When God reaches toward us with the gift of eternal life, it’s called grace. When we reach out and receive this gift, it’s called faith. By believing something, by trusting that it’s true, we are simply receiving the gift of grace God offers. Jesus stated that we should have faith that moves mountains.
Jesus told his disciples to have faith in God. God is the object of our faith. God’s Word is called “the word of faith.” Faith is based on facts – facts found in God’s Word. No matter what the circumstance – no matter what has happened in your life – God’s Word has something to say on the subject. “All the promises of God in Christ are yea and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.” The word of faith should be near you. You should hide it in your heart and speak it with your mouth. It produces mountain moving faith and faith changes things.
By Grace through Faith
“For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is a gift of God.” Notice that the faith you are saved by is “not of yourselves.” Most importantly, it’s not a natural human faith. It’s a gift of God! The Bible tells us that “God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” All believers have faith. The Bible says they do! God’s Word is God speaking. God and His Word are one. All believers started off equally with the measure of faith after they are born again. Your measure of faith can be increased – it can grow. But you are the one who increases it – not God! Your measure of faith can be increase by doing these two things:
- Feeding it on the Word of God.
- Exercising it by putting it into practice.
Jesus told his disciples after hearing the centurion say “speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.” “that I have not found so GREAT faith, no not in Israel.” Therefore it is possible for a person to develop great faith. On the other hand, an example of little faith is seen when Peter began to sink after having walked on the water. Jesus rebuked Peter, saying, “O thou of LITTLE faith wherefore didn’t thou doubt?” More importantly, if faith can be great, and faith can be little, then faith is measurable.
Faith – of the Heart
God demands faith of us. The Bible tells us “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must Believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” God places in our hands the means where by faith can be produced. The responsibility is up to us as to whether we have faith or not. God has given us His Word, and He has told us that “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
Faith – real faith, Bible faith, scriptural faith – is of the heart, not the head. “For with the heart man believeth.” When God speaks of man’s “heart.” He is speaking about the main part of man – the very center of man’s being – his spirit! God says that the heart is a man – a hidden man. That is the hidden man is hidden to the physical senses. He is the “inward man,” from our spirit. You are a spirit, you have a soul and you live in a body. Faith is not of the head, Faith is not of the body. Faith is of the heart!
Proverbs tells us “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” Your own understanding is simply your own mental processes – your own human thinking. Faith will work in your heart with doubt in your head! Jesus didn’t say, “and shall not doubt in his head.” Jesus said, “and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe.” It’s heart faith that gets the job done – not head faith. Do you ever have trouble with your head? Just trust in the Lord with all your heart (not your head), and lean not unto your own understanding!