Fruit Of The Spirit ... Faith

October 22, 2015

When you want to talk about faith, this is one of the most plentiful lessons in the bible ! I looked in a concordance ( everyone should have this who reads the bible)  and there were pages of verses on faith in the bible. So I went through and picked some good ones and about an hour later a friend calls and asks what we doing in bible study. When I told him faith, he said , " I love Hebrews chapter 11 !" I am sad to admit this, but I had forgotten all about this chapter! This is a very famous chapter in God's word and is known as," God's hall of fame on faith ". So, we studied Hebrews Chapter 11, and loved it !!!

I went through this chapter, which has 40 verses, and circled the phrase " By faith". I count 17 times this is used. When  a phrase is repeated twice in the bible close to each other, it is used as a verbal exclamation mark. So when I saw 17 times it is obvious that God is trying to show us that faith is important to Him.  If that is true we better figure it out and do it !! Since it is a Fruit of the Spirit we know that faith in God or His word comes from God and that we are not born with it (physically) nor can we get it, or can we make it grow ! So, how  in the world can we expect to do anything if we have no control over it ?

Faith is like a spiritual mustard seed. If you plant it in Jesus,( get born again) water it with God's word, (bible) and allow the Holy Spirit to guide and lead you, (listen and obey God's word) it will grow to huge heights !! The only control we have is to give control to God. Which means we should read God's word, listen to what it says, then do what it says. Done properly and consistently over time, we will begin to walk by faith and not by sight. That is when God is free to work in area of our lives !!!

In Hebrews chapter  11 it lists many people from the Old Testament and tells why God credited them with faith. There are 11 people listed and what they did..... and that's the key. Faith is the substance of things hoped for. ALL of them listed required ACTION.  So we can learn from this that God is pleased when we do something based on the 3 things discussed earlier.  Caution... do not ever run off and do something and expect God to bless it. Listen, read, pray about it .... and if you know it is of God  DO IT !!