ANCHORS OF FAITH (PART 1)

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.

 TO BE CONTINUED

(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, and WHEN YOU NEED TO WAIT FOR GOD, you can send a personal mail request to drwilliams4j@yahoo.com, or visit www.drwilliamsbukola.blogspot.com)