How Faith Works

Messages for September 2016: Our Month of Divine Remembrance

Message for Sunday the 18^th of September 2016

Theme: Understanding the dynamics of Faith for the fulfillment of the word of God.

Topic: How Faith Works – Rm.10:17; Gal.3:2, 5; Rm.3:3; 10:8-11 and Mk.11:22-23

Introduction: Last week, we looked at twelve reasons why we must have faith. We saw from there that faith does not just happen but is made to happen for some specific purposes. From the foregoing, it is therefore clear that God is very intentional about faith. This makes faith a subject that requires skills based on divine revelation to be made to work. Today therefore, we shall be looking at how we can engage the faith that would work every time it is applied.

How faith comes: From the foregoing, we must first see how faith works before anything else can be determined. From scriptures we are made to understand that faith does not just happen; it is made to happen. We therefore understand that faith like every other creation of God has a beginning. In Rm.10:17, we are told that faith comes by hearing the word of God. Also, Gal.3:2 makes us understand that we got saved by the hearing of faith. Therefore faith comes by hearing the word of God. The origin of faith is therefore the word of God revealed to the individual to which it is directed. Therefore for faith to work, it starts with the word of God revealed to us by his voice or any other means he chooses to use. God communicates His word through the following means:

v The voice of God – Acts 9:1-6 and 2Pet.1:16-19.

v Vision – Acts 9:10-18 and Acts 10:1-7.

v Dreams/visions of the night – Dan.2:19; Job 33:14-15 and Matt.2:12-15.

v Prophets – Ezra 5:1-2 and Acts 13:1-4.

v Teachers – Isa.30:20-21 and Eph.4:11-13.

v The inward witness – Rm.8:14 and Acts 16:16-18.

v Divinely orchestrated circumstances etc. see the entire book of Ruth and Esther.

To receive the word of God through any of these means, you have to position yourself for it through thanksgiving, praise, prayer and if necessary; fasting.

The receipt and residence of faith: When we have heard the word that births faith in us, we must take the next step to receive it. We receive it by believing it. When we believe it, we act on the word. It is the acting on the word we believe we heard from God that proves the existence of faith in us. This is also known as the receipt of faith. See Heb.11:7 and Gen.12:1-4 and 17:10-23.

When we receive faith, it comes to reside in our hearts. If it is not in our hearts, then it is merely in our heads. When what we call faith is merely in our heads, it is not faith but mental accent. At this level, we are standing on the fence between faith and unbelief. We must go the extra mile to move the faith from our heads to our hearts before it can truly be called faith or it will tip over the fence to the area of unbelief.

The difference between faith in the head and faith in the heart is that faith in the head has no performance ability and can easily be extinguished by doubt. On the other hand the faith in the heart usually provokes action in spite of doubt in the head. When faith is in the heart, doubt in the head cannot uproot it. As it continues to stay in the heart, it would eventually grow large enough to respond more quickly to your voice of faith. The strength of the voice of your faith is measured by how deep rooted it is in your heart. In other words, how much of it has entered from your head to your heart. When faith is in your heart in any area of life, you are said to be established in faith in that area. See Mk.11:23; Mk.4:30-32.  

How faith is processed and applied: Faith is processed by meditation and applied by love and action because faith can only work by love. First we read the word, and then we brood over it through meditation so that we can do the word. What you meditate on is what you will do. This is why God commanded Joshua the son of Nun to meditate on the word day and night so that he would be able to do it. This is because meditation is what empowers you to carry out actions of faith that births results of what the faith is meant for. See Jos.1:8; Ps.1:1-3.

It is meditation on the word of God on a consistent basis that takes us to the point where the word hatches understanding in us. When we receive understanding, we are said to receive light. Note that it is the entrance of the word that gives understanding. Until the word gains entrance into your heart, you do not have enough light to dispel the darkness of the situation you seek to dominate. This is because it is faith that resides in the heart that cannot be uprooted by doubt that brings unbelief. However, for the faith to work, we must mix it with walking in love. This is because love is the means by which the word of God gains root in us. See Mk.11:23; Gal.5:6; Eph.3:17; Ps.119:34, 135; Jn.13:34 – 35; 1Jn.2:9-11 and Rm.10:10.

How faith is released to work: The best that faith can do in your heart is to provide you a platform for receiving from God known as righteousness. See Rm.10:10 and the example of Abraham in Rm.4:17-22 and Gen.15:5-6. Note however that faith must leave the heart to find expression through the mouth by way of speech for it to provide the manifestation of one’s desire. This is why all the heroes of faith had what is known as confessions or professions of faith. See Heb.10:23 and 1Tim.6:12. More will be said on this next week by God’s grace.

Meanwhile, if you are yet to exercise faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the Cross and are therefore not born again, this is your opportunity. You can do so right away by saying the following prayer out loud and you shall be born again:

Heavenly Father,

Have mercy on me a sinner. Today, I believe that Jesus died for me and you raised Him from the dead for my Justification. I therefore declare that Jesus Christ is my Saviour and Lord and from today, I renounce the fatherhood of Satan and embrace Jesus Christ as my Saviour and Lord. Thank you for this father in Jesus’ name! Amen.

Congratulations! For more information and resources that would help you grow in this new life, please visit our website at www.kingdomheirsministries.org and our blogs at www.flourishinggirl.blogspot.com and follow us on twitter at alero_nanna and on face book on www.facebook.com/flourishinggirl www.facebook.com/khmii2015; www.facebook.com/thewellbeingcenter. Or www.facebook.com/kingdomjointheirsfamily email:  jointheirsfamily@gmail.com.   

Remain on top of your challenges in Jesus’ name!