Faith
Believing Confessing and Experiencing the Blessing
The Lord Jesus Christ and the Apostle Paul gave us clear instructions on how to apply our FAITH;
1. First, by BELIEVING in our hearts what we were taught.
2. Second, by CONFESSING the WORD OF FAITH that we hear preached or taught to us.
3. Third, by EXPERIENCING the PROMISE OF GOD as we received it.
Hi Faith-writers, I’m grateful to be able to come to you again to discuss the topic of FAITH. We are going to go into detail of how FAITH is actually manifested or brought about in the life of a sincere believer. I would like to share what Paul said first about these 3 steps and then we are going to look at what Jesus said about it.
Paul’s Teaching about FAITH being applied
Paul said, but what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the WORD OF FAITH which we preached): (v. 8)
That if you CONFESS with your mouth the Lord Jesus and BELIEVE in your heart (human spirit) that God has raised HIM from the dead, you will be saved. (v. 9)
For with the heart (human spirit) one BELIEVES unto righteousness, and with the mouth CONFESSION is made unto Salvation (The New Birth or The Born-again experience). (v. 10) (Romans 10:8-10 NKJV)
Allow me to outline these verses. Paul clearly laid out the steps we must take to be Saved or Born-again. Most Theologians will agree that these are the steps to be Saved. Other religions who are not Born-again will argue against this Biblical fact. However, these verses line-up with what Jesus said when HE spoke to Nicodemus about Salvation in John chapter 3. (See John 3:15-18 NKJV).
* Going back to what Paul said, that the word he had preached about Jesus was in the hearts (human spirits) of the believers in Rome and in their mouth. That is, THE WORD OF FAITH.
* Then Paul shared the practical part of applying the WORD OF FAITH that has been generated in their hearts, by CONFESSING what they already BELIEVED in their hearts about the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
* Because we BELIEVED in our hearts, then CONFESSED with our mouths that God raised Jesus from the dead and then we became Saved or Born-again.
This is the Supernatural process of applying the FAITH we already have heard when a man or woman of God preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
1. We heard the WORD OF FAITH.
2. The WORD OF FAITH begins to be generated in our hearts and it’s in our mouth—we can literally repeat what the preacher had said, or speak the instructions that was shared with us.
3. Then by BELIEVING in our hearts and CONFESSING with our mouths we immediately tapped into the BLESSING of Salvation.
Forgive me for rewriting it over 3 times, we have to absorb this TRUTH in order to be able to tap into all the BLESSINGS of GOD, because they all come the same way. No matter what level of FAITH or what Dimension of FAITH we may find ourselves we have to repeat the protocol that Paul laid out for us to EXPERIENCE the BLESSING of GOD in other areas of our lives.
Jesus’ Teaching about applying our FAITH
Now we are going to look at some famous Scriptures that Faith Healers highly regard (Mark 11:22-26 NKJV).
So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have FAITH in God. (v. 22)
“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. (v. 23)
“Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. (v. 24)
“And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. (v. 25)
“But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.” (v. 26) (Mark 11:22-26 NKJV)
Outlining these verses we must rightly interpret. Jesus was training HIS disciples.
1. Jesus cursed a fig tree when HE attempted to get fruit from it. (Mark 11:12-14 NKJV)
2. The next day Jesus and the disciples passed by the fig tree and the disciples saw that the fig tree Jesus cursed had withered away. Jesus began to teach a lesson of FAITH by using the example of the fig tree being withered (Mark 11:22-23 NKJV)
We must stop here because there’s been many strange teachings that takes this example of FAITH to some extremely weird places that don’t apply. By some Faith Healer Copy-cats that did not rightly interpreted these verses.
First, Jesus was always led by the Holy Spirit to do something Supernatural. Jesus said whatever the Father shows Him He will do (John 5:19-20 NKJV). Why is this example Supernatural? Because God will not have us curse fig trees or any of HIS creations that HE created for us to enjoy. Unless, HE directs us too!
For example, no one in the Book of Acts cursed a fig tree. However, Paul is the only one recorded in the Book of Acts to have pronounced a curse over Elymas the sorcerer. But Paul was led of the Spirit to do it—Luke wrote that Paul was full of the Holy Spirit. (See Acts 13:6-12 NKJV) As a result of this Supernatural act the Proconsul was Saved or Born-again. The sorcerer tried to prevent the proconsul to be Saved.
I shared these two examples to show that we need to interpret Scripture with Scripture. The cursing of the fig tree and the sorcerer were done by the leading of the Holy Spirit in Jesus’ life and in Paul’s life and Ministry. Therefore, we must apply this level of FAITH when we are seasoned Christians operating in the 4th Dimension of the MEASURE OF FAITH and THE GIFT OF FAITH. (Romans 12:3/ 1 Corinthians 12:8-10 NKJV).
Thirdly, in Mark 11:24, Jesus then went on to teach the very same principle of BELIEVING The WORD OF FAITH, CONFESSING IT, and EXPERIENCING IT as we RECEIVE the Promise of GOD, the very same thing that Paul taught in (Romans 10:8-10 NKJV). This principle applies to every step of FAITH we take as Christians—no matter what Dimension we are living in.
The fourth thing we read about with the concept of FAITH is the forgiveness factor that Jesus shared and connected to the principle of PRAYER and if we fail to forgive then it will hinder our Prayer.
Simply put, everything we were taught in applying our FAITH will not work effectively if we fail to forgive. This principle of forgiveness is important because Jesus always taught about Prayer with the topic of forgiveness as part of the protocol of having a clean heart when we speak to God. (See Matthew 5:22-24/ and 6:9-15 NKJV) We need to ask for forgiveness for ourselves then seek to be forgiven by those we have offended.
Understanding FAITH by my Testimony
I learn to BELIEVE GOD for PROTECTION right after being Born-again (7 days later), when my Christian Brother Junito confronted me about putting down my weapons. I did not know the entire Bible or Psalm 91. All Junito quoted was Isaiah 54:17 NKJV, which says, No weapon formed against me will prosper. That is all I had to put my FAITH into action and my life in God’s Hand to PROTECT ME. I came to BELIEVE this verse after experiencing the enormous conviction in my heart (THE WORD OF FAITH) was being generated and I was restless until I Prayed and CONFESS this verse. Then the Power of God kept me spiritually calm to take the appropriate steps to apply the WORD OF FAITH.
Daily I would quote this verse in Isaiah 54:17 NKJV, while the devil or his demons tormented me with fear that something bad was going to happen to me. After 3 months pasted by my 8 enemies were gone.
I also experienced many more applications of FAITH, they all were in the same pattern—
1. THE WORD OF FAITH about that topic came into my heart.
2. I came to BELIEVE THE WORD OF FAITH in that area, and FAITH was generating in my heart.
3. Then I CONFESSED that Scripture or Scriptures that declared the Promise.
4. Then that very moment or in the process of time the Miracle occurred.
Therefore take the first step and receive the WORD OF FAITH, BELIEVE IT, then CONFESS IT, and you will EXPERIENCE THE BLESSING and PROMISE of GOD you received by FAITH, amen.
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