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By Bob Vaughn - uca@uncommonanswers.com
"Contending for the faith once delivered to the saints"
Uncommon Answers Home Page
FAITH
Many think of faith as some mystical force with which, if they could
possess it wholly, they could be granted their every desire--a "genie
in the lamp" type situation. Satan has moved so many so far from the
truth. This line of thought teaches that a man can receive anything he
can have faith for. That tickles the ear but brings the spirit into
condemnation when it fails.
The teachers of this theory ALL fall short of the abilities they teach.
They often blame their failure to receive on the lack of faith of
others. But IF they can receive anything they have faith for, then the
lack of faith of others cannot hinder their receiving. Satan is full of
contradictions.
Faith is most simply the act of hearing, believing, and then receiving.
Whether or not we receive is determined by the power & integrity of
the one we believe. God's Word has spoken. We believe He will do what
He says; therefore, we have faith. Because of God's power &
integrity to bring about that which He has made available. FAITH IN
GOD'S WORD NEVER FAILS. Many people have faith that God will do
something which He has not said He will do. This type of faith fails,
for it is not faith in God at all, but FAITH IN WHAT THEY FEEL God's
will should be. We need to better understand God's word and we will
know what to have faith concerning.
Faith -in our case- is faith in God, believing Him. You can only have
faith in what you have heard. You can't believe until you hear. You
must hear God before you can have faith in God. Faith in God will never
fail to produce that which he has spoken.
Concerning Matthew 17:20: "If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed,
ye shall say unto this mountain, remove hence to yonder place; and it
shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
God must speak concerning the monutain for you to have faith in Him
moving it. If He has spoken, believe Him, it will happen. If it does
not happen, God didn't speak or you didn't believe.
Concerning Matthew 21:22 and Mark 9:23 "If ye have faith, and doubt
not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also
if ye shall say unto this mountian, be thou removed and be thou cast
into the sea; it shall be done. And all things,whatsoever you shall ask
in prayer believing you shall receive." , "If thou canst believe, all
things are possible to him that believeth."
The key word is believe. You can only believe what you have heard. Ask
in prayer believing what God has spoken and you will receive. All
things that God has spoken are possible to him who believes. The only
way you can believe God, is for God to have spoken. Otherwise what you
are believing is not faith in God but faith in what someone else has
said.
Concerning Matthew 18:19-20 and John 16:23: "That if two of you shall
agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be
done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three
are gathered in My name, there am I in the midst of them.", "Whatsoever
ye shall ask the Father in my name, He will give it you.'
The key phrase is "in Jesus name". We are granted particular
authorities, blessings, and rights that we invoke when we use His name.
For example, I could leave town and give my brother "power of attorney"
over my safe deposite box. Whatever I left in the box he could take out
- maybe a deed or cash. If he went to the bank, in my name, and tried
to get jewels out of my box, but I had left no jewels for him, he would
be dissapointed. Often people go to God and try to get something - in
Jesus name - that He hasn't left for us and they are also dissapointed.
Faith comes by the Word of God (Romans 10:17). Therefore, know
the Word of God, and have faith in the Word of God, for this is the
only way that we can please Him (Hebrews 11:6). Then we will receive
from God that which He has said.
"Prove all things; hold fast that to that which is good" (I
Thessalonians 5:21). Examine that which
you believe in the unadulterated light of God's Word.
Bob Vaughn
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