THE SPIRIT OF FAITH
In the book of Galatians 3:7-9 the bible says, “Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham” Until you act the faith of Abraham, the blessing can’t come to you. Being justified by faith we are declared not guilty as though we have never sinned in our lives. 2nd Corinthians 4:13, “We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak” This statement was first made by David in Psalm 116:10 which says, “I believed, therefore have I spoken: I was greatly afflicted” How did he get out of his affliction? He used the spirit of Faith. Now, what Paul is saying in 2nd Corinthians 4:13 is that; if you want to know faith, there must be some characteristics that must go with it, otherwise it is not faith. How do you know faith? He is telling us that faith must have the spirit or the property of faith to identify it that this is faith in action. He went further to tell us what the Spirit of faith is, “...,I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak” If faith doesn’t believe and speak, it is not faith. The property and characteristics of faith is first ‘I believe,’ secondly ‘I speak’ before action. If any faith does not have these Characteristics, it is not faith. This is why people are having problems, for some they speak but they don’t believe, while some others they believe but they don’t speak, but these two must go together ‘I believe therefore i speak’. If you can catch it, then you are in the spirit of faith, manifestation will come.
That is what Paul was trying to tell us in Romans 10:8 when he said to us, “But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach". Also, Jesus referring to this same subject said in Mark 11:23 thus, Verily verily I say unto you, who soever shall say unto this mountain be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith".
Faith doesn’t end in believing and speaking alone, faith is not sight, faith is not sensory perception; faith is acting as though the word of God is true. One of the properties of faith is revealed in 2nd Corinthians 4:17-18, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” Faith does not work by sight, if after prayers you are checking your body if you are well or healed that is no faith, and it won’t work. This is what the Bible is telling us in Romans 4:19, “And being not weak in faith, he (Abraham) considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's womb.” Stop considering your circumstances; once you start looking to find out if what you prayed for has happened, you are no longer in faith, Faith does not consider the circumstances that you see, feel or hear, it only considers the word of God. And in verse 20 of Romans 4 scripture says, “He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God.” Faith does not doubt (James 1:6). Faith does not stagger; faith says ‘i have it.’ Faith stands, it doesn’t waver despite the pressure from the devil. Faith keeps giving glory until what he believes shows up.
Mark 11:24 says, “Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.” Faith believes he has received and he doesn’t matter whether he sees it physically, he believes he has received and he will have it. Faith believes ‘I have it now’, Faith says what you are hoping for, today you have it. Faith is not trying to see if you received what you asked for but faith has received it. Faith is the tangibility of hope. If you have that baby, you don’t believe any more because it has come, you’ve got to believe until it comes. Faith believes then it comes, when it comes you don’t believe anymore, you know. There is a believing and there is a knowing. Faith believes, senses knows. Senses knows because they can feel, see or hear but faith believes even though you can’t see it yet, he believes because the word says I have it.
Finally, James 2:18-20, “Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?” Faith must act, faith that doesn’t act is not faith. The end product of faith is action.
God bless you. See you next month.
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