Lesson SEVEN
Book A
OVERCOMING FAITH
"For whatever is born of God, overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world - our faith!. 1John 5:4
WHAT IS FAITH?
The Bible tells us that faith is:-
"The substance of thing hoped for, the evidence of things not seen". Hebrews 11:1. This means that faith is not what you see, but something else.
"We walk by faith, not by sight". 2 Cor 5:7
However faith includes things that are hoped for. So expectancy and hope are involved in making faith. However faith is not hope. they are very different. To use hope when faith is needed, will destroy your faith.
Faith is something more than hope. It adds substance to hope. It realises hope on the inward man as being fulfilled, yet not so that it can be seen with the physical eye yet.
Faith is knowing that you know on the inside, whilst on the outside no change is yet seen.
HOW DO YOU GET FAITH?
The Bible days:-
"Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God". Romans 10:17
Peter heard Jesus say to him, "Come". So he walked on water, which we know that nobody can do. Hew knew that he could do it because the master had said "Come". So on the strength of that God had told him to walk on water, Peter did just that. Matthew 14:29
When it comes to sickness or disease in our lives we have to know the ill of God. If we do not believe that it is God's will to heal everyone, then we will always be tempted not to have faith in His word that tells us that "He himself took our infirmities (sicknesses) and weaknesses". Matthew 8:16,17
Faith begins where the will of God is known.
The Bible says that we overcome the world by faith.
WHAT IS THE WORLD?
the world includes the natural man. 1 Cor. 2:14. this is the human nature. God's nature in man is opposite to human nature. Human nature is selfish and only responds if it can benefit. The world includes the destructive elements of satanic origin. "The thief comes to steal, kill and destroy, but I am come to bring life and life more abundantly". John 10:10
Anything that steals, kills and destroys does not come from God. Only that which brings life and life more abundantly. Sickness, disease, poverty and mental disability, all bring destruction and theft. they do not come from God. He is the giver of only good gifts. James 1:17. In the Old Testament God would judge men for their sins and so hand them over the rewards of their sins. In the new they are remitted of sins.
EDITH PULLEN HAD ANGINA
Edith is an elderly lady that lives in Otley in West Yorkshire. She had suffered from angina for some time. She could not walk more than a few yards without puffing and panting and the doctors told her she must not tax herself. She must rest and be careful. God, on the other hand was saying the opposite.
Edith had been prayed for many times and without seeming success. She had even been anointed with oil. Doctors had made her give up working because of her condition. Pains up and down her chest and arms would make it difficult for any kind of exertion.
One day Edith got hold of a Kenneth Hagin book called "The authority of the believer". this book changed her whole life. When she put it down she simply stood up and said "Hallelujah! thank you Lord now I know that I am healed. By your stripes two thousand years ago. I receive it, by faith, in Jesus name".
Edith went out then on the strength of that and walked three miles without incident. Pains came back one week later and now she knew and expected that they would. She rebuked them soundly, as if it were the devil himself, and they want away never to return. Praise the Lord.
AUTHORITY GIVEN US OVER THE DEVIL
So therefore these things come from the evil one and Jesus said to us, "Behold I give you authority to trample on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means harm you". Luke 10:19
this says all the power of the devil, not just a little bit and that nothing would harm us that came from him. This does not mean that persecution would not come. Persecution comes because we love people enough to suffer on their behalf, not because we have no power over satan. We choose to suffer for people out of strength not out of necessity.
Authority and power are slightly different. Authority is given to you but you do need to exercise it. If you don't, nothing will happen. Things don't automatically fall into place. The devil seeks to steal from Christians what is legally theirs. The devil deceives people into believing that he has the right. When all the time God has given it to us.
IN FAITH, IN JOY
When you are in faith towards God you are in joy. Christians are defeated when they don't believe the word. Many times we hear the story, "but it didn't work for me". or "I don't feel victorious", or "Yes God said but......"
"And without faith it is impossible to please Him". Hebrews 11:6
So the Christian has a choice. To walk in faith or to walk out of faith. This choice is before the believer every day, every hour, every minute. He can operate in faith one minute and in doubt the net. The first will win for him, the second will cause him to lose. Only by walking in faith do we appropriate the promises of God from the New Testament. To believe in suffering outside of your love for others is foolishness.
JESUS CAME TO DESTROY THE DEVIL'S WORKS
"For this purpose was the Son of God manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil". 1 John 3:8
The works of the devil are easily seen and include death, robbery and violence. This is the result of disobedience towards God.
In Christ Jesus, and as His body, we carry out this destruction of destruction. We instate that which has been bought for mankind. We appropriate the position that Christ has gained for us. Jesus has broken free from every bondage. We are free, we have just got to believe it. You may say, "I don't feel free". But feelings are not what we live by. We live by faith. God says that we are free. So we tell ourselves that we are free according to the Word of God. Our feelings will correspond later perhaps?
"Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty". 2 Cor. 3:17
GOD IS NOT IN BONDAGE
Jesus came to set the prisoners free. Not to impose more shackles to bind him. Not even religious ones. He came to set the prisoner free. Luke 4:18
Bondage takes away joy, destroys faith and trust towards God. It imposes the law principle once again (the Old Testament). It holds within it condemnation which the New Testament destroyed. No longer is there motivation by condemnation.
Jesus paid the price of salvation, healing and deliverance for the whole world. However the whole world will not receive it and therefore will lose their eternal life. So it is with the other promises of healing, deliverance etc. etc. Christians will loose what they do not appropriate in their New Covenant benefits.
"You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free". John 8.32
"Stand fast in the liberty wherein you were called". Gal. 5:1
CONDEMNATION KILLS FAITH
"There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the spirit". Romans 8:1
"Now where there is remission of these (sins), there is no longer an offering for sins". Hebrews 10:18
Remission means that the slate is wiped totally clean. You are not held guilty, even though you were guilty. You have accepted the sacrifice of Jesus for sins and even the sins that you commit tomorrow will be wiped free. Of course, if you are born of the spirit of God you will not want to sin tomorrow, but even if you did, they would be washed away because of His sacrifice. Col. 1:22
The devil is the accuser of the brethren. Revelations 12:10. Condemnation is not ours in the New Testament. Guiltlessness is ours forever. So rejoice because you are free from all condemnation.
FAITH IS A POSITION OF REST
"Therefore since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them; not being mixed with faith in those who heard it". Hebrews 4:1,2
"For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased form his own works, as God did from His". Hebrews 4:10
We cannot do anything to get salvation. The same with anything else from the New Testament. It is already done for us. All we have to do is receive what God says. "The hearing of faith".
Everything is "By grace through faith". Ephesians 2:8
Peter lost his faith whilst in the middle of walking on water because he allowed fear in. "When he saw the wind was boisterous, he was afraid". Matthew 14:30,31 Jesus said "Why did you doubt?"
FEAR DESTROYS FAITH
The fear in Peter caused a doubt which destroyed the position of faith that he had held up, and until that moment he was walking on the sea. Think what might have happened had he read this message before. He would have been armed, expecting the enemy to cause him to become afraid. He would have rebuked the fear within himself and carried on in faith.
"We wrestle not against flesh and blood..........." Eph. 6:10
But we do wrestle. We wrestle against fear. Fear tries to get us from a position of "Resting in Him" to a position of worry. "Perhaps it is not going to happen the way God said".
Fear always challenges what God has said. It began in the garden of Eden. "Has God said?" Was the challenge. Faith-destroying fear is prevalent around us. the Bible says that the devil is "Satan who deceives the whole world". Revelations 12:9
SATAN DECEIVES MANY
"Whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them". 2 Cor. 4:4
If the whole world is deceived, should we not be careful to watch out for ourselves not being deceived into a position of fear and not faith? "Watch and pray".
Be not deceived. The devil seeks to blind many into believing that he has the power, when he has actually been rendered harmless by the Lord Jesus Christ. If he gets you to believe his ways, then he does have power over you. But if you "Hold fast to your confession, without wavering". Hebrews 10:23, you will receive the reward.
"For he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those diligently seek Him". Hebrews 11:6
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