In our November lesson we looked at
What faith is:
Hebrews 11. 1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. The AMPIFIED Bible says, Now faith is the title deed, the confirmation of things divinely guaranteed. The evidence of things not seen.
We saw that faith is NOW and is therefore a present reality. In other words, it is the evidence you have at present to confirm a transaction that has already been concluded. You can think of it as a receipt of payment (and therefore ownership) or a Certificate of Occupancy that confirms your ownership of a land.
How faith comes:
Rom 10. 17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. In other words faith begins when Gods word (His will) on the particular need or issue is known. We also noted that “hearing” in this instance speaks about a spiritual process that takes place as we study meditate and repeatedly hear God’s word preached.
But note that if ‘faith cometh… ‘
It means that for any particular situation or need, the faith to receive is not there just because you are born again.
There is a receiving process involving consistent and continuous interaction with Gods specific promises on the issue.
This requires keeping your eyes on what the word promised, imagine yourself in it and to keep speaking it. In short, it means focusing on it the way you will focus on a single candle in a huge dark warehouse until it is all you see! II Peter 1. 19, 20
Note also that faith deals with perceiving and bringing into reality “things hoped for” and “things not seen” and requires focusing ONLY on the word irrespective of obvious evidence to the contrary.
Question: How easy is it to focus on God’s promises in the midst of staggering evidence to the contrary? Use your personal experience with Health, finances, family etc. (ALL TO SHARE IN TURNS)
For we walk by faith and not by SIGHT. II Cor. 5. 7
“Walking by sight” means that, although you are supposed to be trusting God for something, you not only focus on all the contrary evidence (e. g pain in the case of healing, account balance in the case of finances, retrenchment figures in the case of employment etc.) but you also SPEAK them.
The scriptural terms for walking by sight are DOUBT or DOUBLE – MINDEDNESS
Doubt will sink your faith and stop you from reaching your goals Matt 14. 28 – 31, Mk 11. 23
Double mindedness will keep you going round in circles and ultimately leave you empty handed. James 1. 6 – 8
ABRAHAM’S EXAMPLE
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.
And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah’s womb:
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.
Question: Verse by verse, discuss the FOUR essential elements of the above scripture (ALL to participate)
