Faith is so important to God in the creation that without it, the creation or the visible world could have been impossible for him to create or brought into being or existence. Faith is the creative power of God’s word that is visible or seen in the manifestation of the expression of his desire or will, that is,
God desire to create the world (little wonder Jesus says, whatsoever you desire when you pray or while talking to God, believe or have faith, that you receive them and you shall have them Mark 11; 24) in his mind, he spoke it out – let there be – and all became manifested or came into being as he spoke. So, faith is positive as the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Faith is spiritual. It is the revelatory and spiritual name of Jesus.
If by Jesus all things were made and by faith all things are possible, and the bible speaks about the word of faith which we preach, then faith and Jesus are hidden twin brothers unknown to many in the world. Jesus is the mystery of faith, foreseeing that God would justify (Christ our justification and being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ Romans 5; 1-2) the heathen through faith preached before the gospel unto Abraham – then preached on to the gentiles and believed on in the world and later received up into glory…Galatians 3; 8. 1 Timothy 3; 16.
Without faith, it impossible to please God, for he that seeks or comes to God, must believe that that God is really existing and is alive, and he rewards those who diligently or takes their time to seeks or serves him- thus Jesus asked his audience that when he, the Son of man shall come back, shall he find faith on earth? Faith birthed patient and necessitates it to wait and hope for the salvation of the Lord and his rewards at the appointed time – for whosoever believes shall not make haste. Isaiah 28; 16.
Faith is personal and unique…. That personal decision, courage and conviction for bodily contact with Jesus by the woman with the issue of blood for her healing revealed the uniqueness and necessity of individual’s faith in divine relationship. It is the ground by which you stand or fall. You can only be pushed forward, helped better and be accomplished according to the limit of your faith. When dominion is taken over your faith, then it is no more faith; rather, it becomes an evil spiritual control and manipulation; because it is not from your heart, and you must believe from your heart – But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour. Matthew 9; 22. I Corinthians 1; 24.
Individual is given or has received measure of faith, which means, our faith is not equal. There are things my faith can do which your faith cannot do or bear – Do you have faith, have it to yourself and to your God? However, whatever my faith does, must go or be acted beyond the boundary of the written word. The word is the word of faith. For instance, when the bible says, as every man has purpose in his heart (according to your faith) let him give…. In order words, the scripture is saying, give your offerings to God according to the measure of your faith or according to your capacity and expectation for returns with joy, not of necessity or grudging…2 Corinthians 9; 6-7.
I cannot base my giving on somebody else offering, for that is no faith, but jealousy, competition and comparison. Such was the root of Ananias and Sapphire his wife problem which led to untimely death when they acted in deceit and lies to level themselves with Barnabas who gave all in faith, while they do not have faith to give all the money from their land sold – whatsoever is not of faith is sin. Acts 4; 32-37. (5) 1-11.
There are times I walked around in my neighbor-hood late in the night to intercede outside in the hot summer. I always found some cars parked and the steering locked up with extra iron lock to protect the car from theft. We must stand on our personal conviction of the unchanging word of God to guard our faith from those who are bent to overthrow it and steal us away from the Lord. There are many vain talkers and faithless men and women out there, since what we have (faith) is precious; they shall be more than satisfied to have us becoming what they are – unbelievers. We must know whom we believed and what we believed on. Faith is the steering for the vehicle of our destiny, we must hold it firmly, assuring ourselves that we shall reach our shore and destination safely as the Lord has spoken to us if we do not remove our hands from the steering. 1 Timothy 1;19. 2 timothy 2;18. 2 Thessalonians 3;2.
The power and blessings of faith.
There is no limit to what God can do, for with God nothing (emphasis) shall be impossible – all things are possible to him that believes. Faith can do all things, but God, Christ and the Holy Spirit’s presence and manifestations can be limited and restrained by unbelief as Christ could not do many mighty works at Nazareth because of their unbelief. Faith is the power that keeps me standing tall and high in the kingdom. It is my spiritual energy booster seeing I walk by faith and not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5; 7. If I don’t walk by faith, I cannot bear the fruit of faith, neither grows in faith. Galatians 5; 22. 2 Thessalonians 1;3.
By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him; for before his translation he had this testimony that he pleased God. Hebrews 11;5. In Genesis account of it, it was recorded that Enoch walked with God (Genesis 5; 24) and he was not; for God took him away.
The walk of faith in power can remove you from the palace to the hut or manger where there is no roof to cover your head, neither bed nor matrass to lie upon.
It can save me from destruction among mine own people and give me a lasting inheritance among the people called by his name
It can turn your sorrows and childlessness into laugher, thus becoming a joyful mother of children.
It can make you to wander in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. It can make you to leave the land of dreams and opportunities to walk aimlessly according to the man of the flesh and sight, but assuredly by the guidance of God’s Spirit – By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. Hebrews 11; 8-10.
The walk in the power of faith can make you do stupid things and people shall call you crazy and naturally senseless, because they are faithless, spiritually unreasonable and indiscernible. It can make you leave the place of comfort and total satisfaction to a place of drought and want. Faith is so powerful and active that it can make you put your life on the line for the King thus becoming a martyr or a hero – By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king’s commandment. By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible. Hebrews 11; 23-27.
Faith is your defensive weapon against the fiery darts of the wicked –Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith you may be shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. How does this work? David declares that his truth shall be your shield and buckler. Psalms 91;4.
The written word spoken and confessed in the face of spiritual battles and crisis, troubles and trials become a wall of defense around you.
When you speak the word of protection by faith, angels shall attend unto it and bring it to pass to protect you. When you speak the word of deliverance by faith, the Spirit of God shall raise up a standard against the enemy and delivered you. When Shadrach Meshach and Abednego spoke the word of faith to king Nebuchadnezzar, resisted his command to bow down to his erected golden image. As the word was spoken, He that looks to his words to perform them has quickly gone forth as the fourth man (Jesus) who will not suffer thy feet to be moved right inside fiery furnace of fire to quench the violence and consuming power of it in favor of his faithful servants – Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. Daniel 3; 15-17; 24-25.
There are lots of defensive and protective promises in the word of God meant to shield us against the fiery darts or arrows of the wicked… Such word as though I walk through the valley of shadow of death, I shall fear no evil… Greater is he that is in me, than he that is in the world… No weapon that is fashioned against me shall prosper…. All the hairs on my head are numbered, none shall fall to the ground without God…. When I walk through fire the flame shall not kindle against me, when I walk through water, it shall not over flow me……The angels of God encamp round about them that fears him, and delivers them…The lists goes on and on. Search the scriptures, keep those words in your head and mouth and start using them whenever the enemy shall come in like a flood. Those words become your shield and buckler. They instantly become a wall of fire and protection around you as you released them out of your mouth.
Faith is so powerful that the smallest grain or seed of it can solve the greatest problem or shifted the highest mountain to another place. Luke 17; 5-6.
The faithfulness of God cannot fail our unfeigned faith in him, for whosoever believes shall not be put to shame. Faith is our victory – our victory over the battles of life, coming out of challenges and difficulties whatsoever lies on it. We should not faint but believe to see and to enjoy the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Faith is all things for us. We are expected to defend our faith, by fighting the good fight of it. Psalms 27; 13. 1 Timothy 6; 12. 1 John 5; 4. If our personal conviction is strong in the purity, truthfulness and simplicity of God’s word, it shall be impossible for us to be carried about with every wind of doctrines, whereby they lie in wait to deceived, neither shall they be able to overthrow Christ that dwell in our hearts by faith – therefore I esteem all thy precept concerning all things to be right… Psalms 119; 128. 2 Timothy 2; 18.
The characteristics of faith.
According to the measure of faith that God deals to each of us, it allows some to be full of faith (Acts 6 ;5-6) while some are half-filled of faith (Mark 9;24), while some are even faithless like Thomas (John 20;27) while some even lost their faith or made shipwrecked of it – such as many of Christ disciples that went back from him (John 6;66) Judas Iscariot that betrayed him and Demas which left the kingdom work for the pleasure of the world (1 Timothy 4;10) If not the Lord’s intercessory and timely prayer for Peter, his faith should have failed (Luke 22;31-32) while apostle Paul’s was full of success in his faith life and experiences as he kept it to the end. 2 timothy 4; 7.
Big or great faith (Matthew 8; 10; 15; 25) little or small faith (Luke 12; 28; Matthew 16; 8) weak or strong faith (Romans 4; 19-20; 14; 1) in-complete or growing faith (1 Thessalonians 3; 10. 2 Thessalonians 1; 3) we must constantly look unto Jesus who is author and finisher of our faith. We must never remove our eyes from him, he must always be the object of our focus and attention lest we begin to sink like Peter who once stated walking in the sea on the water as he focuses on Christ, but when he saw (he removed his eyes from Christ and carried away by the terror and tumult of the enemy) the sea boisterous, he began to sink. Hebrews 12; 2.
No matter the character of your faith, it must be a living faith, the faith that speaks for you now and hereafter, just like Abel’s faith spoke for him till now. Hebrews 11; 4.
A living faith is the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is an active faith in the word of God, such that live by every word that comes out of God. It is not the faith of demons – such is a faith that reaps where he does not sow – such is the faith that does evil and expect good to come – such is the faith that sows to the flesh and hope to reap life and immortality in the place of corruption and second death-such is the faith that is walking on the broad way and wide gate which leads to destruction and hope to get to heaven! You believe that there is one God, you do well, the demons believed and they trembled! If I don’t speak and demonstrates my faith constantly by my good confessions and works, it is of no use, for faith without works is dead, been alone.
Your faith confession must correspond to your action of it. It must not be like the faith of Jonathan to his friend’s (David’s) kingship. He strengthened and encouraged him and hopes to be second in command to David when he shall ascend to power after his father (Saul) demised while he went back to the palace to share lots with the wicked and murderer king Saul. That was the gravest mistake of Jonathan conviction and expectation, for you can’t reign in life with Satan and hope to be glorified with Jesus in heaven; thus, he died prematurely with Saul his father in the battle with the Philistines. Note; we cannot be un-equally yoked together with the children of Satan and of darkness while in this world and hope to enjoy paradise hereafter with the redeemed and the sanctified ones, which has separated themselves from the sons and daughters of Belial while in the world – And Jonathan Saul’s son arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God. And he said unto him, Fear not: for the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee; and thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be next unto thee; and that also Saul my father knoweth. And they two made a covenant before the Lord: and David abode in the wood, and Jonathan went to his house. Jonathan’s faith was a dead faith. It was just like the covenant of the New Testament – if we suffer with Christ, we shall reign with him, if we be dead with Christ, we shall live with him, if we profess him but in good works we deny him, he shall also deny us, if we believed not, yet he abides faithful, for he cannot deny himself….1 Samuel 23; 16-18. 2 Corinthians 6; 14-18. 2 Timothy 2; 11-13.
Faith is always and ever positive in its confessions, attitudes, actions and expectation – thus its necessities are met, its power and blessings are demonstrated and obtained and its characteristics are well lived out and its testimonies becoming good reports – for by it the elders obtained a good report. Hebrews 11; 2.