WHAT IS FAITH? PART 2

By Ken Fletcher

He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. Romans 4: 20, 21

A few articles ago we took a close look at Hebrews 11:1, which says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” We saw that Hebrews 11:1 is NOT the definition of what faith IS, but what faith DOES. Faith is the substance (the foundation that lies under) upon which our hope (our confident expectation) rests. (To get a better understanding of todays article, be sure and read my article entitled, WHAT IS FAITH? PART 1)

This time I am moved to talk about what faith IS. What is this foundation made of?  It is amazing how simple these truths are that I’m about to share with you. The gospel is simple. It is designed so everyone, everywhere, may receive and benefit. I am finding out more and more as I go along that it is in the very simple things that most people miss it in their Christian walk.

Take a close look at any successful sports team. Without exception, those teams know the value of applying the basics, the fundamentals, of the game. So it is with all successful Christians. They appreciate and understand the value of the basics, the very fundamentals, of their faith walk. Remember this: No matter how far you may progress and grow in your faith, you will never outgrow the vital use of the fundamentals; they are absolutely necessary for you to have continued success. As you read along in this article, do a spiritual diagnostic check up on your faith. You will be glad you did!

What IS faith? FAITH IS A PERSUASION, A CONVICTION, BASED UPON WHAT YOU HAVE HEARD. How does faith come to an individual? The God kind of faith comes through hearing God’s Word. Romans 10:17 says, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.”

You must hear the Word of God before you can believe it. Look at Romans 10:14. It says, “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?” I highlighted the words, call, believe, and hear. Can you see the progression? A person cannot call (confess and release his faith) without having a belief. He cannot believe before he has heard the Word of God and, of course, the Word must be preached (proclaimed) before he can hear. Simple, right? Yes, simple but VITAL!

As I said before, faith is a persuasion, a conviction, based upon what you have heard. If this is true, what happens if someone hears wrong things concerning God? If he has no other basis on which to stand, he will continue believing the wrong things that were said about God.

There are people everywhere who live confined within invisible walls erected by their own beliefs. For instance, some have been told that God will only heal some people. They have been told, even by preachers: “IF it is God’s will, you can be healed. IF it is not His will, you can’t.” If those precious people do not receive any other basis of belief, they will continue to believe that they probably will be one that God does not want to heal. You know that the devil will gladly accommodate them by telling them that they are one that it is NOT God’s will to heal. How terrible! That doubt will certainly cancel out their faith in God.

I’m just going to go ahead and say it: Preachers and teachers who mishandle God’s Word–that sow doubt into the hearts of the people, need to repent and get it right. So much DAMAGE has taken place in people’s lives and it has been replicated–passed down through years of tradition in the church.

Remember: What you believe is the basis, the foundation, upon which you build your expectations. If there is no foundation in a certain area of your life, there will be no firm place for you to build a confident expectation!

Abraham heard God speak to him. He understood that God promised him a son, and this son would be the first of many descendants. Abraham, “Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, “So shall thy seed be.” (Romans 4:18)

Even though Abraham had heard the will of God for his life, there were circumstances facing him that were completely adverse to what God had said. He and his wife were old, far beyond child bearing years. Also, Abraham’s wife, Sarah, was NEVER able to conceive a child. Stop and consider what Abraham had to deal with here. First of all, he had the cold hard facts that said: “You’re too old to have a child! Not only that, look at your wife. She is old too! Look how many years you and Sarah have tried to have a baby. She can’t conceive! If she could, she would have done it a long time ago! The bottom line is: IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR YOU TO HAVE A SON NOW!” Of course, we were not there to know exactly what was going through Abraham’s mind but, you and I know that this is probably pretty close to what was happening.

I want you to notice here that circumstances can talk! You know what I mean! Have you ever been in a tough spot and, in your mind, you hear thoughts speaking to your being? Sure you have! They speak loud and clear, don’t they! They speak so loud, sometimes, it is hard to think of anything else. Oh yes, those negative circumstances talk, all right. As a matter of fact, they YELL sometimes.

At times, it seems that the devil has a loud speaker system to amplify the sound. I have heard this one many times, especially when I accepted the call to the ministry and moved my family to Oklahoma: “YOU’RE NOT GOING TO MAKE IT FLETCHER! YOU’RE GOING UNDER! YOU WERE A FOOL TO LEAVE YOUR SECURE GOOD PAYING JOB AND COME DOWN HERE! YOU’RE GOING TO FAIL, AND EVERYONE WILL KNOW YOU MISSED GOD!” Well, when I looked at those circumstances that stood gigantic before me, it seemed like those words (that were blasting in my head) were really going to happen.

But, I’m so glad to tell you about someone else that was talking to me from my spirit; THE WORD OF GOD AND THE HOLY SPIRIT! The Holy Spirit always said what the Word said: “MY GOD SHALL SUPPLY ALL YOUR NEED ACCORDING TO HIS RICHES IN GLORY BY CHRIST JESUS! YOU’RE GOING OVER, NOT UNDER! IF GOD BE FOR YOU, WHO (OR WHAT) CAN BE AGAINST YOU! GOD ALWAYS CAUSES YOU TO TRIUMPH IN CHRIST! YOU’RE GOING OVER TO THE OTHER SIDE! YOU WILL GO OVER THE TOP! VICTORY IS YOURS!” Hallelujah! Thank God for the Holy Spirit!

The choice was mine. What would I believe? The Word or the circumstance? I am so glad that, in the midst of those circumstances, I decided to stay with the Word and the Spirit. My heavenly Father was always faithful to put me over, no matter what. Praise God!

This brings me to an important point. When you hear the Word of God, your believing begins with a choice. A choice! You can CHOOSE to believe what God has said about the circumstance that faces you. But, listen, you have to get into the Word and dig out the truth until you are convinced, FULLY PERSUADED, that it is yours before you can make that choice. There will be no choice until you hear God’s will for you! You will simply follow the course of your feelings, thoughts, and circumstances around you. WITHOUT THE WORD, YOU CANNOT CHOOSE TO BELIEVE GOD! But, after hearing the Word of God, you CAN make the choice to stand on what God has said. That is why it is so important for all of us believers to be involved in the spreading of God’s Word!

Abraham had to CHOOSE between what he could see in the natural, and what God had said. I’m sure that Abraham kept his mind upon the impeccable, flawless character of God. I’m also sure that Abraham thought about the binding blood covenant that he had with God. He thought of God as his friend, who would never lie to him. Abraham thought about the ability of God; the fact that nothing was impossible to the Great Creator. Abraham thought about the faithfulness of his dear covenant partner. How do we know these things? Because the Bible said, “he believed God.”

Abraham was fully persuaded that God would perform exactly what He had promised. “He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.”  Romans 4: 20, 21

Notice here, the Bible said that Abraham was FULLY persuaded. Not just half way, but FULLY! He was full of his belief in what God told him! Did you get that? Abraham was FULL WITH HIS BELIEVING! Friend, if you are going to believe, get full with it! Abraham was full with God’s promise. There was no room for anything else! When you are full, you’re FULL! Get entirely full with the Word and run those doubts completely out of your being!

Romans 4:19 says, “And being not weak in faith, he CONSIDERED NOT his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither the deadness of Sarah’s womb.” How could he not consider his own old body or Sarah’s inability to conceive? Abraham had something inside of him that was greater and more powerful than his circumstances. He had the Word of the living God! Abraham knew that God could (He had the ability), and that God would (He was willing) because He had promised!

In your life situation, do you believe that God can do it, AND that God will do it for you? A lot of people believe that God CAN do anything, but THEY ARE NOT SURE IF HE WILL DO IT FOR THEM! Listen, as far as you are concerned, the fact that God CAN do something doesn’t matter if He won’t do it for you! Oh yes, dear friend, you had better look to His Word. It is settled in heaven!

You need to get full of those precious promises that cover your case and develop this attitude: “Bless God, if He did it for people in the Bible, He’ll do it for me! Hallelujah! If He healed people in the Bible, He will heal me! If He set people free in the Bible, He will set me free! If He prospered  people in the Bible, He will prosper me! If the Holy Spirit led people in the Bible, He will lead me!” That kind of thinking and believing is right. Our heavenly Father is no respecter of persons. What He has proclaimed in His Word IS His will, and HE WILL DO FOR ANYBODY WHO BELIEVES! Hebrews 13:8, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.”

WHAT IS FAITH? Are you fully persuaded? Are you full of believing the Word? I’m telling you, He is faithful to PERFORM HIS WORD FOR YOU! Get full of belief in God’s Word. Then you, like Abraham, will not stagger at the promise through unbelief, but you will be strong in faith – strong in your believing, and you too will give glory to God! You will be FULLY PERSUADED that what God has promised, He will surely do. And, like father Abraham, you too will receive the full manifestation of your faith because your wonderful Heavenly Father is faithful to perform it in your life.