What Faith Can Do For You

What FAITH Can Do For You

by

Pastor Gbenga Shadare

I have always loved talking about faith. Faith is not just the substance of things hoped for or the evidence of things unseen or the means through which believers obtain good report. Indeed, faith is much more than that. Faith is the basis; the foundation of our christianity. It is the vehicle through which we apprehend God and through which receive eternal rewards. Without faith we cannot please God. Without our faith we cannot totally satisfy or appease God. Faith allows us to measure up to divine expectations; its enables us to pander to the divine desires and pleasures. If we do not have faith in HIM and faith to apprehend and appropriate all the fullness of the riches God has for us, then we risk living a sub-standard life. We risk living below God's foreordained standard for us when we do not live according to our faith. Faith is the bridge we walk across to meet God on the other side, to go over to the eternal, divine end where we receive the rewards of our diligent service (Hebrew 11:6)

Today though I want us to look at another angle of faith. I was blessed, while reading this a few days ago and it totally blew my mind. In the following scriptures are contained what I have come to believe as the powerful workings and manifestations of a faith – driven life.

Let us read Hebrews 11:30 – 40

“By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days. By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace. And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. 35 Women received their dead raised to life again. Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted,[f] were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented— of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth. And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us”

1)Faith will bring down the walls of your “Jericho”.

Faith will demolish, destroy, dismantle, bulldoze and bring down all the barriers to progress, the impediments to success, the obstacles to living a life destined and ordained by God. Faith is the antidote to the limitations and the inhibitions, the hindrances, the challenges and the hurdles, the obstructions, the roadblocks, the handicaps, the difficulties, the setbacks and the restrictions to living a ZOE kind of life. Faith will procure victory over life's challenges and trials for the believer. Ask Abraham, Moses, Job, David, Daniel and the patriachs of old. Indeed, without faith our mountains cannot and would not move.

2)Faith is the security for your eternity. It is the guarantee of your salvation

There is only one way to assure our eternity. Faith is both the passport and the visa that secures our entrance into God's kingdom. Even an harlot and a prostitute or a person that is considered the dreg of society or someone without earthly goods can still earn the exclusive access and privilege into God's kingdom. All that is needed is faith. Do you believe in God? Do you have faith the He would do just as he has promised. The bible says that God is faithful in keeping His promises (Hebrews 10:23). Even God is a God of faith! And He requires that quality in humanity. The bible declares that the “just shall live by faith” (Hebrews 10:38; Galatians 3:11; Romans 1:17; Habakkuk 2:4) I like the rendition of the Habakkuk version, “the just shall live by his (own) faith”. In other words, you are responsible for living by your own faith. You determine your eternal destiny by your own faith. I guessed that was what happened to the other robber on the cross who said to Jesus, “Lord remember me when you come into your kingdom” (Luke 23:42) and he got exactly what he requested. It's as simple as that!

3) Faith would subdue your “kingdoms”.