Rom 1:17
For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
Most of Gods children believe that they have adequate knowledge concerning faith and most of Gods people also feel that they are walking in faith.
But the truth is that the fruit that is exhibited in the lives of most of Gods children does not show a lifestyle of faith.
If the child of God would just be honest with themselves most would come to the conclusion that the things that are taking place in there lives do not reflect the faith that is expressed in the word of God.
Faith to many is something that is formed in the realm of there natural life and they may operate in faith periodically, they may operate in faith occasionally, there may even be spurts of faith that they walk in but for the most part their faith is not lifestyle and they do not live by faith.
Hear the word of God
Rom 1:17
For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
Gal 3:11
But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.
The just shall live by faith, this is a place where we are supposed to live; this is the place where we are supposed to dwell.
It is not a place that we go to visit, it is not a place that we use occasionally, it is supposed to be a place that is permanent and we live and dwell there.
It is a place of lifestyle and a place where we abide in faith and the just live there but the truth is that the average Christian today is far removed from this place of abiding and living in faith.
Heb 11:6
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
The word of God states that without faith it is impossible to please Him for he that cometh to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him
You must believe that He is
Look at
Rom 10:14
How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
The entire Chapter 11 of Hebrews speaks of those who walked in faith in the midst of controversy and adversity, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Rahab, Gideon, Barak, David, Jephthae, Samuel, Sampson and all the prophets.
These names were written in the book of Hebrews to relate to you and I as children of God so that we might have revelation of those who walked in faith and how it pleased God.
They believed in God and it was counted unto them righteousness.
The way that they believed God in the face of adversity and in the midst of crisis is not the same way that the average child of God operates in faith today
.
Today when trouble comes, when adversity presents itself the average child of God becomes stressed out, they become emotional and fall apart like a two dollar suitcase, they quickly come to the end of their rope and remind God that He said that He would not put on them more than they could bear.
And they either need a drink, a smoke or a pill to calm there nerves,
They need to go into the bedroom and like an ostrich bury their head in the sand (under their pillow) to get away from the stress of it all and if they do not rely on those things then they just gut it out and just persevere through it with there teeth clinched.
I am not saying that this is true 100% of the time with all people but the message is that most of Gods children are depending on something other than faith to get them through.
Faith and power is not the lifestyle of the average child of God.
I deal every day in the hurts and sorrows of many who are God’s children and I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt that the hurts sorrows and things that they are going through would be of no significance at all if they would operate in the realm of faith.
That is the truth of Gods word and yet the reason that so many are not living in this place of faith is because faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.
Faith is released upon revelation of Gods word and very few are walking in revelation knowledge of God’s word.
Turn to,
Mark 4:36-38
And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships.
And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.
And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?
VERSE 39-40
And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?
Jesus looks at His disciples and says why are you so fearful, how is it that you have no faith.
The disciples are in a crisis, the wind was driving the waves into the ship and the ship was getting ready to capsize.
I do not believe that our imaginations have to wander too far as to the devastation and destruction that was caused by Katrina just a few short years ago to understand the disciples dilemma.
This is a crisis; the ship is full and is just about ready to sink and the disciples come to Jesus who is sleeping and says Master don’t you care that we perish. Don’t you care that we are in a crisis and our lives are in danger.
And Jesus says why are you fearful, how is it that you do not have faith.
And it could be better stated by saying, why are you not using the faith that I have given to you.
Rom 12:3
For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith .
Why was Christ sleeping and at peace?
It was because of faith and it was faith that allowed Him to deal with the situation in peace.
That which God the Father had given him enabled him to deal with that which was coming against Him, and that which was in Him kept that which was on the outside from penetrating the inside of Him.
They woke him up; He rebuked the crisis and basically said this, if you were operating in faith you would not be operating in fear.
What an awesome word,
If you were operating in faith you would not be dealing in fear.
These disciples are in the crisis of their life, the ship is ready to capsize and Jesus says where is your faith, why are you so fearful.
To the child of God operating in fear this is a no brainer.
What do you mean why am I so fearful,
The ship is sinking, we are about to perish.
My spouse is dying, my child is dying, I’ve lost my job, we are about to lose everything that we have worked for and it all is going up in smoke.
What do you mean why I am so fearful don’t you understand what is taking place.
And this is the place where the church and the people in the church say.
We understand your feelings, we understand your fears, this is a hard place to be in and you have every right to feel and to react the way that you reacting.
But Jesus said
Why are you so fearful and where is your faith?
This is the place where many are searching for comfort and sympathy and only get it from the church but not from Jesus.
Jesus says,
If you were operating in faith you would not be operating in fear.
Fear is the place that the average child of God lives at and this fear brings forth weeping, moaning, groaning, travailing, complaining, depression, and trying to find answers that will alleviate the fear
Faith is the place that will accomplish those goals.
I Jn 5:4
For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
If you are operating in faith then you will overcome the world for it is your faith that is the victory that overcomes the world.
Faith gives you the victory
There is no situation or circumstance that is greater than your faith.
Your faith overcomes the world.
Isa 54:17
No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.
No weapon formed against you shall prosper; no weapon formed against you shall be profitable against you and every tongue that shall rise against you in judgment you shall condemn.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and there righteousness is of me
Hear me,
Faith never loses, faith never fails, faith is the victory that overcomes the world and for the most part the reason that we are not over comers and the reason that we are not overcoming the world through our faith is because we are baptized in unbelief.
The church is full of it; the child of God is full of it
We have been taught by the church that we are limited and that God is limited
And if the church is not teaching that God is limited they are surely showing that He is through their actions.
The average child of God believes that healing does not take place apart from Doctors, medicine and hospitals and some one is going to say God uses Doctors medicine and hospitals to bring healing to us
Jesus had a doctor on His staff (Luke) and never used him.
I am not against Doctors medicine and hospitals and if you can not believe for your healing through the word of God then use human means but God provided a better way
We are healed by the prayer of faith
James 5:15
And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
We have been taught that deliverance does not work apart from some 12 step program, some additional helps through some program working along side being saved
Hear me
There are not 12 steps to being delivered there is one step and that one step is Jesus.
We have been taught that prosperity is a dream that will never take place in your life; the church is immersed and baptized in unbelief.
And if any one rises up in the church to begin to walk in the fullness and the completeness of the word of God then those in the church refer to them as a fanatic, as abnormal and weird.
We need to earnestly contend for the faith of the early church which walked in faith and exhibited HOW THE JUST TRULY DO LIVE BY FAITH.