Most people, both Believers and non-believers, tend to limit their definition of FAITH to the concept of a mere belief in some thing or some one. But there's much more to the true biblical faith that Believers are supposed to live by. Most Christians "believe" that Jesus died on the Cross and that as a result of this belief and their acceptance of Him as Lord they have received eternal life. Certainly, that much is true but God has intentions for your faith to grow and accomplish great things for the Kingdom of God just like all those people in the Eleventh Chapter of the Book of Hebrews. Your righteousness is not of yourself and neither is your faith. Your righteousness came from Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:21) and your faith is a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8). And since they don't come from you but by Christ, they are capable of accomplishments far BEYOND our ability to conceive and understand. Does the Bible say that you can do ALL things through Christ by His strength (Philippians 4:13)?

The answer is a resounding YES; that's exactly what it says! Accordingly, actually LIVING by faith has a much more extensive meaning than mere belief. Studying God's Word then will lead you to the following expanded view of LIFE BY FAITH:

• Faith is the act of trusting in God instead of what we see in the natural.
• Faith is being confident that God will bring to pass what we're hoping for.
• Faith involves taking ownership of the things we're hoping for before we actually receive them.
• Faith requires that we take action on what we believe before it actually manifests.
• Faith is a force that is strong enough to overcome the world.

Friend, these are faith concepts that are well beyond the consideration of most Believers. The truth is most Christians are NOT really trusting in God and they're not very confident that the promises clearly identified in the Word are really for them now and in this time and life. Consequently they're not sure that God will actually make His Word happen as He's promised even though He SAID He watches over it in order to perform it (Jeremiah 1:12). Faith for living then is being confident that the promises that originate from God's Word ALREADY belong to you because Jesus paid the price for you to have them even though you can't see some of them yet with your physical eyes (Hebrews 11:1). This is the type of faith that God wants for you to have, a faith that each day grows stronger and stronger by hearing and studying the Word (Romans 10:17) until your faith alone through Christ can move mountains (Mark 11:22-23) just by your speaking to them.

In other words, believing in something is just the passive beginning of faith. We believe something but we don't do anything in particular about what we believe. We don't take action on it until our five physical senses confirm for us that it's safe to step out. Most Christians have PASSIVE faith; they believe that Jesus is Lord but they are still standing around at the foot of the Cross waiting for something to happen. Indeed, the Bible says that even demons "believe" in God and that they tremble in their belief (James 2:19) which is more than many Believers these days that routinely disregard the consequences of their choices and neglect the most important principles of Christianity.

Now the Bible says that faith without works is a dead faith (James 2:17) and it's important to understand what this scripture is actually saying to us. Many Believers have been taught in the traditional Church that your PASSIVE faith needs to be connected to good deeds in order to make it a good kind of faith. That's not actually the intent of this scripture and the wrong interpretation comes from not considering the whole chapter. First the Apostle James says in verses 15 and 16 that if you fail to help your brother or sister who's in need of clothing and food, then your faith is useless. So the premature interpretation is that our faith doesn't get us anywhere unless we perform some good deeds for needy folks in the Body of Christ.

But friend to accurately understand this principle you also have to read verses 21 and 22 of this same Chapter which say that Abraham's faith was PERFECTED when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar. That act had nothing to do with good deeds yet by doing it he demonstrated a PERFECT faith. No, when Abraham offered up Isaac on the altar, he was TRUSTING that the promises God had given him had to go through Isaac so by faith he knew that God would either provide a way of escape or would resurrect Isaac from the dead so that His promises could be fulfilled. You can read the account of Isaac being offered up on the altar in Genesis 22:1-18.

How do we reconcile these two examples in the same Chapter of faith with works? In the light of the second example involving Abraham and Isaac, the only interpretation for the first example that fits is that a good deed becomes a work of faith when you share what you have with others and as a result you then have to TRUST God for your own provision. Most people don't share their essential possessions with others because they're afraid they won't have enough left for themselves. "What if there's a shortage in the land of clothing or food and I need something for myself during this terrible Recession?" Yet God says: seek first the Kingdom of God and things like these will be provided to you (Matthew 6:33). The promise is in the scripture; faith says to stand on it and allow God to perform His Word without regard for the physical environment you're living in.

In sum, real faith, faith for living, must be ACTIVE. A work of trusting God and His Word is required in order for your faith to be perfected. Good deeds are great; in fact Believers are called to perform them (2 Corinthians 9:8-9). But the good deeds that count, the ones that please God, are the ones that are somehow connected to a trusting kind of faith. If the real purpose of your good deeds is to impress God or people, then it has nothing to do with faith and is useless. But if your good deed is based on the Word of God and is purposed to help Him establish His Kingdom, then it's a work that helps PERFECT your faith and make it into an ACTIVE kind of faith that can move mountains.

When you're able to achieve the active kind of faith described in this article, you'll come to understand that strong faith is a force. We tend not to think of it that way but the truth is our faith can overcome the world (1 John 5:4). It's a power force! Faith can cause situations in your life to change. It can cause prosperity to manifest. It can change your body and your health. It's a spiritual force that can activate the power of God in your life sufficient to accomplish what seems impossible in the natural. Faith can overcome any trial or tribulation you're facing and make it seem unimportant. It can completely change your perspective about anything. Faith is absolutely a force to be reckoned with!

Faith becomes a force when you act on what you believe, when you confess with your mouth what God has promised. It becomes a force when what you do and say is in agreement with the Word of God especially when your immediate environment in the natural is in disagreement. You understand that you are who you say you are and that you can have what you say. It can become a force to move mountains as you develop it through the wisdom of God and by your growing expertise in the Word. Friend, there's not anything you can't do by active faith. Just say what the Word says and then believe what you say (Mark 11:22-24)!

Since HARD TIMES are found in the World, the force of an active, living faith can overcome the HARD TIMES. Why should you be concerned about HARD TIMES when God has promised in His Word to take care of you, to provide for your needs and to give you the overwhelming victory every time, in every trial and persecution at every opportunity (Romans 8:35- 37 and 2 Corinthians 2:14). The question today is this: do you trust God and do you trust Him to perform what He has promised in His Word? The faith that overcomes HARD TIMES is all about trusting God and doing your part to grow in the Word to make your faith stronger and more effective.

There's a big difference between the typical kind of faith we can see across the American Body of Christ these days and the kind of FAITH God wants to PERFECT in us. God has given us our faith but it's our responsibility to study the Word and make it grow and become strong and active and forceful. Most Believers have a dormant faith that's weak and under- nourished; so the Body of Christ is far less effective than it should be. But the faith that overcomes the World, the faith that produces victory even in HARD TIMES is a strong, well- nourished and active kind of faith that works through the power and authority of Christ. Believers with this kind of faith are looking for ways to attach it to everything they do because they realize it pleases God and it will produce the best possible results for their lives. The blessings and favor of God come ONLY by the active kind of faith that's connected to real works of trusting in the Lord to perform His Word. Friend, there are no HARD TIMES for this kind of faith so whenever they try to get in your way, just speak to them and tell them to stay out of your life. You can have what you say!

Thanks for reading PLN today and we'll be looking for you again in three weeks on June 5. In the meantime, may God overwhelm you with the fullness of His love and spiritual blessing!

If you've never invited Jesus to be the Lord of your life, you can do so today just by saying the following simple prayer:

Jesus I believe in you and I believe that God raised you from the dead. I receive forgiveness for my sins and I ask you to come into my life today. I receive you as my Lord and Savior.

If you were sincere as you prayed this prayer, God has already come into your life and you are a new creation, a totally new species recreated in His image. Now ask the Lord to lead you to a good faith-based, bible-teaching church where you can be equipped to fulfill your potential in the Kingdom of God.

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