That is the way most Christians are when it comes to faith. We offer up to God what we thing and have been taught is faith, but do not get the response we expect because our definition of faith is not the same as His. It is not Bible Faith. So, the Spirit of the Lord said to me earnestly, “Son, I want you to examine yourself.” As I began to do so, I saw some areas where I was absolutely in faith and other areas where I had let my faith slip or had missed the mark due to faulty definition of what faith is.
It is important that we understand God’s definition of faith because although God is not a legalist, Satan is. God is not sitting in Heaven checking things off a list, “Check, check, check, okay, I can give it to you, “but the Devil is. God is righteous and He will not allow the adversary to accuse Him or call Him a liar. Because God’s Word says, “the just shall live by faith," God has restrained Himself by His Word from acting on behalf of the just unless the just live this way: by faith as His Word defines it. If the just do not meet the criteria or standard set forth in God’s Word, but he still gives them what they are believing for, the adversary can accuse God of lying – and God will not allow that. His Word says, “God is not a man, that He should lie” (Numbers 23:19). So, we must learn what Bible Faith is (what God says faith is), and walk by that standard. When you do, you will beat the devil in every area of your life.
Jesus said in Luke 10:19, “I give you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing shall by any means hurt you” (KJV, emphasis added). The Bible also says that, “We walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7, emphasis added). To tread is to walk, so if Jesus says, “I give you power to tread,” what He is telling you is that the power to tread is the walk of faith. Bible Faith gives you power. When you learn to walk by Bible Faith - not religious faith – then you will tread on serpents and scorpions.
To find out what God means when He says “faith,” we must go to the second chapter in the Book of James.
What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also, faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead (James 2:14-17, emphasis added)
In James, the word faith is the Greek word pistis, which means “conviction or persuasion.” In other words, pistis means to be convicted or persuaded about something. The word works in James chapter 2, is the Greek word ergon. This is the word from which we get the English word energy. The Greek word ergon means “corresponding action.” A corresponding action is an action that responds to your conviction, your persuasion, or what you say you believe. And so, if we insert these terms – “Conviction” or “persuasion” and “corresponding action” – where we see the words faith and works in James 2, we have the beginning of our working definition of faith. For example, replacing faith and works with our working definition as we continue in James chapter 2 reads:
What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has [conviction or persuasion] but does not have [corresponding action]? Can [conviction or persuasion] save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also, [conviction or persuasion] by itself, if it does not have [corresponding action], is dead (James 2:14-17).
James 2:14-17 tells us that faith can be living or dead. Because if there is such a thing as “dead faith,” there has to be such a thing as “living faith.” Faith can be dead because it has no works – no corresponding action. Living faith is conviction or persuasion plus corresponding action. This distinction between living and dead faith is very important. Every place the Bible refers to faith in the New Covenant, God is talking about living faith. The Bible is never talking about dead faith when it is talking about faith.
Notes to Remember
"Believing is not faith. And faith is not merely believing."
"Bible Faith releases divine energy in your situation."
"Believing is not faith. And faith is not merely believing."
"Bible Faith releases divine energy in your situation."
