What is faith?
Faith, according to the Bible, “is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report.” (Hebrews 11:1-2)
Faith is very important in our walk with God. The Bible says that “he that cometh to Him must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6)
The reason why our faith is sometimes challenged is because we are in a relationship with a supreme being, the Almighty God, who is invisible.
Jesus confirmed this when He said: “No man has ever seen God.” (John 1:18)
So how do you believe in someone you have not seen? Someone you cannot behold with your physical eyes?
We humans are accustomed to believing in the reality of what we see or hear. But how do we believe in a being we have not seen with the naked eye?
That is where faith comes in.
We engage the power of faith to believe in the reality of the invisible. The Bible says that “through faith, the worlds were framed by the word of God so that the things which are seen are not made of things which do appear.” (Hebrews 11:3)
What the Bible is saying, in essence, is that the invisible is more real than the visible. The invisible things are indeed more tangible than the visible.
So let’s discuss The Anatomy of Faith.
The word ‘anatomy’ is scientific. It is the branch of science concerned with the bodily structure of humans, animals, and other living organisms, especially as revealed by dissection and the separation of parts.
In Romans 4:17-24, it is written:
(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.
Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.
And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah’s womb:
He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
And being fully persuaded that, what He had promised, He was able also to perform.
And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.
Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;
But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on Him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead.
Here is what the Holy Ghost is saying to all of us today:
1. Faith calleth those things which be not as though they were.
Faith is a creative force that brings into existence things that have never been in existence.
In Genesis 1, the Bible says that the earth was void and without form, and God said… “let there be light”…and there was light. That is the meaning of “calling those things which be not as though they were.”
God said to Abraham in his barren state, “I have made thee a father of nations.” God already saw Abraham as a father of nations…He calls into being the things that are not. His power is able to bring to reality things that have never been in existence.
2. Faith is anchored on hope.
In verse 18 of Romans 4, the Bible says that “against hope, Abraham believed in hope.” Of course, faith is the substance of things hoped for.
We have had testimonies of how doctors stated that some cases were hopeless and beyond redemption. But in God, there is no hopeless situation. So, what must we do? We must refuse to give up. God can turn things around in a twinkle of an eye. And the doctors who pronounced negative verdicts are often confounded by the turnaround.
Jesus demonstrated this by the tomb of Lazarus. Mary said to Him: “Lord, by this time he stinketh.” (John 11:39)
Mary was telling Jesus that this was a hopeless case. But Jesus demonstrated that there is no ‘stinking’ case with God. God can turn around every stinking situation so that men will marvel and glorify His name.
It is only God who can bring honey out of a carcass. (Judges 14:9)
3. Weakness is an enemy of faith.
Our faith in God must be strong like that of Father Abraham. The enemy will come with his whisperings…he will ask you: “Are you sure God is able to do what you are asking?”
When you hear that kind of voice, don’t be silent. Tell the enemy that “with God, all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26)
4. Faith does not consider the circumstances.
Why does faith not consider circumstance? Because when we look at the circumstances, we tend to be discouraged and give up.
Abraham did not consider his own circumstances: the fact was that Abraham was old and Sarah was beyond childbearing. But Abraham did not consider the circumstances. He was undeterred. Faith does not look at the circumstances of any given situation.
5. Faith does not stagger.
Have you seen a man that staggers? Have you considered the drunkards and how they stagger?
James 1:6-8 states:
“But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.”
“For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord.”
“A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.”
We must keep our eyes focused on the promise of God, as Abraham did. Jesus is referred to as the author and finisher of our faith. Our eyes must be on Him.
6. Faith must continually give glory to GOD.
When we withhold giving glory to God, it means we do not believe that He can turn around the situation.
7. Our faith must be full of persuasion.
100% persuasion. Persuasion means believing to the point of conviction. When you are persuaded in your faith, no devil can make you walk in unbelief.
Abraham was fully persuaded. He knew that God could raise Isaac from the dead.
When we do these things, God will impute righteousness unto us as He did unto Abraham.
This is The Anatomy of Faith. The Bible says that if we are Abraham’s children, we should emulate Abraham.
Prayer:
The disciples of Christ once prayed: “Lord, increase our faith.” (Luke 17:5)
If our faith is deficient, this should be our prayer.
