CHAPTER EIGHT

"If you can believe, all things are possible to him that believes" (Mark 9:23). "If you can...", seems to indicate that people sometimes can't believe. There could be many reasons why. Such reasons as not knowing what God has provided or not knowing how to respond to what God has provided. Or they may have insufficient knowledge about a subject.

The fact is that all that God provided in Jesus Christ for our redemption, is given to us in the form of PROMISES. Those promises have ETERNAL, UNCHANGING SUBSTANCE. But we must appropriate them for ourselves through faith. Romans 4:16 tells us that it is of faith, that it might be by grace. Thus, they are available to all, without respect of persons.

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen". "But without faith, it is impossible to please Him, for he that comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him" (Hebrews 11:1,6).

Ministers are to preach and teach the Word of God, so as to provide the true and correct knowledge of God. They must show what His requirements are in order to gain what He has provided in Christ. They must do this so that faith can come to those they minister to. Then they can believe. In addition, believers have responsibility to read and to study the Scriptures for themselves. Faith will also come to them in THAT way. Thus, it need not be that any one would have to remain unable to believe.

Romans 10:8: "But what saith it? The word is near you, even in your mouth, and in your heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach...".

Through the ministry which the Lord has given them, ministers can HELP some people to become bold in their faith; to RECEIVE BY FAITH WHAT THEY ASK from God. Everything that God has given to ministers is to move people to obtain the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

"To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of satan to God, that they may receive forgivensess of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in Me" (Acts 26:18). God WANTS people to obtain those things.

NOTICE, NOTICE, NOTICE! Our preaching and ministry efforts are NEVER to be made to COAX God into giving us what we ask! Prayer and praise to God seem to be in their highest form when they are offered out of personal recognition, enhanced by experience, of God's worthiness and glory.They are not "tools" to "sweet talk" God into the mood of answering prayer. He's already IN that notion, mood and readiness. As a matter of fact, He has already GIVEN to us ALL things that pertain to life and Godliness, according to 2 Peter 1:3.

No. Our efforts are to make way for faith to COME to people, and to help them to ACT according to Biblical faith. When they do, they WILL get what God has promised and provided for them in Christ Jesus. Praise God.

That is why we give "altar calls" at the close of our sermons. We should realize that during our preaching of the Gospel, FAITH HAS COME TO THE HEARERS, according to Romans 10:17. Then we are to TELL people WHAT TO DO with that faith, so that they can receive help from God.

We should expect similar responses from any Biblical doctrine. Faith for obtaining any promise from God ALWAYS comes by hearing that promise. People often do what we ask them to, and they DO get God's help, praise God. Our own faith, which we exhibit by our attitude of ASSURANCE, helps to encourage them to act in faith. Then they can get what they ask.

"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you: for every one that asks receives; and he that seeks finds; and to him that knocks it shall be opened" (Matthew 7:7-8).

The witness and comfort of the Holy Spirit in our own heart assures us that His power is ready to work, right now! This should dispel hesitance or fear on our part. Our own faith should rise as we minister. It thus enables US to act, and to instruct people about what to do to receive from the Lord.

Let us so preach and teach, with the Holy Spirit's help, as to "grip" their attention. Let us focus them; move them to "lock on" to Jesus and to the Word of God. This will cause an unhindered BOLDNESS to approach the Lord to receive their requests. The same course of action and faith would apply when one is ministering by the manifestations of the Holy Spirit. I mean especially the Holy Spirit's gifts of revelation and of power, as listed in 1 Corinthians 12:7-11.

Revelation 21:6 shows that the Lord will give to him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. Again, in Revelation 22:17 He says that WHOSOEVER WILL may take of the water of life freely. Therefore, we know what God's attitude is towards them that seek Him in faith. He isn't capriciously withholding His grace from us. We must renew our minds with these facts, and believe that God WANTS to grant our requests. Let's QUIT praying to see if God's will is to answer as He has promised. Praise God, He intends for believers to GET WHAT THEY ASK! Praise God.

For the sake of encouragement, and for bold faith, let us consider the following. In the foregoing Scriptures, the words, "unto him", and "whosoever", are clearly intended to show the fact that ANYONE can do it! ANYONE can get a drink of the water of life. In Matthew 7:7-8, as quoted above, Jesus said that EVERYONE that asks receives...". The "you" in verse seven is directed towards "EVERYONE" in verse EIGHT. "Anyone", "you", "him", are key words that direct the action of obtaining from God towards "whosoever will". ANYBODY CAN DO IT!

Anyone can ask and get answers from God. Even people who are living in sin CAN get some answers from God. If not, then how could they get saved? Surely, God cannot bless sin or approve of sin. But He is merciful and ready to save. He is willing to answer anyone who meets the required conditions of faith and believing. How many sinners have called upon God while yet in their sins, and when God answered, turned from their sins to follow Jesus? Praise the Lord for His wonderful works towards the children of men, amen. For further Scriptural assurance read St. John 7:37; Revelation 21:6 and Revelation 22:17.

The Scriptures show that there are glorious steps beyond one drink for those who BELIEVE unto righteousness. For example Saint John 7:38 shows that BELIEVER'S have access to rivers of living water. Is it not greater to have a river in us than to get one single drink? Also, Romans 1:17 states that the righteousness of God is REVEALED from faith to faith. Faith is required to receive REVEALED knowledge from God and to walk in it. Romans 5:17 shows that God planned for BELEIVERS to reign in life, in this world. Is that not greater than one one single drink?

Titus 3:4-8 shows us that God is willing to justify ANYONE who believes on Jesus. But for the benefits of being justified to be more than temporary for us, we must work out the salvation that we receive, by daily following the Lord Jesus. "...work out your own salvation with fear and trembling..." (Philippians 2:12). In parable form, most people can pick apples from an apple tree when they are in season. But to GROW an apple TREE is another matter. Moreover, we must exhibit a growing faith to the Lord so that we may be made HEIRS of God. We are to do this by working out the salvation that we have received, though this does not mean that we are to work to GET salvation.

Hebrews 11:1 states: "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen". By His Word, God says to us that faith is, FIRST, the substance of things hoped for. SECOND, that it is the evidence of things not seen. Therefore, we are correct to understand that FAITH is, to us, the FIRST substance, and that it is to us,the FIRST EVIDENCE, of things which have no material reality as yet. Instead, we have their substance and evidence in the form of faith, based upon what GOD (Who CANNOT lie) promised and provided for us. Glory to God.

We need to understand within our heart that: "By faith in God's Word, I have the evidence and the substance of what I am asking for". Against every contradiction, we need to rejoice and be glad BECAUSE we have received by faith. Praise God. Note Romans 15:13: "Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Spirit". We shall have to learn to maintain this dispositon of faith and believing, in spite of those who may question the credibility of our faith. We must answer them without negating our faith.

This would be easier to do if we did not have an aggressive, malicious adversary, whose purpose is to kill, steal and destroy. But he cannot do those things if we hold fast our confession of faith. Praise God.

In this book, we have been studying faith as a way of life. Real Biblical faith is always a very personal matter. We may hear someone discuss faith. But that does not automatically mean that THAT degree of faith is working in us. Yet we can get results by following someone else's example of faith.

Carefully note the wording of Hebrews 13:7: "...whose faith follow...". The word "follow" comes from the Greek word that means to imitate. For example, God promised Abram that he should be the heir of the world. Romans 4:13 tells us that he got that great promise from God through faith. Genesis 15:6 states that Abram believed in the Lord. He acted on God's promise, being assured by faith. We, too, should be assured by God's promises and act accordingly.

We have continued to repeat that faith is a fact and that believing is the ACTION part of faith. Faith (the fact) came in the form of a promise from God. Abram disposed himself and committed himself to it, and began to ACT accordingly.

Then in another case it is written: "...for the Lord is a God of knowledge and by Him actions are weighed" (1 Samuel 2:3). QUESTION: What does God weigh actions by? ANSWER: FAITH is one reference that God uses to weigh (measure) actions by, according to Hebrews 11:6. Do your actions spring from faith in God's Word? Or do they spring from fear, unbelief, selfishness, desperation, etc.,? Jeremiah 17:10 shows that the Lord searches man's heart, and that He tries our reins, to give everyone according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.

When the Lord searches our hearts, does He find that we are acting from faith in His promises or from human emotion? If we respond to the issues of life as God's Word tells us to, BECAUSE He tells us to, that is an action that springs from faith. The Bible calls that BELIEVING. And the Scripture states that with the heart man BELIEVES unto righteousness. His actions are the result of his believing. That makes his actions of faith right before God.

QUESTON: "Why did you act that way?" ANSWER: "Because God's Word says to DO it!" Our emotions may suggest doing something else, and we may be tempted in our thoughts. YET if we DO what God's Word says do, because we BELIEVE it, that is faith EXPRESSED in the form of BELIEVING. In that way God's Word is the regulating, controlling, enervating POWER that anchors our lives in RIGHTEOUSNESS. A person who lives like that is righteous, according to 1 John 3:7. "...he that does righteousness is righteous, even as He is righteous."

We are constantly faced with the need for overcoming the world, the flesh and the devil. But Jesus made seven glorious promises to the overcomers. He finalized them for all believers in Revelation 21:7: "He that overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be His God, and he shall be My son." What an assurance from God to man.

God spent long centuries of faithful dealings with people in all kinds of circumstances, so that we would have a firm foundation for unwavering faith in Him. Now for our part, 1 John 5:4 tells us that this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith. FAITH is the VICTORY! Amen.

This has been a technical study on the subjects of Biblical faith and believing. Faith is not something to be stored up merely in our memory. As we have seen, it is with the heart that man believes. Faith and believing is not just a mental effort. Faith is a spiritual SUBSTANCE THAT WORKS IN OUR HEART. It is ALWAYS the result of hearing God's Word. It is an error to try to "operate" from what we remember ABOUT faith. Distinguish between what is merely your memory, a mental effort, and what is an action of your heart. Believing is the ACTION part of Biblical faith. Again, the two MUST work together.

Because of these things, it is vital to constantly take God's Word into our heart and mind. In that way we may always enjoy the blessings of Biblical faith. Proverbs 4:20 bids us to: "...let not them (God's Words) depart from thine eyes...". That means to continually look at things in life according to God's Word. That will certainly give us a different outlook on life than the world has. We are children of light, and through God's Word, we should see things by faith that do not appear to the unbelieving world around us.

One of our greatest desires towards God is to get our prayers answered. Many people spend their entire life at that level of spiritual development. That is not a bad usage of their time. But there is available to believers more than just the supply of our needs. We can learn of HIM, and know Him in personal fellowship.

Abraham was called the friend of God because he believed God. Jesus called His disciples friends upon the premise that they would obey Him. To be a friend of God and of Christ, we shall have to DO whatsoever they command us. That requires our faith and belief, because without faith it is impossible to please God. Faith is therefore the key to eternal life.