We continue our focus on the basics of faith with answers to some important questions that have come in. I love this subject. I am a faith preacher, and I always will be. Jesus was a faith preacher. Paul was a faith preacher. Without faith it is impossible to please God. Faith is not one subject among many. Faith is the key that activates everything in the Christian life.
As it is written in Hebrews 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.”
All of God’s exceeding great and precious promises are activated by faith. Think of a powerful Mustang with a great engine and fine leather interior. Without the key, it goes nowhere. In the same way, faith is the key that releases everything God has provided for us in Christ.
What Is Biblical Faith?
Biblical faith is more than generic belief. Many say they have faith because they believe God could do something or that He will do it one day. It does not take much faith to believe God could. Faith is not primarily believing God will act in the future.
As it is written in Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
Biblical faith is confidence in God based on His Word. It believes something is done purely on the evidence of the Word of God alone. Faith pulls the hopes of tomorrow into the now. Hope says God will heal me. Faith says God has healed me. It is done. This is not denial of symptoms. It stands on the Word even when circumstances have not yet changed.
I once spoke with a young lady in a wheelchair who believed God would heal her one day. Through the Scriptures she saw the difference between hope and faith. That very night she was healed and out of her wheelchair. God wants us to bring future hope into present possession through faith in His Word.
Does Faith Ignore Reality?
Faith does not ignore reality. Some who claim to teach faith pretend they have no problems when clearly they do. That is not biblical faith. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. It does not come by throwing away medicine or breaking glasses.
As it is written in 2 Corinthians 4:18, “while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”
Abraham did not deny the reality of his and Sarah’s bodies. He simply refused to give those facts final authority or permanence. Faith denies reality’s right to stay as it is. We fix our attention on the eternal Word rather than letting temporary circumstances dominate our thinking. There are times when we need to look away from what we see so that it does not drag us down. Faith acknowledges present reality but stands on the higher, unchanging truth of God’s Word.
Can Faith Exist Without the Scriptures?
Faith can exist in a limited way without the written Word. Someone in a remote place might look at creation and reach out to the unknown God. Yet God has chosen to speak to us primarily through His Word. In these last days He has spoken to us by His Son.
Specific, accurate, tangible faith needs a specific word from God to attach itself to. Generic faith that God could do something is possible. Yet clear faith that works comes when we have clear promises from Scripture to stand upon.
What Produces Genuine Faith?
As it is written in Romans 10:17, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
Faith is not primarily a special gift in the general sense. The more time, focus, and attention we give to God’s Word, the more faith we will have. Less Word means less faith. Jesus taught that the measure we give to the truth we hear determines the measure of power that flows into our lives. We choose how much faith we carry by the place God’s Word occupies in our daily lives.
Does God Heal? Does God Always Heal Now?
From God’s vantage point, He healed you two thousand years ago at the cross.
As it is written in 1 Peter 2:24, “who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.”
Jesus dealt with sickness and disease at Calvary. By His stripes we were healed. It is finished. When we appropriate that healing by faith, it is received in the spirit. The manifestation in the body follows. The centurion understood this. He believed based on Jesus’ Word alone before he saw the result.
If we are waiting for the healing to come, we have not yet believed we have received it. God’s job is the manifestation. Our job is to believe we have received based on His Word.
These truths will transform your walk with God if you grasp them. Faith is the key. Keep hearing the Word. Stand on what God has already done.
Selah.
Scriptures for Study:
Hebrews 11:6, Hebrews 11:1, Romans 10:17, 2 Corinthians 4:18, 1 Peter 2:24, Mark 11:24, Romans 4:17-21, Isaiah 53:5, Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 5:2, John 17:17, 2 Corinthians 5:7, Hebrews 11:3, Romans 12:3, Mark 9:23, James 1:6-8, Matthew 17:20, Galatians 3:2, 1 John 5:4, Hebrews 10:38, Habakkuk 2:4, Galatians 2:20, Colossians 2:6, 1 Timothy 6:12, 2 Corinthians 4:13
10 Questions for Reflection:
- Where in my life am I living in hope for the future rather than faith that it is done now?
- How can I stand on God’s Word when present reality still looks unchanged?
- In what areas am I giving more attention to temporary circumstances than to eternal truth?
- How consistent is my daily hearing of the Word of God?
- What specific promises am I attaching my faith to right now?
- Where might I be denying reality instead of denying its permanence?
- How can I shift from generic belief to specific faith based on Scripture?
- What would change if I truly believed I have received according to God’s Word?
- In what ways do I need to recalibrate my understanding of when God healed me?
- How can I give more measure to the Word so that more faith flows into my life?
