAT HE SAID!

My Faith moves me beyond my Human limits. Why???? GOD SAID……..

Gen 28:15 I WILL NOT LEAVE YOU TIL I HAVE DONE WHAT I HAVE SAID !

Do you want to please GOD? The Bible says…without FAITH it is impossible to please Him. Heb 11:6

Do you want to experience GOD’s saving Grace? The Bible says… For by Grace you are saved through FAITH Eph 2:8

Do you want to receive GOD’s salvation? The Bible says…Receiving the end of your FAITH, even the salvation of your souls. 1Pet 1:9

Do you want the life to come to be real and relevant to you Now? The Bible says…Now FAITH is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Heb 11:1

Do you want to be an overcomer? The Bible says… and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our FAITH.  1Jn 5:4

FAITH is taking GOD at his word. Not just believing that He can, but knowing that He will. It is the grip which connects us with the moving energy of GOD. It’s the channel through which GOD’s grace is imparted and all spiritual blessings flow.

Mark 11:22  Jesus said “Have FAITH in God” This is your starting point, Not a lot of other things, even good things. We have guides in our life. My Senses guide my Physical and my Reason guides my Mind, but both of these are subject to my FAITH, which is my GIFT from GOD. EPH 2:8.

My FAITH also has an object.

1 Pet 1:21 Through Him you believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your FAITH and hope are in God.

This is contrary to my Senses and Reason because I can’t See, Hear, Feel, Taste, or Touch GOD physically. My mind can only Reason this out by the input of my Faith.

The REAL objects of my Faith are unseen and unheard of, by my Senses, GOD- JESUS- HOLY GHOST- HEAVEN- HELL.

I have only GOD’S WORD to go by, but I do have it, “the written word” to Touch, to put into my Mind as I read it by Sight and thru the ACTION of my Faith it can become the LIVING WORD. I Hear myself Speak of the Reality of it and a Link is formed in my Confidence

As I overcome Hardships, solve Problems, do away with Fears by my BELIEFS, the CONFIDENCE of my mind is built up. Rom 10:17 FAITH comes by HEARING- the VOICE OF GOD, THE HOLY GHOST speaks the “living word” thru the written Word

The “written word” is the foundation that my FAITH stands on and HEB 12:2 says that JESUS is the

author & finisher of my FAITH, so keep on going/believing until you “touch” JESUS.

 

Sometimes we presume that God will “heal” and we say that we have faith for it. But it dosen’t work.

Was it a lack of FAITH? Did God tell us that He was going to “heal” or did we presume He would.

Sometimes we try to manipulate God, be careful…

2 Cor 13:5  Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—

We pray for deliverance from a physical problem when it’s God’s plan to take us through it for some greater good..(Paul’s thorn comes to mind.)  Place your Faith in His promises. Faith is NOT creative, but receptive. Our Faith didn’t prompt God to save us, it allowed us to receive His grace, His plan and His eternal purpose.

D.L. Moody wrote: I prayed for Faith and believed it would strike me like lightning. But it didn’t, then I read Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. I had closed my Bible and prayed for Faith, then I began to study my Bible and my faith has been growing ever since.

Look at Heb 11- Able believed, Noah believed, Abraham believed, Joseph believed, and Moses believed. Believing is Faith in action.

Your faith will be tested…Jas 1:2-4 He is trying to complete you, to drive you to His Word

Think about physical maturing. A baby thinks of self- never serves, needs milk not meat, crys , needs attention. Then becomes a little child: untruthful, envious, cruel. Resentful. Repeat all they hear, love praise from any source and seeks what appeals to them. They need training. Become a young man/woman. They are strong, good workers, have a vision for the future, the courage to make it work, preparing themselves to be overcomers, and know the value of  knowledge. Adulthood brings peace and contentment, looks to the future. Finds satisification in the simple things of life. Enjoys  memories.

I can see spiritual maturing here also, could our Faith grow on a curve like this ?

 

The Bible calls Faith several things:

1. Mystery.   1 Tim 3:9   holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience.

2. Seed.       Matt 17:20  faith as a mustard seed—Seeds produce life because they grow

 3. Principle  Heb 4:2 the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with FAITH

                     This is not an attitude, it is a POWER that GOD wants to implant in us. Acts 6:8  Stephen was full of faith and power. You can’t be full of an attitude, you just have one.

4. Substance/Evidence  Heb 11:1 I said above that it was my GIFT but it was not received until I acted. My conviction was the evidence that the WORD had substance. When my HEART went toward GOD, HE  suppilied me with FAITH and I became a believer.

5. Work  John 6:29  Jesus answered and said, this is the WORK of GOD, that you believe on HIM who

HE sent.  The difference between FAITH and BELIEVING is like water, “still” (faith) or in “motion” (believing) flowing. Is yours a trickle or a flood. When the DAM of your restraining mind breaks, WOW

Heb 4:3 We who BELIEVE “do” enter that rest. Heb 4:11  be DILIGENT to enter. Heb 6:1 Quit talking about it and GO ON. Phil 3:14 I PRESS towards. 1 Cor 9:24 RUN to OBTAIN. Col 3:1 SEEK things above. This is the MATURE work of Faith, ( to me) 

6. Fight 1 Tim 6:12  Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life. 1 John 5:4 this is the VICTORY that has over come the world-OUR FAITH.

7. Rest  Heb 4:11 Let us labor therefore to enter into that REST

2 Thes 1:3 tells us that our faith grows exceedingly. In 1Thes 1:2-10 Paul wanted to know “how” their faith was and what was lacking.

 

What keeps it from growing?? an impure conscience. 1Tim 3:9 says “holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience”. 1Tim 1:19 says “having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck”.

The adversary. Luke 8:11-12  Now the parable is this: the seed is the Word of God. Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the Devil comes and takes away the Word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.

Impatience; Gen 16:2 Sarah wanted to help God- go into my handmaiden.

Our failures and our “sight.” Mark 4:40 says “why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith”. We see what is against us and we have FEAR, the opposite of FAITH.

 

THE EXERCISE OF FAITH

First we receive it Eph 2:8 and 2Pet 1:1 as a Gift.

Hold it fast 1Tim 1:19. Then use it Mark 11:22. Contend for it Jude 3.

Teach it Ps 51:10-13. The way to teach faith is to teach IN faith.

We are to follow after it Heb 13:7. And 1Tim 6:11

We are to PRAY in it. Mark 11:24 Praying in faith is not faith in prayer. If we just pray our desires we don’t get results. The desire has to pass into the prayer of faith.

Prov 13:4 The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing; but the soul of the diligent shall be made rich. The difference is the dillegence

James 5:15  And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.

Build up ourselves on it.

Jude 1:20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,

THE WORK OF FAITH,  Justification…

Rom 5:1-2 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,  through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Sanctification

Acts 15:9 "and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.

Acts 26:18 'to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.'

Our oneness with God

Gal 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Our protection

Eph 6:16  above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.

 

Stand FAST, He is Coming…. He said so.