We need to be proficient in our part to play in faith.
Believing is our part – power is God’s part.
Jude 1:3 NKJV Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.
Earnestly – shows an interest and commitment level to maintaining our faith foundation
Stay away from anything that is a detriment or has a negative impact on your faith. Negative thinking, negative preaching… Stay with what the Word says!
We are to inspect our faith foundation.
2 Corinthians 13:5 NKJV (5) Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.
2 Corinthians 13:5 AMPC Examine and test and evaluate your own selves to see whether you are holding to your faith and showing the proper fruits of it. Test and prove yourselves [not Christ]. Do you not yourselves realize and know [thoroughly by an ever-increasing experience] that Jesus Christ is in you–unless you are [counterfeits] disapproved on trial and rejected?
What are we looking for when we examine ourselves? Unforgiveness, unbelief, bitterness, strife, worry, etc.
Romans 4:17 NKJV (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;
God made Abraham something before Abraham saw anything.
In God’s plan, He authored something before this realm revealed what He authored.
Take hold of what God has authored in you even though it may not be revealed in this seen realm.
Romans 4:18 NKJV who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “SO SHALL YOUR DESCENDANTS BE.”
God had already made Abraham the father of many nations, but it was going to take Abraham’s faith for him to become what God had made him.
By faith we enter into what God’s plan has authored for us.
Romans 4:18 NKJV who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “SO SHALL YOUR DESCENDANTS BE.”
You can become what God has already spoken over you both generally and specifically.
There are general terms of the covenant that belong to all of God’s people, but there are also specifics which only apply to you!
We must get with God and find out the plan the He authored for us specifically.
Romans 4:17 NKJV (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;
Saying what God has said is giving Him permission to bring it to pass in your life.
Calls – (Kaleo) – To call to someone in order that he may come or go somewhere; generally to call in some way, send for, direct to come; To call authoritatively, to call forth, summon, e.g., before a judge
Romans 4:17 AMPC As it is written, I have made you the father of many nations. [He was appointed our father] in the sight of God in Whom he believed, Who gives life to the dead and speaks of the nonexistent things that [He has foretold and promised] as if they [already] existed. [Gen_17:5]
It can come to pass in this realm because it already exists in God’s realm.
Faith is calling those things that have no shown up in this realm as though they are already completed in that realm.
The plan of God is completed in His realm. What Jesus has already paid for is already completed in that realm.
Your words transfer things from one realm over to another realm. Your calling takes what is over in God’s realm and gives it entrance into this seen realm.
God’s power does the work but our words give it entrance into this realm.
Abraham did not work it; he gave words for God’s power to fill.
Faith is released by your words and by your actions.
Hebrews 4:3 AMPC For we who have believed (adhered to and trusted in and relied on God) do enter that rest, in accordance with His declaration that those [who did not believe] should not enter when He said, As I swore in My wrath, They shall not enter My rest; and this He said although [His] works had been completed and prepared [and waiting for all who would believe] from the foundation of the world. [Psa_95:11]
1 Corinthians 2:9-10 NKJV (9) But as it is written: “EYE HAS NOT SEEN, NOR EAR HEARD, NOR HAVE ENTERED INTO THE HEART OF MAN THE THINGS WHICH GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM.” (10) But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.
God has prepared these things, but they are not automatic; they must be received and transferred by faith.
Ephesians 2:10 AMPC For we are God’s [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live].
These things are prepared and waiting for your CALL.
When you pray about your situation is not the moment when God begins to work a plan. He has already done it and it is complete and prepared.
If we don’t call it, what He has prepared goes unclaimed.
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God wants us to live out of His realm with His realm dominating our lives and not the natural realm dominating our lives. We are spirit beings called to live out of that realm.
God tells us what is completed and He sees in that realm because He knows we cannot see into that realm. Therefore, we must trust what He sees and says about that realm.
We trust what He says about the truth of that realm.
Whatever is dead, God’s power can make it alive again by His quickening power.
Abraham was so convinced that God would raise up Isaac after he had been sacrificed.
Hebrews 11:17-19 NKJV By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, (18) of whom it was said, “IN ISAAC YOUR SEED SHALL BE CALLED,” (19) concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense.
Abraham had never seen anyone raised from the dead but He believed God could do and He would in order for the declaration of God to be carried out.
Romans 4:19-21 NKJV And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. (20) He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, (21) and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.
Abraham was not weak in faith – meaning he was strong in faith.
- He did not consider the circumstances that were contrary to what God had said.
Consider – think carefully about (something), typically before making a decision; think about and be drawn toward (a course of action); regard (someone or something) as having a specified quality
Abraham did not pretend the circumstances did not exist, he just did not give them any thought.
He did not take counsel with his physical body.
Abraham was not calendar and clock ruled.
- He did not waver in the promise through unbelief
Waver – be undecided between two opinions or courses of action; be irresolute; become unsteady or unreliable
Abraham was all in – in it to win it.
- He was strengthened in his faith because he gave glory to God.
Strengthened – from the Greek endunamoo – to be made strong like Samsom was made strong. This implies that there is something that happens when we give glory to God.
- He became fully convinced that what God had promised, He was able to perform.
Convinced – completely certain about something; firm in one’s belief with regard to a particular cause or issue.