2.4.4 Gift of Faith

Chapter 7: Gift of Faith

INTRODUCTION to the GIFT OF FAITH

I Corinthians 12:9—To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;

This is a Scriptural definition of faith:

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

Faith is a hope or trust in God. It is more than a natural hope or a desire to see something happen. It believes God for things that are not seen based upon the promises in His Word that have been revealed to you by the Holy Spirit.

Romans 10:17—So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

The Greek word here for faith is Pistis which means assurance, belief or to be persuaded. The word that is used for "word" here is Rhema which means an utterance or revealed word. It is an impartation of God's Word into the heart of a man. The revealed Word is to be distinguished from the Logos which is the written word. Most commentaries say just to read the word, and great faith comes. Faith is produced as God reveals or speaks His Word to an individual. Faith comes by hearing the Divine utterance. Faith is not blindly hoping or trusting. Faith must be based upon the Word of God. Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the revealed word of God.

What is Faith? Is it a feeling, a thought?

Faith is a persuasion of the heart and mind that something God is true. The Scripture tells us to: Have faith in God. — Mk. 11:22 Faith is believing that God will do what He said.

The faith of the gospel is that emotion of the mind, which is called trust or confidence, exercised towards the moral character of God, and particularly of the Savior.

Faith is an affectionate practical confidence in the testimony of God. - Webster

Faith requires obedience or acting on the Word. Faith without works is dead. — James 2:20 Noah built the Ark by faith. — Heb. 11:7 He acted upon the Word he received from God; this is faith. By faith Abram left his country. — Heb. 11:8 He had to obey the Word of God. Faith believes God's Word to the extent that it produces action. Faith is a supernatural trust in God for the miraculous.

Illustration: About buying his first tent, God gave him a word

Illustration: About the healing of his son Stephen, at the age of three, God gave him word

I. There Are Different Kinds of Faith.

A. There is Natural Faith

1. The farmer has a natural faith to believe the seed will produce a crop. A farmer plants a seed and works the soil because he believes his effort will produce fruit or vegetables. This is a perfect natural example that faith without works will not produce anything.

2. You can have faith to believe in a person or their testimony. If you believe what a person is saying is true then you are having a natural faith or assurance that you can trust their testimony. This may be based on their record of being honest and truthful. Some people can believe man based on their record, but they have a difficult time to believe God who has a perfect record of being true to His word.

3. This is a belief that something will take place based on knowledge or experience. When you sit in a chair you exercise a natural faith. You believe the chair will hold you because chairs have done so in the past. If the chair looks broken you would not sit in it because you would not believe that it would hold you. You believe the sun will rise in the morning. Why do you believe this? You believe it because the sun has always risen every morning all of your life. This is a natural faith in a natural pattern of the sun rise.

B. There is the measure of Faith that is given to every man.

…God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. - Romans 12:3 (Greek "metron")

1. The Scripture reveals to us that God has given every man a measure of faith.

2. No one has an excuse because God gives to every man the ability to believe God.

3. That measure of faith needs to grow. Faith matures by using what faith we have been given. …from faith to faith.—Rom. 1:17 God will not give you more faith until you use what He has given you. Faith groweth exceedingly — II Thes. 1:3; Your faith is increased — II Cor. 10:15

Abram was weak in faith. Abraham was not weak in faith. God can give you faith to believe the impossible. When you look at the problem it has a tendency to make you weak in faith, so, "Don't look at the problem, look at the promise!" God changed Abraham so he did not stagger at God's promises, but he was strong in faith; (unwavering, fully persuaded)

Illus: Lady had four inches of her spine removed because of cancer, eighteen years of not having one good nights sleep, couldn't bend, God healed her, - now in another tent setting, God spoke to heal a hip, she jumped up, because bone was taken out her hip to heal her spine. That night she went to her car disappointed, but heard JRRSR screaming at her, don't look at the problem but look at the promise. The next day believed God all day, God healed her.

Not Everyone keeps what God gives them and not all increase as God requires!

1. Some Have "No Faith" Mark 4:40; Luke 8:22

2. Some Have "Little Faith" Matthew 6:30; 8:36; 14:31; Luke 12:28

3. Some Have "Great Faith" Matthew 8:10; 15:22-28; Luke 7:9

• Great Faith

ILLUSTRATION: Sis. Gibson was the greatest inspiration of faith to me. When she asked for an offering, she didn't beg, she just put it out. And God moved, she lived it, she had faith in operation. Sis. Gibson "If doesn't come from the outside, it has to come from the inside." When you went into that temple, it was weighty, you didn't have to guess. Faith pleases God. When you get to the place, where you believe God, and leave nothing to yourself and leave it all on the altar.

C. There is saving faith.

1. Faith is required for Salvation.

For by grace are ye saved through faith…Ephesians 2:8

But without faith it is impossible to please him… - Hebrews 11:6

2. Man must believe that Jesus is the Redeemer. We have redemption through the blood of Jesus. — Eph. 1:7 Faith in Jesus is required to receive salvation. Man must believe that Jesus is the Christ the son of God.

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. - Romans 10:9

3. He that comes to God must believe in God. Hebrews 11:6

D. There is justifying faith.

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

- Romans 5:1

1. Justification is being brought into a right relationship with God through the redemption of Jesus Christ.

2. Those who receive salvation are justified by faith.

3. The just shall live by faith. — Rom. 1:17; Gal. 3:11; Heb. 10:38

E. There is faith as a fruit of the Spirit.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

- Galatians 5:22 (Greek "karpos")

1. This is fruit that is ripe and ready to use.

The Greek word for fruit here is Karpos it refers to fully developed fruit.

2. It takes time to produce faith.

The Scripture uses the comparison of fruit to refer to these Christian virtues. Just as fruit takes time to develop and mature; these virtues take time to develop and mature. Fruit requires water and sun shine to develop. So does the fruit of the spirit require the water of the Word and time in the presence of Jesus the Son to fully develop. The disciples asked Jesus to increase our faith. - Luke 17:5

3. Fully developed faith is produced by the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit will produce the fruit of faith in the life of the believer. This faith is a product of the Holy Spirit. It takes a work of the Holy Spirit to fully develop faith in the life of the Christian.

F. There is Faith as a Gift of the Spirit — I Cor. 12:9

"Have the faith of God" ("Charisma")

• Faith in God — Galatians 3:26; Ephesians 1:15; Colossians 2:5

• Faith of God — Galatians 2:20; Ephesians 3:12

1. This is a supernatural impartation of Faith. Devils themselves will try to convince you that you don't have the power to cast them out, but God gives us the supernatural faith to cast out the devil. You have to know where you're at and what you have and what you have in him. Faith to believe God for the supernatural

2. This gift of faith is given in addition to developed faith.We will discuss this gift in further detail as we progress. It is different than the measure of faith that develops with time. This is also different than faith as a fruit of the Spirit, which must develop and mature. It is a Divine work of placing special faith within a man.

II. What the Gift of Faith Is Not

A. It is not the gift of salvation that is received by faith.

1. Salvation is a gift that is received by faith. — Eph. 2:8-9

2. The Gift of Faith is more than saving or justifying faith.

Faith is required for salvation.

3. This Gift is a separate Divine implanting of faith apart from initial saving faith.

B. It is not the measure of faith developed to believe for great things.

1. God gives to every man the measure of faith.

2. This gift is more than an increase in faith.

3. This gift is not just faith that has been developed to a measure of great faith.

4. A man may have great faith yet still not possess the Gift of Faith.

C. It is not faith as a fruit of the Spirit.

1. Faith is one of the fruits of the Spirit.

2. The Holy Spirit will produce fruit in the life of the believer over a period of time.

3. It is a Gift of the spirit and not a fruit of the Spirit.

D. It is not a gift to have all faith at every time for every instance.

1. All the Gifts of the Spirit are operated by the Holy Spirit and are not operated by man.

2. This is not a gift to believe for everything we would like to see done.

The Holy Ghost operates this gift in accordance with the will of God as there is a need. God is in control of this gift. Faith is still based on a word from God. God gives a word to a man that is so real that there is no doubt only faith.

3. The Holy Ghost implants faith in a man to believe for the impossible.

III. What the Gift of Faith is

A. It is a Divine imparting of faith to believe God for the miraculous.

1. It is a Gift of God to believe God for the impossible.

But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible. - Matthew 19:26

God can do anything, but fail. The Holy Ghost produces supernatural faith within a man to take God at His Word and to believe for the impossible. God can do what man cannot do. He is the creator of the universe and nothing is impossible with God.

2. This is the faith of God put within the heart of a man.

This gift is an operation of the Holy Ghost to place God given faith into a man beyond any natural means of faith or believing. This is not the faith of man it is the faith of God.

3. It is a supernatural trust in God for the miraculous.

B. It is an implanting of a Divine Word to produce supernatural faith.

1. Faith is still acting on the Word of God.

Faith comes by the Word of God — Rom. 10:17 All faith is based upon God's Word. This Gift involves a supernatural implanting of the Word of God that produces a supernatural faith.

2. The only thing that will cause you never to waver, is when God does it, and puts a word into your heart.

C. It is God given faith to stand against great odds and believe God for the victory.

1. This is not a natural fight of faith.

It is something that God does beyond man's ability to believe. This is faith of a Divine order and not of a natural order. When God does it there is no fight or struggle to believe.

2. It is not wavering faith.

This has to be something that God does for you, when God puts something in you; it removes all the wavering and all the questions.

IV. The Purpose of the Gift

A. It is for personal protection in peril. —

Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, - Hebrews 11:33

1. The men of God moved beyond the realm of the natural through faith.

2. Abram the Hebrew defeated a large enemy with a small band of men because he had faith in his God. — Gen. 14:13-15

He never lost his identity as a Hebrew. Abram worshiped Jehovah the one true God.

3. Daniel was protected in the lion's den. — Dan. 6:16-23

Daniel was delivered because he believed in his God.

4. Paul shook a poisonous snake into the fire and felt no harm. — Acts 28:3-5

B. It is for receiving the promises of God. — Gen. 21:5 Rom. 4:20

Genesis 21:5; Hebrews 11:11

C. It is to assist in problems. — II Kings 4:1-7

God filled pots of oil. Is it possible for God to do this today? If thou canst believe, as long as there are empty vessels he can fill them.

Illus: Madaline Southered, she was the secretary, a bill was due, she had some money, she counted it, he said give me that, - every time JRRSR took the money it increases,

D. It is employed in casting out evil spirits. — Mark 16:17; Acts 19:12

Devils themselves will try to convince you that you don't have the power to cast them out, but God gives us the supernatural faith to cast out the devil. You have to know where you're at and what you have and what you have in him. Faith to believe God for the supernatural

E. It is for victory in battle. — Exodus 17:11 "Johovah — Nissi" vs. 5

Moses had in his hand the rod, the authority of God, a symbol of obedience to God's Will

F. It is for sustenance in time of famine. — I Kings 17:3-4; I Kings 19:4-8.

17:3-4 now do you think you would have gone if you did not believe,

Studying Questions 7: Gift of Faith

1. What is the gift of faith?

The gift of faith is a supernatural trust in God for the miraculous.

2. Explain what the measure of Faith is.

The measure of faith is a limited amount of faith given to every man.

3. Explain what saving faith is.

Saving faith is that which appropriates and receives salvation.

4. Explain what justifying faith is.

Justifying faith is the faith that puts us into right standing with God.

(Justifying; just as if we had never sinned; a right relationship with God)

5. Explain what the Fruit of faith is.

The Fruit of faith is the development of the spirit in our lives producing fruits of the spirit.

6. Name the three different realms of Faith.

1. Natural Faith

2. Christian Faith

3. Supernatural Faith

7. Explain how this gift is used in personal protection in peril?

God gives us a supernatural faith even in the face of danger to stand against any attack. This supernatural faith casts out fear and produces peace even in danger. This faith is not worked up, is given in the heart of the believer.

8. Explain how this gift is used to assist in every day problems.

The gift of faith is used to believe God to supply for your every need.

9. Explain how this gift is used in casting out evil spirits.

The gift of faith is used to believe God "in his name" to cast out evil spirits. God gives you supernatural faith in the face of that demonic activity.

10. What are the two aspects of Faith?

1. Faith in God — Galatians 3:26

2. Faith of God — Galatians 2:20

Quiz 7: Gift of Faith