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March 2017 Printable .pdf (195 KB)

Grace and peace be unto you from God our Father and His son the Lord Jesus Christ. The February 2017 teaching focused on the How of the Now as always believing. Per Romans 10:17, "So then faith [believing] cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."

We read in Romans 4:20-21, that believing involves giving glory to God and being fully persuaded that what God has promised, God is able to perform. We read in Mark 5:25-34, a woman boldly confessed with positive believing to receive total healing. She said "I shall be whole" repeatedly, and then she acted by touching Jesus' clothes. In Mark 9:14-27, we see that whenever possible Jesus always demanded believing of the parents for the healing of their children. In each of these examples, the How of the Now required believing the Word of God and acting on it, so as to bring results.

In this month's teaching, we will focus on Faith or Believing. Per the scriptures, I Corinthians 13:13:

And Now abideth [remained] faith [believing], hope, charity [love of God in the renewed mind in manifestation], these three; but the greatest of these is charity [love of God in the renewed mind in manifestation].

Why is charity (love) the greatest? Because love activates your believing and love anticipates the hope. Now, let us take a closer look at the word "faith." Faith is the Greek word "pistis." It is translated two different ways in English as Faith or Believing.

In the Bible, the way "pistis" is translated makes the difference between truth and error. Example - If you translated the word "pistis" as faith in the Old Testament, you have wrongly divided the Word of God. Why? Because faith was not available until Pentecost. In the Bible after Pentecost, you will never find Christian believers told to have faith. If they are born-again, they already have faith per the scripture in Romans 12:3:

For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith [the faith of Jesus Christ].

I hear brothers and sisters in Christ say all the time, "You must increase your faith," or "Take it by faith, brother." For better understanding, you cannot increase the faith of Jesus Christ, people! Once you performed Romans 10:9:

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

God gives every born-again Christian the same measure of faith, which is the faith of Jesus Christ. You cannot increase that measure of faith. However, you can increase your believing! Per Romans 10:17:

So then faith [believing] cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Simplify put, the more of the Word of God you hear and make your own, the greater your believing! It becomes yours when you believe it with the love of God in the renewed mind in manifestation and act upon it. Action is always the fruit of thought. Brothers and sisters, right now you can believe to receive the promise by faith of Jesus Christ.

Look at Galatians 3:22-29:

But the scripture hath concluded all [without exception] under sin, that the promise by faith [pistis] of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe [pistis].

How do you get the promise by faith of Jesus Christ? By believing Romans 10:9 and acting on it.

The natural man (body and soul only) who is not born-again can believe. He has a mind where all believing originates. But the person of body and soul cannot have the faith of Jesus Christ, until that person accomplishes Romans 10:9.

Believing has been here since the beginning of man. Faith came with Jesus Christ. We continue with Galatians 3: 23:

But before faith [the faith of Jesus Christ] came [then there had to be time when it was not available], we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.

Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster [instructor] to bring us [King James added it. it's in italic not in the texts] unto (until) Christ, that we might be justified by faith [the faith of Jesus Christ].

But after that faith [the faith of Jesus Christ] is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster [the law].

Per Romans 8:2: for the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus had made me free form the law of sin and death.

Roman 10:4 tells us: For Christ is the end of the law.

We continue with Galatians 3:26-29:

For ye are all [born-again of God's spirit] the children of God by faith [believing] in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized [does not say water] into [with] Christ have put on Christ. There [in the inner man] is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed [by believing], and heirs according to the promise.

We are all what in Christ Jesus? One. In this world, there may be many different people and races, but when we are born-again of God's Spirit, we are all one in Christ Jesus! We are all God's children. We are one family. If God's Word says we are one in Christ Jesus, then we are one. For it is Christ in you the hope of glory! (see Colossians 1:27)

Nowhere in the Bible is the Church of the Body told to have faith. Why? Because you must have the faith of Jesus Christ to be part of the body of Christ. Remember Romans 8:9 tell us:

Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

The question then is how do we get the spirit of Christ? The answer is - By confessing with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you shalt be saved [made whole]. This is Romans 10:9.

Now when did the faith of Jesus Christ come? On the day of Pentecost! Is there any faith of Jesus Christ in the Old Testament or the Gospels? No! Look at Acts 2:1:

And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

Remember Galatians 3:23:

But before faith [the faith of Jesus Christ] came [then there had to be time when it was not available], we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.

Therefore, when we read the word faith in the Bible (pistis) before Pentecost, it should be translated believing. The word faith (pistis) after Pentecost can be translated believing or faith. In the Gospels, when we read the word faith it should translated believing. When they came unto Jesus bringing one sick of the palsy, Jesus saw their faith (believing). For an example, look at Mark 2:3-5:

And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four. And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay. When Jesus saw their faith [believing], he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.

In this example, what did Jesus see? He saw their believing actions.

After Jesus's resurrection, Thomas, one of Jesus's disciples was not there when Jesus visited his disciples. When the others disciples told Thomas, they had seen the Lord, he refused to believe until he saw Jesus himself. Look at John 20:24-29:

But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him, we have seen the Lord. But he [Thomas] said unto them, except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then saith he [Jesus] to Thomas, reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless [unbelieving], but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

Thomas did not believe until he saw Jesus. Jesus said, "blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed." In the Gospels, they saw and then they believed. In the Gospels, they could only believe. Why? Because the faith of Jesus Christ was not available until Pentecost was fully come (see Acts 2:1).

Jesus said in the Gospel of John, that we that believed on God's only begotten Son should not perish, but should have everlasting life, be saved and not be condemned. John 3:16-19:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

People all you must do to receive is believe!

In Hebrews 11, we see these wonderful Old Testament believers believed God's Word concerning the first coming of Christ. The word faith is translated believing throughout the whole chapter. I exhort you to read this magnificent chapter on believing. They were servants of God. Take a look at what they accomplished by believing. Hebrews 11:13:

These all died in faith [believing], not having received the promises [Christ first coming], but having seen them afar [through the prophets and scriptures] off, and were persuaded [to know that you know] of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

God's Word said the Old Testament believers all died in believing. You and I are sons and daughters of God because of Christ's first coming. Per the scriptures, it is "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27). We are God's sons and daughters and we can do all things through Christ which strengthen us per God's Word (Philippians 4:13). Just imagine what we could do as sons and daughters of God if we would only believe God's Word and act on it!

Hebrews 11:14-16:

For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.

But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.

The only way God is not ashamed to be called our God is because of our believing His Word and acting on it. That's what these Old Testament believers did! Look at Hebrews 11:6:

But without faith [believing] it is impossible to please him [God]: for he that cometh to God must believe [by senses knowledge] that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

So, to please God, you must have believing.

In summary, we have learned that faith is the Greek word "pistis." It is translated two different ways in English - it is either faith or believing. We learned that God has given to every man the measure of faith (the faith of Jesus Christ). We also learned that the faith of Jesus Christ cannot be increased.

We have learned that faith (believing) comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. Simplify put the more of the Word of God you hear and make your own, the greater your believing! Believing is how we receive the promises of God.

When we read the word faith in the Bible (pistis) before the day of Pentecost it should be translated Believing. The word faith after Pentecost can be translated believing or faith. We learned from God's Word that without faith (believing) it is impossible to please Him (God). We are what we are because of our believing. How you think about the issue that you are challenged with at this very instant will govern the result. If you doubt success, by your own believing, you will be unsuccessful.

Our heavenly Father is always the conqueror over evil, but it is up to you and I to make God's Will our will. And the only way we can do this is by believing His Word.

I thank God, our Father for what He had promised. He is willing and is able to perform. I also thank God without ceasing, because, when you receive the Word of God, you receive it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the Word of God, which effectually works also in you that believe (I Thessalonians 2:13).

Next month's teaching will be on God, our refuge and strength.

In the Lord
Ministry of Reconciliation
Son of God through Jesus Christ
Ambassador for Christ

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