Faith Mind Reality
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony…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 11:1-6
God’s desire for us is to be fully grown in Christ and to experience and enjoy His spiritual blessing right here on earth (Ephesians 1:3). But whether or not that desire comes to pass in our individual lives is up to us. If we want to be a part of God’s plan, we must do our part of God’s plan. That’s God’s standard and that’s how it has always been. Unlike Adam and Eve that didn’t play their part in God’s plan, there were other people in the Bible who played their part by believing and walking (taking action) to please God.
Hebrews 11:4 says; “By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.” In that same Hebrews 11:8-19; it was recorded about Abraham, the patriarch of faith that “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.” Abraham played his part by taking actions according to what he believed. If Abraham didn’t obey what God told him to do, God wouldn’t fulfill His promise to make him a father of many nations, even though that was God’s will.
The same is true for us today. It is God’s will to manifest in our lives just as He manifested Himself through Jesus’ life. This will not become a reality for us until we move in the direction of our faith. James 2:17 says; “Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” It is one thing to believe God’s words and another thing to take action according to what you believe. For many believers, it’s easier to believe than it is to take action, because there are spiritual forces fighting against God’s word in our mind. These forces are the strong hold of the mind. They are the suggestions of the devil contradicting the word of God in our mind and as long as we are still here on earth; our mind plays a crucial part in walking to please God, because it is the seat of our reasoning. Every battle ever fought and won physically was first fought and won in the mind.
Romans 12:2 says; “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” To physically enjoy our spiritual blessing and also walk pleasing the father (declaring and taking actions according to what we believe); we must:
Do not be conformed to this world - go above and beyond common sense and reasoning
But be transformed – be changed from inside out
By the renewing of your mind – by constantly dealing with the strongholds of the mind with the word of God through meditation and declaration of God’s word
That you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God – that we may be able to take action according to the promises of God that we believe, trust and relied upon.
Jesus’ life was a proof that pleasing the Lord is connected to the manifestation of His glorious power. In Luke 4:1-15; it was recorded that Jesus being tempted in the wilderness by the devil for forty days, repeatedly dealt with the stronghold of the mind with God’s word and afterward, He returned in the power of the Spirit and the news of Him went out through the entire surrounding region being glorified by all. As believers; we’ve got to constantly deal with the strongholds of the mind; so that we might be able to walk pleasing the Father that our testimony might be made know to the world.