Faith That Receives The Promises - part 2

Victory Christian Centre, Hutt City, New Zealand

Psalm 66:12b KJV 2000 … we went through fire and through water: but You brought us out into a wealthy place.

1. Learning to walk by Faith is essential to receive the promises of God

Whatever we receive from God is a result of faith.

1. Jesus taught on ‘faith’ & demonstrated what a life of faith looked like

1. All things are possible to him who believes … (Mark 9:23)
2. Have the FAITH OF GOD (Mark 11:23) … that can move mountains!
3. faith is like a servant … (Luke 17:7)
4. Jesus identified different levels of faith people operated in ...

1. The word ‘faith’ can mean different things to different people

1. People ask: ‘what “faith” are you in’
2. Natural human faith believes what it can see with the 5 natural senses
3. We are talking about the God-kind of faith.

1. Understanding faith is one of the most important subjects in the Bible

1. Without faith it is impossible to please God

Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

1. We are saved by faith (Ephesians 2:8)

1. The just shall live by faith (Romans 1:17)

1. We walk by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7)

1. The victory that HAS overcome the world, is our faith (1 John 5:4)
2. Above all we are to take the shield of faith (Ephesians 6:16)

1. We are told to fight the good fight of faith, lay hold of eternal life

1 Tim 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession

1. By faith we stand (2 Corinthians 1:24)

1. 1 Timothy 1:9 talks about faith that has been shipwrecked

1. Through faith and endurance, we receive the promises (Heb 6:12)

1. The Bible describes different levels of faith people can be at

1. Strong Faith (Romans 4:20)
2. Weak Faith (Romans 14:1)
3. Great Faith (Matthew 8:10)
4. Little Faith (Matthew 14:24–31)
5. Dead Faith (James 2:17)
6. Perfect or complete Faith (James 2:22)
7. Exceedingly growing Faith (2 Thessalonians 1:3)

1. God’s definition of Faith

1. Faith is an attribute of God

Hebrews 11:1, 3Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 3By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God, so thatso that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.

1. Faith is or has substance – faith is NOT nothing

1. Faith is ‘not seen’ or ‘visible’ with the natural eye.

1. Faith is creative power

Hebrews 11:3 By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God, so that so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.

ESV By faith we understand that the universe was created by the Word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.

1. Faith is NOT Future – Faith is NOW

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is …

What tense is this? It’s PRESENT TENSE –

1. Faith is the substance of things hoped for

Hope is like a dream, a goal, a vision. Faith gives substance to the thing I hope for.(Hebrews 11:1a)

1. Faith does not look at the natural realm – it looks into the spirit realm

2 Corinthians 4:18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

The two realms: the ‘seen’ and ‘not seen’ ­

1. “seen”, natural realm, 5 physical senses, see, hear, taste, touch, smell

1. “not seen”, refers to the spirit realm.

2 Corinthians 5:7 For we walk by faith, not by sight.

1. Faith calls things which do not exist in the natural as though they did

Romans 4:17(as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations” ) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did;

Example 1: God called Abraham the father of many nations

Example 2: By faith God restored the earth

Hebrews 11:3 GNT It is by faith that we understand that the universe was created by God's word, so that what can be seen was made out of what cannot be seen.

Genesis 1:1-3 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form, and void; and darknesswas on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. 3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. 4 And God saw the light, that it was good; …

The same FAITH has been given to us to walk in … not matter how dark it looks, no matter how void of God the circumstances are, we use the creative substance called faith – God’s Word and call … it into the seen realm …

• Our physical senses may tell us we are sick

God’s Word tells us by His stripes you WERE healed

• People’s emotions may tell them they are depressed, defeated

Romans 8:37 says, we are more than a conquerors through Christ.

• The natural mind may torment believers with fears of the future

2 Timothy 1:7 God has not given you a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

God has brought us out into our wealthy place:

… healing, freedom from every bondage, blessing, favour, … promotion, are in the unseen realm … the spirit realm …

God has given us FAITH to use to bring our inheritance from His unseen realm (the spirit realm) into the natural realm.