by Ivan Maddox
Atlanta, GA


We receive things consistently from God by believing God's words. God has already made known His will to us by means of His written word. When we believe God's word and act on it in obedience to God, and continue to act on it regardless of what goes on around-- or even within-- us, we receive those things that God has promised us in His word.

It is important to recognize from the beginning that it is not our faith or our believing that makes anything happen. Rather, it is GOD who supplies our needs, GOD who answers our prayers, GOD who is our sufficiency. Jesus said, "I can of mine own self do nothing..." (John 5:30a). If this was true of Jesus Christ, how much more true is it of you and me!

What I do with my mind has a direct effect on my own mind and my own body; however, there is nothing I can do in my mind that can change things outside my mind. That is not at all what God's word teaches.

However, I can go to God in accordance with His word, and He can change things.This is where believing becomes important, because God requires that we believe Him in order to receive things from Him. What is faith? First and foremost, it is believing that God is God. It does no good to pray to God if you're not yet convinced that He is God.

"But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him."
Hebrews 11:6.

Second, faith is persuading yourself that God is able to do what He has promised He would do. Romans 4:20-21 illustrates this for us, showing us Abraham's response to God's promise that He would give him a son, long after Abraham and his wife Sarah were too old to have children.

"He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
And being fully persuaded that, what He had promised, He was able also to perform."

Third, faith is persuading yourself that God will do what He has promised He would do. Hebrews 11:11 illustrates this, showing us the response of Sarah, Abraham's wife, to the same promise of God.

"Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised."

This is really the heart of the matter: faith is judging God to be faithful to His word.

Fourth, faith is obedience to God. Faith does not simply agree that God's word is right, and stop there; faith continues on and does what God's word says to do.

"By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went."
Hebrews 11:8.

"What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? Can faith save him?
If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
And one of you say unto them, `Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone."
James 2:14-17.

"But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves."
James 1:22.

Finally, faith is continuing to do the will of God, regardless of the circumstances, until we see the promise of God come to pass.

"Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward.
For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise."
Hebrews 10:35-36.

The basis of our faith is God's faithfulness to His word. We believe God's words because we have confidence in God. Faith is our assessment, our judgement of God on a day by day basis. Because we judge God faithful to His word, we have the confidence to obey his word, to act on the basis of God's promises.

Let's get into the habit of believing God's promises. Let's walk into the deliverance that God has prepared for us. Let's judge God faithful to His word by believing and obeying His word.

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