God has allocated to each one of us the measure of faith when we gave our life to Christ (Romans 12:3). This is because faith is because faith is one of the central laws of the kingdom. Like all laws; it may work for you or against you, depending on your awareness and use. Our knowledge and application of gravitational law for example, work for us or against us. Similar principles apply in the kingdom of God. Understand that kingdom laws are not setup against us, but for us. We must be faith-proven to have access to kingdom rights and privileges because faith is the currency in the kingdom – the means of exchange. Receiving the benefits of God’s kingdom is by faith. You receive salvation by faith and preach to others by faith in Christ for example. In addition, relationship with God is by faith. Again, for emphasis, faith is active, and it is based on evidence – God and His Word. We must believe first on the existence of God and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him and then respond to His Word.
What is faith?
Faith is so important that God gave us a definition in Hebrews 11:1. He did not want His Children to misconstrue faith. Faith is trust in the Word of God as evidence for what God has done. It is responding to the word of God because you are convinced, persuaded and influenced by the Word. You are convinced with heart-faith and not with head-faith. For instance, though we may not see the blessings He has given us physically now, we know it is real and present, so we act on it and obtain tangible results. In fact, it is more real than anything we can see, hear or touch. Faith is a creative law (study Hebrews 11). Faith is not new to men. In fact, men use faith every day but not necessarily in God. By faith for instance, men bring unseen realities (apps, technology, tools) into this world. Innovators see, sense and even feel their innovations long before it is a physical reality. Their faith in the possibility of their vision and their corresponding action made their innovation real. In ‘reality’, it existed long before it was physically created.
Natively, all human beings have faith in something, an activity or in a being and act by faith whether they believe they do or not. The only difference is what or whom you have faith in, faith in God or faith in man’s philosophies or wisdom. For instance, while others look at the same evidence in the Bible and the universe and say there is no God, we see the same evidence and know He exists. Both ends of this spectrum are faith-based. One focuses on “evidence” that in their worldview argues against the existence of God; the other focuses on what clearly demonstrates God’s existence.
Interestingly, the answer to the question of the existence of God is beyond physical evidence and can only be based on faith. Why is it all faith-based? It is faith-based because the question of the existence of God is beyond scientific proof. It is asking the finite to test for the existence and infallibility of that which is infinite which is impossible. Consequently, an in-depth understanding and application of faith is key to consistent growth and a result-oriented walk of salvation. As a believer, we already have faith, but we must grow our faith through conscientious and persistent practice. We are to grow our faith from the measure dealt us, to strong and great faith and not remain at little or weak faith. It is like human muscles. We are all born with muscles and we use them daily, but some have put theirs to work and practice so much so that they perform almost unbelievable feats with them. Others, due to lack of practice can barely lift a ten-pound weight.
“NOW FAITH is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things we hope for, being the proof of things we do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses]”(Hebrews11:1,AMPC)
From the above definition and detailed study of Hebrews 11 and 12, we see that faith is more than just believing in God. Abraham, being the father of faith, is a good example to use when buttressing a few points about faith.
Faith is now. Abraham took Isaac to the mountain as a sacrifice the moment God instructed him, believing that God could raise him from the dead or provide a ram for the slaughter instead (Hebrews 11:19). Abraham had faith (trust and corresponding action) in God that God would provide a solution because God had already made him a father of nations. He considered that God’s promise would be negated if he had no son. That was the premise of Abraham’s faith. His faith was logical, and evidence based. We ought to act immediately in response to God’s Word. It may seem awkward or unnatural at the beginning. But the more we move promptly on His Word, the easier it becomes—and the faster and better the results. The results may seem delayed physically, but if our action or response is faith-based, the results already in the spirit realm will soon be evident physically.
Culled from Being born-again 101: called to inherit a blessing
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