Faith on 7 levels
Before we begin to plunge into the teachings on the power resident in the Word of God, we need to assure you that there is faith
to please God available to all who believe in the Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost. Therefore, I am including this teaching on Faith
to bring more clarity to understand the Power message. It will comfort your spirit, dispel doubts, and bring much edification to
you. Yes, there has been much teaching on faith, yet, as I have counseled many believers across the States and around the world,
I have found many who are still wanting help for the lack of understanding faith. In this writing about the different kinds
of faith found in the Bible, I know you will be able to situate yourself in one area of the faith realm before I am through with
this teaching. All of us must learn to function in faith in order to see answers to prayer and to come out of the milk stage
For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. 14 But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. Hebrews 5:12-14
Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. Hebrews 6:1-2
'faith toward God' is still in the milk stage
2 To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 1:1-3
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Hebrews 11:6
also says, " ... for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him."
Everyone who hears the Word of God spoken to him is responsible for the light he receives. This responsibility will bring the
believer into maturity. He is responsible to grow in understanding of God's Word, to live in this Word, walk in it and use it to
minister to himself, his family, and all those who surround his life. The only way he can do that is to have a working knowledge
of God's Word and how to use it. Scripture Keys gives insight into many ways to use God's Word. One must recognize that
faith is the most integral part of the whole operation. Our Lord shows us in many scriptures in the gospel that He equates faith
with belief. Belief is the catalyst to making God's Word work in every area, situation, and circumstance - believing the Word no
matter what one sees, hears, tastes, smells, or feels. Believing under these circumstances is what moves one into the faith realm.
Do you see why we must fight the good fight of faith? When we come into this faith walk, we have battles every day between
belief and doubt; especially when our minds are not yet fully sanctified and renewed in the Word of God.
There are many different kinds of faith found in the Bible. I will be listing seven. You may want to do an even deeper exposition
of this study but I believe what I am bringing out will bring satisfaction to those who need to know more about faith. Before I
am through, you will know you already have faith residing in you so the enemy cannot plague you with the spirit of doubt and
unbelief anymore! I will give an overview of:
1. The Measure of faith
2. The Mustard Seed of Faith
3. General Faith
4. The Lord's Faith
5. Saving Faith
6. The Gift of Faith
7. The Fruit of Faith
"NOW faith IS the substance of things HOPED for, the evidence of things not seen." Hb. 11:1
Now and Is are in the present tense. Hope is in the future. So, believing before seeing any manifestation is faith. Having a
positive confession with scripture verses relating to what you are believing for, is faith in action. See, Romans 10:17. The hoped
for substance, thing, manifestation or evidence will come to pass because of the miracle working power of faith. It is the act
of believing which brings you through the hope for stage. When you pray and ask God for things, THANK HIM before you
ask and while you are asking (Phil. 4:6). This is also an act of faith in prayer. It is believing God is able to perform that which
he has promised in His Word. (Rm. 4:21). Believers walk by faith and not by sight (2 Co. 5:7). We walk in the Spirit. We do not
walk in the sense realm; that is the carnal nature or the soul realm. We do not walk in the will, the reason, the emotions or the
senses: we walk in the Spirit and the Word. This is walking by faith and not by sight. Habakkuk 2:4 says, " ... the just shall live by
faith." (Rm. 14:23). Those who are justified shall live by faith. Jesus took care of this justification at the Cross, giving us this gift
to just receive. We cannot earn it, as the price was already paid. We only have to receive it.
1. A Measure of Faith
God has dealt to every man a measure of faith. (Rm. 12:3). It is often called 'natural faith.' This is a trait in our humanity which
an animal does not have. We are composed of a body, soul, and spirit; a tri-part being formed in the image of God. An animal
does not have a spirit. Natural faith is inborn, inherent in all human beings. It is used by God's Spirit to draw man into salvation,
to be one with Him. Jesus said,
"No man can come unto Me, except the Father which hath sent Me draw him; and I will raise him up on the last day." Jn. 6:44
Drawing power is another manifestation of God's omnipotence, the same power which created the heavens and the earth.
Drawing power, creative power, resurrection power, reconciling power, and healing power are all omnipotent ... the same
omnipotence which resides in the Word of God. All this power is available to everyone who believes; this includes believing that
Jesus Christ is Lord; His Word is truth and is a pure and unadulterated truth! (Jn. 17:17, Jn. 14:12).
"The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord, searching all the inward parts of the belly." Pr. 20:27
For more confirmation about the measure of faith dealt to every man's spirit, see: Ecclesiastes 12:7, Zechariah 12:1, Job 32:8,
10:12 and 1 Thessalonians 5:23. The spirit of man is his God-consciousness. In the body, soul, and spirit, there are three
different spirits. Look at 1 Co. 2:10-14. Mark these spirits in your Bible. Verse 10: "God hath revealed them unto us by His
Spirit ... " Verse 11: "For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him ... " Verse 12: "Now we
have received, not the spirit of the world ... " This last verse pertains to the god of this world, the devil (Eph. 2:2, 2 Co. 4:4). God's
Spirit, the devil's spirit, and the human spirit are the three spirits in the spiritual realm. No man can understand this word
unless the Spirit of. Truth dwells in Him. See: John 14:16-17, 26, 15:26, 16:13-14. When one is Baptised in the Holy Ghost, the
Spirit of Truth begins to work in his spirit otherwise, the natural mind's understanding is taking precedence over the spirit of
man.
"But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them,
because they are spiritually discerned."
1 Co. 2:14
Now, do not 'throw out the baby with the water!' Just another expression ... as well as, 'Eat the meat and spit out the bones.'
When we become closeminded and unteachable, the Lord may put us on a shelf until we are open to receive again. Sometimes
we just need to put aside something we disagree with until the Lord brings us to a point in maturity where we can receive this
word. If you question whether that word is truth, confer with an anointed Bible teacher and see if it violates any of the tenants
of the Bible; that is, any cardinal doctrine. If so, pray for the person who said these things and leave it with the Lord. Sooner or
later, if that word is truth, the Lord will bring it to your understanding but in the meantime, He will continue on renewing and
maturing your mind rather than putting you on a shelf for criticizing one of His servants. You will have the mind of Christ (1 Co.
2:16). Revelation knowledge comes through the Spirit of Truth who brings understanding. Isaiah 28:9-12 gives an illustration
of how the Lord brings it all about; " ... yet they would not hear," so - do not be one of those; stay teachable and open to receive.
When God is limited by our understanding, we have limited our blessings. "He that is joined unto the Lord is one Spirit" (1
Co. 6:17); this is why we will receive revelation knowledge (Eph. 1:17). If we are one spirit with God, then He is going to reveal
spiritual things to us. Through spiritual things we will grow into this knowledge and revelation of Him. Along with all the
sanctifying agents of the Holy Spirit, this knowledge will bring about our maturity as a Christian, thus "perfecting holiness
without which no man shall see the Lord" (Hb. 12:14).
God created us with a spirit; that we have ascertained. In our spirit resides the measure of faith which became part of us at
human conception. It is this measure which draws us into salvation and into our place in the Kingdom of God on earth and in
heaven.
2. The Mustard Seed of Faith
" ... For verily I say unto you, if ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, remove hence to
yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you." Mt. 17:20
The following is a testimony which was related to me as a literal demonstration of the power in this verse and the faith of a
whole church congregation. I wish I knew where it happened. It seems like it was somewhere on the East coast. Probably I will
find out when someone reads this account. There was a church which was built next to a large hill. There was a need for more
parking space and no way to expand their property in the area where they were situated. The people of the church decided
to believe the Lord to remove the hill adjacent to the church. They began to confess Matthew 17:20 with thanksgiving from
that time on. One day soon after, the man who owned this land where the hill was located, came to the lot with a bull-dozer
and earth mover and tore away the whole hill leaving it leveled off next to the church. When they came to the next fellowship
meeting of the church, you can imagine their exhilaration to see their prayers and faith come to pass before their eyes! Soon
after they purchased the land and had their parking lot already prepared for them. They spoke a miracle into being. So can you!
The Mustard seed, Luke 13:19, Mark 4:30-32.
In these scriptures Jesus is talking about the Kingdom of God becoming great even though it had small beginnings. He relates
it to the mustard seed or any seed in these chapters, germinating into growth and bringing forth fruit for the harvest. It takes
faith to establish a new work of grace. The faith of a few has brought about some huge churches evident in our day. The faith of
a grain of mustard seed grew into a large tree eventually and 'the fowls of the air' (Eph. 2:2) lodged under the shadow of it and in
its branches.
No church is immune to this. Who do you think sends in 'deceitful workers' when God is doing a great work? Who only has
been interested in hindering the work of the Holy Spirit in the church since its beginnings? Read 2 Corinthians 11:13-15. It
only takes the faith of a grain of 'mustard seed' to stand against all these powers of darkness, to thwart the plans of Satan,
especially when this church has some dedicated prayer-warriors hedging it about with guardian angels and ministering spirits.
Jesus said, " ... and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it," (the church: Mt. 16:18). Since Satan's time has grown short, he is
throwing everything he can at the church. This is the reason why intercessors are so important in their ministry to the body of
Christ today. They wage the warfare in the spirit realm (Eph. 6:12) and build up a strong wall of protection around the church
so the 'fowls of the air' cannot lodge in these 'trees of righteousness' (Isa. 61:3). The more intercessors there are burdened for
their church, the more protection surrounds it and the more it can be equipped to take care of the last great harvest of souls for
the Kingdom. Also, the more prayer-warriors there are in the church, the more of God's power in manifestation is going to be
seen, and the more protection will be given to each prayer-warrior for being those who stand in the gap and make up the hedg
for that assembly. This is bearing one another's burdens and loving one another as He has loved us (Jn. 13:34-35, Gal. 6:2). As
an intercessor, I have learned to put up my whole armour each day so the enemy cannot strike back at me for cutting into his
territory (Eph. 6:10-18). My Shield of Faith and Overcoming the Power of Darkness, pp. 107-110 in Scripture Keys are a must
daily!
The mountain spoken of in Matthew 17:20 could be any problem, need, or circumstance to any believer. When we speak
the Word to it (the mountain), we speak light and life into that circumstance (Jn. 1:4). The Word has this life-giving power to
overcome any circumstance. In these situations the Lord reveals Himself to His people. He reveals His love even in the minutes
detail of their lives if they believe God even though they cannot see the evidence at hand. That type of belief is miracle working
power because it is exercising faith. That is why 'nothing shall be impossible to you.'
The 'mustard seed' of faith brings to my remembrance a quote from the Dake's Annotated Reference Bible. "Faith is the
attribute of God and the restored faculty of man whereby both can bring into existence things that are unseen."
"And the Lord said, if ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the
root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you." Lk. 17:6
If one knows that in his heart dwells that measure of faith through being born a human being, he could speak the Word of
God to that situation and it should be changed, according to this verse of scripture. In this verse, Jesus refers to a sycamine
tree which has a root system which grows very deep into the soil. In relating to the root in this verse and knowing the nature
of the human being as well as Jesus did, we know He is revealing to us one of the main reasons why some do not see the
situation or problem 'dead in the salt water.' A tree in the natural would be killed in the sea if it was thrown out of its natural
environment. Neither is a root of bitterness natural to a human being (Hb. 12:12-15). Bitterness and resentment are the roots of
unforgiveness. Jesus made the stipulation in Mark 11:25-26 and throughout the Gospels that if we do not forgive, neither will
our Heavenly Father forgive us nor hear our prayers. A root of bitterness is driven deeper and deeper into the subconscious mind
(the soul) when more hurts, offenses, and persecutions are perpetrated upon us through life's journeys on this earth. When the
believer is not assembling with the body because someone has criticized or offended him, then he will not be receiving from
the five-fold ministries nor will he hear the Word which may be the ministry which he needs to be released from that root of
bitterness. As long as there is unforgiveness in one's heart, there are no answers to prayer. Here we are talking about trespasses
against other people as well as what has been done to us. "Forgive us our trespasses (or debts) as we forgive those who trespass
against us." In the book, The Shaping of An Apostle, I have written about Tri-Lateral Forgiveness and scripture verses relating
to the subject are also found in Scripture Keys on pp. 66-67. There is no faith at work when sin is blocking our prayers. We must
judge ourselves, then we will not be judged. We will miss out living in the Kingdom of God, where peace and joy in the Holy
Ghost abounds when we continue to harbor in our hearts anything to do with unforgiveness. Life becomes almost unbearable.
When this happens to a Christian, it is almost always the fault of keeping someone in the bondage of judgment because of lack
of forgiveness. (Rm. 2:1, Mt. 12:34 & 37). There is a more detailed exhortation of this subject in Chapter eight of this manual.
3. General Faith
There are nineteen specific miracles in the Gospels which Jesus performed. In twelve of these He used the faith of the people. In
Mark 5:25-34, the woman with the issue of blood put a spiritual principle to work: she confessed with her mouth, she believed
in her heart, and then the physical or natural thing came to pass. In Mark 5:27, 'when she heard' she heard of Jesus, just like
Rahab did in the Old Testament, (Joshua 2:10-11). Faith came to both of them by hearing, (Rm. 10:17). Whatever happens in
the natural must happen in the spirit first. So, what did Jesus say when He saw her belief? "Daughter, thy faith hath made thee
whole; go in peace and be whole of thy plague." This word whole in Greek is also the word for salvation: sozo. This gives us an
example of how people, who are healed, receive the gift of salvation also, (Mt. 12:28). People who worship other gods in foreign
countries will come into a relationship with Jesus Christ when they receive miracles. An Indian minister attending Seminary in
New Zealand spoke this statement to me after one of my meetings, "Hindu gods do not heal!" He had seen miracles come to pass
in this church and knew how this impressed the idol worshippers in India. He had sought me out to ask if I would come to India
for ministry. When deliverance and healings have come to pass, they will bring the recipient a real change of heart which will be
followed with a hunger for God's Word, (Mt. 5:6). In Mark 5, we see an example of Jesus equating faith with belief. The woman
believed (Mk. 5:28); therefore, she received! (5:34). The Lord called this 'faith.' If you find unbelief creeping into your thoughts,
bind that spirit right away, cast it out! Send it to the dry places (Mt. 12:43). Then, loose belief in your heart to believe God for the
impossible. Remember, do all in the name of Jesus. Say, out loud, "Lord, I believe Your Word. I do not believe these circumstances
or lying manifestations of the devil!" Now, speak out a scripture or two with, "It is written" before it: such as, "It is written, If
thou shalt believe, all things are possible unto me (you)." In this way, the devil cannot steal that belief out of your heart through
thinking unbelief. The power in your believing could bring about a miracle just like it did for this 'woman with the issue of
blood.'
Matthew 8:8-13 is an example of what great faith is. The centurion believed his servant would be healed just by speaking the
word only! What did Jesus reply? "As thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee." Just speaking the Word of God without using
another point of contact is the highest form of faith. See: Proverbs 4:20-22, Matthew 15:13. This is seeing with the eye of faith
what the Word says and not what your five senses say.
