Faith In Action
By: Jerry Olson
Email: jerrydeanolson@yahoo.com

Let’s take a moment to re-establish a few very important facts before we get into the subject of Faith in action.

God our Father is the Most High, Creator of the universe.
Jesus is God’s Son and His name is above all creation and all authority has been given to Him.
Jesus came to earth in flesh form, to die for the sins of all men.
God is love.
God changes not.
We believe in the Word, are truly Christians and true believers.
True believers will demonstrate their faith by their actions.

Brethren, these seven tenets listed above are true and establish our Christian foundation. If you do not believe these, we cannot proceed with faith in action. These truths are not deniable, we who believe and receive God’s Holy Spirit, become members of the body of Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior.

Now we can go on to discuss what it means to put our faith into action.

We have all heard it said, “Action speaks louder than words” and 1 Samuel 2:3 says- Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogance come out of your mouth: for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by Him actions are weighed.

God looks on our heart and our actions to see our true self so it is impossible to fool God. He said in His Word, I have found David a man after my own heart.

1 Samuel 16:7- But the Lord said unto Samuel, look not on his countenance or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.

Another very important consideration as believers is operating from knowledge and understanding. Our attempt to function outside of God’s knowledge is not sound judgment. God’s knowledge is found in God’s Word, this is the reason it was given, for man to live by.

Hosea 4:6- My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to Me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.

Another critical attribute for all believers is faith for without faith it is impossible to please God.

Hebrews 11:6- For he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.

Brothers and sisters, in the Lord, be honest here, are you diligently seeking God? Do you compromise from time to time? Is it fear from family and friends, perhaps pressure from the minister or a particular denomination? Are you emulating Jesus daily in your lives? Do people around you know that you are dedicated servants showing and reflecting God’s love to all?

So if we know faith is very important in our walk with God, how is it that we get faith? In other words, how is it brought about? This is the primary subject of this writing, however there are a few other elements that impact and do indirectly affect the subject of faith in action.

Romans 10:17- So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.

James 1:6-7- For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

I want to ask you a couple of questions. Is God’s Word always true, can it be relied upon? Can you view the Word literally? I tell you the truth here brethren, God’s Word is absolute and we must view it literally without question, nor without fear or compromise. We must be convinced that God’s instruction book for man is just that, a book with principles and the absolute way to live by. The only way to have abundant happiness and joy is to live a, God led life.

2 Timothy 2:15- Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth.

Cornelius although devout, did not yet have the Holy Spirit. In Acts 10:3, an angel of the Lord spoke to Cornelius and told him to send for Peter, so that he and his family could hear the Word of God preached to them. While Peter preached the gospel to Cornelius, and his family, the Holy Spirit was suddenly given to all that gathered. They had not yet been baptized with water, but they received the Holy Spirit from God.

We learn in Acts 14:7-10 about another man, Paul. When Paul and Barnabas preached the gospel; faith was stirred and healings came about. A man, who was crippled, believed after hearing the gospel preached and he leaped and walked. Just hearing the gospel message provided faith enough for healing.

Acts 8:5-8- Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria preaching Christ and the gospel message unto the Samaritans. The people, in one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spoke, hearing and seeing miracles. Unclean spirits crying with loud voices came out of many that were possessed. Many taken with palsies, and were lame, were healed. And there was great joy in that city.

Mark 16:17-18- And these signs shall follow them that believe; In My name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

James 5:14-15- Is any sick among you? 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: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he has committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.

Jesus said to the woman in Mark 5:34 “Thy Faith has made you whole.” This woman got her faith when she heard that Jesus was coming to her town. She had heard of His many miracles and faith welled up within her. She said to herself, all I need to do is touch His garment and I shall be whole. She was healed because she had faith, not because Jesus had faith, Jesus said, “Who touched me? I have felt virtue leave Me.” She had her own faith to be healed because she was a believer!

Mat 8:17- Himself took our infirmities and bare our sickness.

Isaiah 53:5- By His stripes we are healed.

The gospel message of Jesus is a message of provision and meeting our needs. We have many needs in this world, bread, water, protection, salvation, healing, the list is long. Jesus said that He would never leave us or forsake us; but that He would be there for us, every step of this life. However, we must believe, and then follow up with action. What profit do we have or what good is faith, if we leave it on the shelf, never to be used? It’s futile because faith requires action to bring about effect. Faith in action is when things get done, not before, not after, only while exercised.

. Hebrews 11:1- Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

In other words, faith is substance and it’s also present tense…. it’s the now and hope is the future.

Faith is not of the head but of the heart!!!

Faith is the evidence of things not seen.

If you want healing next year just hope for it, perhaps one day down the road, of life, you will have it. However, if you want healing or anything from God today, it requires faith today. We absolutely must think and act in the now. Thinking in any other way will defeat, stymie, hinder, block or disrupt our desired outcome.

It is not enough to have faith; we must act on our faith! Not tomorrow, we must act now!

We must believe we have our petition, and that we get it. Many people hope for something and stop there. Hope does not have substance, but faith gives substance to hope. Faith says, “I have the answer to my petition NOW!” If God’s Word says it’s so, then it’s so. The promise is mine, I can have it now. Faith says I have it, even when I cannot see it yet manifested.

There is integrity with God’s Word. It will not materialize until we walk it out, with action.

Jesus said in Mark 11:24 “What things so ever you desire, when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you shall have them.”

Faith is also, taking hold of the unseen realm of hope and bringing it into the realm of reality.

Faith is not the same as feelings. We cannot wait until we feel or see a new development happen in our body; we must step out in faith as if it has already taken place. Even if we don’t feel totally well, we must get out of bed.

Is this perhaps a difficult concept to entertain or understand in the flesh?  It will remain that way until we understand the concept in the Spirit, down deep into the core of our Spirit being.You see, there is head knowledge and there is heart knowledge. Until the gospel Word becomes spiritual understanding first, deep conviction in our hearts, we cannot see it clearly, it remains cloudy, not able to be seen, understood, nor applied in our lives.

However, the truth is still the truth regardless, whether I believe it or not.

Jesus said, in Mat 21:22 “Whatsoever you ask in prayer, BELIEVING, you shall receive.”

Jesus has already made provision possible for us, He shed His blood and allowed His body to be broken, which we can now believe or reject as true. Jesus did it for us, each one of us. Our part is asking in faith and believing we have been healed, even though we perhaps do not yet see our healing. Healing shall be manifested, and become a reality, however perhaps not immediately… this would be classified in the Word as a miracle. Healings are miraculous and demonstrate God’s power but vary in time; often depending on how God chooses to bring healing to our bodies. Sometimes healings are instant, some healings take minutes, sometimes hours and on some occasions, they take even days, but they will always come. We can make this claim because God’s Word declares this truth. Read the following Word from God, can you believe it?

1 Peter 2:24- Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree; that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes you were healed.

Our healing is a result of the death of Christ Jesus; His death gives newness of life and provides provision even to this body, the body of all who believe, even today, at this time.

Perhaps we need to think on it this way; think on it as a mixture of two things combined together. Much like what we might see in a chemistry laboratory. We have faith or believing in one bottle and a catalysis or action, in another bottle and perhaps hope in another container and when you mix the correct mixture, you have good results. Hope and action won’t work. The ingredients has to be right; the correct formula. If the ingredients are kept apart there is no desired effect or chemical reaction whatsoever, nothing happens. However, when we place or mix the two ingredients, Faith and Action; we have heat, we have activity, we have spontaneity, we have change, we have power, and we have our intended reaction.

Furthermore, hope is limited, hope is lacking, and hope is not absolute. Faith is like a promise, faith is without doubt, faith is reliable, faith has deep roots, faith is absolute, faith we can count on, it brings results, it is dependable, not wavering, and strong like steel, valuable like a S1 diamond.

I can remember at least three different occasions when I was asked to anoint someone for healing, that during the praying for the person, heat was felt by the person being prayed for, either on or near the part of the body where healing was being requested.

 

Brethren, we cannot see God, we cannot see the Holy Spirit and we cannot see wind, but we can feel the presents of each. We do not get healing or receive the Holy Spirit by first feeling it or seeing it. Healings come about only through faith that is manifested through our actions, not the other way around. We often begin to feel these changes after we put our faith into action first, then feelings follow. If we wait until we feel we have been healed or feel we have received the Holy Spirit, it may never come to us, because this is not acting in faith.

There is also the subject of satan (the devil) to remember and consider in our discussion here. Satan, currently, is the God of this fallen world. He wants to defeat us on all levels; he does not want healings, nor the Holy Spirit to be revealed and other such things of God. He is always standing by to try and defeat us and our miracles from God. The devil will attempt to talk you out of your healing. However, if you stand strong in your faith and on God’s Word, satan must flee. If you feel his intimidation or his presents, rebuke him and tell him to get behind you, to leave you alone, you have that power to defeat him, given to you and provided by Christ Jesus our Provider, who first defeated satan.

Jesus didn’t promise healing; He has already provided it for us! Believe it, Act on it, Have it!

The very last letter written by Franklin Delano Roosevelt, our 32nd President, ended with the words, Action in Faith.

 

Your servant, Jerry
jerrydeanolson@yahoo.com

 

 

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