Isaiah 55:11 (NKJV) So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
The object of faith is God. We have faith in the person of God, especially His character. God and His Word are one. God’s Word is like a seed sown in our hearts, and we must constantly water it for it to grow.
We should have the attitude that we have what we have prayed for the moment we receive a Word from God! The Centurion had great faith in Jesus because he believed his servant would be healed the moment Jesus said the Word. He didn’t even need Jesus to go to the premises. Jesus said the centurion had great faith because the Centurion understood what faith is (Luke 7:9). Faith is anchored in Jesus’ Word, and for New Testament believers, in the Word written in the Bible.
Numbers 23:19 (NKJV) “God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?
We must not reduce God’s faithfulness and ability to honour His Word to the level of man. We have lost faith in people because men have failed us in many ways through their words and actions—they will lie under pressure and compromise their integrity to seek personal gains, and they may not honour their promises, including the marriage vow. They will do whatever they like, as sin is about the self. As a result, we’ve lost trust and faith in man.
The object of faith is God, and God is not a man. God does not lie to us by His nature and fulfils what He has promised. He will watch over His Word to come to pass. His Word accomplishes and prospers according to how it is spoken and sent. What truly pleases God is our faith in His Word.
Faith is taking God’s Word for it. We should develop the habit of not acting until we have a Word from God regarding the significant decisions in our lives because our faith will waver if we walk out without a Word of promise from God or an assurance from the Holy Spirit. Faith is not established through a prophetic utterance by a speaker, even though it can act as a confirmation; neither is faith established by asking for a sign. It is vital that we have a Word from God upon which to build our faith. Without it, it would be foolish to think God is in the sign.
Scripture says in Hebrews 11:1 that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. The Word God has spoken to you personally gives substance to your faith. Therefore, faith has to be established on God’s promise and personal Word.
Sermon Series: Faith cannot coexist with Doubt
我们信心的实底
以赛亚书 55:11 我口所出的话也必如此,决不徒然返回,却要成就我所喜悦的,在我发他去成就的事上必然亨通。
信心的对象是神。我们对神有信心, 尤其相信祂的品格。神与祂的话是一体的。神的话语就像撒在我们心里的种子。我们必须不断浇水,它才能发芽生长。
我们应该有这样的态度,即当我们从上帝那里领受到话语的那一刻,我们就拥有了我们所祈求的!百夫长对耶稣有极大的信心,因为他相信他的仆人将在耶稣说话的那一刻就好起来。他甚至不需要耶稣去他那里,耶稣说百夫长有极大的信心,因为百夫长明白什么是信心 (路加福音7:9)。信心锚定在耶稣的话语之上!对新约信徒来说,信心是锚定在圣经中写就的话语之上。
民数记 23:19 神非人,必不致说谎,也非人子,必不致后悔。他说话岂不照着行呢?他发言岂不要成就呢?
我们绝不能把神兑现承诺的信实与能力限制在人的层级。我们对人失去了信心,因为人以其言语和行为百般地辜负了我们。人会在压力下撒谎,为了获取个人的利益而罔顾诚信,他们会言而无信,包括婚姻的誓言。他们将为所欲为,因为罪就是关乎一己。结果就是我们对人失去了信任和信心。
信心的对象是神,而神非人。神因其本性而不会对我们撒谎,祂言出必行。祂必守望祂的话语直到应验。祂的话必照着祂所说所发送的那样成就和亨通。真正讨神喜悦的是我们对祂话语的信心。
信心就是照着神所说的相信。我们应该养成这样的习惯:在我们就生命中的重大决定a领受到神的话语之前不采取任何行动,因为如果我们在没有神应许的话语或圣灵的确据的情况下就踏出去,我们的信心就会动摇。信仰不是通过讲员的预言性话语来建立的,尽管它可以起到确认的作用;信仰也不是通过寻求一个神迹来建立的。至关重要的是,我们有从神而来的话语,而我们的信心就建立其上。没有它,认为上帝存在于预兆中就是愚蠢的。
希伯来书 11:1 中说,信就是所望之事的实,是未见之事的确据。神亲自对你说话是你信心的实底。因此,信心要建立在神的应许和从祂而来的属个人的话语上。
讲章系列: 信心不能与怀疑共存
Image Source:pixabay.com