Applying Faith to Live the Fullness of Your Destiny
Faith is both a noun and a verb.
That may sound strange to think of it as a grammatical statement, but it’s true. If I only think of faith as a noun, then it simply describes a static position. For instance, I can say my faith is Christian, distinguishing me from other types of religions or faiths. When faith activates what is deposited in Heaven, then faith becomes a verb that requires action on my part. James 2:17-19 (NKJV) says, “Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, ‘You have faith, and I have works.’ Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe and tremble!”
Notice how James makes the distinction between faith as a noun and faith as a verb. Faith by itself is a stated noun, but when faith starts to move in what we are called to do, then faith starts activating the power of the Word of God. James makes a stunning statement that even the demons believe and tremble. What this means is that believing is simply “possibility thinking” or “I believe it’s possible.” If all I have is a belief system without a faith system, then I am only at a demonic level.
When we act on what we believe, it is transformative—it turns a stagnant pool of water into a flowing river moving things along with its flow. There is life in a river of active faith, but in motionless pools things die from religious pollution. When religion is solely a faith statement, it is a dead pool of beliefs. Faith without works is dead—and the antithesis of this is faith working toward the Word bringing life. Simply put, faith turns on the power to change the status from death to life and weakness to strength. For example, the reason some businesses install motion detectors in their light switches is because people don’t remember to turn off the lights. The point being, there must be movement to turn on the power to the lights.
Faith without movement is a noun, not a verb that takes action and turns on the switch. I am convinced a lot of unanswered prayers have gone silent due to no movement toward what they are believing for.
When I was 19 years old my pastor and those around me recognized that I was called to preach, and there was even prophecy spoken over me confirming as such. I was issued a license to minister. The only thing was, I had never officially shared with anyone or any group a message or sermon. Although I felt accepted among my peers as having joined their ranks, I had the noun kind of faith; it was a statement that I could preach yet without works. The time came when I was called upon to ratify my calling of faith. I could say it was time “to fish or cut bait,” as my ministry could not stay in the noun form. The noun form of my faith was safe, and I had not yet made any mistakes. Yet, there was no power in my noun type of faith only an outward appearance of faith.
Well it was bound to happen, it was time to share my first message, or sermon, and there was no way I could go backward after claiming faith. After spending hours in study, I asked the Holy Spirit to enable me not to fail. I guess failure meant stage fright and being tongue-tied.
The first few minutes of speaking seemed to me like I was shooting in the dark. Then I noticed a sense of boldness kick in—and to my surprise I was saying things that I had not written into my notes. Eventually I forgot about my notes entirely. I realized that my faith left the noun position and moved into the working groove that made all the difference in the world. No longer would I say I had faith, now I could say I move in faith. Things happen when we move in faith, then faith starts to move us.
Faith is proportionate to the willingness to trust the Holy Spirit and obey the prompting of His Word. Romans 12:3 (NIV) says, “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the [measure of] faith God has distributed to each of you.” Paul is reminding us that we all have been given a measure (metron) of faith. Simply put, the beginning of a seed has been given to all of us. However, it is up to us if the measure of faith remains solely a noun or moves into a life-transforming verb. Faith is much more than a mantra of repetitive sayings; faith must leave the barn and get to plowing the field where you will sow to bring it to its potential.
When Moses brought the Hebrews out from Egypt, they were facing the Red Sea with the Egyptian army pursuing from behind. The picture most of us have of the scene is the Hebrews’ panic, even some blaming Moses for bring them to die in the desert. God tells Moses to stretch his rod over the sea. The sea began to part, and the miracle of their deliverance was realized. The same sea that gave them passage was the same sea that brought destruction to their enemies.
The second time the Hebrews were at a water crossing was at the Jordan River (Joshua 3:8). This time they were required to have the priests who were carrying the Ark of the Covenant to first step into the Jordan. Their first crossing at the Red Sea was one person responding with a rod; this time it was a team having to step into the water first before they saw the miracle of water parting.
The level of faith for something to happen many times calls for action on our part. It is the same for us today; the increase of faith calls for an increase of trust and acting on what we sense the Holy Spirit leading us to do. Faith is not a leap into the dark; it’s a walk in the light. Faith is like radar that enables us to see through the fog so we can keep moving forward. Faith does not work well when we stop to consult our feelings, which allows fear to have a say in the direction we are heading. Consult the Holy Spirit—He knows the way.
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me (Galatians 2:20 NIV).
The main point I want to make here is the faith of the Son of God. When we allow the Holy Spirit to crucify the natural thinking of the soul that is in opposition to God, then the faith of the Son engages our spirit and leads us into the purpose for which we were designed to do (Romans 8:7). Your potential is locked up inside you, and it takes the Holy Spirit to unlock the soul for your potential to run freely and be a co-heir and partner in His creation.
Misdirected Faith
While Jesus was among the people, a man called out to Jesus to have mercy upon his son who was an epileptic and would often fall into the fire or water. The father went on to explain that he brought his son to the disciples, but they were not able to cure him. Jesus instructed the man to bring the boy to Him and He rebuked the demon, and the child was cured. Jesus said openly this was a “faithless and perverse generation” (Matthew 17:17 NKJV).
And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour. Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting” (Matthew 17:18-21 NKJV).
Jesus does acknowledge that the demon was of a higher rank. Possibly the disciples at that time had an empty account or their level of faith had yet to be developed. Jesus plainly says they couldn’t cast out the demon because of their unbelief. They had seen Jesus numerous times cast out demons. This time He told them fasting and prayer would be effective. The purpose of fasting is to bring the carnal flesh under subjection of the spirit. It is possible for us to know the methodology of how to cast out demons or heal the sick, but we must always be aware of the One who deserves our focus—Jesus, the One in whom our faith is centered. What I mean by misdirected faith is that faith can be focused on the problem rather than on the Person of our faith.
Hebrews 12:2 says Jesus is “the Author and Finisher of our faith.” When faith emulates the Originator of faith, then we are living in the faith of the Son of God. The demonic realm recognizes that faith flows from Him. In reading the Genesis account of the creation of man, the word likeness stands out. It originally was intended to mean in the liking of God or being like Him in thought and action. Putting faith in the teaching of faith is not faith. Faith is an intimate relationship to the One who gives faith; and the more we respond in the likeness of God, the greater faith has a place in us. We cannot separate faith from the intimate relationship we have with the Originator of faith.
Without Faith the Door Is Closed
John 10 clearly teaches us that Jesus is the door into the sheepfold, and those who are truly His sheep hear His voice. Since Jesus is the door to the Father, He certainly is the door into our heavenly currency account. Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV) says, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” The first step in finding favor and accessing the currency of Heaven is to please the Lord. It is interesting to note that the word in the Greek for pleasing is akin to yes. Then, we could say it’s impossible to say “Yes” to God without faith. Operating in faith is like saying yes to God.
By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks (Hebrews 11:4 NKJV).
Abel’s name is in the faith hall of fame because he offered the sacrifice to God that said yes, by faith. His faith still has a voice to us thousands of years later. You can see that the blood of Jesus has a voice and faith has a voice. Though you may not be speaking right now, your faith has a sound that the kingdom of darkness hears. Your faith continues to build an account in Heaven that you can draw from. Your faith is always speaking and always leading into right thinking and right doing.
Abel’s brother Cain offered a sacrifice, but it was not offered in faith. He offered in response to God what he wanted to give, but it was not a sacrifice that pleased or said yes to God. Faith is more than a response, it the correct response that God wants.
Misguided faith misses the target when it is not the yes God wants to hear. James 4:3 (KJV) says, “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.” True faith doesn’t miss the target, it first pleases the Lord. “When a man’s ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him” (Proverbs 16:7 NKJV). The application is when we say yes, we are acting in faith which causes our enemies to be at peace with us. I have a personal picture of this verse where my enemy is like a troll that won’t let me cross the bridge without paying a toll. But when our ways please the Lord, the troll must step aside and let me pass. Though the devil doesn’t like stepping aside and giving up his territory, faith demands it because we are drawing on the authority that has been deposited on our behalf.
