You must put on the switch before the current in the wire can produce the light you require to light up your room. Similarly, you must put action behind the promise of God you claim to believe before you can experience the breakthrough you desire. So today, we want to look at what we call “CORRESPONDING ACTION!”
What then is corresponding action? Putting action behind the promise of God concerning your situation is what we call “CORRESPONDING ACTION.” This is an action that is in agreement with the promise of God you claim to believe. For instance, suppose God promised in His Word that you can walk on water. If you truly believe that promise, you’ll step into that river to walk on water. This is corresponding action.
If you really believe what God has promised you in His Word concerning your situation, you’ll act on that promise. That is the evidence that you really believe.
Question: What is the action that will match the Word you claim to believe? If you are really a doer of the Word of God, your actions must correspond to your confessions. The Bible emphasizes the need for a corresponding action (Jam. 1:22-25).
In James 2:18 the Bible says, “But someone will say, "You have faith, and I have works (corresponding action). Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”
I can’t see your faith if you can’t demonstrate it, but I can show you my faith through my corresponding action.
According to James 2:19-26, we are made right with God by what we do, not by faith alone. Notice that his faith was co-operating with his actions, and by his actions his faith was made complete.
Examples of people that put action behind the promise of God they claim to believe abound in the Scriptures:
1. The man with a withered hand. And when Jesus had looked round about at them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, He saith unto the man, “Stretch forth thine hand. And the man stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other” (Mk. 3:5).
2. Peter walked on water to go to Jesus. The evidence that Peter believed the Word of Jesus is that he came out of the ship, and walked on water to go to Jesus.
But straightway Jesus spoke 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” (Matt. 14:27-29).
If you really believe whatever God has promised in His Word, you’ll act on it without any delay because you know that it cannot fail.
3. The blind man that Jesus told to go and wash at Siloam. This man put action behind the instruction Jesus gave to him.
And as Jesus passed by, He saw a man which was blind from his birth. 2 And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? 3 Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.
4 I must work the works of Him that sent Me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.
5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. 6 When He had thus spoken, He spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, 7 And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing” (Jn. 9:1-7).
4. The woman with the issue of blood. This woman had an issue of blood for 12 years (Mk. 5:23-34). She did not stop at hearing the Word (Rom. 10:17), meditating on the Word she heard (Prov. 23:7), confessing the Word (Mk 5:28), but she went on to take a step of faith. She put action behind what she believed. She did what God could see to show that she was serious.
On the way to your miracle, you may have a number of obstacles to overcome. This woman had a number of such obstacles to overcome. She did not pray that God would remove the obstacles. Rather she got up and walked over the top of them all – religion, custom and crowd.
a) In those days, a woman with an issue of blood was regarded in the same category as a leper and was not allowed to mix with the public, according to the teaching of her religion. But her actions said, “Religion or no religion, I’m going to get my healing.”
b) Also, in that day, women did not have the liberty to mingle publicly. Again her actions said, “Custom or no custom, I’m going to get my healing.”
c) When she got there, a multitude of people crowded between her and Jesus. In her weakened physical condition, that would have been enough to cause her to give up. But her actions said, “Crowd or no crowd, I’m going to get to Jesus to get my healing. And she elbowed her way through.
This woman’s actions showed (demonstrated) her faith. Her actions were an expression of her faith. She took a step of faith because faith without works (corresponding action) is dead (Jam. 2:26).
Now listen, daughter Jesus said, “THY FAITH hath made thee whole” (Mk. 5:34).
Notice that it was her faith [not her grammar, not her connections, not her crying ability, not her nationality] that caused that power to flow out to her. You can’t link up with God except through faith. Faith brings you to the realm of the supernatural. Faith brings you to the realm of the miraculous.
In Mark 5:30 Jesus immediately knowing in Himself that power [virtue, ability] had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched My clothes?" And the disciples replied, “Thou seest the multitude thronging [crowding around] thee, and sayest thou, Who touched Me?”
Many people touched Jesus that day, some through curiosity, some accidentally, and some to see if something would happen. But no power flowed until there came a touch of faith! The very moment there was a touch of faith, the power flowed out to destroy the yoke upon the life of that woman. Hallelujah!
When you link up with God through faith, virtue is instantly released into your situation and surely solution to your problem follows. This woman knew how to tap into the healing power of God. It is like plugging into an electric outlet. If you can learn how to plug into this supernatural power, you can put it to work for yourself, and you can also be healed of any disease, sickness or condition. This plugging in is possible only by faith. Faith is acting on God’s Word. When you turn the switch of faith on your miracle is there.
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 today and then rest on 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 said that brings results. Rise up and receive your breakthrough by faith today!
Watch out for the next edition of Good News from the Pulpit!
Your friend: I. I. MADUBUNYI (Senior Pastor)
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