Living Faith / Dead Faith
Over the last several months I have been praying for God to reveal more about faith to me. As I study the scriptures, I realized that there is much I have yet to understand. This study is the result of a lot of seeking and praying. While I believe that God has answered this prayer, I also realize that there is much more to learn. One thing I have learned is that I don’t even know what I don’t know. May we continue to seek God through His word knowing that we as finite people will never cease from growing through God’s infinite knowledge or reach the end of our understanding of His word. As I look back over the years I realized that I have taught more on faith than any other subject. As I grow in my own faith and study the word, I realize how much more there is to learn and I see the need to dig deeper into this subject to increase our understanding. Each time I go through the scriptures, the need to understand authentic faith becomes apparent. The bible contrasts a false faith to His living faith as we are challenged to examine our own faith against His word.
Two Measures of Faith
Let’s first look at how we receive our faith. The Bible gives us two ways that God gives faith to each person. The first is common to all mankind. The first measure is found in Romans 12:
3 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.
Every one means every person. There is not a person who has ever existed that was not measured a portion of faith. God instills within our hearts the power to believe in the gospel so that we can obtain salvation. The Bible also states that God has put eternity in our hearts (Ecclesiastes 3:11). God places within each of us the faith we need to hear and answer His call. Some are confused with passages that imply differently such as this one from 2 Thessalonians 3:1-2
Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you, 2 and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for not all have faith.
How can the Bible state that God has dealt to each person a measure of faith and then state that the wicked do not have faith? I believe the answer can be clearly understood by seeking understanding through the rest of scriptures. Jesus made a fascinating statement that aids in our understanding of this subject in Mark 4:23-25
23 "If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear." 24 Then He said to them, "Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given. 25 "For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him."
Jesus reiterates this principle on at least four different occasions in His teachings. Each person was indeed given a measure of faith by God, but take heed how you hear for if we reject the word, God will take away what He has given. All faith is given by the mercy of God and God has indeed extended His mercy on all; however, the Bible also states that God will not always strive with man. The wicked are those who reject the faith God has given as they resist the truth of God. For those who will not hear, God will take away their faith and give them over to the wickedness they have chosen. Consider this passage from Romans 1:17-19
17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith." 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.
Notice how this passage begins – God reveals Himself through faith. Only after God draws us by faith through our faith will He reveal His wrath against the unrighteous. God manifests Himself to each person and then we either respond by faith or suppress the truth within our heart. God reveals the truth to all. God deals with some people over time as He draws them out of the misconceptions and misunderstanding and toward the truth of His gospel. I firmly believe that God knows each one’s heart and deals with us until our spiritual eyes have been opened. Once God has shown Himself to them, then He holds each person accountable for the gospel. When the truth is suppressed, faith is lost. If you continue on in this passage, the Bible explains this further. Look at Romans 1:21-25
21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man -- and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. 24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
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28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, 30 backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; 32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.
Don’t miss the important truth that God does not turn someone over to a debased mind until after they suppress the truth. A person may indeed be corrupt and wallowing in the mire of their sins but God does not reject us for our sins, but for our refusal of His righteousness. God affirms this truth again in 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12
9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
It is only after the truth has been suppressed within the heart and rejected by someone’s willful rebellion and choice to disbelieve that God turns anyone over to the lie. He allows us to receive what we choose to receive. God first measures to us His faith, then reveals Himself to us by the gospel through faith. If we respond by faith, God saves us by faith and accounts our faith as righteousness. If someone responds by suppressing the truth and instead determines that their pleasure will be in unrighteousness, God takes away what faith the wicked had and for this reason turns them over to a lie and to their own sinful passions.
It is also important to understand that only God can determine when someone is called. Just because someone hears the gospel message and does not accept Christ does not mean that they have rejected the truth. It is when we feel the Spirit of God drawing us that the call of God is given. Those who hear the call and choose to suppress and cling to a sinful lifestyle are those who fall under condemnation.
Why are atheists, New Age followers and other religions so opposed to the message of the gospel? If someone truly did not believe God existed, would they be so passionate about stamping out the name of Jesus or the influence of Christianity? Atheists always equate Christian beliefs with the Easter Bunny, but I have never heard of anyone filing a lawsuit to get the Easter Bunny taken out of school. The reason the atheist is so enraged against the God of the Bible is because the truth is being suppressed. Anyone suppressing the truth will react with anger against anyone who threatens to expose that truth. Suppressing the truth is like holding a beach ball under the water. If you loose your grip, the ball pops to the surface. The truth becomes self-evident if it is ever exposed; therefore, the only way to stamp out the truth is to keep it suppressed and out of view.
God indeed deals every one a measure of faith and He calls us by that faith through the message of the gospel. He will then harden our hearts or write His word upon our hearts based on how we respond to His call. Only after the Holy Spirit opens someone’s eyes and reveals the truth of righteousness to them are we told that God takes away what has been rejected.
The Gift of Faith
The second measure of faith is a specific gift given by the Holy Spirit for the purpose of edifying the whole church. While everyone is dealt a measure of faith which enables us to believe and walk victoriously in this Christian life, not everyone is given the spiritual gift of faith. There are various gifts of the Spirit that God distributes within the church to make the church complete. Look at 1 Corinthians 12:7-12
7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: 8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills. 12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ.
There are many gifts and this topic is worthy of a new study, but for now I would like to bring your attention to the beginning of verse 9, God has given ‘faith by the same Spirit’. There is a measure of faith given to each person and there is the spiritual gift of faith given to individuals that God has chosen by His own sovereign will. The purpose of the gift of faith is the same for all gifts, “for the profit of all”. If you are walking in the Spirit and the fruit of the Spirit is coming out in your life, then you will also see God’s gift from the Spirit being revealed in your life. Many people go through life wondering what their spiritual gift is. There is no need to be concerned with spiritual gifts until you begin to develop spiritual maturity. If you are not walking with God in the Spirit, you will not understand your spiritual gifts and even if you knew what it was, it would do little good if you are not allowing the Spirit to work through your life. The gifts of the Spirit are only useful within God Spirit. If you are walking contrary to the Spirit you cannot use the gifts of the Spirit. It is not possible to act for the profit of all the church without abiding in Christ as a daily lifestyle.
God gives some a powerful faith by His Spirit. It is a gift; it is not merited and is not built by any of our efforts. Like all things that are of God, if we are walking in the flesh, we are quenching the Spirit. The things of the Spirit are made manifest when we put to death the flesh, submit ourselves to God and allow His Spirit to work through us. This passage explains how we build our lives upon faith. Look at Jude 1:20-21
20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
You build yourself up on your most holy faith – you do not build your faith. You cannot build faith, produce faith or acquire faith. The only thing you can do is quench the Spirit by walking in the flesh or submit to the Spirit so that God can crucify the flesh and remove its dominance over your life. You either build up the flesh or build up yourself upon your faith that God has given you.
The difference between dead and living faith.
God has dealt each one a measure of faith, but your faith is not alive until the Spirit of God calls us by faith and makes us alive in Christ. Look at Ephesians 2:1-5
And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
This is reiterated again in Colossians 2:13-14
13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, 14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
Until the Spirit of God calls us by faith and makes us into a new creation born of the Spirit (2 Corinthians 5:17, John 3:5-8), we are dead in our sins and dead in our faith. This is why the Bible says that God is revealed from faith to faith. God has measured to us faith and then He calls us through faith into the Spirit. It is impossible for anyone to decide to become a Christian. God calls us into the faith and calls us to the door of salvation which is Jesus Christ (John 10:7-9). When we answer God’s call, we are born again into a new life which is created by God at the time of salvation. Until we respond by faith through obedience, our faith is dead. Look at James 2:21-26
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." And he was called the friend of God. 24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. 25 Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? 26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
This must be taken in light of the rest of scripture so that we gain understanding. Look also at Galatians 2:
16 "knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.
Also apply this to Ephesians 2:8-10
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
The Bible says that we are justified by faith with our works and the Bible says that we are justified without works? Is this a contradiction? No, not in the least. Since we are two thousand years removed from the Jewish law, most do not understand what the scripture is teaching and this has caused much confusion pertaining to the Christian life. Each time we are told that we are not saved by works it is always pertaining to the works of the law. In almost every instance where this is addressed in the Bible it is the law of circumcision. When the gospel began to be preached among the Gentiles, many Jews came in and said that salvation could not occur unless the convert believed on Jesus and kept the law of Moses – specifically circumcision. The apostle Paul encountered this everywhere he went and addressed it in almost every letter he wrote to the church.
Most of the law that God gave to the Jews was given as a tutor that pointed to what would be fulfilled in Jesus Christ. This is explained in Galatians 3:23-25
23 But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. 24 Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.
God gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision which was an act in the flesh that foreshadowed what would later be performed by the Spirit in the heart. In fact, both Romans 2:29 and Jeremiah 4:4 identify the true circumcision to be that of the heart. Both the Old and New Testaments reveal this truth about circumcision. The circumcision of the heart is our submission by faith by which the Spirit of God removes the flesh. Also, the law of Moses concerning the sacrificing of animals for sin was a tutor that pointed to Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Lamb of God that takes away sin. Once Jesus died for our sins, there is no longer a need for the tutor because faith has come and fulfilled what the sacrifice represented. So, the works of the law are no longer needed and it is impossible for the works of the law to have any role in our salvation. The works of the law only pointed to Christ. Now that Jesus has come, the law has passed away. Anyone who tries to justify their lives by the works of the law is denying the sufficiency of Christ. Instead of believing God, those who keep the law of Moses are proclaiming that they must do what God has reserved for Himself. To seek to justify ourselves by the law is to proclaim ourselves as the source of salvation rather than Jesus Christ.
The same principle of works by the law applies to anyone who tries to use any religious practice in order to merit their own salvation. Salvation is the work of God and the only effort of the flesh is to suppress the truth and resist the call of God. If your salvation is dependent on something you do for God, you have replaced Christ and denied the faith. Responding to the Spirit’s call is not a work of the flesh or work of the law, but our surrendering to God.
Some Christian circles have taken this position so far out of context that they require a dead faith. Any action, thought or response to the Spirit on our part is falsely believed to be works and then this is claimed to be a human effort. Some teach that we just believe and do nothing else. Any prayer, alter call, or outward response is thought to be works that would disqualify salvation. This is far from the truth. If you pray for Jesus Christ to forgive you of your sins, you have done nothing to merit salvation so this cannot be works. Baptism is not works, kneeling at an altar is not works and submitting to God in obedience is not works of the law.
Now that we are armed with this understanding, let’s look at the passage from James 2 where we are told that without works we cannot be justified. What works is the Bible referring to? It is not the works of the law, but the response of our faith. We already know that God has given us faith, but if we resist the Spirit, our faith remains dead. If we recognize the Spirit of God drawing us to respond and we follow that call, the Spirit works within us to produce righteousness. Abraham believed God and his faith was credited to him for righteousness. How did Abraham work to reveal that he believed God? God first promised Abraham that Isaac would be his seed by which God would fulfill all the promises given to Abraham. God then called Abraham to sacrifice his son and Abraham rose early and obeyed immediately without question. Abraham knew that God would either provide a substitutionary sacrifice or He would raise Isaac from the dead.
Each time God tested Abraham, Abraham responded by immediate obedience. His obedience was the works that justified Abraham. It was not what Abraham did for God; it was his obedience out of faith that justified him and proved that his faith was alive. If Abraham believed that God COULD raise Isaac but then disobeyed God, that belief was meaningless and his faith would have been dead. If you believe God and obey, your faith is alive. If you live in apathy or rebellion, you have no faith regardless of what you claim to believe. Everyone claims to have faith, but the only faith that means anything is the faith that is quickened by the Spirit of God. Our faith is alive when we believe God and obey His commandments. When the Spirit stirs in our hearts, we must act in obedience by faith or our faith is in vain.
So hopefully you can see that it is not our works that justify us, but the Spirit of God working within us as we yield ourselves to God’s call. All good works are from God. God works within us to work and do His will and we respond by faith and submit ourselves to God so that we are willing instruments of God’s righteousness. The works are obedience to God and God’s righteousness is given to us as a gift as we receive all God is doing in our life by faith.
Increase Our Faith?
In truth, you cannot increase your measure of faith. The problem in the faithless man or woman is not the lack of faith, but inability to see God’s hand in all things. Look at Luke 17:5-6
5 And the apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith." 6 So the Lord said, "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ’Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.
Most people never grasp what Jesus is teaching in this passage. His disciples ask for more faith, but Jesus teaches them that more faith is not needed. A grain of faith is sufficient to accomplish anything God has placed before us. In other words, God has dealt us a measure of faith and it is more than sufficient to overcome any obstacle. This is explained further in 1 John 5:
4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world -- our faith.
If you are in Christ, you have all the faith you will ever need. The problem with the struggles we face in this life is not that our faith is too small, but that we have made obstacles too big. What is greater than God or what can resist His will? Nothing? If that is true, why are we so easily defeated? Consider the account of Jesus sleeping in the ship in Matthew 8:25. A storm arose that tossed their boat around and it began to take on water. The disciples did what anyone would do when their ship was sinking in a violent storm – fear for their lives. They woke Jesus up and asked if Jesus cared that they were about to die, yet Jesus rebuked them for their lack of faith. Why? This is also the way most Christians live out their faith. Problems arise that are beyond our control and we are frequently threatened. Like the disciples, we are often in despair and maybe even for our very lives. We respond just as Jesus’ disciples did, “Lord, don’t you care that we are perishing?” In truth, if we believe that God is in control of our lives, we should be able to rest in the confidence that He has already made a way through the storm and our circumstance is part of His perfect plan. So what role does faith play in these circumstances?
Faith overcomes the world because faith trusts in God and brings us under submission to His will. If we are in His will, the gates of Hell cannot withstand and the attacks of the devil cannot hinder the will of God in our lives. The disciples were looking at the physical and could not see the supernatural. In their boat was the Master of the sea. How could He have hand picked His disciples for the purpose of building the church and then lose them to a storm? The only way they could have perished would be if God’s plan had been fulfilled and their work was done. God, in His sovereign will can choose to take us home at any given time; however, our lives cannot be taken without God’s knowledge and approval, for not even a sparrow falls to the ground outside of God’s knowledge (Matthew 10:31). By sight, the problems are powerful, but by faith, we know that God’s will is the only driving force in our lives. Faith says, “If God be for us, who can be against us”? (Romans 8:31).
So what makes a Christian weak in faith? I believe that Matthew 17:18-21 provides an important clue in this mystery:
18 And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour. 19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?" 20 So Jesus said to them, "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ’Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. 21 "However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting."
First notice why the disciples were not able to cast out this demon – their unbelief. Jesus then goes on to reiterate a similar illustration He used earlier – if you have faith the size of a grain of mustard seed, you can remove anything. Jesus then states that by faith, “nothing will be impossible for you”. Did the disciples have enough faith? Absolutely! So why couldn’t they do what Jesus said that they should have been able to do? Their flesh was strong and their faith was weak. Unbelief is not the absence of faith but putting our trust in the flesh rather than the faith of God. Unbelief is the result of allowing our flesh to control our lives rather than walking in the Spirit. Since faith is of the Spirit and unbelief is of the flesh, the disciples were being hindered by the flesh.
The purpose of prayer and fasting is to humble ourselves before God, deprive the flesh so that it is weak, and our spiritual life begins to emerge. Fasting denies our flesh of its desires in order to bring it under subjection and prayer submits ourselves to God so that we are focused on the Spirit. Our faith is not increased, but rather our flesh and its passions are decreased. We all suffer from the problem of Matthew 26:41
"Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."
John the Baptist said, “I must decrease but He (Jesus) must increase”. This is true in every Christian’s life. Your flesh must decrease but the Spirit of God within you must increase. Your spiritual life will not increase until your flesh decreases and is brought under subjection.
Faith is by the Spirit
Let’s reiterate again that faith is a gift of God and is by the Spirit and not by any human effort. You cannot muster up faith; you can not build your faith; you cannot produce faith. Your role in faith comes from 1 Thessalonians 5:19, “Do not quench the Spirit”. God has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness according to His power (2 Peter 2:3). Since this is true, you have everything you need. You have enough faith to move mountains and walk victoriously in your life in the Spirit. The ONLY way that you will not accomplish everything that God has for you is to quench the Spirit. You quench the Spirit by walking in the flesh. Consider this vital passage from Galatians 5:16-17
16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.
Your flesh cannot and will not EVER produce anything of the Spirit nor will God ever accept anything accomplished in the flesh. The flesh and the Spirit are at war with each other and will never walk together in this life. In order to have life in the Spirit and to walk in the Spirit, you must put to death the flesh. This is explained in Romans 8:13-14
13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
The reason the Christian is not experiencing a true walk of faith is because we are trying to live by faith without crucifying the flesh. Unless you put to death the desires of the flesh and set your heart upon the spiritual things of God, you cannot walk by faith. Doubt is of the flesh and faith is of the Spirit. You cannot overcome doubt by blocking it out of your mind or trying to believe; you overcome doubt by walking in the Spirit. If you walk in the Spirit, you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. You must put away the deeds of the flesh and set your heart and mind on the things of the Spirit by seeking God through His word and applying His truth to your daily walk.
The word ‘lust’ is not only applied to sensual desires, but all things that the flesh desires. The flesh desires to war against the Spirit of God. Doubt is a lust of the flesh. Sexual temptation is a lust of the flesh. Greed is a lust of the flesh. I could go on but hopefully we see that all the things of the flesh are the lust of the flesh and they war against the Spirit. If you allow the flesh to rule your life, you will quench the Spirit and you cannot walk by faith. Consider this passage in Mark 11:
22 So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God. 23 "For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ’Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. 24 "Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. 25 " And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. 26 "But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses."
This passage does not say that if you pray and are able to block out doubt you will receive, but rather if you believe and do not doubt in your heart you will receive. If there is doubt arising in your heart, this is the evidence that you are not praying in the Spirit. The Bible instructs us to pray without having trespasses or sins against us. If we are not right with God, we cannot pray in the Spirit. If we have wronged our brother, we cannot continue until we make it right. If we are bitter and unforgiving, we cannot pray in the Spirit for God does not release us from our sins against Him until we forgive those who have wronged us.
Another important thing to note is that if you are praying in the Spirit, you are also walking in the Spirit. If you are walking in the Spirit, your focus is not on selfishness but on the things of God. After all, the Bible tells us that selfish ambition and greed are works of the flesh; therefore, if you are praying a greedy prayer, you are not praying in faith and you cannot pray in faith. This is why we are warned not to pray for our lusts of the flesh – God will not answer this prayer. Consider James 4:3-4
3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. 4 Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
If you are praying for worldly pleasures, you are praying contrary to God’s will and you cannot expect God to answer that prayer. Apply this to 1 John 5:14-15
14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.
In truth, you do not need to pray for God’s blessings for they are a natural result of God’s favor toward us when we are walking in faith. If you are seeking money, wealth and fame from God, you are pursuing the world. God may choose to give you riches or He may not. Your focus is on seeking first the kingdom of God and all these things God will add to you to meet your needs. We can also rest in confidence knowing that God loves to give us from the storehouse of His pleasure, but this is never the focus of our prayers or lives. So when we ask, we ask with a heart to do God’s will. We pray in faith by setting our minds on the things of the Spirit.
You do not overcome doubt by resisting doubt, but by pursuing the Spirit of God as you put to death the things of your flesh. Since the flesh cannot produce faith, you cannot believe by resisting doubt. The flesh cannot overcome the flesh; therefore, your human effort cannot overcome doubt by trying not to doubt. I know I have repeated this several times, but I believe it needs to be repeated so we don’t miss this vital principle. Your confidence comes from God as you remove the unprofitable things from your life and allow the Holy Spirit to reveal the faith of God that has already been given to you. You cannot pray in the Spirit while pursuing the works of the flesh. The Bible tells us what the works of the flesh are. Look at Galatians 5:19-21
19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Are any of these things in your life? If you are honest you have to admit that they are. Who doesn’t struggle with selfish ambition? Even those who strive to walk in holiness are required to continuously put these things down in their life. As long as you live in a body of corruptible flesh, the works of the flesh will constantly attempt to rise up and gain control of your life. If you allow this to happen, you cannot see the power of God being manifested in your life. The works of the flesh quench the Spirit and hinder your faith. You have the measure of faith God has given and have the power to accomplish all things that pertain to life and godliness; however, if you allow the flesh to thrive, you cannot live according to the Spirit. This is why the Bible constantly commands us to put to death the deeds of the flesh and commands us to build ourselves up on the most holy faith that God has given us.
Faith Reveals the Fruit of the Spirit
There is one other example in the scripture of how faith is made manifest in the lives of God’s people. Look at Galatians 5:22-25
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Once again, the Bible affirms that faith is produced by the Spirit working in our lives. I used the King James Version in this reference because there is a little bit of confusion on the translation of the Greek word ‘Pistis’. The NKJV and NASB translate this into the word ‘faithfulness’. The Greek word ‘pistis’ is used 227 times in the New Testament. It is always translated into faith with the exception of this passage and Romans 3:3. The word faithful comes from the word ‘pistos’. In context with the rest of this passage and the context of the whole of scripture, I believe that faith is the more accurate translation of the word ‘pistis’.
I believe it is important to understand the significance of this passage for it sums up the work of God to reveal faith in our lives. Before teaching the fruit of the Spirit, the Bible first describes the works of the flesh which are adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, hatred, contentions, jealousy, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, etc. The Bible identifies all the sins of this life as having its roots in the flesh and are the works produced by the flesh. The flesh works to rule our lives, but the Spirit calls for our submission to God. As you and I yield ourselves to the Spirit and we begin to live and walk in the Spirit, the evidence of the Spirit will begin to be produced in our lives. If you are walking in the flesh, the works of the flesh will begin to manifest themselves in your life. If you walk in the Spirit, the fruit of the Spirit will begin to grow and mature in your life. This is why the passage above states that those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its lusts (or evil desires). If you are unwilling to put to death the deeds of the flesh, you cannot be a disciple of Christ (See Luke 14, John 14:23-24).
Faith is one of the evidences of the Spirit’s fruit in your life. This agrees with the passages we read earlier. When the disciples were faithless and could not accomplish God’s will, it was their unbelief which was from the flesh that hindered their ability to serve God in the Spirit. Faith will mature in the Christian’s life, not because you are adding faith, but because you are building yourself upon your faith that God has given and bringing your life into spiritual maturity. As you mature in the Spirit, the things of God will begin to manifest themselves into your life. If you build yourself upon the flesh, the works of the flesh will begin to manifest in your life. The flesh is not called fruit in this passage because it is not adding anything fruitful to your life. If you walk in the Spirit, the faith of God and all the things of the Spirit will begin to emerge in your life. The works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit is how we know where we stand in our spiritual walk.
Outbursts of wrath reveal that we are in the flesh, but gentleness and patience reveal that we are maturing in the Spirit. Fear and unbelief reveal to us that the flesh has become our focus and is driving our lives contrary to God’s will, but obedience through faith reveals that the Spirit is producing its fruit in our lives.
Power in the Church
Why is there no power in the church today? There is no power because our congregations are not being taught this basic command given by Jesus Christ in Luke 9:23-24
23 Then He said to them all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. 24 "For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.
You cannot come after Christ if you are holding on to your life in the flesh. If you are not willing to take up your cross and follow Jesus, you cannot be His disciple. The cross is always the death of the flesh. Unless you are willing to be crucified with Christ, deny yourself the desires of the flesh and follow all that the scriptures command us, you cannot have an abiding relationship with Christ. Jesus made a command that few take seriously in Luke 14:
33 "So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.
Are you willing to do this? If not, you cannot be a disciple of Jesus Christ. This is why there is no true power in the church. There are many showmen that claim to have power by false signs and wonders, but if they are not calling you to forsake your life in this world, they are not disciples of Christ and are false teachers. I have heard many preachers shout from the pulpit that we will never be held in account for anything and that the doctrines of scripture is not important. If you want this message, you can find many false prophets that will speak smooth things that will ease your conscience (Isaiah 30:10); however, if you want to truly have a conscience pure before God, you must die to the flesh and let God raise you in the Spirit.
When you obey these basic commands, God has promised many amazing things in our lives and churches. Consider this passage from James 5:14-18
14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 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. 16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.
How many years have I wondered about this passage? Has anyone ever called for the elders to pray for the sick but not seen God work? You have likely heard many teachers explain why this passage is not a guarantee and heard many explanations that try to say that this passage is not saying what it appears to be saying. Let me tell you that I firmly believe that God said exactly what He meant. The secret of this passage is in verse 15, “the prayer of faith will save the sick and the Lord will raise him up”. This passage does not say that the prayer of the elders will save the sick or raise him up – the prayer of faith and the Lord fulfill this promise.
The reason why we rarely if ever see this passage fulfilled is because there is no faith. The elders in most churches may indeed be knowledgeable and trying to live godly lives, but they are not walking in faith. Who truly walks in faith? Put this to the test and ask the spiritual leaders in your church to explain how we gain faith. I have never heard anyone teach about faith that is truly according to scripture. For most of my life I have believed just as everyone around me believed – that we muster up faith. I have been taught that doubt destroys faith and that we have to make ourselves believe in order to have faith. Oh how false this belief is. Doubt cannot overcome faith anymore than Satan can overcome God. If the gates of hell cannot stand when the people of God are walking in truth, it is certain that the works of the flesh cannot overcome the faith that has been measured by God into the life of His people. You can willingly submit yourselves to the flesh and resist the call of the Spirit, but doubt cannot overcome faith. The presence of doubt is a warning sign that the flesh is strong in our lives and that we need to give a more earnest heed to the word of God and apply God’s word to our lives. Doubt reveals that we are stepping into the flesh. If faith is dependent on your ability to block out doubt and force yourself to believe then it would also be possible for the flesh to produce the spiritual things of God.
In truth, the elders can only pray in faith when they are empowered by God to do so. God WILL NOT empower you to live in the Spirit while you are walking according to the flesh. When James wrote this epistle, it was well established that the elders of the church were appointed by the existing elders based on the evidence that they were walking in the Spirit and filled with the Spirit. The guidelines given for choosing an elder are based on the fruit of the Spirit which is the evidence that the Holy Spirit is leading their lives. If the flesh has infiltrated the lives of the elders, it is impossible for them to walk in the Spirit and there can be no prayer of faith. Look again at the gift of faith described in 1 Corinthians 12:4-9
4 There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: 8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit,
We have seen that faith is measured to everyone so that we can live victorious and walk in godliness by faith. We have also seen that there is also a gift of faith by the Spirit for the purpose of edifying the church and doing a unique work of God. Whenever you see God beginning to move, you also see God drawing His people to pray as He gives them the faith to pray according to His will. If God is not giving us the faith to pray and stirring up people within the church, this is a sign that there is a spiritual health problem within the church. The Bible makes it clear that if we pray anything according to God’s will, God will answer that prayer and perform our request. This is a very important principle to understand. If you are not walking in obedience, God’s work in your life is to draw you into obedience – not perform wonders in the church. If you are not seeking God with all your heart, God will not give you the gift of faith. The Bible makes it clear that there are none who seek God and none who understand by our own inclination (Romans 3:10-12). The Bible also makes it clear that when we do seek God it is because God draws us. Look at this wonderful passage from Psalm 27:
8 When You said, "Seek My face," My heart said to You, "Your face, LORD, I will seek."
God calls you to seek Him. Does your heart say, “Your face I will seek?” If you wait until after you can work God into your schedule, you will miss the call of God. If your life is crowded with TV, hobbies and other activities, the word is choked in your life and you will not be fruitful in the things of the Spirit (Mark 4:19). However, if you set your heart to seek His face, God promises to show you great and mighty things that you do not know (Jeremiah 33:3). You do not decide to seek God; you respond to God’s call for you to seek. As you seek God and are drawn into His presence, God will reveal Himself to you as He also gives you the power to bring your flesh under subjection. If you do not spend time in the word of God, you cannot seek His face. Faith comes by hearing the word of God (Romans 10:17). As you discover God’s commandments, promises and the truth of His word, you can understand faith. How can you believe God without knowing what God has said in His word?
Remember the passage we studied earlier, “to him that has more will be given”? If you receive the word of God and His call to seek Him, God will build you upon the faith He has given and only then can you receive the gifts of the Spirit. The gifts of the Spirit are useless outside of God’s will and the work God is doing; therefore, if you are not walking in obedience, you will not receive these gifts and the church will not be edified.
When God’s people are walking in obedience and experiencing the truth of scripture being lived out in their lives, God will raise up true biblical elders from among you who are walking in faith. As we are in obedience and God is moving, God will also show His power to build up His church. Then the Spirit of God will give the gift of faith that will empower the elders who are already walking in faith so that they can pray in faith. The prayer of faith is a gift of the Holy Spirit and then God will raise up the sick, forgive their sins and save them from the disaster looming over them. The move of God is not dependent on the faithfulness of the sick but the faithfulness of the elders. You have no control over the faith given. This is the gift of the Spirit as God moves. God uses those who are walking in faith, not those who walk in the flesh. Consider this passage from Acts 14:8-10
8 And in Lystra a certain man without strength in his feet was sitting, a cripple from his mother’s womb, who had never walked. 9 This man heard Paul speaking. Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed, 10 said with a loud voice, "Stand up straight on your feet!" And he leaped and walked.
Notice the reason for the healing. Paul perceived that he had the faith to be healed and then acted on that faith. How did Paul know? The Holy Spirit reveals to us the will of God. Look now at Romans 8:27-28
27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
The apostles did not heal everyone that they came across. In fact, Paul states that he begged God three times to be healed himself, but God did not do so. God’s answer was that this infirmity was of the Lord for the purpose of keeping Paul humble so that God could show Himself strong in Paul’s weakness. God did not gift Paul with the faith to be healed even though he prayed for it. I do not believe that healing is guaranteed nor that all prayers will be answered by God with a ‘yes’; however, I do believe that the prayer of faith is a guarantee and the Bible affirms this.
God gives us the gift of faith as He calls us to pray when He is moving. The gift of faith is not necessarily a one time gift but rather is a gift God gives as His Spirit works within us to accomplish His will. That work may be healing or it may be accomplishing the work of God within the church. One thing is certain, if you are not already walking in faith by the Spirit, you cannot expect the gift of faith to pray in faith. We must put off the flesh and walk in the Spirit if we are ever to see the move of God. God gives us the prayer of faith so that He can reveal His power and bring glory to Himself – not to the people praying. It is not the elder who has the power, but God who accomplishes His work through those who surrender their lives to Him.
If you walk in the flesh, you cannot walk in the Spirit. If you walk in the Spirit and seek God with all your heart, God will reveal Himself to you and accomplish His work through you and the church.
Jesus said that God eagerly waits to answer those who cry out to Him in prayer but then asked a redundant question by saying, “When the Son of Man returns, will He really find faith on the earth”? Throughout the scripture God makes it clear that the answer is “No”. The clearest illustration of this is in 1 Timothy 4:1-2
Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron,
We are living in that time. As a whole, the church will depart (and has departed) from the faith as they have sought fulfillment in deception, self-centered doctrines, and lying wonders. However, this does not mean that we are forced into this departure. You still have the promise that you have been given all things that pertain to life and godliness by the power of God’s Divine Spirit. The church as a whole has no real power and will continue to descend away from the faith and seek teachers of false doctrines, but you have the right to walk in the power of God. If you are willing, the Spirit of God still cleanses us from all unrighteousness, gives us the power to put to death the flesh and walk in the Spirit. If you will obey the Spirit’s call, you will remove the things that choke your faith and walk as one who overcomes the world. Look again at 1 John 5:
4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world -- our faith.
This is the victory. If you walk by faith, you will experience God and overcome the world. If you set your eyes on other things, you will walk in darkness. Take heed of Jesus’ warning in Matthew 6:22-23
22 " The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. 23 "But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
If God has given you the light of truth and you set your eyes on the things that draw us back into darkness, great is that darkness. Do not let the faith God has given you be covered by the flesh. Set your heart to seek the Lord as He draws you by His word. Only then can you understand faith and see God’s hand working in every part of your life. Also look at 2 John 1:8-11
Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward. 9 Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; 11 for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds.
Don’t lose out on your reward. Abide in the doctrine of Christ and you will have all the promises of God. Build yourself upon your most holy faith that you have received as a gift from God. Crucify the flesh and submit yourselves to the Spirit that you may walk in faith. Without faith it is impossible to please God. Faith is only possible if you are in the Spirit and seeking the Lord. Finally, look at 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.
If you want to see the blessings God has stored for every believer, diligently seek Him. Faith without works is dead. If you have faith, but never answer God’s call to seek Him, your faith is dead and there is no reward. If you follow the examples of faith the Bible gives us as a guide, you will immediately act in obedience to God’s call and seek Him by faith. Seek the Lord, seek His word, study to show yourself approved by God and abide in the doctrine of Christ. As you do so, your mind will be set on the things of the Spirit and you will learn how to walk in the Spirit and experience true power by faith.
