The Joy Of Faith

And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith; (Philippians 1:25)

INTRODUCTION: Every minute of every day each and every one of us has to make a decision. Do I walk by faith or do I walk by sight.

I. It is obvious that there is a such of a thing called the joy of faith. Paul talks about them having the joy of faith. Over in Romans the 15th chapter you’ll notice this. Paul brings up this subject with a little bit of different wording. Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. (Romans 15:13). This is another way of bringing up the joy of faith. If you are in believing you are in faith.

The bible says in I John 5 that faith is the victory that overcomes the world. The thing that is going to cause you to overcome, I don’t care if you have a physical ailment, an emotional attack, a mental attack of oppression or depression, an attack against your marriage, against your children, your business, I don’t care what it is. The thing that is going to enable you to overcome and be victorious is your faith.

Your faith is the determining factor. Some people will say it is just God’s will. Well no that’s not what the bible teaches. Your faith is the factor. So many things God has already established as His will. There is so much already established in His word but you have to mix faith with what He said. You have to believe in His revealed will.

II. When the little woman with an issue of blood pressed through the crowd and touched Jesus’ clothes and Jesus stopped and said somebody touched me. And finally she stood up and told Him what she did. He looked at her and said daughter be of good comfort or be of good cheer your faith has made you whole. See comfort and cheer, peace, joy and faith. Your faith has made you whole. He could have said a lot of things. If some theologians or preachers had been writing that they probably try to say well daughter be of good cheer God and His sovereignty has chosen to heal you. That’s not what Jesus said. They could have said daughter be of good comfort, the power of God has made you whole. That’s not what He emphasized. He could have said daughter be of good comfort

my faith has made you whole. What did He say? Daughter be of good comfort your faith has made you whole. Well praise God if her faith had made her whole, your faith can make you whole. My faith can make me whole. You believe that? Somebody said, well healings been done away with. Some teach that when the last apostle died miracles seized . That’s not for us now days. I can’t imagine being a Christian and not believing in miracles. Has faith been done away with? If her faith made her whole why can’t my faith make me whole. Is God a respecter of persons? Thank God it will.

Your faith is the determining key to your victory in every area in life. It doesn’t matter how bad the situation is. It doesn’t matter what part of your life it is. If you get in faith and stay in faith you’ll come out victorious. The bible says this is the victory that overcomes the world even our faith.

Sometimes people are confused about faith. They don’t know what faith is. How can I tell when I’m in faith? How can I really be sure that I’m in faith. Because this is for sure, if you get in faith and stay in faith you will be victorious. What if you don’t get in faith? or what if you get in faith and get out?

III. Here are two characteristics that tell that your in faith. Joy and peace. As you are driving down life’s road in your faith mobile. There are two gauges, on the dashboard of your faith mobile. That you need to keep a close eye on. And they are the joy gauge and the peace gauge. How many know that in your car, your natural automobile, there is some gauges you need to kind of watch. One of them is a fuel gauge. If it gets around the E you need to pay attention to it. You need to get some fuel. If you don’t , that car is going to end up on the side of the road. The same thing is true with your faith. If you run out of joy and peace it won’t be long your faith mobile will sputter to the side of the road. You will find yourself in despair. If your in faith you have joy. If you don’t have joy you are not in faith. I know it’s a strong statement. But, search the scriptures and see if it is so or not. If you get in faith you will have joy. Unbelief leads to despair and depression.