How many times have we all heard fellow brethren say, “Well, I guess I just don’t have enough faith for that (whatever the “that” is).” The manner in which it was said implies that the speaker feels deficient in the manifestation of “faith”. Perhaps, if carried a bit further, the implication is: that if the believer would just have a little more strength of will, then there would be enough “faith” for it to work – that is, the thing sought after would then materialize into being. An illustration of this approach could be someone saying, “Oh, have you heard: she didn’t get her healing; I guess the poor thing didn’t have ‘enough’ faith!”
For years that was my understanding of the working of faith, especially after reading Jesus’ words like, “oh ye of little faith,” thus perhaps indicating the involvement of an insufficient quantity of faith. That then was my conclusion; but biblically speaking, I was in error. From this posture then, it is my purpose to try to show in this writing what it was our Lord has in mind for the proper working of faith.
As the maturing believer comes to know, each of our Lord’s children is given a “measure” of faith (Romans 12:3) with his new birth experience upon coming into the Kingdom. Further, Scripture tells us that, “Without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6). In fact, the believer cannot even live without faith: four times the Scriptures declare: “The righteous shall live by faith” (Habakkuk 2:4; Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11; and Hebrews 10:38, NIV). In like manner, the Lord taught the children of Israel through Moses that “…that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord” (Deuteronomy 8:3b). From this passage, the source of life comes in by what God says to man.
Generally, the accepted definition of faith most quoted is found in the King James Version of Hebrews 11:1: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (emphasis mine). For the modern reader, this version may not be very clear without an understanding of seventeenth century language and culture. Perhaps a clearer translation would be: “Now faith is the assurance of things being anticipated; the certainty of things not yet manifested”, (NIV). Or as in the ESV: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen”.
Said another way, “Assurance/substance” is taking God at His Word from the Spiritual Realm/Kingdom: that is, gaining an insight and a knowing into what He wants to achieve in the world. The believer then trusts Him in His integrity and creative power to bring about the revealed thing into being. Simply put, faith is trust – trusting God in His Word and His ability to manifest it.
To avoid confusion between the two words “faith” and “hope”, it is important to recognize that faith/trust always occurs in the present – the now. Whereas hope, on the other hand, always anticipates the future and is a confident expectation of good – a steady, persistent, confident optimism about what is going happen. These two words are foundational beliefs for the child of God.
The question then arises: how does the believer apply faith; how does it really work? A good source for answering that is found in Romans 10:17 (ESV):
"So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ".
A literal translation from the Greek of this verse would be:“Then faith (is) from hearing, and the hearing through a specific word of The Anointed One” (usually from the Spirit of Christ living within the believer, although God can even communicate audibly). God speaks a personal word to the individual, and then the Holy Spirit quickens it to his hearing.
To be in a position to hear, the disciple/believer must have his “antenna up” and be attentive to the Spirit in order to receive a “rhema” (i.e., Greek for a specific, spoken word) from His Lord. In other words, faith is the act of receiving a specific word from the Spirit – really trusting in what was heard – and then acting in obedience to claim it. This then is the “m.o.” or “the doing” of the hearing.
The basic word for “word” in the Greek is logos, meaning the general revelation, and unchanging, eternal counsel of God. Jesus Himself is that Word (see John 1:1) – the logos. As He chooses, God gives the believer a rhema out of the logos, the eternal counsel of God and directs it to the individual as a spoken word.
Of course, the Lord Himself may initiate a spoken word through many means directly to the listener’s spirit such as dreams, visions, intuition, a word of knowledge, or through a preacher in the pulpit. The Apostle Paul assures us these are “... things spiritually discerned”, and for that reason “The spiritual man makes judgments all things”.... For we have the mind of Christ” (1Corinthians 2:14b, 15, & 16b, NIV) available to us. Jesus also reveals to His disciples about their relationship with Him: “I am the Vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). And also He said, “If you abide in Me, and My words (rhema) abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you” (John 15:7).
J. B. Phillips amplifies further examples of our Lord supplying His disciples a “Word” of Faith in the parallel passages of Matthew 16:19 and 18:18 that reveal a heavenly pattern that wields great Spiritual power: “And whatever you bind on earth shall occur, having already been bound in Heaven. And whatever you may loose on the earth shall be, already having been loosed in Heaven” (the nominative plural neuter perfect passive participles in the original Greek text and from "A Literal Translation of the Bible" by Jay P. Green, Sr., translator). Regrettably, today’s most English versions of the Scriptures omit this rare Greek construction and simply translate these participles in the present future perfect tense such as in “will be bound or will be loosed in Heaven”. This thereby implies that such power is within the exclusive control and judgment of the individual disciple apart from his relationship with His Lord. This becomes man centered, not Christ centered. In short, the disciple attempts to do for God, rather than God initiating and doing through the disciple.
In brief then, upon listening to the Holy Spirit within, the believer is able to hear whatever the Lord seeks to reveal to his attention. And as long as he remains focused on the Spirit within (he abides in the Vine), he can come to know that which is pleasing and possible from the Lord. If, however, he turns away or looks to other interests (thus severed from the Vine), then nothing of true faith can be realized, as no Word will be heard.
Jesus practiced this principle in His relationship with His Father: “Truly, truly, I say to you, the son can do nothing of His own accord, but only what He see His Father doing; for whatever; He does, the Son does likewise” (John 5:19, RSV). In like manner, as He is our role model, par excellence, we are to do the same.
Happily, many good examples of this discernment process and transaction of Faith are found in Scripture. Matthew 8:5-10, 13 (ESV) is a key passage in which our Lord demonstrates this principle and transaction:
"When he entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him, [6] "Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly." [7] And he said to him, "I will come and heal him." [8] But the centurion replied, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. [9] For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes, and to another, 'Come,' and he comes, and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it." [10] When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, "Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith [13] And to the centurion Jesus said, "Go; let it be done for you as you have believed." And the servant was healed at that very moment".
Please note verse 8 where the centurion says to the Lord: “just say the Word (Greek, logos), and my servant will be healed.” Upon hearing his reply, Jesus is astonished and says: “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith.” This may also be rendered from the Greek as “so much trust.” Paraphrased, Jesus exclaims, “I have not found anyone in Israel with so much trust/substance/assurance/faith in Me and what I am saying (i.e., His Words either logos or rhema) as this centurion! Jesus then confirms this transaction with these Words to him: “Go; let it be done for you as you have believed it would.” This passage uses the Greek aorist tense, which denotes a completed past act. Thus, the centurion in effect “believed, and had a specific and final faith/trust at that moment in what Jesus had said to him. This is substance. Not coincidentally also, the Greek word for “believe” (pisteo) also comes from the same root word meaning, “to have faith,” especially as used in its active sense.
A second passage follows:
In Luke 5:1-11(ESV):
"On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, [2] and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. [3] Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon's, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. [4] And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch." [5] And Simon answered, "Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets." [6] And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. [7] They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. [8] But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord." [9] For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, [10] and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men." [11] And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.
In the Luke account, Peter has toiled all night to catch a load of fish to no avail. Jesus has just told him to “Put out into deep water and let down the nets for a catch”. Simon replied, “Master, we’ve worked all night and caught nothing. But because You say so (Greek: at Your Word/rhema), I will let down the nets." In obedience to Jesus’ command, they caught such a large number of fish that the nets began to break. Again, the transaction of faith is manifested: i. e., getting a “Word” from God, trusting Him to fulfill it, then acting in obedience for it to come into being.
At the beginning of this exercise of faith, and until fully understood to its working, this process in listening for God’s voice may seem to the flesh to be a terribly risky action. There may be questions such as: is that really God speaking; did I hear right; or did I miss it?
Further, there are two contrasting examples of these acts of faith found in Luke 1. When the angel Gabriel spoke to Zechariah and the Virgin Mary announcing to them the good news of what God was purposing to do. Zechariah expressed unbelief when he was asked in verse 8, “And Zechariah said to the angel, "How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years." Gabriel then tells Zechariah that he will be mute until the day of John’s birth:“And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words (Greek, logos), which will be fulfilled in their time."
On the other hand, Mary responds in belief with “And Mary said to the angel, "How will this be, since I am a virgin?" Gabriel explains further and then concludes:“For nothing will be impossible with God." The Greek literally says, “Because every Word (rhema) will not be impossible with God.” Mary unhesitatingly takes Gabriel at his word and trusts him answering: "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word (rhema)." And the angel departed from her (Luke 1:34-38).
In summary, the faithful believer, like the centurion, Peter, and Mary in the examples above, knows how to listen and hear the Spirit’s voice. Whatever is heard, however, must always be accordance with the principles of the written Word of God, "The Holy Bible". If it does not line up, then, another voice other than the Spirit is speaking to the believer: namely, either from the enemy’s camp, or from one’s own mind.
Another question yet may arise: where does God’s word register in the disciple? The answer in general is “in his heart.” Two scriptural examples of this principle are Elijah and Samuel. While in the cave (1 kings 19:12), Elijah heard God speaking “in a still small voice”, (KJV) or a “in a gentle whisper”, (NIV) when He passed by the mountain. Samuel thought he heard Eli calling to him; however, it turned out to be God speaking to the boy. Eli told him what to reply in 1 Samuel 3:7 & 10: “Speak, for your servant is listening”. In both instances, what they heard occurred in their heart or spirit within. Proverbs 4:23 admonishes the believer to “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life” (ESV). Thus, man’s heart or inner spirit is the seat of hearing spiritually, just as a believer worships God “in spirit and truth” (John 4:23). Jesus also reveals that “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow Me” (John 10:27).
Please note again this dual transaction of faith: originating in the Heart/Mind of God, then revealing it to His disciple through a “word” to the believer’s spirit. God’s many ways of communication may come by dreams, visions, intuition, physical impressions, counseling from Spiritual leaders, conscience, circumstances, songs, music and worship, an observation of nature, a word of prophecy, peace, a word of witness and testimony, tongues and interpretation of tongues, a reading of the Scriptures, preaching, angels, or even an audible voice. A sure way to focus on these is to “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5). In short, the alert disciple then hears, trusts, and obeys the Word of God -- thus resulting in a completed transaction of Faith.
Another principle is that of waiting for the Lord’s timing; however long it may take. This is the part hope plays in the transaction of faith. Hope looks to a future event; faith always acts in the present. Jesus tells us in Mark 11:22-24:
“And Jesus answered them, "Have faith in God (the Greek actually says, "Have God's faith"). [23] Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and thrown into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes (has faith) that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. [24] Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and you will have it”.
The praying and the believing in this passage occur in the present and have their transaction in the spiritual realm in the heart. The manifestation comes later in the physical realm in the Lord’s timing, purpose, and at His pleasure. Faith ceases after the thing sought has materialized for the believer.
Also John reminds us in 1 John 5:14-15:
“And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he hears us: [15] And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.”
Therefore, for the believer without first getting a “word” from God and having it quickened to his heart/spirit within, real faith cannot happen. Acting or attempting to pray without first getting a word is presumption – one of the deadliest of sins (see Deuteronomy 18:22).
An elementary example, of this faith transaction is the conversion experience of being saved or born again. The penitent sinner upon hearing the Gospel from a messenger, senses the Holy Spirit bringing conviction within his heart/spirit and responds by saying “Yes, Lord, I need You as my Savior.” He then confesses his sin, believes God raised Christ from the dead, and asks in his free will for Him to come into his heart. He then will be saved. At that moment, the sinner has trusted the word heard and obeyed accordingly.
Likewise, in James 3:13-16, the elders of the church offer the prayer of faith on behalf of a sick one in their midst:
“Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. 14Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working”(ESV).
In this context, faith comes through the elders (receiving a word) who anoint the sick with oil in the Lord’s Name, and then praying with substance/assurance for Him to manifest the healing either instantly or over time. But if the elders pray without first getting a word to their spirits, then they are just praying a request in hope or “deaf prayer” – not done in real faith.
Certainly it is fine to petition God and ask for any legitimate need: be it for healing, finances, relationship, timing, or place of service; but this type of prayer may be “deaf” if the believer has not listened for a word for the thing sought from His Lord. An indicator of this "faithless" prayer is the use of the conditional tense in our prayers as in: “Lord, would You go with so and so on his trip? Would You bless my loved ones? Would You heal Aunt Sally of cancer? Etc.”
Thus, a sure way to pray for an "an uncertain outcome" of prayer is to ask God always to answer our petition “in accordance with His highest and best will” – and never in a “if it is Your will type of prayer!” In this manner, we are giving God deference to His character, Kingdom purpose, and ability to answer as best pleases Him. By praying in this manner the believer affirms truly that "God is Who He is, that He means what He says, and that He can do what he has promised in His Word (logos).
Lastly and in summary, whenever the believer truly exercises real faith, regardless of whatever is sought from or initiated by God – even the working of miracles through the mature disciple, the process is always the same. “Faith is first getting a “word” from God, fully trusting in His ability, integrity, and power to produce the revealed thing, and then waiting in obedience until He manifests it.” This in essence is the working of faith.
