2Corinthians 5:17-18 (Amplified) says, "Therefore, if any person is (ingrafted) in Christ Jesus (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old (previous moral and spiritual condition) has passed. Behold, the fresh and new has come. But all things are from God, Who through Jesus Christ reconciled us to Himself (received us into favor, brought us into harmony with Himself) and gave us to the ministry of reconciliation (that by word and deed we might aim to bring others into harmony with Him)."
We sometimes forget that God's Word (the Bible) is a Super-natural book. It's the only book on earth that is and has Life in it's Words. This isn't a book for the natural man to understand, but the super-natural new creation. Jesus said that, "The Words I speak are Spirit and they are Life," in John 6:63 (Amplified). Nothing about this book of God's Word is possible, without faith in what it says and without believing that, "All things are possible to him who believes."
Even the new birth or new creation is impossible, without faith in the Super-natural Word of God. Everything Jesus did and said in His earthly ministry were super-natural, along with everything He instructed us to do. Jesus gave the commandment to "Love one another, as He loved us," but this could only be done through the Super-natural work of God in us. We are called to do the impossible works, that can only be done by faith in Him and His ability in us.
Applying our faith in God and the things He's called us to do, makes little sense to the natural carnal mind of man. Prayer only works when we are actually believing when we pray, that our prayers will be answered. Otherwise, it's only wishing it could be done and there's no power in wishing. Faith is required for us to become saved, according to Romans 10:8-10 (Amplified) which says, "If you believe in your heart, and confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, you shall be saved. For with the heart man believes and with the mouth confession is made."
Jesus said this about salvation in Mark 16:16 (Amplified), "He who believes (who adheres to, and trusts in, and relies on the Gospel and Him Whom it sets forth) and is baptized will be saved (from the penalty of eternal death), but he who does not believe (who does not adhere to, and trust in and rely on the Gospel and Him Whom it sets forth) will be condemned."
This process of believing and receiving is the very same principal laid out throughout the entire Word of God. You can only receive, what you believe. This is the impossible, made possible, only through believing. This isn't believing what you can see, but in what you believe is possible. I couldn't see my salvation when I received Jesus as my Lord and Savior, I had to believe that what God said, was true. This seemed impossible to me, but God delivered on His Word, just like He said He would. The salvation scripture seems to be easier to believe than other things in God's Word, because we don't need to see or be involved, only to believe. When it comes to other "impossible" things from God's Word, we allow our carnal minds to dictate to us, instead of our spirit and the Word.
We lead others to Jesus, by faith in the "impossible," because we have renewed our minds to believe this portion of the Word and because we can believe in our hearts that this has come to pass. We seldom see signs of salvation initially in these baby Christians, but we believe that we eventually will. The difficult thing about laying hands on the sick and believing, is that we can see the impossible task of a man's being able to heal a disease. Our carnal, unrenewed mind comes into play and chokes off our "believing in our heart."
God's Word is a book full of impossible tasks and deeds that can only be accessed by believing in our hearts that God is able to bring to pass, the things He said He would. Our not believing them, will hinder or even stop us from doing them, but this doesn't make God's Word any less than truth. Just because some do not believe, doesn't mean that salvation isn't for all who do believe. The manifestation of God's Word, is received by believing. Jesus never told us to do anything about the sick, only to lay hands on them in belief. Then, He said that "the Father in Him (or us) will do the work." He only requires us to believe.
The principal of the prayer of salvation is the same for any other prayer. If you will only believe when you pray about other things, like you did when you said the prayer of salvation, then it will work the same way. We've developed our believing the prayer of salvation and with full assurance, we lead other to Christ, by faith in God's Word. We need to develop our faith, in order to trust in the rest of God's Word with the same full assurance. We cannot "save" anyone, we are simply the instrument God uses to speak the Word of salvation to them. It's hard to be a salesman for a product you don't believe in, even in the world.
The very Same Jesus Who died and rose again for our remission of sin and death, is the Same Jesus Who bore the curse of the Law and our redemption. We've developed faith in this one portion of our redemption, because the rest seems to be impossible, even in this day and age. In John 6:28-29 (Amplified), the people asked Jesus some of the same questions we hear today, saying, "What are we to do, that we may (habitually) be working the works of God? (What are we to do to carry out what God requires?) Jesus replied, This is the work (service) that God asks of you, believe in the One Whom He has sent (that you cleave to, trust in, rely on, and have faith in) His Messenger."
These are the very same requirements needed for salvation. They both require us to believe and have faith in Him. Prayer depends on having faith in what Jesus said about it...just like anything and everything else He said. It's not based on "how good you are," but belief in Him. The very Same Jesus said these things in John 14:12-13 (Amplified), "I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, if anyone steadfastly believes in Me, he will himself be able to do the things that I do; and he will do even greater things than these, because I go to the Father." Jesus concluded this in Verse 13, saying, "And I will do (I Myself will grant) whatever you ask in My Name (as presenting all that I Am) So that the Father may be glorified and extolled in (through) the Son." Jesus said that "if anyone believes and asks it, then Jesus will do or grant it." This representation of Jesus in the world, "will glorify and extol the Father through the Son."
The problem hasn't been that "God no longer does these things" (like some would have you believe), but it's been our unbelief in the Super-natural works of God through His Word. The only thing that I can find in the Word, that will stop the Super-natural work of God, is unbelief. I'm aware this will grate the old religious spirit of pride in some Christians, but this is what the Word says. We must expand our faith beyond the prayer of salvation, into the works of this new creation being here on earth.
I'm sure that some who might read this, will have much to say, but please all the Holy Spirit to reveal the Word (which Jesus said is Spirit and Life) to you. Remember that the things Jesus commissioned us to do are not possible, but that all things are impossible without believing. We must broaden our belief in what He said. If the confession of our mouth and believing in our heart can create a new creation, then it can also do everything else He said it would do, for those who will believe. After all, He does the work.
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