According to Your Faith
Abraham is the father of faith, and even though he didn’t start out using a lot of faith,
he did act according to his faith when he offered up Isaac. God told Abraham “take
now your son, your only son and get you into the land of Moriah, and offer him there
for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell you of. And Abraham
rose up early in the morning, and saddled his donkey, and took Isaac his son, and
clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went to the place of which
God had told him” (Genesis 22:2-3). Hebrews 11:17-19 says “by faith Abraham,
when he was tried, offered up Isaac and he that had received the promises offered
up his only begotten son. Of whom it was said, that in Isaac shall your seed be
called. Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from
where also he received him in a figure”.
Mary, the mother of Jesus, as she heard the angel tell her that she would conceive
and bear a son and call His name Jesus. And even though she didn’t quite
understand how, and asked how it could be because she knew not a man. After the
angel told her, she said “be it to me according to your word”. She showed her faith
when she went to her cousin’s house and proclaimed that God had done good things
to her (Luke 1:46-49) “and Mary said, my soul does magnify the Lord. And my spirit
has rejoiced in God my Savior. For He has regarded the low estate of His
handmaiden for, behold, from hereafter all generations shall call me blessed. For He
that is mighty has done to me great things, and holy is His name”. Now she said this,
even though in the nature she could not see any difference.
Faith is belief in something that can’t be touched, seen, or otherwise proved. Belief
in God, trust in God or in the Word of God, and active obedience to God.
Faith can be seen (Mark 2:1-5) “and again He entered into Capernaum, after some
days, and it was noised that He was in the house. And immediately many were
gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no not so
much as about the door, and He preached the word to them. And they came to Him,
bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four. And when they could not
come near to Him for the press, they uncovered the roof where He was, and when
they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay. When
Jesus saw their faith, He said to the sick of the palsy, son, your sins be forgiven
you”. Paul saw the lame man’s faith (Acts 14:8-10) “and there sat a certain man at
Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother’s womb, who never had
walked. The same heard Paul speak, who steadfastly beholding him, and perceiving
that he had faith to be healed. Said with a loud voice, stand up right on your feet,
and he leaped and walked”.
Jesus said many times “according to your faith” the two blind men (Matthew 9:26-29)
“and the fame hereof went abroad into all the land. And when Jesus departed from
there, two blind men followed Him, crying and saying, You Son of David, have mercy
on us. And when He was come into the house, the blind men came to Him, and
Jesus says to them, believe you that I am able to do this? They said to Him, yea
Lord. Then touched He their eyes, saying according to your faith, be it, to you”. And
their eyes were opened. The woman with the issue of blood (Mark 5:25-29,34) “and
a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years. And had suffered many
things of many physicians and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered,
but rather grew worse. When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind,
and touched His garment. For she said, if I may touch but His clothes, I shall be
whole. And immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her
body that she was healed of that plague”. Jesus turned to see who touched Him,
then she fell down and testified to Him all the truth. “And He said to her, daughter
your faith had made you whole, go in peace and be whole of your plague”. The
centurion (Matthew 8:5-13) the centurion came to Jesus beseeching Him and saying
that his servant was sick and Jesus said that He would go and heal him, but the
centurion said just speak the word only and my servant shall be healed. Jesus
marveled and commended the centurion for his great faith. “and Jesus said to the
centurion, go your way, and as you have believed, so be it done to you. And his
servant was healed in the selfsame hour” (verse 13).
Many people read the word of God, but compare it to what they have experienced,
instead of believing it and acting on it. James tells us that faith without works is dead
(James 2:17-20) “even so faith, if it has not works is dead being alone. Yea, a man
may say, you have faith, and I have works, show me your faith without your works,
and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God, you do
well, the devils also believe and tremble. But will you know, o vain man, that faith
without works is dead?”
God told Joshua “this book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you
shall meditate therein day and night that you may observe to do according to all that
is written therein, for then you shall make your way prosperous and then you shall
have good success” (Joshua 1:8). Our success is based on our keeping the word of
God in our mouth, meditating over and over, thinking about and talking about the
word of God. And then doing what it says. James warns us not to be a hearer of the
word only, but to be a doer of the word. The Bible tells us in Ephesians 3:20 “Now to
Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according
to the power that works in us”. That power is our faith. I John 5:4 says “for
whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world and this is the victory that
overcomes the world, even our faith”.
Remember “the just shall live by faith” (II Corinthians 5:7, Galatians 3:11), faith draws
you to God while fear draws you to the devil. Hebrews 11:6 says “but without faith it
is impossible to please Him, for he that comes to God must believe that He is, and
that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him”. Let us “examine ourselves,
whether you be in the faith, prove your own selves. Know you not your own selves,
how that Jesus Christ is in you?” (II Corinthians 13:5). Remember that faith is
fantastic adventure in trusting Him. Faith is acting on what you believe. Faith is the
word of God in your heart, coming out of your mouth. Ephesians 6:16 says “above
all taking the shield of faith, wherewith you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts
of the wicked”.
Study by: Harriet Bond
Date: January 15, 2008
Abraham is the father of faith, and even though he didn’t start out using a lot of faith,
he did act according to his faith when he offered up Isaac. God told Abraham “take
now your son, your only son and get you into the land of Moriah, and offer him there
for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell you of. And Abraham
rose up early in the morning, and saddled his donkey, and took Isaac his son, and
clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went to the place of which
God had told him” (Genesis 22:2-3). Hebrews 11:17-19 says “by faith Abraham,
when he was tried, offered up Isaac and he that had received the promises offered
up his only begotten son. Of whom it was said, that in Isaac shall your seed be
called. Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from
where also he received him in a figure”.
Mary, the mother of Jesus, as she heard the angel tell her that she would conceive
and bear a son and call His name Jesus. And even though she didn’t quite
understand how, and asked how it could be because she knew not a man. After the
angel told her, she said “be it to me according to your word”. She showed her faith
when she went to her cousin’s house and proclaimed that God had done good things
to her (Luke 1:46-49) “and Mary said, my soul does magnify the Lord. And my spirit
has rejoiced in God my Savior. For He has regarded the low estate of His
handmaiden for, behold, from hereafter all generations shall call me blessed. For He
that is mighty has done to me great things, and holy is His name”. Now she said this,
even though in the nature she could not see any difference.
Faith is belief in something that can’t be touched, seen, or otherwise proved. Belief
in God, trust in God or in the Word of God, and active obedience to God.
Faith can be seen (Mark 2:1-5) “and again He entered into Capernaum, after some
days, and it was noised that He was in the house. And immediately many were
gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no not so
much as about the door, and He preached the word to them. And they came to Him,
bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four. And when they could not
come near to Him for the press, they uncovered the roof where He was, and when
they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay. When
Jesus saw their faith, He said to the sick of the palsy, son, your sins be forgiven
you”. Paul saw the lame man’s faith (Acts 14:8-10) “and there sat a certain man at
Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother’s womb, who never had
walked. The same heard Paul speak, who steadfastly beholding him, and perceiving
that he had faith to be healed. Said with a loud voice, stand up right on your feet,
and he leaped and walked”.
Jesus said many times “according to your faith” the two blind men (Matthew 9:26-29)
“and the fame hereof went abroad into all the land. And when Jesus departed from
there, two blind men followed Him, crying and saying, You Son of David, have mercy
on us. And when He was come into the house, the blind men came to Him, and
Jesus says to them, believe you that I am able to do this? They said to Him, yea
Lord. Then touched He their eyes, saying according to your faith, be it, to you”. And
their eyes were opened. The woman with the issue of blood (Mark 5:25-29,34) “and
a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years. And had suffered many
things of many physicians and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered,
but rather grew worse. When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind,
and touched His garment. For she said, if I may touch but His clothes, I shall be
whole. And immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her
body that she was healed of that plague”. Jesus turned to see who touched Him,
then she fell down and testified to Him all the truth. “And He said to her, daughter
your faith had made you whole, go in peace and be whole of your plague”. The
centurion (Matthew 8:5-13) the centurion came to Jesus beseeching Him and saying
that his servant was sick and Jesus said that He would go and heal him, but the
centurion said just speak the word only and my servant shall be healed. Jesus
marveled and commended the centurion for his great faith. “and Jesus said to the
centurion, go your way, and as you have believed, so be it done to you. And his
servant was healed in the selfsame hour” (verse 13).
Many people read the word of God, but compare it to what they have experienced,
instead of believing it and acting on it. James tells us that faith without works is dead
(James 2:17-20) “even so faith, if it has not works is dead being alone. Yea, a man
may say, you have faith, and I have works, show me your faith without your works,
and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God, you do
well, the devils also believe and tremble. But will you know, o vain man, that faith
without works is dead?”
God told Joshua “this book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you
shall meditate therein day and night that you may observe to do according to all that
is written therein, for then you shall make your way prosperous and then you shall
have good success” (Joshua 1:8). Our success is based on our keeping the word of
God in our mouth, meditating over and over, thinking about and talking about the
word of God. And then doing what it says. James warns us not to be a hearer of the
word only, but to be a doer of the word. The Bible tells us in Ephesians 3:20 “Now to
Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according
to the power that works in us”. That power is our faith. I John 5:4 says “for
whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world and this is the victory that
overcomes the world, even our faith”.
Remember “the just shall live by faith” (II Corinthians 5:7, Galatians 3:11), faith draws
you to God while fear draws you to the devil. Hebrews 11:6 says “but without faith it
is impossible to please Him, for he that comes to God must believe that He is, and
that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him”. Let us “examine ourselves,
whether you be in the faith, prove your own selves. Know you not your own selves,
how that Jesus Christ is in you?” (II Corinthians 13:5). Remember that faith is
fantastic adventure in trusting Him. Faith is acting on what you believe. Faith is the
word of God in your heart, coming out of your mouth. Ephesians 6:16 says “above
all taking the shield of faith, wherewith you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts
of the wicked”.
Study by: Harriet Bond
Date: January 15, 2008
