Introduction
Let’s begin today with the verse we ended with at our last study: “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by The WORD of God” (Romans 10:17). The WORD of God produces faith in your heart. There is no other source for it. Get that? There is no other way to build your faith than with, through and by The WORD of God. Anything else is just mental exercise. The more WORD you hear and put into your heart, the more your faith is developed. Period.
Yes, you can pray in the Holy Spirit to build your faith as Jude said: “But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit.” (Jude 1:20). However, the Holy Spirit will still lead you to The Word. Jesus said: “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.” (John 16:13) The Spirit of truth (Holy Spirit) has come, and He is guiding us into ALL TRUTH (The Word of God) and He will not contradict the Word of God.
Your confession – or the words you speak – reflect the level of The WORD of God that is working in you. When you are filled with God’s WORD, faith comes up strong. When you neglect your study and meditation time and take on the cares of this life, you stop the force of faith from coming out of your spirit. If you want to live successfully in your Christian Walk, then you must – must – feed your spirit with The WORD of God.
“My son, pay attention to my words and be willing to learn; open your ears to my sayings. Do not let them escape from your sight; keep them in the centre of your heart. For they are life to those who find them, and healing and health to all their flesh. Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.” (Proverbs 4:20-23 AMP).
The force of faith that comes from The Word in your heart brings life and health to your flesh. The WORD not only brings healing, but it also keeps you healthy. Above all that you do, diligently protect and nourish your spirit. Feed your heart with God’s WORD, and the force of faith will issue out of it and work whenever it is needed.
Faith, like any other force, must be applied in order to gain any benefit from it. As we eat physical food, our bodies turn that food into strength. The strength in the body, then, must be applied. It must be released. It must be activated. The same is true with faith. The spirit man consumes spiritual food – God’s WORD – and that spiritual food produces spiritual power – faith.
Faith is released two ways: by our words and our actions. Jesus said in John 3:21, “But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.” James 2:17 says, “Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” One translation says, “Faith without corresponding action will not work.” Are your words and actions revealing your faith now?
Begin putting God’s WORD in your heart. As an act of your will, believe it. Say it with your mouth and act accordingly. The WORD tells us our God meets our needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19). Begin to talk as though that’s true – because it is! This is faith receiving what God has already provided for us in Christ Jesus. Praise God! It is already ours. We must release our faith in the WORD and talk and act like that WORD is true. Then, we will see the desired results.
Hearing and Speaking
Read Romans 10:17 again: “so then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by The WORD of God”. We’re going to study the importance of your words later in this bible study series, but I would be doing you a disservice if I didn’t address it here, also. The words you speak are key to applying your faith. When you allow faith-filled words – God’s WORD – into your heart, faith-filled words will come out of your mouth. Faith is the product of your spirit. It comes into your spirit by hearing The WORD, and it is continually developed in your spirit by The WORD.
Faith’s results are determined by your confession, or what you say. Your confession corresponds to the level of The WORD of God that is working in you. When you are filled with God’s WORD, faith comes up strong. Read these verses with my paraphrase in square brackets:
“A good man [faith-filled man] out of the good treasure of his heart [filled with the Word of God] brings forth good; and an evil man [doubt-filled man] out of the evil treasure of his heart [filled with logic, natural mind, self, etc.] brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?”” (Luke 6:45-46)
Jesus said, out of the abundance of the heart or what the heart is filled with, it speaks. Jesus goes on to say, why do you call Me Lord, Lord, and not do what I said in My word or believe My promises etc.? (my paraphrase)
Slacking off in your study and meditation time on the Word of God opens the door for you to become caught up in the affairs of life and subdues the force of faith that should be coming out of your spirit.
Taking Action
Jesus said, “The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63). Read that again. The words that Jesus spoke – The WORD of God – are life! Begin by putting God’s WORD into your heart. As an act of your will, believe it on purpose. Then, say it with your mouth and act accordingly. For example, the Bible says God is your strength (Psalm 46:1). So, begin to talk and act strong – even before you feel strong or look strong.
The Bible says you are healed (1 Peter 2:24). Begin to talk healed and to act healed. The Bible says that God meets your needs according to His riches in glory (Philippians 4:19). Begin to talk as though it were true because it is true! This is faith receiving what God has already provided for us in Jesus. Learn and develop this confession of faith: “I am not moved by what I see or by what I feel. I am moved only by what I believe – The WORD of God. The victory is mine! I have it now! I can see it through the eyes of my faith!”
Continually return to The WORD of God. It is the source for your spiritual and physical health. Everything in your life needs to be based on it in order to succeed. So, get to it – gets to reading, get to confessing, get living The Word-based life!
Questions
What is the source of faith?
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How is your faith affected by what you say or do?
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Why must you apply your faith in order to benefit from it?
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What other lessons have you taken from this study?
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