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Faith Speaks
by mark baker Romans 10:6 But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, "Do not say in your heart, `Who will ascend into heaven?' '' (that is, to bring Christ down from above) 7. or, " `Who will descend into the abyss?' '' (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8. But what does it say? "The word is near you, even in your mouth and in your heart'' (that is, the word of faith which we preach): This is probably one of the most known sections of Scripture in the Bible. It has been preached and taught more times than could be counted. There is a reason for this, there is a powerful truth being conveyed here. This is our instruction for being born again. It is also the foundation to receiving all of God's promises. What is faith if not acted upon? As the Word, we just read, and as the title of this lesson indicates, faith must speak. Believing in your heart, and then speaking out of your mouth brings God's promise to pass. What you believe will come out of your mouth and what comes out of your mouth will manifest in the natural. You can have faith in God and His Word or you can have faith in the negative circumstances that come at you. What you truly believe in will eventually come out of your mouth. As God's Word says, The word is near you, even in your mouth and in your heart. You must speak. This is the way God has ordained things. It is an act of faith to proclaim Jesus. Let's read on. Romans 10:9. that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10. For with the heart one believes to righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made to salvation. Salvation does not come from believing alone, it comes from believing and then confessing. It is with the mouth confession is made to salvation. This is vital. Confession is an act of our will, and this act is what allows God to go into action on our behalf. If we will not speak, God can not act. You must believe in your heart, but you must also confess with your mouth. I would like to look at The New English Translation starting with vs. 8. 8-10. but what does it say? 'The word is near you: it is upon your lips and in your heart.' This means the Word of God faith which we proclaim. If on your lips is the confession, 'Jesus is Lord', and in your heart the faith that God raised him from the dead, then you will find salvation. For the faith that leads to righteousness is in the heart, and the confession that leads to salvation is upon the lips. Again, I would ask, what is faith if not acted upon? I could ask that in a slightly different way, what good is faith if not acted upon? It is no good to you, it is no good to me, and it is no good to God. Faith must be acted upon, faith must speak. Faith has a voice. You hear, faith comes, and then you act. Speaking is acting on what you already believe. Lets go back to Romans Romans 10:13 For "whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.'' 14. How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? You have to believe before you call, you have to hear before you believe. What you have to hear is the Word of God. This is the way faith comes. Faith always comes with the hearing of the Word of God, but faith not acted upon is faith wasted. This happens all the time. Faith is wasted because it is not acted upon. There is a cure for this, and it is so simple, act on what you have heard and believed. Speak with your mouth what God has put in your heart, and absolutely do not speak contrary to what you know as truth. Speaking contrary to the truth will cause the faith that was once in your heart to diminish and disappear. In essence, you have replaced faith in God with faith in the problem. What you have chosen to believe was spoken out of your mouth and because of this, God can not act on your behalf. That is truly a waste, and an unnecessary one at that. James said this; James 2:26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. I believe that many Christians believe James is talking about fruit. In other words, if you have faith, people will see the fruit of your Christian life. However, if we look at the context of what James is saying and not look at an isolated verse, we will see a deeper truth. Remember the Bible was not written in chapter and verse. Men did that at a later time in order to make it easier to look up Scriptures. Verse. 26 is the last verse. of chapter 2. If we will continue reading into chapter 3 without breaking the train of thought of faith and works, we will see the power of what James was saying by the unction of the Holy Spirit. Lets start again with 2:26. and then continue reading on into chapter 3. James 2:26. For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. 3:1. My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. 2. For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body. 3. Indeed, we put bits in horses' mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body. 4. Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires. 5. Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles! 6. And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell. 7. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. 8. But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. 9. With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. 10. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. 11. Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? 12. Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring can yield both salt water and fresh. After James said faith without works is dead, then he continues on to define exactly how faith produces. He goes on to talk about the tongue and the power of it. The result is what you bear, the fruit of your lips will be a product what comes our of your mouth. Your faith will always produce when spoken out of your mouth. Fresh or salty, it is our choice and ours alone. Out of the mouth of 2 or 3 witnesses let everything be established. Lets look at some more Scriptures that say a similar thing. Proverbs 12:14 A man will be satisifed with good by the fruit of his mouth, and the recompense of a man's hands will be rendered to him. Proverbs 13:2 A man shall eat well by the fruit of his mouth, but the soul of the unfaithful feeds on violence. Proverbs 18:20 A man's stomach shall be satisfied from the fruit of his mouth, and from the produce of his lips he shall be filled. Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit. What an incredible thing to say, life and death are actually within our power, and that power is of our tongue. Meaning words we speak will create death or life for us. We choose death, and we choose life. Jesus said in John 6:63 "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. Jesus declared His words are spirit and life. We can declare life filled words as well. We can declare His words. If His words are life as He said they are, and they are, and life and death is in the power of our tongue, shouldn't we be speaking His words? Will our words change death into life? Is there really that much power in our tongue? Yes there is. When we start to declare God's words instead of what we see and let faith come from our heart through our mouth we will see the fruit of life. Speaking life will bear life, and speaking death will bear death. I don't know about you but I want life. I choose to speak in line with the Word of God, I choose to speak words that are spirit and life. I refuse to speak death and destruction. Begin to declare with me the ever-living word of truth. Choose life, and begin to speak it. Begin to declare this truth over yourself and your family. Begin to boldly declare this confession of faith, make God's words your words as well. Choose life. Glory to God. Amen I believe Jesus is the Christ the Son of the living God. I am in Christ Jesus. I am a new creation, with the life of God, the nature of God, and the ability of God within me. I am His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus. I am the righteousness of God in Christ. My standing with God is secure. My prayers avail much. Christ Jesus my Lord, is my wisdom. He is my righteousness. He is my sanctification. He is my redemption. I have received abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness. I reign as a king and dominate in this life through Christ Jesus. He bore my infirmity, He took my disease, the chastisement of my peace was laid upon Him, and with His stripes I am healed!!! What He bore, I need not bear! The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. I am more than a conqueror in Christ Jesus. I can not be conquered. He is my strength, therefore I can not be defeated. I can do all thing through Christ which strengthens me. All my needs are supplied according to His riches and glory by Christ Jesus, therefore I have no lack. I was crucified with Christ. When He was quickened and made alive, I was quickened and made alive with Him. I was raised up together with Him and made to sit with Him in heavenly places. I am now seated with Him in heavenly places. I am dead to the lust of this world, I am alive only to God. I am a believer and not a doubter, everything Jesus did and is, I am a partaker of. Therefore, as He is, so am I in this world. Do you know Jesus as your Lord and Savior? Do you want to be a joint heir with Christ? If so, I urge you to earnestly pray the following prayer. Dear Heavenly Father, I come to you in the name of Jesus. Your word says, "and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out." (Jn.6:37), So I know You won't cast me out, but You take me in, And I thank you for it. You said in your Word, "whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.'' (Ro. 10:13). I am calling on Your name, So I know You have saved me now, You also said, "that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes to righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made to salvation." (Ro.10:9,10). I believe in my heart that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. I believe He was raised from the dead for my justification. And I confess Him now as my Lord, Because Your Word says, " with the heart one believes to righteousness" and I do believe with my heart, I have now become the righteousness of God in Christ. (2 Cor. 5:21), And I am saved! Thank You, Lord! I can now truthfully say, I see myself as a born again child of God! Glory to God!!!! Amen. I was raised Catholic, and was born again at the age of 17. I received God's call into ministry at the age of 19 and began to prepare for ministry. I graduated from Rhema Bible Training Center in 1979. The Lord has called me to teach. My desire is to help all that are seeking the truth to come into a deeper understanding of what God has done for us through Christ Jesus. Olive Branch Ministries is an outgrowth of that desire. Please feel free to visit us for more free studies and resources to help you on your journey. Mark Baker http://www.olivebranchministries.us Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |