IS YOUR FAITH A
FINISHED PRODUCT?
INTRODUCTION
If you can have
faith for the miracle-working power of God in your life and ministry, God can,
and He will use you to perform the miraculous.
“Now faith is
the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews
11:1.
True faith is of
the heart:
“ . . . if thou
shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart
that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”
“For with the
heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made
unto salvation.” Romans 10:9, 10.
“Looking unto
Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before
him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of
the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2
Jesus is the
“author” and the “finisher” of our faith. In Jesus we live, and move, and have
our being (Acts 17:28) so we should keep our eyes fastened upon Him, laying
aside every weight, and the sin which so easily besets us, and run with patience
the race that is set before us. (Hebrews 12:1.)
If you ever have
a supernatural ministry you are going to have to KEEP YOUR EYES ON JESUS. You
will have to keep your life and heart pure and clean. It is natural to sin, but
it is supernatural to live Godly.
“Follow peace
with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.” Hebrews
12:14.
“ . . . ye shall
be holy; for I am holy; . . .” Leviticus 11:44.
The continuos
cry of our hearts should be, “Lord, increase our faith.” IF WE WILL PAY THE
PRICE GOD REQUIRES OF US, HE WILL INCREASE OUR FAITH.
IS YOUR FAITH A
FINISHED PRODUCT?
Are you enjoying
ALL God has provided for you?
Do you want more
SUPERNATURAL blessing?
Let Christ be
the “Finisher of your faith!”
“Wherefore
seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us
lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us
run with patience the race that is set before us,”
“Looking unto
Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; . . .” Hebrews 12:1,2a.
You are in a
race. You must make a perfect score. You will never win this race by quitting
when you are half through. Seventy-five per cent isn’t enough. Ninety-nine and
one-half per cent isn’t enough. You are going to have to run all the way if you
come through shouting the victory.
YOU MUST KEEP
YOUR EYES ON JESUS! He is the AUTHOR and the FINISHER of your faith.
The disciples
were crossing the Sea of Galilee in a ship, and in the fourth watch of the
night, Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. When the disciples saw Him
walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “ . . . It is a spirit; and they
cried out for fear.” Matthew 14:26b. Jesus spoke to them, saying, “ . . . Be of
good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.” Matthew 14:27b. Peter spoke to Jesus and
told Him to bid him, Peter, to come unto Jesus on the water if he was really
Jesus. Jesus told Peter to come to Him. When Peter came down out of the ship, he
walked on the water to go to Jesus, but when he saw the wind was boisterous, “ .
. .he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.”
Matthew 14:30b.
Like Peter, as
soon as you take your eyes off Jesus, you are going to begin to sink, but if you
keep your eyes on Him, you will make it through. As long as Peter kept his eyes
on Jesus, he was doing the thing that, in the natural, is impossible to do. HE
WAS DOING AN UNNATURAL THING! When a natural man does something contrary to all
the laws of nature, THAT IS A MIRACLE!
We are natural,
but the supernatural, miracle working power of God can enable us to do
supernatural things through its operation. Keep looking to Jesus, the AUTHOR and
FINISHER of your faith.
In the last
course of this series of studies, I am sharing with you my experience of
receiving GOD’S MIRACLE WORKING POWER in my life and ministry. With it, a
sincere prayer in my heart for each of you - that you will be inspired to pay
the price God requires you to pay in order to have His MIRACLE WORKING POWER
FLOWING FREELY THROUGH YOUR LIFE AND MINISTRY. There IS A PRICE TO PAY, and in
the course, “GO YE!” - EVERY BELIEVER AND EXHORTER AND ABLE MINISTER, I have put
forth a special effort to open my heart to all of you and share with you the
secret of getting God’s power into your own hearts and lives. The harvest is
ready --- the golden sheaves are falling --- I can’t gather in the whitened
harvest alone --- recruits are sorely needed if the job gets done before “ . . .
the night cometh, when no man can work.” John 9:4b.
It is not a
natural thing for a man to get a new lung after his lung has been removed by
surgery--or to receive new eyes after his first eyes have been removed--or to
suddenly rise and walk after having been confined to a wheel chair for twenty
years. It is not natural, when a man is dying a natural death, for God to touch
him and raise him up; BUT THESE THINGS ARE TAKING PLACE IN MY MEETINGS AROUND
THE WORLD. Preacher, Layman, if the power of God ever works in your life and
ministry, YOU WILL PAY THE PRICE TO GET IT JUST AS I DID, AND AS OTHERS HAVE
PAID THE PRICE TO GET IT! MAKE UP YOUR MIND TO FAST AND PRAY UNTIL YOU HEAR FROM
HEAVEN---THEN PAY THE PRICE GOD ASKS YOU TO PAY FOR HIS POWER TO FLOW FREELY
THROUGH YOU!
These miracles
take more than natural faith. THERE IS MORE THAN ONE KIND OF FAITH! There is
what you might call “natural faith,” based upon sight and experience, or a
natural hope. Then, there is “supernatural faith”, that comes directly from God.
You can get that kind of faith from God, for He is THE AUTHOR AND THE FINISHER
OF YOUR FAITH! Remember --- YOU CAN LOSE THIS FAITH UNLESS YOU LET HIM BE THE
FINISHER! If you accomplish the things God is expecting you to do, YOU WILL HAVE
TO HAVE SUPERNATURAL FAITH IN ORDER TO WALK IN A SUPERNATURAL REALM!
As long as Peter
kept his supernatural faith, and kept looking to Jesus, HE DID A SUPERNATURAL
THING AS HE WALKED ON WATER! You may say these things were only done in Bible
days --- WE ARE STILL LIVING IN BIBLE DAYS. We are serving the same God. The
Bible tells us He is “ . . . the same yesterday, and today, and forever.”
Hebrews 13:8b. God never changes --- what God has done, He can do again, and
will do in the future. Peter was just a man, subject to the same temptations,
the same doubts and fears, the same passions as you are. He was a natural man;
yet he was doing a supernatural thing!
God will give
you supernatural faith. He will enable you to do what the natural man can never
do, AS LONG AS YOU KEEP YOUR EYES ON JESUS AND PAY THE PRICE GOD ASKS YOU TO PAY
TO GET HIS FAITH! KEEP YOUR EYES ON JESUS, AND YOU WILL NEVER SINK! YOU WILL
NEVER GO DOWN! YOUR FAITH WILL HOLD YOU UP!
If you ever have
a supernatural ministry --- a ministry of the miraculous, you are going to have
to keep your eyes on Jesus. It is natural for people to talk. Men can “preach”
without even a touch of the supernatural being manifested in his ministry, but
it takes the POWER OF GOD TO DO MIRACLES! If you ever have a supernatural
ministry --- able to heal the sick, perform miracles, cast out devils, and break
the yokes of bondage that bind the people --- and then take your eyes off Jesus,
YOU WILL BEGIN TO SINK JUST AS PETER DID. He cried, “ . . . Lord, save me.”
Matthew 14:30b. Should you ever begin to sink, may God give you enough grace to
make a comeback --- Satan will NEVER let you alone --- he will destroy you if he
can do so --- may you have the grace to reach up and find Jesus again, and get
your eyes back on Him. As surely as you do, He will lift you out of the waters.
Have you ever felt the waters of defeat folding in around you, when you didn’t know which way to turn or what to do?
Of course you
might try swimming --- doing the best you can in your own weak, natural way. But
as you look you can see it is a long way to shore and the waters are stormy, and
you are far short of having done what you set out to do --- of doing what Jesus
did! It would have been better to have “stayed in the boat”, like the rest who
never reached out for a supernatural ministry, than to be out there in the water
without the power of God for a miracle!
You don’t have
to “sink or swim.” You can LOOK UNTO JESUS, THE AUTHOR AND FINISHER OF YOUR
FAITH!
Jesus is the one
who started your faith. You couldn’t even have faith enough for your salvation
all by yourself. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of
yourselves: it is the gift of God:” Ephesians 2:8. God started your faith, and
what He started, He will finish --- IF YOU WILL ALLOW HIM TO DO SO!
Lay aside every
sin, every hindrance, and run the race with patience. “ . . . let us lay aside
every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with
patience the race that is set before us,” Hebrews 12:1b.
If you confess
that you have little faith, or no faith, you are really confessing that you are
not pleasing God, for the Word says, “ . . . without faith it is impossible to
please him: . . .” Hebrews 11:6a.
I believe every
one of us ought to have enough faith, so that when the table is set, the fatted
calf has been roasted just right, and the Father has asked us to sit down and
partake to the full of all the good things of God, WE SHOULD SIT DOWN AND EAT.
There is something wrong with us if we do not sit down at God’s table and
partake of the good things of God.
We can partake
of the things God has set before us and bring honor to His Name, or we can be
like the brother of the prodigal son, who refused to come in to the feast his
father had prepared for his brother to celebrate his “being found again.” He
told his father he had stayed at home and worked hard, kept his father’s
commandments, feared his laws, and had not wasted his substance in riotous
living, while his brother had been away all this time, spending all he had in
riotous living. Now, the brother is home, and his father has killed the fatted
calf for him, but had never even killed a kid for him so that he could make
merry with his friends. SO HE JUST WOULD NOT GO IN TO THE FEAST.
This son who
refused to sit down at his father’s table missed the blessing he could have had.
Even though the father entreated him to come in, he angrily refused. He acted
like one of these self-righteous, “holier-than-thou”, super-religious persons,
who has never strayed away from God.
The prodigal son repented of his wayward-living and confessed his sins to his father --- “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.” Luke 15:21b. The father told his servants to bring the best robe and put it on him, and to put a ring on his finger, and shoes on his feet.
“And bring
hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: For this my
son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found...” Luke 15:23, 24a.
The prodigal son truly repented, accepted his father’s forgiveness for his sins, sat down at the table, and again got the blessing in his soul.
COME ON,
PREACHERS! The “fatted calf” is on the main table in the dining room. THE
MERRY-MAKING IS ON! COME ON AND BRING YOUR FRIENDS --- THERE IS ENOUGH FOR ALL
OF YOU! Get every sin out of your life, get God’s forgiveness, sit down at His
table with rejoicing, partake to the uttermost of the good things He has
prepared for you, then go forth in the strength thereof to do mighty exploits
for God!
The one that is
going to hell is that one who will not come in and sit down at the table with
his repentant brother. A prodigal, even after having been deeply in sin but who
has thoroughly repented, will stand a better chance of getting to heaven than
will that deeply religious, highly respected fellow, whose heart is full of sin
because there is no love in his heart and no fellowship in his spirit.
The world is
full of religious people who are not putting their feet under the Father’s
table. They are so-called “believers”, but they are not eating, because the
Father has set only ONE table and they won’t have fellowship with those at the
table. God is preparing only ONE heaven for all of us. If you refuse to sit at
the ONE table He has set, you will not be prepared for heaven --- YOU ARE GOING
TO MISS HEAVEN. You are hurting yourself. You will never get anything from God.
Move in and let God prepare you to do the work He wants you to do here on earth.
Sit down at the
Father’s table and start eating --- don’t be looking around to see who is
sitting across the table from you --- IF YOU LOOK AT ANY ONE, LOOK AT JESUS!
With every bite you take you will lose some more of your pride and begin to
enjoy more and more the rich fellowship of God’s children who are eating there
at the Father’s table with you.
Do not try to pick out what you want to eat --- EAT EVERYTHING GOD GIVES YOU TO
EAT --- LET HIM FILL YOUR PLATE.
If God selects the food you should have, it will make you strong to run in the
race. You will have the endurance He knows you need to run with patience the
race that He has set before you. Eat what He gives you to eat ---- keep your
eyes fastened on Him -- AND LISTEN TO WHAT HE SAYS TO YOU --- THEN OBEY HIM AND
DO IT! In 1 Samuel 15:22, we read, “ . . .Behold, to obey is better than
sacrifice, . . .”
“And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it . . .” Isaiah 35:8a.
You can’t run on that highway unless your life and your heart are clean.
It is natural to
sin, but it is supernatural to live Godly.
It is natural to
be afraid, when things look like they are going wrong, or when things are
different from what is naturally expected. It is supernatural to have such
abiding trust in God that there is no fear. The only way to have this abiding
trust in God IS TO HAVE PERFECT LOVE FOR GOD.
“There is no
fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He
that feareth is not made perfect in love.” 1 John 4:18.
It is not even
an unnatural thing to hesitate, lose faith, and become fearful after you have
already started experiencing the supernatural in your life. However, having
already started out, if you then start looking at the storm -- thinking about
the water being so deep and tempestuous — reasoning about how unnatural it is
for you to walk upon the turbulent water -- YOUR EYES ARE OFF JESUS, AND YOU
WILL BEGIN TO SINK!
Christ is the
author of your faith. He has started you on the road of faith. Everything you
have had from Him HAS BEEN BY FAITH. Everything you have ever done as a
Christian has been done by faith. Perhaps you have started well, but if you are
to know Him as the FINISHER of your faith, you are going to have to walk with
Him DAILY, and not only TALK TO HIM BUT LET HIM TALK TO YOU. Lay aside the sins
that so easily beset you, AND LIVE IN PERFECT OBEDIENCE TO HIM.
“ . . . ye shall
be holy; for I am holy; . . .” Leviticus 11:44
“Follow peace
with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.” Hebrews
12:14.
If you would win
in the race set before you, YOU MUST BE HOLY. This is what it is going to take
to win the race. It is good to start out with Christ as the author of your
faith, but you will not win the prize until your faith is a FINISHED PRODUCT.
(The foregoing
is a chapter taken from one of my books, MIRACLE SERMONS, Series No. 2.)
ABSOLUTE
NECESSITY OF FAITH
“Now faith is
the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews
11:1.
“Jesus saith
unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are
they that have not seen, and yet have believed.” John 20:29.
Thomas, one of
the twelve disciples, had remarked to the other disciples that he would not
believe they had seen Jesus alive again unless he saw “ . . . . in his hands the
print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my
hand into his side, I will not believe.” John 20:25.
“In the
beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John
1:1.
“All things were
made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.” John 1:3.
“And the Word
was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of
the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” John 1:14.
“ . . .think
soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” Romans
12:3b.
God has dealt to
every man a measure of faith. We have only to look about us at the trees, grass,
animals, and people in order to know that there has to be a creator. Then, we
know that there was a creator in the beginning---trees come from trees, grass
comes from grass, animals give birth to animals, and children are born into the
world. BUT THERE HAD TO BE A BEGINNING OF ALL THESE THINGS, and it isn’t
difficult for us to believe that in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God (John 1:1). It isn’t difficult to believe that
all things were made by God (John 1:3), and we believe the Word was made flesh
and dwelt on earth as a man (John 1:14). These things we readily believe, BUT WE
NEED TO HAVE OUR FAITH INCREASED!
“And the
apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.” Luke 17:5.
As Christians,
our faith should keep increasing. As we keep our feet under the Father’s table,
eating the food He sets before us, listening to what He says to us, and keep
obeying Him, HE WILL GIVE US HIS FAITH IN AN EVER INCREASING AMOUNT!
“So then faith
cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 10:17.
“And many other
signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in
this book: . . . these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the
Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”
John 20:30,31.
“Neither pray I
for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their
word;” John 17:20.
“And when there
had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye
know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my
mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.” Acts 15:7.
We are told in
Romans 10:17 that faith cometh by hearing the word of God. Our faith is
increased as we read the written testimonies of Christ’s disciples. Jesus said,
“Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me
through their (disciples’) word;” John 17:20. In Acts 15:7 we are told that our
faith is increased by hearing the gospel.
“ . . . thy
faith hath made thee whole; . . .” Mark 5:34.
“ . . .
According to your faith be it unto you.” Matthew 9:29b.
“ . . . as thou
hast believed, so be it done unto thee. . . .” Matthew 8:13.
“ . . . let him
ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea
driven with the wind and tossed. . . . let not that man think that he shall
receive anything of the Lord.” James 1:6, 7.
A certain woman
(Mark 5:25-34) had an issue of blood twelve years. This woman had suffered many
things of many physicians, had spent all she had, but instead of getting better,
she grew worse. When she heard of Jesus, she felt if she could only touch his
clothes she would be made whole. She pressed through the throng of people around
Jesus and managed just to touch His garment, and was immediately made whole. HER
FAITH HAD MADE HER WHOLE! Jesus said, “ . .
. Daughter, thy
faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.” Mark 5:34.
At another time
(Matthew 9:27), two blind men came to Jesus for healing. He touched their eyes
and they were opened. As Jesus touched their eyes He said, “ . . .
According to
your faith be it unto you.” Matthew 9:29b. Their faith, in cooperation with the
power of God through Jesus Christ, brought their healing.
In Capernaum, a
centurion came to Jesus beseeching Him to heal his servant who was sick with
palsy and tormented. Jesus offered to go with the centurion and heal the
servant, but the centurion said, “ . . . Lord, I am not worthy that thou
shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant will be
healed.” Matthew 8:8. Jesus marvelled at this man’s faith, and said, “ . . .I
have not found so great faith, . . . in Israel.” Matthew 8:10. He told the
centurion that as he believed it would be done unto him. The servant was healed
in the same hour.
All the promises
of God are conditioned upon faith. THERE IS NO OTHER WAY TO RECEIVE ANYTHING
FROM GOD! James states this fact in the plainest possible language. “Let him ASK
IN FAITH, NOTHING WAVERING. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea
driven with the wind and tossed . . . let not that man think that he shall
receive anything of the Lord.” James 1:6, 7.
Faith is an absolute necessity before one can receive anything from the Lord.
Many have a
mistaken idea today, that since many are exercising the gifts of healing and
miracles, all that is needed is to get into one of these meetings where the
gifts are being exercised, and that they will be healed, without necessity of
faith on their part. They think that the gift of healing will take the place of
their own faith in God. This is unscriptural! The gift of healing WILL NOT take
the place of your own faith in God.
There is no
doubt that Christ exercised ALL the gifts of the Spirit, including healings and
miracles. Yet, when He went to Nazareth, “ . . . he could there do no mighty
work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. . . .
he marvelled because of their unbelief. . . . he went round about the villages,
teaching.” Mark 6:5,6.
Paul met a
certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet. Steadfastly beholding him, and
perceiving that the man had faith to be healed, Paul said with a loud voice, “ .
. . Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked.” Acts 14:10.
When Jesus
healed the woman of Mark 5:25-34, he said, “Thy faith hath made thee whole.” To
the blind men who came to Him for healing in Matthew 9:29b, He said, “According
to your faith so be it done unto you.” Paul perceived that the impotent man had
faith for his healing, and he spoke the word and the man was healed.
Student, pay the
price to have God’s faith --- be sure your faith is increasing. How marvelous a
privilege it is today to be able to attend meetings where God’s anointed
preachers are bringing deliverance in the name of Jesus, BUT WHAT ABOUT YOU?
WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO BRING DELIVERANCE TO THE PEOPLE? ARE YOU PAYING THE PRICE
TO BE A DELIVERANCE PREACHER?
If Jesus conducted deliverance meetings today, He would no doubt say to people as in the days of old, “THY FAITH HATH MADE THEE WHOLE !“ Many confess that they do not have much faith and wonder if it isn’t possible for them to be healed through the faith of some other person. I have had many people tell me they have no faith and want to know if they can be healed through my faith.
The Scripture
states that, “ . . . The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth
much,” James 5:16b, but GOD’S GUARANTEE is to those who themselves have faith!
If a person received healing without having faith himself, it would certainly be
an exception and not the rule laid down in God’s Word.
A person might
be healed through another’s faith, BUT HOW WOULD THAT PERSON KEEP HIS HEALING?
Faith is necessary, not only to receive healing, but to retain that healing, for
Satan is not easily defeated. Almost without exception, when a person is healed,
he will immediately be attacked by Satan, in an attempt to snatch from him the
gift God has given. Student, learn this well --- IF A PERSON DEPENDED UPON YOUR
FAITH FOR HEALING, SATAN WOULD ONLY HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL YOU ARE NOT PRESENT TO
FIND THAT FAITHLESS PERSON UTTERLY DEFENSELESS, AND TAKE THAT HEALING FROM HIM!
This is the reason many are suffering from diseases from which they had once
been healed.
Whether you are
a pastor or an evangelist, REMEMBER IT IS IMPORTANT TO TEACH THE PEOPLE HOW TO
KEEP THEIR HEALING. If they lose it, they become discouraged and even doubt that
they were healed. This might even cause YOU to doubt their healing.
(ABSOLUTE
NECESSITY OF FAITH, is a chapter taken from my book, GOD’S GUARANTEE TO HEAL
YOU.)
Student, pay the
price God requires you to pay to have His faith, and you WILL have the
miracle-working power of God in your life and ministry. If you will pay the
price God WILL give you His faith -- WITH GOD’S FAITH GOD’S POWER WILL FLOW
THROUGH YOUR LIFE TO BRING DELIVERANCE TO THE PEOPLE AND TO SET THE CAPTIVES
FREE --- GOD CAN AND WILL USE YOU TO DO THE MIRACULOUS.
REMEMBER --- GOD
IS NOT ONLY THE AUTHOR OF YOUR FAITH, BUT HE IS THE FINISHER OF YOUR FAITH AS
WELL. THERE IS NO PLACE TO STOP IN THIS RACE WHICH HAS BEEN SET BEFORE YOU. THE
PRIZE IS AT THE END OF THE RACE --- KEEP YOUR EYES ON JESUS FOR HE HOLDS THE
PRIZE. IN JESUS WE LIVE, AND MOVE, AND HAVE OUR BEING. SATAN WILL ALWAYS BE ON
HAND TO WEIGHT YOU DOWN WITH SIN, BUT THROW THESE WEIGHTS OFF AND KEEP RUNNING
FOR JESUS.
RECOMMENDED
MEMORY WORK FOR THIS LESSON
Hebrews 12:1, 2
1 John 4:18 John 20:29
John 9:4 Hebrews
12:14 Romans 10:17
Isaiah 35:8
Hebrews 11:1 James 1:6, 7
1 Samuel 15:22
