Principles of Faith

 

Principles of Faith

 

Some of the major principles of faith, but not limited to these, include:

 

1.        Faith comes by hearing (Romans 10:17). Hearing what? The Word of God. You have to get yourself saturated in the Word for your mind to be renewed and your faith to be built up. You have to keep on hearing and hearing the Word being preached and taught. The more Word you hear and absorb, the more faith will be deposited into your heart.

 

2.        The Bible talks about different levels of faith:

 

A. Strong faith (refuses to be defeated, does not take “no” for an answer – Romans 4:20)

 

B. Great faith (Matthew 8:10; Luke 7:9)

 

C. Mountain moving faith (Matthew 17:20, 21:21; Mark 11:23)

 

D. Mustard seed faith (Matthew 17:20; Luke 17:6)

 

E. Weak faith (limits God’s benefits – Romans 4:19)

 

F. Little faith (Matthew 6:30, 8:26, 14:31, 16:8; Luke 12:28)

 

G. No faith (doubt and unbelief – Hebrews 3:12, 19)

 

H. Wavering faith (James 1:6)

 

I. Common faith (Titus 1:1,4,13; 2:2; 3:15)

 

J. Unfeigned faith (no hyprocisy, being real and transparent – 1 Timothy 1:5; 2 Timothy 1:5)

 

K. Temporary faith (one who believes for a while and then begins to doubt; go in and out of faith; faith is inconsistent – Luke 8:13)

 

L. Mental faith (does not act on the Word; has faith in their mind but lacks taking appropriate action; passive; faith but no works – James 2:14-26)

 

M. Active faith (develops into a mighty living force; a faith that grows slowly and steadily – James 2:14-26; Hebrews 10:19-38)

 

N. Divine faith (God’s faith that He imparts into you; walking in this kind of faith is to walk in the fullness of Christ – Hebrews 11:3; Galations 2:20; 1 Corinthians 13:14)

 

3.        The analogy of mustard seed size faith is not necessarily saying that all a person needs is a very tiny amount of faith to move mountains, because in my own life it took a lot of faith and effort to move some major mountains out of the way that had been in existence for decades, and were very stubborn and resistant to change.

 

The mustard seed is one of the tiniest seeds, but when it is sown into the ground, it springs up and has the potential to grow into a very large tree, providing shade to others and the birds can nest in the thick branches.

 

Mustard seed is similar to the analogy of an acorn. We don’t think of the acorn seed by itself, but our minds automatically think about the strong and mighty oak tree it becomes over a period of time after the seed is sown into the earth.

 

Faith often comes in seed form that is planted into people’s hearts by the teaching of the Word of God, then that seed grows and produces a mighty harvest.

 

4.        You can receive nothing from God apart from faith. A person who doubts is like a wave of the sea tossed to and fro, and is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways, and cannot expect to receive anything from the Lord (James 1:2-8).

 

5.        Faith is the only thing that pleases God. Without faith, it is impossible to please God, because he who comes to Him must believe that He exists, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6).

 

6.        Faith calls those things that currently do not exist, into existence, and it becomes a reality (Romans 4:17). God speaks of the end results before you arrive there.

 

7.        Faith prophesies things into existence, and faith involves making authoritative decrees and commands in the Spirit realm, as your role of a king before God. “Command ye me” – Isaiah 45:11.

 

We are kings and priests unto Him (1 Peter 2:9; Revelation 1:6), and rule and reign with Him. Kings make decrees and those commands are carried out. When we decree the Word of the Lord, God’s angels hearken to the voice of the Lord and carry out things for us and help bring things to pass in our lives. Angels are activated by faith words and the Word of God.

 

Psalms 103:20

Bless the Lord, you His angels,

Who excel in strength, who do His Word,

Heeding the voice of His Word. NKJV

 

8.        Faith takes appropriate action, depending on whatever it is you are believing for. Faith makes preparation for whatever it is you are believing for. Faith without works is dead (James 2). James says to show me your works and I will show you my faith. When you truly believe that you have already received something, and that the answer is arriving soon, it will show up in your actions.

 

9.        Faith involves posting pictures around your house that depict whatever you are believing for. This could be a vision board, journal, your I-Phone, I-Pad, to a mirror or anywhere in your house that you will look at all the time, and keep it before your eyes day and night.

 

The Bible teaches that what a person continually beholds with their physical eyes, after a while it is drawn to you like a magnet and becomes a reality. This principle is seen in the story of Jacob and the spotted and speckled flock (Genesis 30). It’s also noted in the account of Abraham seeing the numerous stars in the sky at night, and during the daytime looking at the innumerable grains of sand all around him. That is how many offspring he would have one day (Genesis 15:5, 22:17).

10.   Faith only speaks what the Word says about your situation, such as by Jesus’ stripes, you are (and were) healed (Isaiah 53:5; 1 Peter 2:24). Faith comes into agreement with what God says in His Word, and does not participate in parroting what the devil is saying (words of doubt, unbelief, murmuring, complaining, griping, negativity, evil words) which can cancel out what God wants to do in your life.

 

11.   The first generation of Israelites forfeited their inheritance and were not allowed to enter into their promised land because of their doubt and unbelief, murmuring and complaining, and speaking evil accusations against God (Hebrews 3).

 

This is a very serious matter in God’s eyes, and is in a higher category of iniquity than even the sin of murder. This sin of doubt and unbelief angers God more than any other sin.

 

Doubt and unbelief is the same as treating God with the utmost disrespect and dishonor, contempt, rudeness, irreverence, and making Him out to be a liar, to be weak, unable to carry out what He said He would do, unfaithful to His promises, and accusing Him of being the evil Person causing your problems when the real problem is a person’s own attitudes and evil heart.

 

God calls an unbelieving heart “evil” (Hebrews 3:12). We don’t necessarily equate unbelief with being evil necessarily, but God does. In His sight, it’s more wicked than committing other sins, and then you cannot inherit the promises of God.

 

12.   Faith does not deny facts or lie about facts, but faith denies the sickness or problem the right to remain in your life.

 

13.   Faith does not keep on rehearsing the symptoms over and over again for a long season of time.

 

Rehearsing the symptoms for a very long period of time only helps to empower and keep the symptoms alive and active in your body. When you begin to speak only what the Word says by declaring healing promises, and to rebuke the symptoms, to curse the roots of the disease, then progress is made towards your healing and recovery.

 

Jesus asked the man who had been paralyzed and laid by the Pool of Bethesda for 38 long years if he wanted to be made whole? At first he gave the excuses of why he had not received his healing yet, and that he had no one to put him into the pool when the waters were stirred up, and that someone else would always make it into the pool first.

 

I can see this scenario happening a few years in a row, but after that he could have laid right on the edge of the pool and at first sight of the waters being stirred by healing angels, would give it all his might to roll himself into the pool if he had no one to help him in. He was not aggressive and determined enough to seize his healing, and allowed 38 years to go by remaining in the same condition.

 

After Jesus healed him, He saw that same man at the Temple, and told the man to not continue sinning anymore, lest some worse ailment happen to him. So in his case, part of his infirmity was sin-related. However, not all sickness is sin-related and this example does not apply to everyone with an illness. But in this particular case, whatever sins he was committing was part of the problem in his life.

 

14.   Faith speaks to mountains (obstacles, insurmountable problems) and tells it what to do and where to go. Faith does not let the mountains tell you how it’s going to be (that is a victim mentality). Faith involves empowerment, and you taking control over how your future is going to be by the words you speak and the decisions you make. You have the authority to be the prophet over your own life and tell your future how things are going to be, and then take steps to fulfill it.

 

15.   Faith requires that a person first have hope before you can have faith. Without hope, there is no faith. Faith is the substance of things “hoped for”, the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1).

 

16.   Faith may not see physical evidence of something happening with their natural eyes, but faith has eyes in the spirit realm and sees the answer even before it comes. It’s okay to give yourself permission to dream. God gave us the ability to dream, so that we could decide what we want, be able to imagine it and see it in our spirit, and begin to speak it into existence and take action to see it come into reality.

 

17.   Hope is essential in order to have faith, and will keep you going forward and holding on. Hope is positive expectation that your answer is going to come to pass. Hope expects or wishes for things to change for the positive. However, only FAITH can actually CHANGE things. Faith can even create, if necessary.

 

18.   Hope is always for the future (someday I will be totally healed, someday I will be prosperous, someday my dream will come to pass, someday I will be married).

 

19.   On the other hand, faith is “right now” in the present, believing that the answer is happening “right now” and that you have “already received” your answer regardless of how things look on the surface. In the Spirit realm, something has shifted, and soon you will see the manifestation. You know you have received your answer when you get busy making preparation for its arrival and taking steps of action.

 

20.   Faith is when you have turned your problem over to the Lord, and you let Him fight your battles for you. When you come into His Sabbath Rest, and into the Secret Place of the Most High, and just rest in Him, while you rest (even literally taking a nap or going on a much needed vacation), God is at work taking care of your battles. And He wins each and every battle and gives you the victory.

 

21.   Faith has to be in the heart (not the mind) to work right. Jesus said that you have to believe in your HEART. If there is doubt in your heart, then faith will not work for you.

 

Mark 11:23

For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. KJV

 

22.   If there is faith in your heart, but doubt in your mind, then you don’t need to pay it much attention, as that is probably the enemy planting doubt in your mind.

 

Also, the mind is always contrary and in a battle with your heart or spirit man part of you. You have to go with what your heart and spirit is saying in making decisions, not what your mind or logic is saying, because your mind can play tricks on you and you can keep changing your mind over and over again depending what your feelings are dictating at the moment. The mind is the arena or battlefield where the devil fights you the most. Only the teaching and applying of the Word of God can transform the mind and thinking processes.

 

The mind can only process facts, figures and logic like a computer can. It only can see what is in front of you. Your spirit, on the other hand, is created with the ability to discern the supernatural, and can pick up on what may happen down the road in the future depending on what decisions you make right now.

 

Your spirit can discern things to come in the future, and your spirit can discern problematic areas that need to be resolved, or alert you to stay away from certain individuals who would cause you a lot of needless trouble.

 

Your spirit is a safe guide to follow, because it doesn’t go by logic or reasoning, but it picks up things in the supernatural, and it can discern even the very thoughts and attitudes of other people’s hearts so that you are not left in the dark.

 

If you feel like you are walking in the dark not knowing what to do or how to navigate your way around, the Word says that the entrance of God’s Word brings light (the light is referring to revelation and wisdom – Psalms 119:130).

 

Ephesians 1:17 talks about the Spirit of God being the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation, and He downloads revelation (light) to us, so that we may understand His mysteries, and our hearts be illuminated with revelation. We cannot find revelation in anything or anyone other than God Himself, and it comes from the Word of God.

 

Ephesians 1:17-19

 

17 [For I always pray to] the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, that He may grant you a spirit of wisdom and revelation [of insight into mysteries and secrets] in the [deep and intimate] knowledge of Him,

 

18 By having the eyes of your heart flooded with light, so that you can know and understand the hope to which He has called you, and how rich is His glorious inheritance in the saints (His set-apart ones),

 

19 And [so that you can know and understand] what is the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His power in and for us who believe, as demonstrated in the working of His mighty strength. AMP

 

23.   Jesus did NOT say that a person will have in life whatever they believe. Many people believe for things, but never receive it for some reason or another. Jesus said we shall have whatever we SAY, and especially continually say (Mark 11:23). Saying is verbalizing what you believe in your heart. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks (Matthew 12:34). When you audibly verbalize what you believe, then it activates something in the Spirit realm to bring things to pass in an accelerated manner.

 

24.   Faith involves the renewing of the mind and thinking in alignment with how God thinks, and Heaven’s culture, which is accomplished by being saturated in the Word and spending time in His Glory.

 

Romans 12:2 says, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” KJV

 

25.   Faith works by love (Galations 5:6). Without walking in love, faith will not work right for you. Things won’t go right in your life. Your prayers will be hindered. Your blessings will be blocked off from you receiving the full flow of blessings.

 

Love is best defined in 1 Corinthians 13. Love is not necessarily an emotion, but involves decisions and actions, showing honor and respect, turning away from evil attitudes, fearing (reverencing) the Lord, and is produced by the Holy Spirit working in your life as you yield to Him.

 

26.   You cannot mistreat others and have working faith. It won’t happen. Your prayers will be hindered. You cannot treat others with disrespect and dishonor, and expect your prayers to be answered.

 

27.   You cannot live in bitterness and unforgiveness and have working faith that moves mountains. It will definitely hinder your prayers, block off many of the blessings of God, and you will feel like your soul has been exiled to the wilderness where you are thirsty and parched dry.

 

If never dealt with, unforgiveness and roots of bitterness can lead to eternal judgment in hell because if we don’t forgive others, God cannot forgive us.

 

Hebrews 12:15

Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled. KJV

 

Forgiveness is a choice, not an emotion. You may still feel angry and full of rage towards the perpetrator, but can forgive them by turning the offender over to God, letting the matter go by putting in your claim in the Court Room of Heaven with all the facts and evidence of the wrongdoing they did, or even criminal acts, and then turn them over to God for Him to deal with direct.

 

Then your chains will be broken, and you won’t be chained to the perpetrator anymore. You will receive some kind of justice. It may not come like you think, but God will avenge you in some kind of way and turn things around in your favor.

 

In this world, many offenses will come. But woe to the one who causes, or instigates, the offenses (Matthew 18:7). They are held in greater judgment and accountability than the victims are.

 

But the victims can be held in the judgment of God if they refuse to ever forgive the offenders and to harbor hatred. When you hold onto unforgiveness, it’s like holding the offender in your custody and being chained to them, rather than delivering them over to the custody of the Father and Son, and letting them deal with the perpetrator.

 

On earth, we would hand people over to the law and courts, and let the judges deal with them. It works the same way with God. When we release the offense (more for our own welfare than the perpetrator’s welfare), we are not saying that what they did was okay, because it was not okay. But it means we are releasing the bitterness and hate, and turning them over into the custody of God, so He can judge or discipline them (the Father and Son are the judges). They know how to deal with perpetrators. They will bring you justice.

 

We hold up our justice and tie God’s hands by holding onto unforgiveness. He cannot deal with the offender until you let go of the perpetrator and deliver them over to God so He can deal with them. Our unforgiveness gets in the way of God doing His job as the Highest Judge of the Universe, and our own bitterness contaminates our Temple.

 

28.   Faith works by patience. Through faith and patience, we inherit the promises (Hebrews 6:12). Some miracles are instant, and other things take a while. I don’t understand all the reasons why this is so, but this is the reality. There could be many factors involved of why some healings come instantly and other healings take a while, and the factors are different for each person, as God views each individual case separately. What applies to one person does not necessarily apply to someone else.

 

Why did God heal other barren women and give them conception only after a short time after praying for a child, while it took 25 years for Abraham and Sarah to have Isaac?

 

Why did decades go by from the time Abraham and Sarah married at a young age until Abraham was around 75 years old and Sarah 65, until they received the promise of a son in the first place? Why did God wait to give them conception until they were both too old to conceive a child in the first place, even if Sarah had never been barren?

 

We don’t understand all of these factors. But we do know that Abraham is the father of faith, and the father of the Jews and grafted in Gentiles. Those who are of faith are the seed of Abraham and heirs of the promises.

 

Abraham staggered not at the promise of God, through unbelief, but was strong in faith, and giving glory to God. He did not consider his own body now dead nor the deadness of Sarah’s womb. But he was fully persuaded that what God had said, that He would fulfill it. And to him it was credited to him as righteousness (Romans 4:17-22).

 

About Sarah, it says that she received the promise and conceived Isaac, because she considered Him faithful who had promised (Hebrews 11:11).

 

God speaks life to the dead, and calls those things that are not, as if they already were in existence (Romans 4:17).

 

God also gave Abraham visual pictures to look at every day for all those years of waiting in faith. For example, the millions of stars in the sky at night represented that his offspring would be more numerous than if you could count the number of stars. Every time Abraham looked at the desert scenery around him, he was reminded that his offspring would be as numerous as the grains of sand on the seashore. How can you count all of the grains of sand? It is impossible.

 

But God knows the number of hairs on our head, and He knows how many grains of sand there is on a seashore and in the entire earth. It would be a mathematical figure that is beyond our learning on this earth, that we have never heard of yet – beyond trillions. On this earth, we stop at trillions. But God is unlimited, and goes way beyond us here on this earth.

 

Sometimes we don’t know the reasons for why it may take so long for promises to come to pass, but we do know by what the Word of God shows us, that God is faithful to fulfill His promises. His timing may not always be our timing, but He is an on-time God. He knows when the best timing is for something to take place in our lives. We may never understand it, or maybe we will in time or in eternity in heaven, but God knows what He is doing and we have to trust Him.

 

Patience, or longsuffering, is one of the fruits of the Spirit that the Lord develops in our lives (Galations 5:22-23), as we stay in communion with the Holy Spirit. Patience can be tested, and can withstand pressure without buckling.

 

Romans 5:2-4 says that tribulation works patience, patience works experience, and experience – hope. And hope maketh not ashamed. KJV

 

Romans 8:24-25 says:

 

24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?

 

25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. KJV

 

Luke 21:19 says, “In your patience possess ye your souls.” KJV

 

Hebrews 10:36 says, “For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.” KJV

 

Hebrews 12:1-2 tells us:

 

1 Therefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

 

2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the Throne of God.

KJV

 

James 1:3-4

Knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect (mature) and complete, lacking nothing. NKJV

 

29.   Faith could be blocked due to mindsets that exalt themselves against the knowledge and will of God. For instance, errant teachings that say that healing is not for today, or teachings that question if it’s always God’s will to heal, is a major factor in cheating God’s people from receiving their healing. Those teachings create doubt in people’s minds and hearts, which is the enemy to faith and to receiving anything from God.

 

Also, the Western culture, which is Greek based, has a difficult time believing in the supernatural and the Divine. Everything always has to be logical, reasoned out, and figured out in the mind. Other cultures who do believe in the supernatural receive healings and miracles so much quicker, usually instantly, because they don’t have strongholds or traditions in the mind that prevents them from receiving.

 

Jesus said that there is one thing that is more powerful than the power of God. That is, traditions – especially religious traditions (Matthew 15:6).

 

The power of God won’t work for you if your traditions cancel it out, and you believe your traditions more than what God’s Word says (or filter everything in the Word through the lense of your traditions).

 

Once we get to Heaven, all of us will discover that some of our theology and traditions were not exactly in line with the real way things are done in Heaven.

 

Other blockages that prevent people from receiving their answers to prayer may include feelings of unworthiness, feelings that they don’t deserve to be healed maybe because of past or present sins or shortcomings, a sense of guilt whether real or false, questioning if God wants to do it for them, questioning God’s goodness, having an unhealthy view of Father God if they grew up around abusive fathers or authority figures, feelings of shame.

 

Also, self-esteem that has been battered and beaten down by things people have said over you, lack of confidence in asking God, inability to completely trust God perhaps because of experiencing people in your past betraying you or not coming through, etc. God is not like a man. He is God and is Perfect and Reliable.

 

30.   Some people are only healed when God takes them to Heaven. Maybe they had strong faith, but going to Heaven was how they received their complete healing.

 

There are many factors going on that only the individual knows about. Some people want to go to heaven right now, and don’t want to remain on this earth any longer, even if they were divinely totally healed. They are ready to go, and maybe their children are grown and their financial affairs are all in order.

 

Just because they are ready to go on to heaven doesn’t necessarily mean they are experiencing depression. In many cases, that is so, but not in all cases, especially when people become older and they know their years are limited and they feel like they are satisfied in living out their full lifetime and are now ready to move on to their eternal reward.

 

Some people, especially as they get older, would rather go on to heaven than to live in constant pain and suffering, frequent hospitalizations, taking medications, immobility, being in a nursing home, unable to take care of themselves and have independence, unable to shower themselves or dress themselves, losing a sense of dignity, not being alert in their mind anymore such as with dementia and Alzheimers, etc.

 

Some people that are now in heaven were not ready to go to heaven and wanted to remain here for their family, but for some reason, that is how they received their healing. Of course, they would not want to come back to earth after tasting of how wonderful and beautiful heaven is. They are rejoicing and doing well. It’s difficult on their loved ones on earth, but for the person who goes to heaven they are having a party and are so happy!

 

They are with Jesus face to face, reunited with loved ones, they have back their youthful body like when they were in their 20’s or early 30’s, they have a brand new perfect body that is incorruptible, they behold the joys and beauty of heaven, they don’t have to deal with anymore cares and problems of this earth like financial issues, family tensions, violence and criminal activity in our world, terrorism, and all the cares of this fallen world.

 

They are now totally free to grow, thrive, flourish and become everything they were created to be. They are now living in wealth beyond human imagination. They live in an atmosphere of perfect love and peace, and begin to make a lot of friends and have wonderful relationships like God intended fellowship to be.

 

Heaven is the ideal place to be, and once we are there, we will never get sick ever again and never die. We will never feel any pain there (whether physical, emotional, relational or mental). We will never mourn ever again.

 

It will never get dark there, but is always sunshine (well actually the Father’s Glory is the light which is brighter than our sun and lights all of heaven at the same time).

 

There are no dangers there, no criminals or wicked people there, no demons there to torment us ever again.

 

No one has to toil hard to survive there like it is on this earth. The only work you have to do in heaven is to work on developing the gifts and talents God has deposited into you from the moment of your conception. And then use those giftings to bless others with.  

It is God's will that no one should perish (end up in hell), but that ALL should come to repentance. 

For God so loved this world that He gave His only begotton Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

God did not send His Son into this world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him would be saved.

The thief (Satan the devil) comes only for to kill, steal and destroy. But Jesus has come to give us life, and life more abundantly, until it overflows.

I urge you to come to the Cross today and receive Jesus as your Savior and Lord. He will wash away all your sins and make you as clean and white as fresh snow. 

Just pray this prayer and mean it with your heart:

Dear Lord Jesus (if you are not able to call him Lord yet, then just say "Jesus")

I receive You as my Savior and Lord. I give my life over to You. I believe that You died and rose again, and that if I call on the Name of the Lord I shall be saved. 

I accept you into my heart right now, and confess that You are Lord and have risen from the dead and forever live to make intercession for me. 

Thank You for washing my heart pure and clean and making me whole, and for giving me peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 

Thank You that now I am a new creature in Christ Jesus. The old has gone and the new has come. 

And there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh (carnality and sin), but walk after the Spirit.  In Jesus' Name, Amen. 

If you prayed this prayer, I believe you got born again and are now heaven bound and will be with the Lord forever and have eternal life. Your sins are now forgiven. You are accepted in the Beloved.

I would encourage you to find a good Bible based local church to help you grow in your faith, to learn the Word of God, to praise and worship Him, and to have fellowship with the saints. 

Serving Christ is the best decision you will ever make. 

God bless you!!!