Did you ever notice when somebody’s in the hospital - they’ve got a big tumor - they’ve got cancer - and here’s what we say, “Come on let’s pray that God heals them because it’s going to be a sign to everyone. Man, can you imagine when that goes how the doctors and the nurse… And the whole reason He heals is because He loves that person and we make it all these other things… And it seems like all those other things are good. But the first and foremost reason - and that’s where faith comes from - because faith works through… [love] That’s why you’ve heard me talk about…Who’s ever heard me talk about relationship with God? Has anyone heard me talk about relationship with God? Do you know why? Because He loves us. Faith works through love. And faith is revealed when you see God’s nature and through God’s nature you understand His will and where the will of God is seen faith arises. It’s the spontaneous result of knowing God. Faith isn’t something you’re trying to have. It’s something that flows out of knowing Him.1
So out of our heart we make confession unto salvation. So we speak out of belief. So the reason we’re saying this is because we believe, not because we’re in trouble - because we believe, not because we’re in fear - because we believe, not just because we’re desperate - because we believe. We see the will of God in the matter and it gives us the right to pray. We’re not just praying because we’re afraid they’re going to die, we see the will of God to live. The will of God inspires our faith. The will of God initiates our prayer. Are you following me? Now watch. “Those things he says will be done and he will have whatever he says.” Sounds like receiving is believing, not praying.2
Faith begins when the will of God is known. If you know the will of God, faith is an automatic. If you understand the love of God, faith flows through it. Do you understand? So if I have sickness in my body and I’m understanding God’s love for me through the cross and I’m understanding the Kingdom is here - heal the sick and I’m understanding the correlation of redemption / restoration - God wants to redeem me, reconcile me, make me whole - I start understanding that God’s love is what rolled this ball in the first place. It begins to be easy to see myself whole and to begin to receive His love and receive wholeness in that area - when I am settled and sure of His love for me - not letting the sickness question the love but letting the love crush the sickness.3
“He who believes…” He who what? [believes] So the key is believing, isn’t it? It’s not just confessing. “Hey, just pray this prayer with me dude.” No - it’s not just pray this prayer with me. It’s believing. You know there are Christians that confess things that they don’t believe and their life proves it and they are just trapped in their confession? It’s not confess. It’s believe with your heart. Say with your mouth.4
Faith is the substance of things hoped for. Your hope comes from knowing Him. Faith is the spontaneous result of your relationship with God. It’s knowing Him. It’s love. It works out of love. We’ve let faith come from the fact that we know the Bible says concerning our situation. And now we’re putting our expectation in the fact that that will happen and it could be apart from knowing Him. So when it doesn’t happen we’re very confused of who He is. Because, ”Who are you? Where were you? I said this. I believed this. You weren’t there.” And now you’re talking to a God out here somewhere who, if you’re not careful, was out there all along. Just because you’ve found what the Bible says about your situation and you quote it… Faith works through love. It’s a relationship. Faith is the spontaneous flow of my life through knowing Him.5
Notes:
1. Faith - works through love - the spontaneous result of knowing God - (1:04)
2. Faith - seeing the will of God for the situation initiates faith - (:56)
3. Faith - begins with will of God - flows through love - (:48)
4. Faith - not just confession - believing with heart - (:26)
5. Faith - not just Biblical knowledge for the situation - apart from relationship - (1:00)
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