John 1:16-17 (Amplified) says, "For out of His fullness (abundance), we have all received, all had a share and were all supplied with, one Grace after another and Spiritual Blessing upon Spiritual Blessing and even favor upon favor and Gift heaped upon Gift. For while the Law was given through Moses, Grace (unearned, undeserved favor) and Spiritual Blessing and Truth, came through Jesus Christ."
Let's look at Romans 1:17 (Amplified) again, where Paul writes, "For in the Gospel a righteousness which God ascribes is revealed, both springing from faith and leading to faith (disclosed through the way of faith that arouses to more faith). As it is written, The man who through faith is just and upright shall live and shall live by faith."
This scripture tells us that everything we've gained through Jesus, comes by our faith in God's Word, including receiving Jesus as Lord. Much of the Revelation knowledge the Holy Spirit has brought to the Church, has been lost to us, by misunderstanding. Many have simply dismissed the faith teachings that God has given us, because these teachings have been misused and misunderstood. Just because some have misused them, doesn't mean these teachings aren't valid or Revelation.
Romans 4:16 (Amplified) says, "Therefore, inheriting the Promise is the outcome of faith and depends entirely on faith, in order that it might be given as an act of Grace (unmerited favor), to make it valid and guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the devotees of the Law, but also to those who share the faith of Abraham, who is thus the father of us all."
We received Jesus as our Lord and Savior, BY FAITH. Grace is God's unearned and undeserved favor, but in order to open the doors of Grace, we need faith. We cannot earn Grace and we certainly don't deserve it. It requires us to have faith, in order to accept God's Grace, favor and mercy. Every Promise God has made to us, is only released by our faith in that Promise, according to 2Corinthians 1:19-20 (Amplified) where Paul writes, "For the Son of God, Christ Jesus (the Messiah); Who has been preached among you by us, by myself, Silvanus, and Timothy, was not Yes or No, but in Him is always the Divine Yes. For as many as are the Promises of God, they all find their YES answer in Him (Christ). For this reason we also utter the Amen (So be it), to God through Him, in His Person and by His Agency, to the Glory of God."
Our receiving these Promises, is based upon our faith in God's Promises. They're not fulfilled in our lives by any other means, other than believing that God will do what He said He would do. This is faith or trust that brings about the Grace to fulfill the Promises. This is why the Lord told me that this will be the Year of Understanding. Faith isn't working like God intended, because we don't seem to understand faith, due to errant teachings and the misuse of faith messages. Just because some have misused it, doesn't take away the validity of it's true use and meaning.
Jesus told "The Parable of the Sower," in Mark 4:11, 23-24 (Amplified) saying, "To you has been entrusted the Mystery of the Kingdom of God, that is the secret counsels of God which are hidden from the ungodly, but for those outside of our circle, everything becomes a Parable." Jesus continued in Verses 23-24, "If any man has ears to hear, let him be listening and let him perceive and comprehend. And He said to them [and to us], Be careful what you are hearing. The measure of thought and study you give to the Truth you hear, will be the measure of virtue and knowledge that comes back to you, and more besides will be given to you who hear."
Don't let someone else determine what is Truth for you, but give thought and study to it for yourself. Many have talked about "Faith people" and "Word people," and believe only what these people say is valid, is valid. We must listen to and have ears to hear, what the Holy Spirit tells us. Hebrews 11:6 (Amplified) tells us that, "Without faith it is impossible to please God." If the faith teachings coming from those who are pleasing to God are "wrong," then how can we please Him? I'm not talking about the foolishness coming from the carnal-minded men. Paul writes about the love of the Church in Colossus, saying in Colossi ans 1:9-10 (Amplified), "For this reason we also, from the day we heard of it (your love) have not ceased to pray and make special request for you, asking that you may be filled with the full, deep, clear, knowledge of His will in all Spiritual Wisdom, in comprehensive insight into the ways and purposes of God, in all understanding and discernment of Spiritual things that you may walk, live, and conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the Lord; fully pleasing to Him and desiring to please Him in all things, bearing fruit in every good work and steadily growing and increasing in and by the knowledge of God, with fuller and deeper and clearer insight, acquaintance and recognition."
If it's impossible to please God without faith, then it must take faith in His Word to be fully pleasing to Him. Faith is just another word for trust. Do you trust Him to do what He said or are you still wavering by every wind of doctrine, like Paul described? If God said, "It is so," then it is so. Even the universe doesn't dare change from God's Word, but it remains stable in it.
Study for yourself and with all your getting, "Get understanding." Just because some have misused the teachings of faith, doesn't take away from faith or the Truth of it. You're missing out on so many Blessings from your inheritance, when you don't trust God to do what He has said. No one can stop the Promises of God from coming to pass in your life, according to Hebrews 3:19 (Amplified) which says, "So we see that they were not able to enter into His Rest because of their unwillingness to adhere to, trust in and rely on God, unbelief had shut them out."
How many things has our unbelief prevented from coming into our lives, because we were unwilling to trust Him for them? If God says that, "All His Promises are Yes and Amen in Jesus," then we should find out what His Promises are and then trust in, rely on and have faith in, His Truth.
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