Hope for Healing, Faith for Living Podcast

Today we continue to talk about faith. 

Lets again look at Hebrews 11:6 

“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.”

Let’s also look at Hebrews 10:38

“but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back,

my soul has no pleasure in him.”

How do we get faith? 

Romans 10:17 “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”

We see that faith is connected to hearing the Word of God, the Word of Christ, the Message of Christ. They all are referring to the same thing. 

Faith is connected to hearing the Word and so living by faith is also connected to the Word.

The Word of God must be a priority in our life because it’s our source of faith and faith is how we live. Faith is how we live a life that is pleasing to God.

The Word of God, the message of Christ, the Gospel produces faith in those who will hear it and receive it.

Let’s look at Isaiah 55

6 “Seek the Lord while he may be found;

    call upon him while he is near;

7 let the wicked forsake his way,

    and the unrighteous man his thoughts;

let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him,

    and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

    neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.

9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

    so are my ways higher than your ways

    and my thoughts than your thoughts.

10 “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven

    and do not return there but water the earth,

making it bring forth and sprout,

    giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,

11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;

    it shall not return to me empty,

but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,

    and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

A few things I want to point out.

We are seek God and forsake our own way and our own thoughts. How do we do this? By the Word. 

Romans 12:2 says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

The Word of God reveals the Will of God and once we know the Will of God and receive it as the Will of God, the truth of God’s will, then faith can be produced in our lives.

That’s what the Word is sent forth to do and just like rain waters the earth bringing forth sprouts, so does the Word of God water our spirits bringing forth faith. His Word will produce faith in our hearts if we will receive it as the Word of God, revealing the will of God.

And it’s this Word produced faith in our hearts that we are to live by!

Now let me say something about the difference of belief and faith.

I can believe the weatherman when he says it will rain tomorrow. And that belief can influence my plans for tomorrow. So that’s one type of belief but it’s based on the circumstances. The weatherman is sharing what he believes based on weather patterns.

But then there’s believing God. That’s not based on the circumstances at all. It based simply on trusting God and what God says is his will. That type of believing is faith.  

Faith is based on knowing God’s will as revealed in his Word. Faith is believing God.

Ordinary believing is based on circumstances. 

Faith is knowing God’s will and taking hold of it even if it contradicts the circumstances because you believe God is faithful to watch over his Word to perform it.

Let’s look at James 5:14-15

14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.

Now in what we just read, what is the circumstances? A person is sick. And in this case it’s actually referring to a person who is sick past taking care of themselves and they have to call for the elders to come to them.

So what might we believe about this person if there was not God? 

That they may continue to get worse and die.

But, there is a God and has said of himself that he is the Lord our Healer, Exodus 15:26.

We see in God’s Word that Jesus, through his redemptive work, provided healing for us. 1 Peter 2:24.  

His Word says, “Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up.”

So for those who believe those things about God and God’s will, what should they believe about this person when elders of the church pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord and pray in faith?  They should believe the Lord will raise him up. That he will recover.

That belief is based on who God is, what Jesus has done and the revealed will of God. It’s believed to the point that it’s acted on and that’s faith.  It has nothing to do with the current condition of the person accept that the sick person has instructions for what to do to be well, to experience the healing power of God in their life.

How do we have the faith to believe this and take hold of it for ourselves? By reading in the Word that it’s so. That it is God’s will. 

Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God, which is the message of Jesus. 

Let’s commit to living a life of continued hearing God’s revealed will so that we can have faith to walk in his will.

Blessings,

Tim Dumas

www.hopeforhealingfaithforliving.com