"Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust." (2 Peter 1:2-4)
These verses say that ALL THINGS that pertain unto life and godliness are given unto us through THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD. And certainly, faith must be one of those things because without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb. 11:6). So faith must come through the knowledge of God. That's the reason Romans 10:17 says faith comes by hearing the Word of God. The amount of faith that you operate in is directly proportional to the revelation knowledge that you have of God through His Word. Your understanding of how much He loves you certainly influences how much authority you operate in as well as the anointing and the gifts which are based on His Love. Faith Works by Love.
Many people have found it very difficult to operate in faith. That is because they either don't have the real knowledge of God's Word in them, or they have let the Word slip and be choked by the knowledge of the world. Fear comes through carnal knowledge, just as faith and all things that pertain unto life come through godly knowledge. Most Christians today (even Spirit-filled Christians) are full of the knowledge about how to operate in Satan's system or the worldly system but are really deficient in the knowledge it takes to prosper in God's system. So, it is not really a faith problem that exists, but it is rather a Word problem.
These verses say that ALL THINGS that pertain unto life and godliness are given unto us through THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD. And certainly, faith must be one of those things because without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb. 11:6). So faith must come through the knowledge of God. That's the reason Romans 10:17 says faith comes by hearing the Word of God. The amount of faith that you operate in is directly proportional to the revelation knowledge that you have of God through His Word. Your understanding of how much He loves you certainly influences how much authority you operate in as well as the anointing and the gifts which are based on His Love. Faith Works by Love.
Many people have found it very difficult to operate in faith. That is because they either don't have the real knowledge of God's Word in them, or they have let the Word slip and be choked by the knowledge of the world. Fear comes through carnal knowledge, just as faith and all things that pertain unto life come through godly knowledge. Most Christians today (even Spirit-filled Christians) are full of the knowledge about how to operate in Satan's system or the worldly system but are really deficient in the knowledge it takes to prosper in God's system. So, it is not really a faith problem that exists, but it is rather a Word problem.
Typically as we grow, men’s traditions, culture, school, peer pressure and the world’s system are exerted onto us and into our lives so much so that we have to shun God’s way of thinking and adopt worldly ways. For example if what the word says about the children of God and the exploits they are capable of, based on the complete work of Christ, is anything to go by; then more time would be spent trying to unlock those age old secrets that enable us to flow in the fullness of God. Unfortunately more resources, more attention and everything continue to be poured into worldly ways like the education system and so called professionalism and skills, and efforts to stifle the knowledge of God. In the end we become so full of the worldly system and have little in comparison regarding the knowledge of God. To know God is Eternal life (John17:3). Even when we receive salvation the main influence on our lives is the underlying philosophy that shapes our thinking and sad to the dominant philosophy whether you are saved or not is largely worldly or put bluntly anti Christ thinking.
Knowing God is not a one days learning process. There is a lot of unlearning to do of the world’s ways and a lot of cultivation to do in learning God’s ways. This is so much so that you have to do it to the extent of undoing a lot of unbelief and instituting a lot of belief in God’s ways. The nature of the world has influenced our thinking so much so that we think it is natural, yet the bible puts it clearly that as sons of God, ours is to produce what Our Fathers Character is. A hen begets Chicks, just as a dog begets puppies, just as a goat begets Kids, just as a Lion begets cubs, and JUST AS GOD begets gods through the supernatural birth- salvation. The bible says we are gods according to Psalm 82:6, Isaiah 41:23 and John 10:34...
Galatians 5:22 states that faith is a part of the fruit of the Spirit. Have you ever seen a plant struggle to bring forth fruit? Have you ever heard a vine moan and groan and complain about how hard it is to produce grapes? Have ever seen a child saying "I confess with my mouth in Jesus name that my mother will breast feed me.." Of course not! It's the nature of a vine to produce grapes, its in the nature of a mother to breast feed and milk will come whether she likes it or not. Likewise If the vine is protected and given nourishment, it will automatically produce fruit, unless it's starved or attacked by some outside force. So it is with the Christian, Faith will automatically be the product of our abiding in the Word, which is Jesus (John 1:1, 15:1-7). Where there is faith, there is a bridge between the supernatural and the natural. What is unseen automatically manifests with faith as the currency or medium.
The problem has been that the knowledge of God's Word has not been abiding in us, or the carnal knowledge of the world has choked the Word of God that was there. You cannot serve two masters (Matt. 6:24). A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways. He cannot receive anything from the Lord (James 1:7-8). You cannot operate in faith and unbelief at the same time and expect results. Two cannot walk together unless they be in agreement - (Amos 3:3). There has got to be single-mindedness.
Matthew 6:22 gives us the promise that if the eye is single, we will be full of light. That means that if all your attention is focused on God through His Word, then the only thing that you will be full of is God and what His Word produces. If you are single minded on cultivating the knowledge of God, then His character is what you will radiate. This is a Bible law that is repeated in Romans 8:6, which says, "For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." If we are experiencing anything but life and peace, it is because we are carnally minded. You cannot have life and peace without the knowledge of God. On the other hand, you cannot experience any form of death without the knowledge of the devil and his system.
The carnal knowledge that we dwell upon in our thought lives is Satan's in-road to us. I am convinced that one of the main reasons that the first men that walked upon this earth lived to be as old as 969 years is because they didn't know how to die. They didn't even have a family until they were over 300 years old! They didn't know that there was supposed to be a flu season every year. It took many years for Satan to pervert the knowledge that was in man so that he would accept defeat. Most of our battles could be avoided if we would just be wise concerning that which is good and simple concerning that which is evil (Rom. 16:19).
Galatians 5:22 states that faith is a part of the fruit of the Spirit. Have you ever seen a plant struggle to bring forth fruit? Have you ever heard a vine moan and groan and complain about how hard it is to produce grapes? Have ever seen a child saying "I confess with my mouth in Jesus name that my mother will breast feed me.." Of course not! It's the nature of a vine to produce grapes, its in the nature of a mother to breast feed and milk will come whether she likes it or not. Likewise If the vine is protected and given nourishment, it will automatically produce fruit, unless it's starved or attacked by some outside force. So it is with the Christian, Faith will automatically be the product of our abiding in the Word, which is Jesus (John 1:1, 15:1-7). Where there is faith, there is a bridge between the supernatural and the natural. What is unseen automatically manifests with faith as the currency or medium.
The problem has been that the knowledge of God's Word has not been abiding in us, or the carnal knowledge of the world has choked the Word of God that was there. You cannot serve two masters (Matt. 6:24). A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways. He cannot receive anything from the Lord (James 1:7-8). You cannot operate in faith and unbelief at the same time and expect results. Two cannot walk together unless they be in agreement - (Amos 3:3). There has got to be single-mindedness.
Matthew 6:22 gives us the promise that if the eye is single, we will be full of light. That means that if all your attention is focused on God through His Word, then the only thing that you will be full of is God and what His Word produces. If you are single minded on cultivating the knowledge of God, then His character is what you will radiate. This is a Bible law that is repeated in Romans 8:6, which says, "For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." If we are experiencing anything but life and peace, it is because we are carnally minded. You cannot have life and peace without the knowledge of God. On the other hand, you cannot experience any form of death without the knowledge of the devil and his system.
The carnal knowledge that we dwell upon in our thought lives is Satan's in-road to us. I am convinced that one of the main reasons that the first men that walked upon this earth lived to be as old as 969 years is because they didn't know how to die. They didn't even have a family until they were over 300 years old! They didn't know that there was supposed to be a flu season every year. It took many years for Satan to pervert the knowledge that was in man so that he would accept defeat. Most of our battles could be avoided if we would just be wise concerning that which is good and simple concerning that which is evil (Rom. 16:19).
The worldly system is the way it is – full of influence because Satan has cultivated so much time in corrupting what God built beautifully in place. Fortunately Jesus through the Cross and His Shed blood began by restoring us Supernaturally through copying (replicating) His Spirit in each person that believes Him- (John1:12, John1:16). In that way His power which is now resident in us is sufficient to “de-cultivate” much of what Satan has spent all these years cultivating. However, it takes the renewal of the mind, and cultivating and establishing a love relationship with God, in which once we are rooted then God through us can do exceedingly and abundantly above all we think or expect. This is the Grace of God that is available to all Men.
Hebrews 11:15 says that if Abraham had been mindful of the country that he came out of, he might have had opportunity, or might have been tempted, to have returned. But, since he refused to think on Satan's knowledge, he could not be tempted to turn back. Praise God! If Abraham could do it, we can do it too. Second Corinthians 10:4-5 says we can bring every thought into captivity and under the obedience of the Lord Jesus Christ.
But, since our minds have already been grounded in the knowledge of this world, it is impossible to just cast that carnal mind out. You have to be thinking on something. Romans 12:2 says, "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." Our minds have to be renewed, and that is done by meditating on the knowledge of God as revealed in His Word.
Hebrews 11:15 says that if Abraham had been mindful of the country that he came out of, he might have had opportunity, or might have been tempted, to have returned. But, since he refused to think on Satan's knowledge, he could not be tempted to turn back. Praise God! If Abraham could do it, we can do it too. Second Corinthians 10:4-5 says we can bring every thought into captivity and under the obedience of the Lord Jesus Christ.
But, since our minds have already been grounded in the knowledge of this world, it is impossible to just cast that carnal mind out. You have to be thinking on something. Romans 12:2 says, "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." Our minds have to be renewed, and that is done by meditating on the knowledge of God as revealed in His Word.
Your life is similar to a computer. It simply acts upon the knowledge put into it. If all you have is carnal knowledge, then all you can be is carnal. But praise God, you can reprogram yourself with the Word of God. Your body is like the hardware, the operating system is the mind or soul, your spirit is the new file that was copied, that converts you into a son, that has the exact same attributes that Jesus has, that is the new spirit A.K.A the new creation, A.K.A the new man, that’s the one that is born again and is exactly like God and has His fullness all of that dwelling in you bodily. What you need is to constantly renew your mind and that spirit (the new man) will execute, like an application file in a computer system. in the Computer world it is not when a file is copied that the application is installed or runs, it is when it is double clicked executed that it installs on a computer and then that computer is said to run that application or possess that program. This file has all the functionalities pertaining to life and godliness of that computer.
You are not incapable of living a life of faith. Quite the contrary, if you have been born again, you have already been given faith as a part of the fruit of the Spirit. But, you can't function in it if you don't know that it's there or if you don't have knowledge of the laws that govern it. The laws of aerodynamics have been in existence since creation, but man didn't have knowledge of them until recently. Many people scoffed at the idea of flying, just as many people ridicule the faith message today. They used to say, "If God meant for man to fly, He would have given man wings." We've seen that assumption proven false. It wasn't God who was keeping us from flying, it was our ignorance of the laws that govern flight. It hasn't been God who failed to give us faith, we have all been given the measure of faith (Rom. 12:3), but God's people have been perishing because of a lack of knowledge of how that faith works.
Mankind didn't learn how to fly overnight. There have been many failures, but now no one doubts that the laws of aerodynamics work. You won't learn all the laws of faith instantly either and you may fall flat on your face a few times before you start seeing faith produce as it should. But, the law of faith, which created everything, is a thousand times surer than the laws of aerodynamics. The knowledge of God and how faith works is hidden for you, not from you, in the Word of God. Pray Ephesians 1:15-23 with me, as a prayer to receive the knowledge of God. Believe that you receive, and watch faith begin to be produced in your life.
"Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all." (Eph. 1:15-23)
You are not incapable of living a life of faith. Quite the contrary, if you have been born again, you have already been given faith as a part of the fruit of the Spirit. But, you can't function in it if you don't know that it's there or if you don't have knowledge of the laws that govern it. The laws of aerodynamics have been in existence since creation, but man didn't have knowledge of them until recently. Many people scoffed at the idea of flying, just as many people ridicule the faith message today. They used to say, "If God meant for man to fly, He would have given man wings." We've seen that assumption proven false. It wasn't God who was keeping us from flying, it was our ignorance of the laws that govern flight. It hasn't been God who failed to give us faith, we have all been given the measure of faith (Rom. 12:3), but God's people have been perishing because of a lack of knowledge of how that faith works.
Mankind didn't learn how to fly overnight. There have been many failures, but now no one doubts that the laws of aerodynamics work. You won't learn all the laws of faith instantly either and you may fall flat on your face a few times before you start seeing faith produce as it should. But, the law of faith, which created everything, is a thousand times surer than the laws of aerodynamics. The knowledge of God and how faith works is hidden for you, not from you, in the Word of God. Pray Ephesians 1:15-23 with me, as a prayer to receive the knowledge of God. Believe that you receive, and watch faith begin to be produced in your life.
"Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all." (Eph. 1:15-23)
