1177-God's Faith#
1177-God's Faith
(JP Text Group - Dove Organization)
Luke 7:2-10
There was a centurion whose valued servant was sick and about to die. When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to ask Jesus to come and heal his servant. When they came to Jesus, they urged him earnestly, saying, “He is worthy to have you do this for him, for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue.” And Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to say to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. Therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed. For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me, and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the servant well.
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we especially thank and praise you! You are our Lord, the beginning and the end of our faith. No matter what we encounter, you are our help and strength. Through your words, we seek you, and you will supply what we need. We commit this time to the Holy Spirit, renewing our thoughts and intentions, so that we may receive your provision. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray, Amen!
There are many spiritual blessings in heaven, and the blessings on earth are given from the spiritual realm. God is willing to give you blessings, and you need to receive them by faith. Some may ask, since God is a God of blessings, why am I still so poor and sick? Why hasn’t my family changed? Some say that if my faith were strong enough, I could receive more of God's blessings. If I lack faith, I will not receive.
Parents may show favoritism to different children, but God's love for each person is the same. When a person accepts the Lord Jesus, as they continually understand God's words, faith is generated from God's words, and the focus of faith is not on ourselves, but on Christ. Hearing the word is one of the methods.
Romans 10:17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
Faith comes from hearing. As we continually understand God's power, faith is generated.
God created the universe by faith when the world was still formless and empty. God said, “Let there be light,” and when he spoke, he believed that what he said would surely come to pass; God never doubts that his words will fail.
God is a God who acts by faith. At the moment you accepted Jesus, He gave you everything, including God's faith.
The first point to share is that you are saved by God's faith and you must also work by God's faith.
You must understand this fact, and share a verse from the Bible, Ephesians 2:8
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest anyone should boast.
What are you saved by? By God's grace, through human belief. Grace is a gift, and faith is also a gift; all of this is given by God.
Verse 9 says, not of works, lest anyone should boast.
God's grace is given freely, unrelated to human actions. Even when a person's actions are terrible, they can still receive God's grace because Jesus Christ has already paid the price for us. This is not of works, lest anyone should boast. Many times, when a person's actions are bad, they may lose faith, feeling that God has distanced himself and will not hear their prayers.
When a person's actions are good, doing many good deeds, helping orphans and widows, donating to charity, they should not be proud. Because God's grace is given to you not because you did good deeds; everything is God's grace.
The scripture clearly tells us that we receive life by God's grace, which is unrelated to human actions. After we are saved, we still need to be guided by God's grace in our lives, living by His words. In His words, we will be filled with God's power, and through experiences, faith will increase.
What is human faith? It is what you can see with your eyes, touch with your hands, and feel. Human faith is generally determined by external circumstances.
For example, those who do not believe in the Lord, after renovating a store, think that they will definitely make money and have many customers; this is everyone's faith, but their faith is built on others, on their feelings and environment, and such faith is unreliable.
When faith is built on people, once that person disappoints you, human faith is gone. If faith is built on oneself, once problems arise and failures occur, people begin to blame themselves and feel discouraged. What you need is a supernatural faith from God that is not limited by sensory perception, a faith that makes the nonexistent become existent.
Romans 4:17 As it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.
Abraham experienced many graces from God. As he continually understood God, his faith in God also grew, so that when he was to sacrifice Isaac, he had faith. He believed that God is the one who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. Such faith comes from God! It is realized through experience.
Abraham's belief in God transcends time and space. It cannot be seen with your eyes.
How is human faith manifested? It believes only when it sees. Human faith is built on what the eyes can see, the hands can touch, and the ears can hear.
When we share the gospel with others, some may say, “You tell me, where is your God? What does your God look like? Have you been to heaven? If you haven't been, how can anyone know it is real?”
But the faith that comes from God is: even though I have not been to heaven, I know it exists. Because the Holy Spirit says so, I believe it.
When a person accepts Jesus as their Savior, it is not based on sight, but simply believing that God's words are true. This is faith that comes from God.
John 20:26-29
Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
At this moment, Thomas believed in Jesus' resurrection based on human sight. Jesus said to him, “You have believed because you have seen me; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” The latter refers to faith that comes from God. Such faith is not influenced by circumstances and can transcend them, allowing us to be strong and courageous in all things.
Mark 9:21-24
And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” And Jesus said to him, “If you can! All things are possible for one who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!”
Here, the faith Jesus speaks of is not about the size of human faith, but whether a person can believe in God's power. Jesus was asking this father if he believed that Jesus could do all things. If he believed that God could do all things, he would see results. This is God's faith.
God has already rescued us from the devil's hand. We have entered into that eternal kingdom; my sins have been wiped away. These things we have not seen with our eyes, but we believe. Because God has placed that faith within us. We not only need to apply this faith to our salvation but also to all aspects of our lives.
Galatians 3:3, … Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?
The Galatians initially lived in the faith of God. They believed that what Jesus accomplished on the cross was entirely by God's grace and unrelated to human actions.
Not long after, when Paul returned to the Galatian church, he found that the people had begun to please God by observing the law of Moses, which was falling from grace and returning to relying on themselves. Paul told them, since they began by the Spirit, why would they rely on themselves after believing in the Lord? This would make Christ's grace of no effect.
Romans 1:16-17
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”
The gospel is the power of God. When we fully believe that God is the Creator and the Redeemer, God's power is manifested. This faith can save all who believe. It not only saves us from death and brings us into the kingdom of heaven but also gives us victory in life.
From faith for faith, the original meaning is very simple: start with faith and end with faith. This requires the Holy Spirit to lead us. When you accepted Jesus, the Holy Spirit dwelled in your heart. The Holy Spirit leads your life. Since you began by the Spirit, you should live each day by the Spirit.
Many things cannot be clearly explained in words, but the Holy Spirit will tell you and give you assurance in your heart. You just need to simply believe. God's faith transcends our senses. It transcends the natural.
When you believe in the Lord Jesus, you have already received God's faith. When we use God's faith, we will see victory and miracles. We will do what Jesus did. If there is still no change and the problem is not resolved, we need to adjust our faith and gain a deeper understanding of God's words.
Let’s look at another verse, 1 John 5:4, For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.
Nicodemus was an old Jew, an official, and a teacher of the law. Jesus said, “Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” At this, Nicodemus said, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?” He thought being born again meant going back into his mother's womb.
Jesus said, “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” In other words, when you accept Jesus, God says you have been born of the Spirit. At the moment you accepted Jesus, the Holy Spirit entered you; you may not feel it, but it has happened.
The Holy Spirit dwells in your heart; you are born of God, and the Holy Spirit can help you overcome the world. Some may say, “I often fail; how can I say I overcome the world?” What overcomes the world is our faith.
This faith is received from God. Our Lord can transcend circumstances and overcome all situations.
For example, once Jesus was to cross the sea with his disciples, and in the middle of the sea, a great storm arose. Jesus was asleep at the stern of the boat. What were the disciples doing at that time? A group of very experienced fishermen began to scoop water out of the boat with all their might, but they still failed. The boat was about to sink. The disciples cried out to Jesus, saying, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”
In that environment, Jesus did not say, “Why didn’t you call me sooner? The boat is almost sinking, and you only call me now…”
In the face of such a storm, Jesus always had faith to overcome. Jesus calmly stood up and with one word, overcame the environment, “Peace! Be still!” Then the wind ceased. Jesus did not say, “With such great waves, hurry and scoop out the water!” He possessed God's faith. He knew that no matter how great the storm was, it could not overcome him; you need to have such faith.
From another perspective, the huge storm was constantly eroding the boat. Jesus remained at rest; in the face of such a huge environment, the Son of God did not wake up and was completely unconcerned.
But the disciples' cries woke Jesus up; this is our prayer. Among all things, what God cares about most is you. You need not worry that your prayer cannot be heard; with one cry, He will stand up and calm the storm for you. Because Jesus is not concerned about how the storms of the world will be; He is most concerned about His children.
Many times, people look at their circumstances and become weak, worried, and anxious; we lack God's faith in our hearts. Why could Jesus face all problems calmly? Because he knew that his Father had the power to overcome all circumstances. Today, Jesus has already given you authority. Jesus has completely placed His faith within you. He is not waiting for you to gradually know Jesus before you have such faith; at the moment you believed in the Lord Jesus, the Holy Spirit was already in you.
Did the centurion know the law? Could he recite all 613 laws? Did he understand how to worship God with all the rituals? No, because he was not qualified to enter; he was a Gentile. The Bible says, he heard about Jesus. What did he hear about Jesus? Jesus had three major ministries in this world: teaching people in the synagogue, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of diseases.
When the centurion saw that his servant was about to die, he heard about Jesus and knew that Jesus had this ability and was willing to heal people. He knew that no matter what kind of person came to ask Jesus, Jesus would heal them with just one word. He understood the power of the word.
The centurion sent some friends to see Jesus and said to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. Therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed.”
He did not ask for anything else. He only needed Jesus to say one word. He believed that Jesus' words carried authority and power, and his servant would be healed. How did he understand this authority? He saw spiritual authority through worldly authority and believed that spiritual authority is greater.
The centurion thought, I am a centurion, in charge of a hundred men; when I speak, my subordinates will accomplish the task. If he is the Son of God, then this matter can surely be done! If he says one word, it will surely come to pass. This faith is not given to you because you heard the law or memorized the commandments; it is because you believed in Jesus Christ. Faith is generated from the words of Christ.
No matter who it is, when they focus their gaze on Jesus, faith is generated from Jesus; this is how we obtain faith. At the moment you accepted Jesus, God has placed faith within you. This faith can help you overcome all difficulties, conquer all diseases, and achieve victory in any environment. Because this is God's faith.
Do you want to know whether you usually use God's faith or human faith? There is a very simple test method: when pressure comes, what is your reaction? Is it worry or rest? If a small problem makes you restless and unable to sleep at night, it shows that you have lost your peace.
Jesus never panicked in the face of so many problems. Because he knew that his Father could do all things, the Bible also records, “For nothing will be impossible with God.” Do you believe this? And this Father is your Father; you must believe that He can accomplish all things for you. If you still have worries, you need to return to the words of Christ to receive His peace.
Hebrews 11:8-10
By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.
Abraham believed that what God said would surely come to pass, so he did not consider too much or analyze; he simply believed and left his country, his people, and his father's house to go to the land God promised. His hope was not on earth but in believing that God had prepared for him a greater city, a permanent reward. Such faith is produced by believing in God's promises.
John 14:11-12
Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.
Truly, truly, I say to you, whenever this phrase appears in the Bible, you should read it several times because it is very important. Jesus, fearing that we might forget, says, “Truly, truly, I say to you,” which is for everyone. What is it?
The things he has done, except for dying for us, we can do. Those who believe in him will also do the works he does, and even greater works than these. Have you ever thought about doing greater things than Jesus?
When you meditate on this, you will gain strength and faith. It is not by our ability that we do things, but by the power of the Holy Spirit. The power of the Holy Spirit is great and can penetrate all things; hidden things can be known. What is there to worry about?
The power of the Holy Spirit is upon you, and it has nothing to do with your actions or how much knowledge you have. Because it is not your ability; it is Jesus' ability. Do you see these hands? Yes, they are ordinary hands, but when I place them on a sick person and say, “In the name of Jesus Christ, be healed!” they are no longer ordinary. The power of the Holy Spirit and healing ability will be transmitted here.
You can do it too, brothers and sisters; if there are sick people around you, you can lay hands and pray for them. If you are sick, you can lay hands and pray for yourself. You must believe that once you place your hands, and say, “In the name of Jesus Christ,” it is no longer your hands; it is Jesus' hands, possessing the power of the Holy Spirit.
Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
He did not say, “I can do all things when I feel good.” When I feel bad, I can do nothing. Paul spent most of his time preaching the gospel in prison. But Paul transcended his circumstances. The faith given to Paul by God enabled him to comfort those outside the prison, saying, “Rejoice! Always rejoice!”
2 Peter 1:1, Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ.
Peter also explains to you that within you is God's faith.
2 Peter is written by Peter, saying, “Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, writes to those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ.”
This letter is also for you.
First, we must understand that everyone has God's precious faith. Only then can we discuss what is great faith and what is small faith. Jesus indeed praised some people, saying, “Your faith is great.” Or he said, “O you of little faith!” Where is the difference? It is not that the Lord gives him a certain amount of faith so that he can perform greater faith. The faith given to everyone is equally great; the faith given to Peter is the same as the faith given to you.
It is just a matter of how much is released; some release a little, while others release more. This is the difference in faith. When you focus your gaze on Jesus Christ and declare your righteousness, believing completely, the power is released.
If you lay hands and pray, and the first ten people are healed, when you lay hands on the eleventh person, you will no longer doubt. You are continually releasing faith, and your faith will grow larger. This is the reality of our lives. If someone never uses God's words, never raises their hands to pray in life, always relying on themselves and trying hard, they will indeed not see God's faith.
But if you rely on the Lord in everything, saying, “Lord, please give me wisdom, knowing that I have your faith within me, help me release your faith,” the faith released by God becomes your own faith, because what overcomes the world is our faith. Amen.
The second point to share: God's faith is not based on sight but solely believes that God's words will come to pass.
When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him and turned to the crowd that followed him, saying, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the servant well.
Many people hope that Jesus will come to their homes to lay hands and pray for their family. Nowadays, many believers also expect pastors to come to their homes to lay hands and pray for them. This is good and is part of faith. But today, we see a person of great faith. This person did not let Jesus go to his house; he only asked Jesus to say one word, and it would be done.
Jesus said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.”
Why did he say this? What is unique about this person's faith?
He believed that the authority of the Son of God could transcend time and space to heal his servant. God accomplishes things according to the size of faith we receive.
There are many such examples in the Bible. You must believe that God is all-powerful and that He loves you, is willing to help you, and bless you. There is not a single word from God that lacks power. You cannot analyze God's words with your reason; believe, and you will see.
If God says you have been healed, you must believe in your heart and confess with your mouth. Your actions must reflect this. You must act as a healed person should. It is not because you look better or feel better, nor because the doctor has confirmed it, but because God said it, and I believe it, regardless of the current situation! Hallelujah!
Pastor Gan Jianxin, around the age of 17, had several diseases, including congenital heart disease and an unknown illness in his blood; in short, he was close to death and paralyzed, unable to get out of bed.
When he read Mark 11:24, “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours,” he meditated on this verse, saying, “Lord, this word is for me; I believe I have received healing.” He used all his strength to support himself and stand up from the bed, then shouted, “I am completely healed; I have been healed by God…”
We think getting up from bed is simple, but it took him a long time and a lot of effort to repeat this simple action. He believed in his heart that he had been healed, so when he stood up and used all his strength to shout, “I have been healed by God; I am healthy,” his body recovered, and he worked for the Lord for over 50 years without ever being sick. Is that a miracle?
During this time, the devil would give him false symptoms of illness; for example, at one point, his heart had problems again. Others would think, “Oh no, his heart disease has relapsed; God hasn't healed him completely.” Gan Jianxin said, “Devil, I tell you, God has completely healed me; this is a false symptom. In the name of the Lord Jesus, I command this false symptom to leave me.”
He was declaring with God's faith! Amen!
He did not look at how the environment was or the current pain; he only believed God's words!
He has a testimony that when he felt a headache coming on, he refused to accept the idea of getting a cold. The pain disappeared; this is the reason he overcame the devil's attacks time and again and ultimately achieved victory because he used God's faith.
He did not look at the current state of his body; he only believed God. You spoke to me, and I believe it, and I declare it. In the end, he really did it. In life, no matter what happens, you can do things with God's faith.
Many people tell me, “I have declared that I have been healed, but my illness seems to show no improvement.” When I see such people, I can empathize with their disappointment and frustration. They feel really lost. What is the problem? It is not about repeating with your mouth a thousand times, “By the stripes of Jesus, I am healed,” that you will be healed. It does not matter how many times you say it; what matters is letting the power in that word release faith.
If it is released once, it is enough. When Jesus heals, He never repeats himself; He is different from us. We may have doubts inside, but when Jesus serves, He never doubts; one word is enough.
He said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your bed, and go home.” Many people think it won't work; they want to try again, saying, “It didn’t work today; I’ll declare it again tomorrow.” But that’s okay; just keep doing it, and one day you will believe. Never say, “Stop bothering me; I’ve declared it for three days, and there’s still no effect; God probably won’t heal me.” That conclusion is incorrect.
If there is no effect, continue to do it until the miracle happens; you must keep believing.
God's will is for us to be healed. We are doing things according to God's will. The first time you try to use God's faith, you may see results; you may not see results. But whether you see them or not, do not lose heart. Believe that God's words will surely come to pass.
You should believe in Jesus like the centurion. He did not understand the commandments or the laws, but he knew that when the word goes out, it has authority and power. How much more so for the Son of God? God has placed so many promises and powerful words in the Bible, so you should take time to read it. When you grasp a promise and believe it, it will come to pass in your life.
Do not look at how the environment is; you must believe that this is what God has said to you, so it will surely come to pass. When your heart is truly unwavering, you will see results. Do not look at whether the environment has changed; believe that God's words will surely come to pass.
The devil wants you to look at the environment, to look at yourself, to see that the world is unfair to you, but you should look at Jesus Christ. Thank God for giving us the Holy Spirit, who can penetrate all things and guide us to understand all truth. Do not rely on feelings; firmly say that God's words will surely come to pass in my life. Even if I do not see it now, I still believe. Hold on to this faith, and you will experience the blessings and grace like Abraham.
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we especially thank and praise you! The centurion heard about Jesus and had faith. Today, through your words, I also have faith. I believe you love me, you are willing to bless me, and you are willing to heal me.
Because you have overcome this world, I can also overcome through you. The Bible tells me that as Jesus is, so am I in this world. I believe that in the coming seven days, I am in your blessings. I am willing to see the world with God's faith; you will change my family, change my body, and change my current situation. I receive your words and expect good things to happen to me. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, I pray, Amen!