Study Nine – Faith-Filled Words!
Introduction
“So, Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. (Mark 11:22-23)
In today’s language, this account would read something like this: “Jesus spoke to the mountain, and it was gone.” In explaining it, Jesus said, “This is the way you operate the faith of God: You speak the desired result and do not doubt in your heart. You believe that your words have power, and the things you say will come to pass. The result is that you can have whatever you say when you believe.” Jesus said to believe that the things you say will come to pass. This doesn’t mean you can continue to speak any way you want, and then in a time of need expect to exercise faith in God’s words. If you really believe faith words, you should “speak” them all the time.
You must change your vocabulary and discipline your speech, so your words are becoming like Jesus’ words. All your words should be words of faith. You should only speak words you want to come to pass and believe they will produce results. By getting into The WORD of God and continually feeding on it so faith controls your vocabulary, you can come to the place where all your words will come to pass. When your words are words of faith, God will be able to trust you with His power in the words of your mouth. What you speak, good or bad, is what you will receive.
Jesus said, “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” (Matthew 12:34). The force of faith must be behind your words for them to cause things to come to pass. You must believe in your heart. Your mouth will speak what is put into your heart.
- If faith-filled words are put into your heart, faith-filled words will come out.
- If doubt and unbelief are put into your heart, words of doubt and unbelief will come out.
Words bring things to pass. Your words work for you or against you. They enforce the law of sin and death, or they enforce the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:2). The force of faith, then is released in words.
Faith-filled words put the law of the Spirit of life into operation. Jesus said, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10). The abundant life Jesus mentioned is still freely offered. However, many Christians are not living it because of ignorance (Hosea 4:6).
Understanding the System
Once you learn how the system works, then you can see how Satan has been manipulating it for his own cause. James 3:6 says, “And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell.” From the moment you were born, you were trained to speak negatively about your life and your circumstances. By using your tongue, Satan sets in motion the course of nature in your life. Stop and listen to your everyday conversation. Train yourself to hear your own words. Much of it is so-called “casual” remarks that you make, never thinking of the effect those words are having on your life.
For instance, when cold weather first sets in, there is much talk about the flu season being just around the corner. People comment to friends about the extra doctor bills they will have to pay. This kind of remark is a product of fear that sickness and disease is coming, that it’s inevitable. If asked, “Do you believe in healing?” you’d answer, “Yes, of course,” but your everyday conversation may negate that statement of faith. Proverbs 6:2 says you are snared with the words of your mouth.
As you make statements of fear, doubt, unbelief, etc., the pilot light of destruction is lit, and Satan will fan the flame every way he can to make it grow. Then, once he gets that fire built up around you, he will attack. To your untrained eye, it will seem that tragedy struck from out of nowhere. The first thing you do is question, “Why? Why did this happen to me?” It seems to be an unanswerable question, but there is an answer: The tongue sets on fire the course of nature, and the tongue is set on fire by hell itself. By knowing that your tongue controls the entire course of your life, you can put a stop to Satan’s operation. Though it may seem impossible, it can be done, but it requires the power of the Holy Spirit at work in your life.
James 3:7-8 says, “For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.” Man can tame the wild beasts, but he cannot tame his own tongue. This does not mean that the tongue cannot be tamed. It simply says that man cannot tame it. The tongue cannot be tamed with the same natural power that man uses to tame animals. It takes spiritual power, and spiritual power is what every born-again believer has at his disposal. Jesus said, “My words are spirit” (John 6:63). Thank God for His written WORD!
Your tongue is only an instrument. Your heart is where the key lies. Whatever is in your heart is what will come out of your mouth. If you fill your heart with God’s WORD, then God’s WORD will come out of your mouth.
You can begin today setting a new standard for your life by changing the words that come out of your mouth—words of life, words of power, words of faith!
Questions
What do your words say? Do they match what God’s WORD says?
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What do your words say about what you believe in your heart?
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How can you change what’s in your heart?
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What other lessons have you taken from this study?
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