January 3rd, 2023
As many of us begin the new year with a time of prayer and fasting, I want to share to some thoughts with you about faith. If you fast and pray as a religious necessity, without putting your faith toward something, there will be no power in it. That actually goes for anything we do as a believer! We are called ‘believers’ because everything we receive from God is by faith. Faith is defined as “complete belief, trust, or confidence in someone or something.” The Bible says we all have a “measure of faith” (Romans 12:3) given by God, but what we choose to do with our faith is up to us. Jesus told some that they had “great faith” and others that they had “little faith,” but He said that faith like the grain of the mustard seed could move a mountain. I believe the significance of that statement was to show the power of faith. It’s not actually about how many seemingly big things you’re believing for, but the purity of your faith in the things God has given you. 1 Peter 1:6-7 says,
“In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various
trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
When this verse talks about faith being “genuine,” it’s not talking about whether it exists or not. Gold isn’t refined to find out if there’s gold in it. It’s refined to remove all of the impurities. Every child of God has a measure of faith, and your faith has power. If it doesn’t seem to be working, it’s not because the Word of God isn’t true. It’s likely because some impurity—like doubt, fear, confusion, or unbelief—has come in and mixed with faith. James 1:6-8 says,
“Let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”
Just as gold is purified, God’s desire is to refine until there only pure faith in us.
Faith comes by revelation of the Word of God—truth— so, I want to share some thoughts with you about it from the Scripture (Romans 10:17).
1. We are saved by grace, through faith. (Ephesians 2:8)
2. We are guarded through faith for salvation. (1 Peter 1:5)
3. Jesus is the founder and perfecter of our faith. (Hebrews 12:2)
4. We are God’s children by faith. (Galatians 3:26)
5. Faith is the guarantee of the thing we’re believing for and expecting God to do. (Hebrews 11:1)
6. Faith pleases God. (Hebrews 11:6)
7. A test of faith will not determine if your faith is real, but if it’s pure. (1 Peter 1:7, Psalm 66:10)
8. God has won every victory in Jesus. The only fight we’re required to engage in is the fight of faith (1 Timothy 4:2)
9. Testing of your faith produces steadfastness. (James 1:2-3)
10. If we mix doubt with faith, our prayers won’t work. (James 1:7-8)
11. It’s possible for our faith to be shipwrecked. (1 Timothy 1:19)
12. It’s our responsibility to test and examine ourselves to see if we’re in the faith. (2 Corinthians 13:5)
13. Faith is only alive when accompanied by works. (James 2:14-26)
14. Righteousness depends on faith. (Philippians 3:9)
15. We live by faith. (Romans 1:17)
16. We walk by faith not our natural sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7)
17. We receive the promise of the Holy Spirit by faith. (Galatians 3:1-14)
18. Faith is a shield that protects us from every scheme of the enemy. (Ephesians 6:16)
19. It’s not about the size of your faith, but its purity. (Luke 17:6, Matthew 21:21-22)
20. Your prayers will be answered when you ask in faith. (Matthew 21:22, James 4:1-10, Mark 11:24)
Faith was not a new idea in the New Testament. If you read Hebrews 11, the hall of faith heroes, you’ll find that everyone from Abel to Moses to Abraham to David lived by faith. However, our faith gives us access to our Father by the blood of Jesus which is something they did not have. Hebrews 11:39 says of our forefathers in the faith,
“All these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.”
The purpose of God in these last days is that His promises be fulfilled, in us. We were born for such a time as this, as part of the plan and purpose of God that began thousands of years ago. Faith comes by His Word, and we have enough ammunition in His Word for more than a mustard seed of faith (Mark 11:23-25). If there’s an obstacle in our lives, the problem isn’t that we don’t have enough faith! It’s that we need to eradicate doubt and fear and anything that keeps us from moving forward in the things for which we’re believing. God will always keep His promises. He’s exactly who He says He is. He’s never changed, and He never will. His delight is to bless us and do everything His Word says He will. All He’s asking of us is that we’ll stand on His Word, believe Him, and obey. As we enter 2023, let’s examine ourselves like Paul instructed. Let’s consume His Word and let our hearts be strengthened like they never have. Let’s believe God with pure, unadulterated faith for every promise He’s made. By faith in the power and goodness of God, we’ll see mountains moved, lives changed, families transformed, and nations shaken!
“In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various
trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
When this verse talks about faith being “genuine,” it’s not talking about whether it exists or not. Gold isn’t refined to find out if there’s gold in it. It’s refined to remove all of the impurities. Every child of God has a measure of faith, and your faith has power. If it doesn’t seem to be working, it’s not because the Word of God isn’t true. It’s likely because some impurity—like doubt, fear, confusion, or unbelief—has come in and mixed with faith. James 1:6-8 says,
“Let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”
Just as gold is purified, God’s desire is to refine until there only pure faith in us.
Faith comes by revelation of the Word of God—truth— so, I want to share some thoughts with you about it from the Scripture (Romans 10:17).
1. We are saved by grace, through faith. (Ephesians 2:8)
2. We are guarded through faith for salvation. (1 Peter 1:5)
3. Jesus is the founder and perfecter of our faith. (Hebrews 12:2)
4. We are God’s children by faith. (Galatians 3:26)
5. Faith is the guarantee of the thing we’re believing for and expecting God to do. (Hebrews 11:1)
6. Faith pleases God. (Hebrews 11:6)
7. A test of faith will not determine if your faith is real, but if it’s pure. (1 Peter 1:7, Psalm 66:10)
8. God has won every victory in Jesus. The only fight we’re required to engage in is the fight of faith (1 Timothy 4:2)
9. Testing of your faith produces steadfastness. (James 1:2-3)
10. If we mix doubt with faith, our prayers won’t work. (James 1:7-8)
11. It’s possible for our faith to be shipwrecked. (1 Timothy 1:19)
12. It’s our responsibility to test and examine ourselves to see if we’re in the faith. (2 Corinthians 13:5)
13. Faith is only alive when accompanied by works. (James 2:14-26)
14. Righteousness depends on faith. (Philippians 3:9)
15. We live by faith. (Romans 1:17)
16. We walk by faith not our natural sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7)
17. We receive the promise of the Holy Spirit by faith. (Galatians 3:1-14)
18. Faith is a shield that protects us from every scheme of the enemy. (Ephesians 6:16)
19. It’s not about the size of your faith, but its purity. (Luke 17:6, Matthew 21:21-22)
20. Your prayers will be answered when you ask in faith. (Matthew 21:22, James 4:1-10, Mark 11:24)
Faith was not a new idea in the New Testament. If you read Hebrews 11, the hall of faith heroes, you’ll find that everyone from Abel to Moses to Abraham to David lived by faith. However, our faith gives us access to our Father by the blood of Jesus which is something they did not have. Hebrews 11:39 says of our forefathers in the faith,
“All these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.”
The purpose of God in these last days is that His promises be fulfilled, in us. We were born for such a time as this, as part of the plan and purpose of God that began thousands of years ago. Faith comes by His Word, and we have enough ammunition in His Word for more than a mustard seed of faith (Mark 11:23-25). If there’s an obstacle in our lives, the problem isn’t that we don’t have enough faith! It’s that we need to eradicate doubt and fear and anything that keeps us from moving forward in the things for which we’re believing. God will always keep His promises. He’s exactly who He says He is. He’s never changed, and He never will. His delight is to bless us and do everything His Word says He will. All He’s asking of us is that we’ll stand on His Word, believe Him, and obey. As we enter 2023, let’s examine ourselves like Paul instructed. Let’s consume His Word and let our hearts be strengthened like they never have. Let’s believe God with pure, unadulterated faith for every promise He’s made. By faith in the power and goodness of God, we’ll see mountains moved, lives changed, families transformed, and nations shaken!
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