Faith
But without Faith it is impossible to please God; for he that comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. Heb. 1:6 God has declared that no one can approach Him except it be through Faith. That tells me that Faith is essential if I am to approach God. There is no possibility of pleasing God apart from Faith. The object of my Faith is God Himself. My Faith is not in any creed or doctrine, or in any religion, my Faith is in God and His Faithfulness and goodness. It is not what I believe, but in Whom I believe. The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. This is the basis of my Faith.
Now my Faith is my substance, my assurance, of things hoped for, my evidence of things not seen. Heb. 11:1 It is my Faith than connects me to the world of the unseen, the spirit world. Faith makes the unseen, visible. Through Faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. Heb.11:3 God's Faith in His word made the unseen seen. Also my Faith brings into reality the things that I hoped for. By Faith Moses forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing Him who is invisible. Heb. 11:27 Moses' Faith caused him to see Him, Who is invisible. Moses was able to endure in a strange land for forty years because his Faith kept him connected to God. Faith makes the unseen visible. For we walk, live by Faith, not by sight, {my five
senses}2Cor. 5:7
I am lead through life by Faith, not by circumstances. It takes Faith to make the word of God work for us. Though our outward man perish, yet our inward man is renewed day by day. For our light afflictions, which is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding, eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporary; but the things which are not seen are eternal. 2 Cor. 4:16-18 The word of God tells us that it is our outward man that connects us to the natural world, and that it is our inward man, our spirit man, that connects us to the spirit world. My outward man lives by my five senses, and my inward man lives by Faith.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ; for it is the power of God to salvation to everyone that believes, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentiles. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from Faith to Faith; as it is written, the just shall live by Faith. Rom. 1:16,17 Faith is a lifestyle. God is Not attempting to take us to a place where we no longer need Faith, we will Always be required to live by Faith. It is my Faith that causes me to rest in the promises of God. God will always stretch our Faith. Where did my Faith come from? Faith comes by hearing and hearing the word of God. Rom. 10:17 My Faith did not come from reading the word of God, it came from hearing the word from anointed lips. When I hear the word of God from people anointed by the Holy Spirit of God, Faith comes and rest in my inward man, my spirit man.
There are three things that genuine Faith must do. First, it must be confessed the word is near you, even in your mouth, and in your heart; that is, the word of Faith, which we preach. Rom. 10:8 The words of my mouth must agree with the word of God. Secondly, Faith must act, it must have a corresponding action behind it. Faith without works is dead. Abraham demonstrated his Faith by offering up Isaac on the alter. Thirdly, Faith must be tested. God tested Abraham's Faith by asking him to offer up Isaac. James 1:3 says that the testing of our Faith produces patience. In scriptures our Faith is compared to gold and silver that must be tested by fire. It is this testing by fire that purifies the gold, making it fit for God's use. Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have chosen you in the furnace of affliction. Isa. 48:10 Faith must be tested. Without Faith it is impossible to please God. Are you pleasing to God?
Bernard A. Jones brobern737@bellsouth.net
