How FAITH WORKS

You don’t have faith just because you have heard the FAITH message. To know about faith is not enough. We must have a clear understanding of it ourselves, what we call a “revelation” of God’s Word to put it to work in our lives.

Unless you really “get it”, someone may talk you out of it before you get it to work in your life. That’s what Jesus explained in the parable of the seeds. “When anyone hears the Word of the kingdom, and understands it not, then comes the wicked one, and catches away that which was sown in his heart.” (Matthew 13:19)

Charles Capps explains that there are three spiritual components to faith: knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. “The fear of the LORD (our reverencing God, or our total acceptance of God) is the beginning of WISDOM: and the KNOWLEDGE of the holy (scriptures) is (brings) UNDERSTANDING.” (Proverbs 9:10) This verse reveals all three components of faith – wisdom, knowledge, and understanding.

And when you bring these three components together, you can make difficult circumstances work on your behalf. For instance, Paul said, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” (2 Cor 4:17,18)

Let’s break this down:  God’s Word is eternal. Your afflictions and problems are temporal, but they can work an eternal value in you while – and only while – you are looking at the unseen. The eternal value comes from looking at, and giving preeminence to God’s promises rather than the circumstances. WOW!!

What you say and do about your situation will be governed by what you believe. Your faith is in action when focusing totally on God’s Word instead of your circumstances. We’ve been given the ability to look at the unseen… We’re the only creature of God that can “imagine” and with our imagination, create. But before imagination, you’ve got to start with some knowledge.

KNOWLEDGE is the first component of faith. You can’t believe any further than your knowledge. You must know what God has already said and done for you. Many Christians spend their time praying for God to do something He has already done. An example is when we try to persuade God to heal us, when the Scriptures say that by Jesus’ stripes, you were healed. (1 Pet 2:24; Ps 107:20) If we have knowledge of God’s Word, we know that the provision has already been made. Our part is to speak out our faith in that promise, not beg God, but make a demand on that promise, meaning appropriate to us the promise of that provision through faith.

UNDERSTANDING is the second spiritual component of faith. In the parable of the sower, Jesus said, “When any one hears the Word of the kingdom, and understands it not, then comes the wicked one, and catches away that which was sown in his heart.” (Matthew 13:19)

When you hear God’s Word and don’t “get it”, the wicked one will steal away what was sown in your heart. Generally speaking, the wicked one is Satan, but sometimes well-meaning folks, even Christians can talk you out of believing God’s Word if you don’t understand it.

In that parable, Jesus said that the heart is the spiritual soil where the Word is sown. And in Matthew 13:23, He explains that the Word brings forth fruit ONLY in the person who hears and understands it. “But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the Word AND understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

We become a partaker of the divine nature (our newborn identity) ONLY through God’s exceeding great and precious promises. “His divine power has given us EVERYTHING we need for a godly life through our KNOWLEDGE of Him Who called us by His Own glory and goodness. Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.” (2 Pet 1:3-4) We can’t have faith for certain things unless we know what God has said about it. Knowing His Word produces faith for the things God has given.

“Faith is the substance (knowing) of things hoped for, the evidence (proof) of things not seen.” (Heb 11:1) Faith is the “title in hand” of what you hope for, and hope is generated by that knowledge.

Paul said all the promises of God are “yes and amen.” in other words, they all work!–for sure. (2 Coril 1:20) In other words, God has already said “Yes,” to His promises even before you ask.

WISDOM is the third component of faith. Someone once said, “Wisdom is the smart thing of knowing that God is the boss.” Add God to the ability to apply the knowledge and understanding of the Word, and you’ve got powerful faith. “For the Lord gives wisdom: out of His mouth comes knowledge and understanding.” (Pro 2:6) This verse gives us a classic illustration of faith being in three parts.

Charles Capps gives this example: “Much the same as a brick mason would mix mortar by using sand, water, and cement. If he used sand and cement only, he would have dusty sand. If he used sand and water only, he would have wet sand. But when all three ingredients are mixed thoroughly, they become ONE component called mortar which is used to hold building blocks together.

“In like manner, there are three parts to faith – wisdom, which begins with a reverential fear of God. That’s knowing God and that He is all-able. “But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that comes to God must believe that He is (God, the Almighty), and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” (Heb 11:6)”

First wisdom (knowing that God is the Almighty) plus the knowledge of God’s Word plus understanding it, makes it operate the faith of God.

Jesus explains how faith works in Mark 11:22-24 “Have faith in God. Truly I tell you, if anyone SAYS to this mountain, ‘Be, cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they SAY will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.'”

Our faith begins by hearing God’s Word. And it is developed by continually mixing the three parts:

• Knowing God (is able)
• Knowing what the Word says
• Understanding the Word

Hebrews, chapter 4, confirms that there is a mixing process that must take place concerning faith. “For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the Word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.” (Hebrews 4:2) The tongue is the mixer.

The spoken Word is capable of bringing the same results as if Jesus were here to do it. He is the Word. “Then Jesus said to the centurion, ‘Go! Let it be done just as YOU believed it would.’ And his servant was healed at that moment.” (Matthew 8:13) It’s the centurion who spoke and believed!

Whatever it is that you have need of physically, financially, spiritually or socially, there is a promise or principle for it in the Word of God. Find that promise that covers your situation and begin to proclaim it. Write it on the table of your heart. Your tongue is like the pen of a ready writer. (Psalm 45:1)

As you meditate, speak, think on, and proclaim God’s Word, you will begin to observe or see yourself possessing the promises of God. When that image is FORMED on the inside of you, then you have become FULLY persuaded that what God has promised is YOURS.

“For by me (wisdom) thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be increased.” (Proverbs 9:11)