Overcome-the-World Faith - How to Believe

Sure Hebrews 6 Foundation doctrines: Repentance from dead works and faith toward God.

Change the channel.  I was going to the library and I repented and went to the store.  Repentance is a change in the mind that changes our outward direction.  If the first foundation stone is repentance,  turning away from dead works, what is the new direction, the new channel to which we turn?  Hebrews 6:1 says "Faith toward God."  What does this entail and how do we get this? 

Faith or belief is a heart matter.  Romans 10 points out that "we believe in our heart that God raised Jesus from the dead" and are justified.  A simple definition is a play on words: just-as-if-I'd-never sinned.  You believe that the resurrection of Jesus proves He paid it all for you and you are free.  But in the natural, you have to know something about a person's character, expertise, and wisdom before you believe  in your heart what the person says is true.  Good news:: you can trust Jesus.  Jesus  never lied (He is the truth,),  He created all things so He knows every detail, and He is love and because of His perfect love He willingly laid His life down for you. The central truth that your heart needs to embrace is that God loves you so much that He sent His Son Jesus to die for you, in your place since your sin deserved death.  Believe  that through His death and resurrection He completely overcame all the consequences of sin, not just in a general way, but personally in your life.  You are free of all sin's consequences such as guilt, sickness, and death.  Even though it sounds too good to be true, that He would care so much for you, you can trust Jesus and believe what He has done for you in your heart.  Will you receive His love right now, not because you deserve it, but because He is so good and merciful? 

There is a second part of faith.  Romans 10 states that we believe in our heart and are justified, we confess with our lips and are saved.  Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. Faith is spoken,, "I believed and therefore I spoke." (2 Corinthians 4:13)  Death and life are in the power of the tongue. Speak life.

In the world our natural man says "when I see it I will believe it." This is false believing or faith.  True faith is believing before you see it.  Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1).   How important is knowing and applying this truth about faith? Hebrews 11:6 points out "without faith it is impossible to please God."  Likewise, in Galatians 3:11, it states that "the just live by faith."  On the other hand, in Romans 14:23, the Word states that "whatever is not from faith is sin."  Therefore, faith is essential.  Our whole life, everything we do, is to be built on faith.  The good news is that according to 1 John 5:4 "For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith.?  Through faith we walk in victory.

Sometimes we know God is good and His Word is true, but we admit that we just don't have faith, or enough faith.  Let me share an illustration that I do with my high school students. First, I have one of my weight-lifting boys stand up and flex his muscles.  Then I stand up and flex my "mighty" muscles, and ask who has more muscles.  They laugh, of course.  However, I point out that we have the same number of muscles, just that his are more developed.  Transitioning this  to understanding faith, Romans 12:3 declares that "God has dealt to each one a measure of faith." (May I suggest even stronger that it is a measure of the God faith - a study beyond this post.)  We all have the same measure of faith. 

Two truths about growing in faith, or what Scripture calls "ever increasing faith." 1) Faith comes by hearing, and hearing the Word of Christ.   Since faith "comes" it is up to us to do what is necessary to get it, namely, read, meditate, hear the Word of God. 2) Faith grows as we are faithful in using what we have, faith begets faith, as mature believers have their faculties "trained by practice" (Hebrews 5:14).  Recently I heard the testimony of a lady diagnosed with lymph cancer.  Her friends encouraged her to research the subject and learn all the details about this disease.  She decided instead, to research what the Word of God says about healing.  She began a verse by verse study of what God declares about being the God who heals, about the stripes of Jesus, and studied the examples in the Word where people were healed.  Faith came and she began to declare whatever the Word said whenever the symptoms surfaced, and just like Abraham, glorified and thanked God that He was faithful to do what He said.  Today she is cancer free.  Her faith overcame the world. 

One more caution, that actually is a blessing, to consider.  Faith will be tested.  However, don't let the testing frighten you, because God's ultimate purpose is to make us complete, lacking nothing.  Notice this truth in James 1:3-4, "knowing that the testing of your faith produces [patience.  But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect  and complete, lacking nothing."   Not only will this testing cause us to mature, but the standing strong in faith during trials glorifies God, "that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 1:7)  God receives praise, glory, and honor as you stand in faith and let God overcome in you. Compare this with Jesus' words in John 15:7-8, "If you abide in Me, and My Word abides in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.  By this My father is glorified...   So be of good cheer, Jesus has overcome the world, and by faith, you are able to overcome. through His victory.  Therefore, just as Jesus told the man with the sick (and dying) daughter, "Fear not, only believe.", we are also instructed to stand firm on this foundation stone, faith toward God, which honors God for who He is and all He has done for us.  

Holy Spirit, strengthen my inner man with might so that I know that Christ dwells in my heart, and I am unashamed to believe in my heart and declare with my lips who He is and what He has done for me, to the glory of God. .As I dwell on Your Word, cause faith to come and be the foundation of all I am and do.