There have been many definitions of faith such as simply taking the letters of the word “faith” and forming the phrase, ”Forsaking All In Trusting Him!” Hebrews 11:1 says, “faith gives substance to our hopes.” The writer of Wuests’ Word Studies, KS Wuest  wrote, “Faith apprehends as a real fact what is not revealed to the senses. It rests on that fact, acts upon it, and is upheld by it in the face of all that seems to contradict it. Faith is real seeing. ” AND  ‘”The Holy Spirit energised act of faith which a believer exercises in the Lord Jesus is the title-deed which God puts in his hand, guaranteeing to him the possession of the thing for which he trusted Him … the possession of the salvation for which he trusted God.”

Faith is different from positive thinking. In its focus. It is trusting in God’s resources, not in our own.  It is acting on and appropriating His promises in His word. (See Charles Spurgeon “Cheque Book on the Bank of Faith” where he suggests that every promise of God is like a cheque already made out to the believer, to be presented in faith at the Heavenly Bank of Faith, to receive what was promised).

THE IMPORTANCE OF FAITH.

• Without it we cannot please God.
• “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” Hebrews 11:6.
• It is the key to salvation, for entrance into the Kingdom.
• Romans 1:16. )  “I am not ashamed of the gospel … it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.” 
• Rom 10:9, “if you … believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
• Eph 2:8, “is by grace you have been saved, through faith.”
• 2 Tim 3:15,”and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”
• 1 Pet 1:5 “who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is to be revealed.” 
• Access to God is by faith.  
• Eph 3:12 “In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.” 
• Heb 10:22)  “let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.”  
• It is the key for receiving healing. 
• A woman with bleeding,  Mat 9:22.). … “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed from that moment. 
• A Centurion. (Luke 7:9)  When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.”  
• A lame man. (Acts 3:16) “By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see.” 
• A cripple at Lystra lame from birth, (Acts 14:9) “He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed .”
• Elders praying for the sick. Jas 5:15. “And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well.’
• It enables people to receive the Spirit.
• Gal 3:2, “Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? “
• Gal 3:22. “But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.”
• The promise of the gift of the Spirit.
• Gal 3:14. “He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.”
• The promises of God.
• Gal 3:22. “But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.”
• Enables us to belong to His family.  
• Jn 1:11-13, “He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.  2  But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13  who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”
• Gal 3:26. “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.”
• Brings protection.
• Psalm 118:8, “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to trust in princes.“
• Proverbs 29:25. “Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.”
• Eph 6:16  ”In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
• Brings peace. ”
• Rom 5:1, “Since we are justified by faith we have peace with God.“     
• Brings prosperity.
•  Prov.28:25, “A greedy man stirs up dissension, but he who trusts in the LORD will prosper.”

HOW TO GROW IN FAITH.  

Faith can grow.  

• 2 Thessalonians  1:3  “… your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing.” 
• (2 Cor 10:15, “Our hope is that, as your faith continues to grow, our area of activity among you will greatly expand.”
• By receiving and obeying the Word of God. 
• Rom 10:17 “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.” 
• Heb 4:2, “For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith.
• 2 Tim 3:15  “and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”
• 2 Tim 3:16, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

• By ensuring that our concept of God is the biblical one of a loving Heavenly Father. 
• Eph 3:14-15, “For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15  from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named.”

• By repenting of all known sin, and turning from it.
• Eph 4:20-24,”But that is not the way you learned Christ!— 21  assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, 22  to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23  and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24  and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in righteousness and holiness.”
• Col 3:5, “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.”

• By walking in obedience to the dictates of the Spirit.
• Gal 5:18, “But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.”
• Gal 5:22 -23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness. 23  gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” AND Gal 5:25  “If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.”
• Rom 8:3-4, “For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4  in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5  For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. “

• By adopting the right response to difficult situations. 
  • Trusting God.  
• Rom 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, …”

• Trusting in His love.

Rom 8:37-39  “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”Rom 8:38, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,  neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

• Trusting in His sufficiency.
• 2 Cor 12:7-9  ‘But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”’
  • Thanksgiving in times of difficulty.
• Phil 1:12.  “… what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel.”
  • Thanksgiving in every situation.
• 1 Thess 5:18  “give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
  • Rejoicing as we face trials.
• James 1:2,  “the testing of your faith develops perseverance”
• James 1:4, “Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

• By expressing faith through love  
• Gal 5:6, “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.”
• By acting on the promises of Jesus.
• Lk 17:5-6. ‘The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” 6  He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.“’  

FAITH IS BELIEVING GOD’S PROMISES AND ACTING ON THEM EVEN WHEN THEY SEEM HUMANLY IMPOSSIBLE!

Blog No.448.  “How to Grow in Faith.” Core Teaching Stage 3 Topic 4