Faith
is a supernatural substance with universal application. As a substance it has
the property of being felt and touched. When faith is in the air you can feel
it…it is palpable and “feelable”; I mean perceivable. Faith, being a spiritual
substance requires certain anchors upon which it delivers best. Faith needs
certain things to rest upon in order for it to deliver results. Paul admonished,
“That your faith should not stand in the
wisdom of men, but in the power of God” (1Corinthians 2:5). The MNT version
puts it like this; “In order that your
faith should REST, not on human philosophy, but on the power of God”.
It
is important to note that there are certain things which strengthen and anchor
faith in order for it to yield the promised results. When it seems your faith
is not carrying you, then you need to check the anchor(s) upon which that faith
is resting. A faulty anchor like human philosophy (mentioned above) will
certainly make that faith not to bring the supposed results. It is faulty
anchors of faith that produce frustration of a faith life. This is why many
people think faith does not work, or that it is selective in its operation. It
is written, “Faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being ALONE” (James 2:17).
The Greek work for alone here is interpreted “by itself”. So, I submit to you
that faith cannot operate perfectly on its own.
The
truth is that most spiritual virtues are interdependent and by divine
principles they need each other to function. Take for example, The Word of
God…it works and produces results. But do you know that the word may not work
in some situations? If someone receives the word of God through prophecy for
example and the person does not receive it with faith and mix it with faith,
what will happen? The Bible answers that for us; “For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the
word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that
heard it” (Hebrews 4:2). The word did not profit them! Is it that the word
lost its potency? NEVER! But, the word needs faith to produce results…that is
the working of divine principle, so it is neither the fault of God nor the word
that it didn’t work for those people; it is the fault of those people. God’s
word has never failed, but like other eternal and kingdom virtues, it requires
interdependence unction to function. In one of my teachings, THE WORKING OF
DIVINE PRINCIPLES, I did shed more light on that.
In
this teaching, we shall consider five (5) anchors of faith.
1. LOVE
“…but faith which worketh by love” (Galatians
5:6). Why does faith needs love to work? God is love. I love how Paul speaking
by revelation explained that, “And though
I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; AND
THOUGH I HAVE ALL FAITH, so that I could remove mountains, and have not
charity, I am nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:2). He went on in verse 13 to say
that “And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of
these is charity”. Can you see that the three are said to abide together-simply
inseparable. The truth is that, if you think you have faith in trusting God for
a child and then you don’t love your neighbour’s child…I am sorry, I am not a
bad prophet, but you may end up not having yours. You may confess all the word
you know including “and none shall be barren”, but that word with faith
together may not work for you simply because you failed the love requirement.
Hate makes faith paralyzed. When you hate others for what they have and you are
trusting God for your own, forget it! (Read through the whole chapter of 1
Corinthians 13). Faith needs love to stand and count.
2. WORK
“Even
so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. But wilt thou know, O
vain man, that faith without works is dead? For as the body without the spirit
is dead, so faith without works is dead also” (James 2:17, 20,
26).
When God was to create the world through
faith He went ahead to work…God worked! This is another working of divine
principle-God worked! And then, “He
rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made” (Genesis
2:3).
It is error to assume God will do the
best for you and you go to sleep. That is not faith; it is pure assumption and
“un-supernatural ignorance”…very unscriptural! By the time you will wake up
from sleep, you will find that sleep has caused you not just stagnation but
cost you eternity.
I am always impressed when I read where
Paul explained his other source of livelihood as a tent maker. He was a man of
faith, but he was also a man of work.
And then I show you another dimension of
work, it is called spiritual work…the work you do for and with God. Are you
faithful in the work of God? Are you doing the work of God deceitfully? It is
only if your work can survive the test of fire that it can pass the hands of
faith.
3.
THE WORD
“Through faith we understand that
the worlds were framed by the word of God…” (Hebrews 11:3)
God
created the world through faith, and then He framed it by the word. “…and upholding all things by the word of
his power” (Hebrews 1:3). The world made by faith is held in place by His
word.
Notice
that after God created everything by faith, He didn’t leave the world “just
like that”…He went ahead to frame it by the word. Let us consider two (2)
things here; 1. The World, and 2. The frame. The beauty of a picture is both
revealed and preserved by its frame. You might have seen some very ancient
photos that have been held and preserved by their frames. The frame with the
glass makes it difficult for the picture to either corrode or become rumpled.
The same way, God having made a picture of the world through faith, He went
ahead to frame it by the word. The world, though made by faith, would have been
like a frameless picture without the word. After God made the world through
faith, He then anchored it on the word…He simply sustains everything by the
word of His power (Hebrews 1:3). So, faith without the word will not work! As a
matter of fact, “faith comes (by hearing,
and hearing) by the word” (Romans 10:17). And this is why if you say you
believe God for something, you have to speak the word to support that faith,
because faith on its own might be “helpless”.
On
a lighter mood, whether God used a circular or rectangular frame is the reasons
scientists are hitting their heads together on whether the earth is spherical
or flat. Whether or not it is flat or spherical, the most important thing is
that God framed the world by His word, and even the scientists admit there is a
frame the shape of which they don’t know…then I just wonder why some of them
still deceive themselves that there is no God.
The
word is an anchor of faith, and it is written; ““That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the
power of God (His word)” (1Corinthians 2:5).”
4.
PATIENCE
“That ye be not slothful, but
followers of them who through FAITH and PATIENCE inherit the promises”
(Hebrews 6:12)
If
you must lay hold on the promises, you must anchor your faith on the virtue of
patience. “Knowing this, that the trying
of your faith worketh patience” (James 1:3). Does this imply that God is
slow? Never! “The Lord is not slack
concerning his promise” (2 Peter 3:9a). But I seek to speak the patience
which is by faith.
Many
people have lost out in the battle of faith because they could not hold on just
a little longer. Impatience has crashed many great destinies, ask King Saul.
Patience is an anchor that holds your faith in place. I encourage you to
specifically get the teaching; WHEN YOU HAVE TO WAIT FOR GOD.
5.
PRAYER
“And the PRAYER of FAITH shall save
the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up” (James 5:15).
Prayer
and faith are two symbiotic elements that constitute a great life. They are interdependent,
each needing the other to thrive. In my teaching, THE PRAYER KEY TO GREATNESS
(1 & 2), I emphasized how Jesus and others lived in greatness by the reason
of prayers. I encourage you to get that series. However, I wish to show you
something about the life of Elijah in order to demonstrate the place of prayer
as an anchor of faith.
“Elias was a man subject to like
passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it
rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months… And he
prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit”
(James 5:17, 18). My emphasis is on when Elijah prayed again for rain to come.
When you read through the full story in 1Kings 18:41-42, 41, you find something
revealing; “And Elijah said unto Ahab,
Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain. So Ahab
went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he
cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees”. When
Elijah spoke to Ahab in faith to go and eat, he (Elijah) did not go back to
sleep, but he went back to pray! Why? Faith is sustained through prayers! Like
I said, the two are symbiotic in operation, prayer feeds faith, and vice versa.
Finally, friend, when the bible says
“for without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6), and you
think you have enough faith but it seems not to be working for you, please
understand that that word faith is an entity that encompasses LOVE, WORK, THE
WORD, PATIENCE, AND PRAYER amongst others. Thus, living in “faith” with a
faulty prayer life or love walk is incomplete and that kind of partial faith
cannot produce perfect result. There are anchors of faith, and you just saw
some. I encourage you to step up your faith life. God bless you.
THE END
(If
you would need any of the following teachings; THE WORKING OF DIVINE
PRINCIPLES; THE FAITH WAY TO GREATNESS PARTS 1 & 2; THE FAITH WAY TO GRACE;
THE PRAYER KEY TO GREATNESS; WHEN YOU NEED TO WAIT FOR GOD, or a complete
version of this teaching-ANCHORS OF FAITH, you can send a personal mail request
to drwilliams4j@yahoo.com,
or visit www.drwilliamsbukola.blogspot.com)
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