Man of God, Man of Faith

Ministry Wednesday: Man of God, Man of Faith

Jesus Christ said not everyone who calls Him Lord, Lord shall enter into the kingdom of God. He said further that many shall say on that day, how they prophesied and cast out demon and did many mighty works in His name, but He will answer, get thee behind me, I know you not, you workers of iniquity...

That should sound scary to ministers of Christ and should help us to consider many things.

It shows that we can actually do all these things without a connection to His heart. It is often said that the avenue to power is holiness but His comments here may prove that wrong. People were walking in power and they are also working iniquity same time according to the Master.

The servant of God then should consider his or her convictions and how that reflect on his or her life and ministry.

There are two basic movers of our tongues to minister. The utterance of the Holy Spirit and the faith of God in our hearts.

Ephesians 6
18. Praying always... 19. And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel.

2 Corinthians 4
13. We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;

The two can work separately. People may speak what they don't believe. And so their lifestyles would not agree with the faith they preach. The preach faith but live in unbelief. They speak and teach faith but rationalise their obedience to God's word. They have the form of godliness but deny the power thereof.

God expects that our convictions will rule us. As a friend puts it recently, the proof of believing is behaving. What we permit or disapprove of are based on what we truly believe. You can't really trust God and be working iniquities. We live our faith naturally!

People are not just to follow our words but also our faith as they see it in our way of life.

Hebrews 13
7 Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. (ESV)

When we understand that the opposite of faith is works. Doing it by God's grace through the knowledge of God's Word is faith, doing it by our own power and wisdom regardless of God's Word is works.
When we seek to get God's promises by His power and wisdom through His word according to His will, we walk in faith, getting the same things our own ways irrespective of God's word and wisdom is works.

Faith is living absolutely a life dependent on God's word and on His leading by the Holy Spirit. Faith is taking steps not to satisfy the needs of our flesh, our pride, ego or lusts but in response to divine will and Word in order to satisfy God's desires and pleasures. Faith is the conviction we have of the reality of the supernatural as presented to us in God's Word and demonstrated by Jesus Christ while here in the physical.

It explores the extent of supernatural possibilities made available by the omnipotence, omniscience and the omnipresence of God within the bounds of His word.

This faith is such a conviction that would be ready to suffer pain and even death when offered an alternative not approved by God.

Faith looks like a risk for lack of appeal to the human mind and rationality, but it isn't a risk to the believing one because of the reality of the supernatural he or she has come to accept as true and as the norm, which God is ever ready to defend, no matter what. He has called us to walk on water, we see solidity and not liquidity just because He called. It is no more a risk but a reality of what He said, which He has demonstrated! We can step out and walk on His word even if it's all water around!

Faith will be tested, sometimes with deprivation, pains and losses, without which faith isn't proved to be what it is, faith untested is of little value, it is more precious than gold when tested. It is also the test of God's faithfulness. If we don't fail the test of faith, not losing our conviction to the end, God's faithfulness too will not fail.

Alternatives test our faith, and our faith proves God's faithfulness. If we are not ready to suffer for our convictions in God, how should we then expect to see the full manifestation of God's faithfulness, which we have not placed any demand on by our faith?

We are in a world of scoffers, a world where unbelief is taught as faith, a world that is ever learning but not coming to the knowledge of the truth, a world that has a form of godliness but denies the power thereof, a world of self seeking, pleasure seeking world, where we always love to play safe when engaging the things of the supernatural, a world of compromises and negotiations with the things of the Spirit. A world where faith in uncertain riches, in money, in self, and in the arms of flesh has more preachers and teachers than faith in God, in His supernatural and in all He has done.

Yet, in such gross darkness, God is counting on His light bearers to arise with their torches to declare His kingdom and faith in Him in this crooked and perverse generation.

The man of God must be the man of faith, and not to be sifted as wheat, losing the solidity of faith for the chaff of unbelief, doubts and fear in mere religion. We should be planted by the rivers of God's word, to bring forth our fruits of faith as we run the race with patience before the audience of those who have before walked this pathway of faith, with our leaves green and flourishing, prospering in all we do through the faithfulness of God as the branches of God's Vine, to whom we have entrusted our lives, to whom are glory and praise forever more. Amen

Have a wonderful week and a marvelous new month living the life of faith in God's Grace!

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