What Validates Our Faith?

There are two criteria to having legitimate, bible believing faith: speaking (confessing) and believing (it cannot coexist with doubt).

Rom 10:8-10 - But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (NKJ)

Mark 11:22-25 - So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God. "For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will come to pass, he will have whatever he says. "Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. "And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. (NKJ)

Faith involves more than head knowledge. Jesus is saying here that true faith must be spoken and without doubt in the heart. He also says you must not have any unforgiveness in your heart.

Matt 21:19-22 - And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, "Let no fruit grow on you ever again." And immediately the fig tree withered away. And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, "How did the fig tree wither away so soon?" So Jesus answered and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' it will be done. And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive." (NKJ)

Matt 17:19-21 - Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast him 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.

Matt 14:28-31 - And Peter answered Him and said, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water." So He said, "Come." And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. {Peter believed on the word of God which said, "come"} But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!" And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" (KJV)

Luke 17:5-6 - And the apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith." So the Lord said, "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,' and it would obey you. (NKJ)

Rom 12:3 - For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. (NKJ)

MEASURE (NOUN AND VERB)

A. Nouns.

1. metron ^3358^ denotes (I) "that which is used for measuring, a measure," (b) literally, <Rev. 21:15 (in the best mss.; see the RV); <v. 17 ; (II) "that which is measured, a determined extent, a portion measured off," <Rom. 12:3; 2 Cor. 10:13 (twice); (from Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words) (Copyright (C) 1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers)

What do these scriptures mean? They mean that we do not have to pray for faith! When we doubt God’s word, we are taking sides against God!!!! God says we have faith, believe it. Just because we don’t see it, or feel like we have, does not negate God’s word. God’s word is God speaking. We don’t like it when people doubt what we say. Why then, do we doubt what God says!! We want people to know that our word is good. Why then do we not believe that God’s word is good. How can we expect God to work with us and for us if we are taking sides against Him. If we say we don’t believe God then either we are lying or God is lying. Regardless of whether we are sincerely doubting, or just plain not believing, we are still on the wrong side. We may be sincere, but we are still sincerely wrong.

Eph 2:8-9 - For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it {faith} is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. (NKJ)

We received the measure of faith spoken of in Romans 12:3 when we were saved. Even the faith we received was God gift! We don’t even have the ability to have faith on our own. God completely provided for our salvation by giving us the measure of faith to be saved.

Rom 10:17 - So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (NKJ)

Rom 10:9-14 - that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. {through the faith which is not of your self, but is the gift of God, not of works … Eph. 2:8,9) For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame." For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? (NKJ)

Faith is not something that our natural man (fleshly nature) produces. Faith comes from God and therefore is spiritual in nature.

John 3:6 - "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. (NKJ)

1 Cor 2:13-14 - These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. (NKJ)

God has freely given us every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, Why do we take sides against Him and doubt His word!

1 Cor 2:12 - Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. (NKJ)

Eph 1:3 - Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, (NKJ)

1 Cor 2:4-5 - And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. (NKJ)

1 Cor 2:10-14 - But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. (NKJ)

Matt 22:37-40 - Jesus said to him," 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' "This is the first and great commandment. "And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' "On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." (NKJ)

1 Cor 13:2 - 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, but have not love, I am nothing. (NKJ)

1 Cor 13:13 - And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. (NKJ)

Faith and hope are the second most important truths in a Christian’s life. One cannot exist without the other. Their importance is only exceeded by love.

The Greek word for abide is, "meno (men'-o)": in reference to time: to continue to be, not to perish, to last, to endure; Strong’s 3306

Of the things mentioned in I Corinthians 13, only faith, hope, and love will remain. The others will cease, but these three will endure forever, because they are the foundation of our entire relationship with our heavenly Father. How important is faith? (See section 1 above)

Click Here: When Faith Doesn’t Seem To Work

Best Advise: Read the "Bible" and watch the "Jesus" movie. "Don't Miss Out" on going to a (Jesus) Passion Play, Power Team, and Church. "God Bless You"- In The Name Of The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - Amen!

Click Bottom Link: "PART 1"