Today’s Message: The Faith that Receives What Grace Has Already Released.
In this series, God is opening our eyes to see the invisible, believe the impossible, and live in the supernatural.
Today we will look at some important truths about Faith that many Christians either do not know, or, if they do, they do not really apply in their lives.
This is important because the Bible does not say that without Faith it is difficult to please God. The Bible says:
“Without Faith it is impossible to please God.” (Hebrews 11:6)
God is pleased when people trust Him, believe Him, and expect great things from Him. The lifestyle that pleases God is not simply a religious lifestyle. It is a lifestyle of Faith.
Last week we learned something very important.
Miracles are not for those who deserve them. Miracles are not simply for those who need them. Miracles are not for those who feel desperate. Miracles are for those who believe.
Faith is the hand that reaches out and receives what God’s grace has already provided.
Grace provides. Faith receives. You could say it like this:
Faith is the key that opens the door to all of God’s provision.
Through Faith we access everything God has already prepared for our spirit, soul, body, family, and future. Everything God has provided through grace is accessed through Faith.
Many Christians want something from God, but they either do not have the key or they do not know how to use it. Faith is the key.
Today I want to help you understand how to use this key and share some truths that every believer needs to know about Faith.
1 — God gave every believer a measure of Faith
If you believe in Jesus Christ, you have received a measure of Faith.
Romans 12:3 says: “For by the grace given to me I say to every one of you: do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgement, according to the measure of Faith God has distributed to each of you.”
Notice something very important. The Bible says “to each of you.”
It does not say that Faith was given only to special Christians. It does not say it was given only to pastors or leaders. It does not say it was given only to a few chosen people. The Bible says God distributed a measure of Faith to each one. That means no one was left out.
When God distributed Faith to the members of the Body of Christ, you were not excluded. If you belong to Jesus, that Faith is in you. It comes with salvation.
When we are born again and enter the Kingdom of God, God places a measure of Faith in our hearts.
So listen carefully: If you believe in Jesus Christ, that Faith is already inside you. You already have enough Faith to begin. You have enough Faith to obey God and to take the first steps in the calling God has for your life.
The issue is not whether you have Faith. The real question is whether you are developing and increasing the Faith God has already given you.
2 — Faith can grow
God gave you a measure of Faith, but it is your responsibility to develop it.
The Bible says:
“We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, because your Faith is growing more and more, and the love you all have for one another is increasing.” (2 Thessalonians 1:3)
This verse shows us that Faith can grow. As believers mature, two things should grow in our lives: Our Faith And our love for one another.
The church in Thessalonica was an example of this. But there is an important principle here.
If your love for God grows but your love for people does not grow, your Faith may become stagnant.
God wants our Faith to grow. And He is pleased when our Faith grows stronger. So how does Faith grow? Faith grows when it is fed by the Word of God.
Romans 10:17 says: “Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.”
Faith comes by hearing and it weakens when we stop hearing the Word.
Think about what you are doing right now. You are hearing the Word of God. That is why your Faith is being strengthened.
Faith grows when: 1- You come to church, 2 – You participate in Life Groups, 3 – You read to the Word of God.
But Faith weakens when we distance ourselves from the Word and from the life of the church. (Services and life Groups)
There is a very simple principle: The Word of God is the food of Faith.
Just as the body needs food to grow stronger, Faith needs the Word of God to grow.
Never forget this: Faith comes by hearing the Word of God.
3 — You must act according to your Faith
Faith grows when we hear the Word, but it also grows when we act on it.
Think about the muscles in our body. Muscles need food and protein, but they also need exercise. Everyone has muscles, but not everyone exercises them. If someone eats protein but never exercises, their muscles will remain weak. But people who regularly exercise develop strong muscles.
The same principle applies to Faith. Some Christians spend their lives only hearing the Word. They hear messages week after week, but they never exercise their Faith. Because of that, their Faith is not much stronger than when they first began their Christian walk.
Faith must be practised.You must take steps of Faith. You must use the Faith God has given you.
So today I want to challenge you. Trust God for something. Take a promise from the Word of God and begin to act according to it. Start where you are. Exercise your Faith and watch it grow. Start small and continue growing.
There are many areas where we need to use Faith: in relationships, in health, in provision and in obedience to God.
Whenever God calls us to do something, Faith will always be required.
Following God requires Faith. Obeying God requires Faith. Doing what He asks requires Faith.
4 — Faith without action is dead
James 2:26 says: “As the body without the spirit is dead, so Faith without deeds is dead.”
Right now you can see my body because I am alive. My spirit is inside this body directing it. But this body is temporary. One day it will pass away. I am a spirit created by God. I am alive. I have fellowship with God. I love God. But the moment my spirit leaves this body, the body dies.
In the same way, Faith without action is dead.
If we truly believe something, we will act according to what we believe. Faith is always expressed through action. If you want to know what someone truly believes, look at how they live.
Our actions reveal what we really believe.
The example of Noah
Hebrews 11:7 says: “By Faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family.”
Noah was warned about something that had never been seen before. Yet by Faith he built an ark.
Hebrews 11:1 tells us: “Faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”
If we can already see something, we do not need Faith for it. God told Noah that rain was coming and that he needed to build a great boat.
What did Noah do? He began to work. For many years Noah continued building the ark. He did not do it because he saw the storm coming. He did not do it because he felt raindrops. He did it because he trusted the Word of God. Faith prepares. Faith acts And because Noah acted by Faith, he saved himself and his family.
A personal testimony
Many years ago God spoke to me and told me that He would send me to other nations. At that time it was hard to imagine, because I was a young man from a very poor family. But I believed. I began serving in my church.
I washed dishes at church conferences and helped clean the church bathrooms. After some time I was leading my first cell group, and that group multiplied many times. I completed the Bible training in my church and served my pastors faithfully. Eventually I became one of the pastors of the church. And after many years of preparation, God opened the door and sent me to the nations, just as He had promised.
An important question: What are you doing by Faith?
How can doors open if there is no preparation? If you believe God has called you to serve in ministry, begin preparing by Faith.
Some people say, “I am waiting for God to open the door.” But how can God open a door if you are not preparing yourself?
God often prepares us in the CHURCH while we remain connected to the Body of Christ.
Have you ever seen a hand or a foot walking around on its own, disconnected from the body? Of course not. When we disconnect from the Body of Christ, our spiritual life weakens and our Faith becomes sick and fragile.
The Church and the Life Groups are God’s training ground.
It is here that we receive the Word, grow spiritually, and remain connected to the Body of Christ.
A testimony of healing
In the early years of my Christian life I suffered from terrible migraines. The pain was extremely strong, especially behind my eyes. One day I heard a message about Faith, just like the one you are hearing today. I asked for prayer. After the prayer I left declaring that I was healed.I did not see anything change immediately. I did not feel anything different. But I believed the Word I had heard and the prayer of Faith. And God healed me.
For more than thirty-five years I have never had that migraine again.
The main point: I received the healing that God’s Grace had already provided.
What happened? I found a promise in God’s Word. I heard the Word. I acted on that Word. Faith was released, and I received the healing that God’s grace had already provided.
The Word of God must become your final authority.
Not the opinions of people. Not the voice of doubt. Not what you see. But what God has said.
Conclusion
Next week we will continue this message. But today I want to challenge you: Take a step of Faith.
Everything you need God has already provided through grace, through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. Every blessing of God has already been made available to us.
Faith is the Hand that reaches out and receives what Grace provides.
Faith rests on the evidence of the Word of God. God is able and willing to help us, heal us, guide us, strengthen us, provide for us, and save us. Faith in God is the key that unlocks all these blessings.
Even salvation requires Faith.
The Bible says: “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Perhaps you have never done that. If you call on the name of the Lord and place your trust in Jesus, He will save you, forgive you, cleanse you, and give you a new life.
May the Lord bless you.