Faith

PROPHECY:

Thus Says The LORD,

I give faith so all men can choose to believe. It is a choice that every person can make on their own. I will not force someone to believe in Me or trust My Word.

From the time I created the heavens and the earth. I wanted a relationship with someone made of My image. This is why I have created you. I have desired an intimate relationship with you.

When you choose to trust My Word, you are saying, you have faith in who I Am. You believe in what I have done for you. Grace was given to save you, by the faith you have in Me.

I have given all people the freedom to make Me LORD of their lives. I have done all I can do to give people the freedom to choose Me. I hold no offense against anyone. I give freely My love to everyone.

If you will choose Me and believe in Me. You will have the promise I made by your faith. Continue to trust Me, the God of Heaven, and you will see the salvation I offer. For by the sacrifice of Jesus all who believe will be saved. Obey My Word and you will know My presence. You will know Me intimately and be with Me in eternity.

Says The LORD.

MESSAGE:

Hebrews 11:1 (NKJV)
[11:1] Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

There is a lot of teaching on faith, and there is also a lot of confusion about faith. Though the Bible makes faith simple to understand. God never intended anything to be confusing.

We know that Faith is not of ourselves based on Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

Faith is not naturally inherent inside of man. Although people are required to believe for salvation, even that faith is part of the gift of God which saves and cannot be exercised by one's own power. (MacArthur)

Ephesians 2 speaks of faith and hope. So what is the difference between the two?

Faith and hope are closely related, yet there are two important differences between them. First, faith springs from the heart, but hope is entertained in the mind. Second, faith is in the present; it is a substance-something we already have. But hope is directed toward the future; it is an expectation of things to come.

Hopes that are based on true faith within the heart will not be disappointed. However, without this basis, there is no assurance that our hopes will be fulfilled. (Derek Prince)

Many people misunderstand what Paul was saying in Romans 12. We have to be careful not to take things out of context, and careful not to apply scriptures to things that they should not be applied to. Context demands that we understand that Paul is speaking to Christians. He is not speaking to the world; he is not speaking to the heathens.

Romans 12:1-3, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.

God gave to each one of the brethren a measure of faith. Faith is not a natural life force. Faith is not something you can work up in and of yourself. Faith is the gift of God.

In Hebrews 11:1 Faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen.

It says faith has substance. That means faith is tangible. It's actually real. It's just not some mystical, ethereal thing out there. Faith is the substance of things hoped for. Faith is actually the evidence, the proof that you have the thing that you are hoping for.

The Amplified version of Hebrews 11:1 states:
Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses].

What does the word 'evidence' literally mean?

That word “evidence" literally speaks of a title deed. When you own property or a house you get a title deed which is a legal document that declares that you own that particular property.

Romans 10:17 reads, so then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

So, then faith comes by hearing. Faith comes which means it was not in you. It must come to you. And it comes how? It comes by hearing. But by hearing what? By hearing the rhema of God. That word “word" there in the verse is the Greek word rhema.

Rhema literally is a Word spoken by God.

There are three main Greek words in the New Testament that we translate the English word "word." One is logos. The logos literally speaks of the thoughts of God, the very substance of God. The Bible says, "In the beginning was the Word" ... the logos ... "and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." (John 1 :1)

Another Greek word translated as word is graffe. It is where we get the English word graffiti from. And it literally means the written Word of God. The last Greek word is rhema.

The logos is the general word of God that communicates his ability to do something or his general will on a matter while a rhema is the word the Holy Spirit quickens to a specific person for a specific situation.

When God speaks there is faith resident inside the Word itself. God put the faith to bring His promises to pass inside of the Word itself. He is not waiting on your faith. He is not waiting on you. God did not subject His promises to your daily whims. He did not subject His promises to whether you woke up and felt good this morning. He made His promises sure because He not only gave a Word, but He put the faith to bring that Word to pass inside the Word itself. Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by a rhema of God.

There are two things about that word "hearing" that you need to understand. First, the original meaning of it does not just mean to simply hear, but it means to hear and understand. Second, the implication of that hearing does not mean to just hear and understand. It also implies to obey. Because when Jesus said, "He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear." (Matthew 11 :15) What was He saying?

"Don't just listen." "Because," He said, "anybody who hears My words but doesn't do them, he is a fool." (paraphrasing)

Faith comes by hearing and understanding a Word spoken by God, and then obeying that Word.

The first person in the Bible that God ever attributed faith to was not even a Jew. It was a Roman Centurion based on Matthew 8:8-10. And it is the only place in the Bible where Jesus ever marveled over anybody's great faith. What was it about this man? What was it about what he did that caused Jesus to give him the honor of being the first one to attributed faith to, and also the honor of being the only one that He marveled at his great faith? What caused Jesus to take this Roman Centurion, a heathen, and mark him down for all of history, and to establish him under the Law of First Mention as the precipice point to give understanding about faith? What did this man do?

Jesus said, "I will come and heal him." Immediately the Centurion said, "Lord, I am not worthy that you should come under my roof." He understood something. He understood authority. If I go and visit your home, when I walk into your home I come under, to a dimension, your authority.

Haven't you ever heard a father say, "Young lady, as long as you are under my roof, you will obey my rules." What is he saying? He is saying as long as you are under my authority, you will do what I tell you to do.

All authority is imparted. All authority is given. The centurion was given authority by the Roman government and he understood that Jesus had been given authority from God.

He understood that Jesus walked in such authority that He could simply speak the Word and his servant would be healed. And Jesus marveled at his faith.

Jesus' message from the beginning was to repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. The authority of God, the authority of heaven has come. The authority of heaven is everything. Everything in the kingdom of heaven is about authority.

Faith is an authority issue.

Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. But it is predicated on us yielding to the authority of that Word. The Bible says in Isaiah 53:5 but he was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised by our inequities; the chastisement of our peace was laid upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. The faith for healing is resident within that Word. People do not always receive their healing because they are trying to do it in themselves and to work up some emotion.

Faith was truly manifested by Mary when the angel approached and said, ''You are going to have a baby," and she said, "How could this be?" And when he said, 'The Holy Spirit is going to overshadow you." She said, "Be it unto me as thou has spoken it. I'm just going to yield to the Word. I'm not going to try and figure it out." (paraphrasing) That is faith!

Faith is yielding and submitting to the Word of God, and that is why without faith it is impossible to please God.

What does the word 'faith' mean?

The word “faith" is the Greek word pistes. One definition is fidelity which is loyalty to authority. The word fidelity actually means to be loyal, submitted, committed to authority.

God said without faith, without your loyalty, submissive, yielding of authority to Him it is impossible for you to please Him. (Hebrews 11 :6)

God gives us His Word and the power of faith is in it. What is that power? It is the power to obey God. He put that in His Word so that when we really receive the Word, we understand the Word. We say yes to the Lord and to His Word and the faith that is resident in the Word is released to bring the promise to pass. Faith is so simple. Faith is simply yielding your will to the Word of God. You can't work it up. Faith didn't come from you. It comes from God.

Jesus functioned and lived on this earth that way. Thirty-eight times in the book of John, Jesus said a phrase, one way or another that is epitomized in John 6:38. He said, "I have come not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me." Pastor Paul Yung E Chow of the biggest church in the world says it this way: "I pray, and I obey."

That is faith. You hear from God, and you do what He says. It's that simple. You don't have to work up emotions. You might not even feel like you have the emotion of faith. You might not even feel very believing, but you say, "Regardless of my feelings God, I look to You. I trust You. I choose to submit to Your Word no matter what my circumstances say." And God says, "That is faith!"

Matthew 9:29 Then He touched their eyes, saying, "According to your faith let it be to you."

Romans 1 :17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith."

2 Corinthians 5:7 For we walk by faith, not by sight.

Galatians 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.

Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

Living by faith means we obey the Word of God. We live under the authority of God which means our obedience communicates our faith in God.