God created the heavens and the earth by using His faith to speak it all into being and He still continues to uphold everything by the word of His power even today.
“By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.” Hebrews 11:3
We see in Genesis that God spoke things into being by releasing faith in every word He spoke. When Jesus walked the earth, He also released His faith through spoken words. He spoke to the storm, sick people, demons and even dead people and they all heard His ‘faith filled’ words and responded. He sent forth His word and it did not return void.
We are given an example of how these faith-filled words were used in Mark 11:22-24 where Jesus spoke to the fig tree and it consequently died on the spot. It’s interesting to note that He expects His followers to exercise this same kind of faith. He began the lesson by saying ‘Have the faith of God, or the ‘God kind of Faith,’ and He wants us to operate in this kind of faith as well. With Jesus in us we also have this authority and we are called to be imitators of God as His dear Children. In 2 Peter 1:1 it tells us that we have the same faith as Peter. “We have received like precious faith.”
We see Peter using this faith as Jesus did when He met the crippled man begging at the Gate Beautiful. He said that he had no money to give him, but such as he had, I give unto you, and the man was immediately healed. Note that Peter didn’t pray for him to be healed but exercised the Faith of God.
In Galatians 2:20 Paul says that we have been crucified with Christ and that we are to have the ‘faith of God’ (KJV). Most modern translations say that we should have faith in God which waters down what it said in the original text. I have always found this a difficult passage to understand but on reading the Passion Translation it has become a lot clearer.
“My old identity has been co-crucified with Christ and no longer lives. And now the essence of this new life is no longer mine, for the Anointed One lives his life through me - we live in union as one! My new life is empowered by the faith of the Son of God who loves me so much that he gave himself for me, dispensing his life into mine.”
It says that this new life that I now have isn’t powered by my faith, but by God’s. “My new life is empowered by the faith of the Son of God.”
I was once lost and dead in my sins, but Jesus had mercy on me as He passed by, and said -”LIVE.” He spoke this faith-filled word over my life and Praise God I heard His voice. Just like Lazarus did, I came out of my tomb of sin and darkness and began to walk in a newness of life. I began to live upheld by this faith filled word. Jesus is the Author and Finisher of my Faith.
“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith;” Hebrews 12:2
It has taken me awhile to understand some of this truth, that my life isn’t empowered by my self-effort, (for I am dead) but by His power, His Faith. Just like Jesus did when He spoke to the Fig Tree and also when He spoke to Lazarus, He spoke faith filled words over me and they are still working today, for His word is eternal. His words shall not return void, but shall prosper on the mission that Jesus sent them, especially when I get out of the way and co-operate with Him, saying the same thing.
The bible says that it’s not my old life that empowers me anymore, but His new life that is working in me. I’m now empowered by the faith of the Son of God, the same faith that created the heavens and the earth and raised Lazarus from the dead is inside of me.
I know that Christ is now living in me and is empowering me by His Spirit. His faith-filled words are my strength, and my life. It’s not my faith in Him, but His faith that is keeping me alive and that is a real game changer. Just as the universe is still being held up by His life giving words, so am I.
This takes all the striving away as I rest in what He has already done for me. It’s not a matter of me trying harder to be a better person but by believing in what He has done for me already on the cross. As I stop striving and spend more time becoming more intimate with Him, I understand His ways more and more. As we love Him, it empowers us to keep His words and in so doing we please Him and the Father.
Jesus replied, “Loving me empowers you to obey my word. And my Father will love you so deeply that we will come to you and make you our dwelling place. John 14:23 TPT
You can come to a place where you are more aware of God and His workings in your life. You begin to believe that Jesus is alive in you and that you are one with Him. You begin to know Him, for you are in union with Him. You also realise that you have inherited His life, His righteousness, His authority, His glory, His faith, and His character. Jesus has been given to you as a Gift from the Father. The Unspeakable Gift.
We can remind ourselves of this truth every time we have communion, for John 6:57 it says that He becomes the life of those who feed on Him.
Marriage is the greatest illustration God has given to us of a love relationship, and it helps explain our close union with Christ as His Bride. Just as a man and a woman become one in marriage, so do we become one with Christ when we receive Him. There is nothing on earth that can fully explain our union with Christ in the Spirit. We just have to believe what the word says.
In a good marriage the Bride inherits all that her husband has and so it is with us and our marriage to Christ. Look at Romans 8:17.
Like a Bride we take on His name in this spiritual relationship. I think this could be what it means to approach the Father in Jesus’ name. You come in Him, in union with Him. It’s powerful, for its not just me approaching the Father but Christ and me. If two agree on earth as touching anything, it shall be done for them by the Father in heaven. All the love that the Father has for His Son is now ours too, for Christ lives in us. Amen.
“I have revealed to them who you are and I will continue to make you even more real to them, so that they may experience the same endless love that you have for me, for your love will now live in them, even as I live in them!” John 17:26 TPT
Along with His righteousness and authority, Christ has given us His faith, and there is no greater faith than that of the Son of God. Oh that we might begin to grasp the wonder of our salvation.