WHAT IS FAITH? (3)

Today, we want to yet consider another aspect of “WHAT IS FAITH?” In Hebrews 11:1, God describes what Bible faith really does or how it works.

Faith is the EVIDENCE of the things not seen. Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is…, the evidence of things not seen.” Now faith is......., the evidence of things you cannot pick up with your physical senses.

In other words, what God is saying in Hebrews 11:1 is that faith is taking hold of the unseen realm, and bringing it into the realm of reality.

Faith is the evidence that the things in the spirit realm which we cannot see with our physical eyes do really exist – for instance, Heaven.

Faith means that though we may not see the outcome now but we are sure of the end result.

Since the Word of God equals faith, Hebrews 11:1 can read, “Now the Word of God (the promise God made in His Word concerning your situation) is…, the evidence of things not seen.”

Here is the truth: you can’t have faith without showing (expressing) it because it is the EVIDENCE. Faith itself proves that what is unseen is real. That implies that the Word of God (the promise of God concerning your situation) proves that what is unseen is real.

For instance, the evidence that God loves us is that He gave the unspeakable gift to us. Here God demonstrated (expressed) that He loves the world by giving His only begotten Son to become our substitute.

In John 3:16 Jesus said, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

What is evidence? Evidence is something that gives a sign or proof of the existence of something. It is that which helps you to come to a particular conclusion.

In 2 Corinthians 4:18 the Bible says, “While we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

The evidence of your faith is called corresponding action. Acting on what God has said in His Word is the evidence of your faith.

For instance, if you are experiencing some symptoms like barrenness, if God said in His Word that none shall be known to be barren in the land, then that settles it because that promise is the evidence that you shall not continue to be barren.

In Exodus 23:25-26 God said, “And ye shall serve the Lord your God, and He shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee. 26 There shall nothing cast their young, nor be barren, in thy land: the number of thy days I will fulfil.”

The evidence that you believe God is that you go and start buying baby things even when you have not even had any carnal relationship with your spouse.

Are you plagued by sickness and disease? If God’s Word says that by His stripes you’ve been made whole (1 Pet. 2:24), then the evidence of your faith is that you forget about the drugs that the doctor has prescribed for you and thank God for a perfect healing.

Are you in a wheel chair, and you have been prayed for, the evidence of your faith is that you stand up from that wheel chair immediately and walk whether you feel like it or not.

Examples of people that had an evidence for their faith abound:

1. The man that was paralyzed for 38 years. In John 5:8 Jesus said to the man that had been paralysed for 38 years, “Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.” The evidence of the man’s faith was that he immediately took up his bed, and walked (Jn. 5:9).

2. The man with the withered hand. In Mark 3:5 Jesus said to the man that had withered hand, “Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.”

3. Peter walked on water. Matthew 14:27-29 says, “But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. 28 And Peter answered Him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. 29 And He said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.” 

The evidence of his faith was that he immediately acted on the instruction given to him by Jesus.

4. Elijah and the Zarephath widow (1 Ki. 17:13-16). The evidence of the widow’s faith was that he immediately acted on the instructions of God spoken through His prophet, Elisha (1 Ki. 17:15-16).

5. In John 5:8 Jesus said to the man that has been paralysed for 38 years, “Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.” The evidence of the man’s faith was that immediately he took up his bed, and walked (Jn. 5:9).

6. A good example of faith as an evidence of things not seen is the case of the birth of our second son, KK. We believed God for two sons long before we went to the altar. So, way back in Germany, we bought the things that a male child would need. We did not buy any unisex material because unisex speaks of doubt [second thought]. When we came back to Nigeria, within the next one year, God gave us a male child – KK.

7. Another good example is the case of our beloved brother, Pastor Henry Akporeha. When the wife was heavy with the second child, they went for a scan so as to know the gender of the baby. In spite of the fact that they have believed God for a male child, the scan said that the baby was a female. The wife looked down cast when that result was pronounced. But the husband said in his mind, “Though the scan result read a female child, I believe God for a male child. To prove that I mean what I believe, I will go and buy the materials for a male child because God does not fail.” So he went and bought things for a male child, not unisex. When the child was born, he was a male. If you take a close look at the place where the sex organs are usually located, you will discover for yourself that heaven carried out a surgical operation on that child to agree with the faith of Pastor Henry who, in spite of the scan result, believed God for a male child. If you take the step of faith to act on God’s Word, God will reach out to you and do what you cannot do. When you do the natural, God will do the supernatural. When you do the ordinary, God will do the extraordinary.

Therefore, if you want that reproach in your life to be permanently rolled away right now, you must choose to put action behind what you believe by acting on God’s Word. Act on His promises and then rest in His power and faithfulness. Until you act on God’s Word, it will never become a reality and there will be no change in your situation. It is not praying or crying, but it is acting on what God has spoken that brings results. Rise up and receive your miracle by faith today!

Watch out for the next edition of Good News from the Pulpit!

• Your friend: I. I. Madubunyi (Senior Pastor)