If you haven’t already, read Part One and Part Two.
Acting on the Word
Faith is basically believing what God says above everything else. But real faith does more than sit around saying, “I believe! I Believe! Oh, it’s so good to believe!”
Real faith demands corresponding actions.
In the Amplified Bible, believe is often rendered as “to believe in, trust in, rely on, adhere to, cling to”.
Be a Doer
James 1:21-22 21 Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
Romans 10:17 says, “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God”. But just hearing is not enough:
Hebrews 4:2 For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.
Being a hearer and not a doer, you deceive yourself. What is the deception?
Merely hearing the word will not profit you, i.e., will not bring about the results. The person then makes the deduction “The Word doesn’t work”. There is the deception – it didn’t work because you didn’t work it.
Faith without corresponding actions is dead
James 2:14-26 14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?
15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food,
16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?
17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe–and tremble!
20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?
22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?
23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God.
24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.
25 Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?
26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
(Vs 14) The man who says he has faith, but no works – corresponding actions. This person only says he has faith, he doesn’t really. If you really believed, you would act like it. If you believed there was a bomb under your chair, would you stay in the building?
(Vs 15-16) Applies when praying/ministering to someone else. You tell them, “God will provide all your needs! Just believe the Word, and He’ll prosper you!” This is true. But right now he has no money for food and the rent is due. It took you a while to learn to prosper – what makes you think that poor guy can learn it all in a week? Help meet his need now, then encourage him to get into the Word.
If you’re going to pray for someone, also be willing to be the one through whom God meets the need.
1 John 3:17 But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?
James 2:17 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
James 2:26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
A body can be kept alive artificially for quite a while via medical machinery even after a person is brain dead. But it will lay there and do absolutely nothing without the life-force that energizes it, the spirit.
Faith without corresponding actions is the same way – yes, it is faith, just as the body is a body, but it is inoperative – it will accomplish nothing.
The purpose of the body is to be a housing with which the spirit can make contact with the physical world; it should move about, grasp, see, hear, smell, taste, etc.
Faith is meant to grasp the promise of “all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies” (Ephesians 1:3) and turn them into physical realities where we can use them.
James 2:18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works. “Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”
How do you “prove” you have faith? God knows your heart, but how do you show the rest of the world? How are you going to show Satan? He is the one opposing us receiving the promises of God, and he is under no obligation to bow his knee to anything besides faith.
(1 Peter 5:8,9) Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
1 Peter 5:8-9 8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.
Ephesians 6:16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
When we resist the devil in faith, by believing and acting on the Word of God, Satan must obey; it binds his action in our life. God may give you the “benefit of the doubt” as your believing is concerned, but Satan will not. He will continue to steal, kill, and destroy unless you force him to stop by binding him with your faith.
James 2:19, paraphrased You believe that there is one God. You do well. However, even the demons believe that much, and tremble in terror.
There are many people who have a general belief in God. “Do you have faith?” “Well, I believe in God. I believe in the Bible and go to church. I know He’s able.”
Even the demons know God is “able”. But do you believe God is willing to help you in this specific circumstance, and do you believe His promise covering your problem enough to start acting like it is true, even before you see any results with your eyes? That is the faith that accomplishes things.
Abraham
James 2:21-24 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?
22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?
23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God.
24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.
(vs. 21) Isaac was the son of the promise. God told Abraham to offer Isaac up as a burnt offering (Genesis 22). Abraham didn’t argue, but left the next day.
God had told Abraham that through Isaac he would become the father of many nations. Therefore Abraham knew, because he believed the promise, that whatever transpired on the mountain, it would not result in the permanent death of his son. Hebrews 11:17-19 says that Abraham figured that if he went through with the sacrifice, that God was able to raise his son up from the ashes.
Abraham’s confession of faith:
Genesis 22:5 And Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.”
Abraham could say he believed all he wanted, but he had to prove it by doing it. And as far as God was concerned, Abraham did carry out the sacrifice even though Angel of the Lord stopped him (Genesis 22:14, 16).
James 2:22 AMP You see that [his] faith was co-operating with his works, and [his] faith was completed and reached its supreme expression [when he implemented it] by [good] works.
Corresponding actions complete your faith and bring it to fruition.
Faith without works or corresponding actions is inoperative, but it is also true that works without faith are also dead. As it says in James 2:18, “I have faith, I will therefore show you I have faith by my works”. Faith and works complement each other, neither work by themselves.
Faith vs. Mental Assent
Mental assent – giving lip service to the Word, saying that you believe, but never acting on it. The mental assenter may sound like they believe, but when the storms come, they take the world’s way out. They talk the talk but don’t walk the walk.
There are millions of mental assenters about salvation. If you ask them if they believe in God, that Jesus died for their sins, they’ll say yes – probably because they went to church when they were kids and learned it in Sunday school. But, they have never acted on that belief by accepting Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
Ways to Act on the Word
God may give you something specific to do.
(John 9:1-12) Jesus spread mud on the eyes of a man born blind, and told Him to wash in the pool of Siloam.
Why did God do it that way? Who knows? Who cares – it worked!
In a situation like this it is crucial to be led by the Spirit and be obedient to what He says. But, here is a caution: don’t just copy what someone else did to act on their faith. It worked for them because they were obedient to the specific leading of the Holy Spirit to them.
You can get yourself into real trouble by copying someone else’s revelation without getting your own. People who smashed their glasses because they saw someone else do it whose eyes got healed. And then they can’t see.
Don’t stop taking your medication unless you have specific, strong leading to do so. You can still be in faith for healing while taking those pills.
Don’t give away the money you have to live on – again, unless you have specific, strong leading to do so. Yes, God will get it back to you (and more besides), but who says it’s going to come by the end of the month when your rent/mortgage is due?
What if God doesn’t give you specifics?
Are there some things you can always do to act on the Word, if God doesn’t give you something specific to do?
- Change your confession/declaration. Change what you are saying from what you have (the circumstances), to what you desire (the promise). Change your words to say the same thing (literal meaning of “confession” in the Greek) as the Word says about you. It is not lying to say the same thing that God says.
- (Romans 4:17) Calling those things that be not as though they were. God talked about things as if they existed before they did.
Once we have prayed, the first step should always be to change your confession to match that if you already had the answer. “I believe I receive the answer; my needs are met”.
Rejoice, Pray, Give thanks
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 16 Rejoice always,
17 pray without ceasing,
18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
- Rejoice always. If you really believe God has provided the answer to your problem, are you going to go about with a downcast face?
John 16:23-24 23 And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you.
24 Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.
- Give thanks. Rejoicing for the answer will naturally produce the third thing listed – giving thanks to God.
What are we to thank God for? The problem? No, that’s not His doing. It’s the solution we thank Him for.
- Pray without ceasing. Prayer is communication with God – you not only talk to Him, He talks to you. We should keep the communication lines open constantly. Like carrying a cell phone around with you so you can talk to God anytime, anywhere, about anything.
Don’t make a big thing out of Satan and his works
We can spend so much time rebuking and binding the devil that it actually has the opposite effect of what we want. Devils crave worship and attention; when a congregation gets to loudly binding and rebuking at every sign of demonic activity, and they’re doing it half in fear anyway, it can have the effect of increasing demonic activity in the church.
In child psychology, if a child does not get love, then sometimes they will be bad so they at least get some negative attention. Devils are the same way. There are not too many actual devil worshippers, so they will hang around places where people pay them attention – even if that attention is to cast them out.
Jesus didn’t “play” with devils – He didn’t allow them to manifest themselves, and only once did He ever talk to one. He just commanded that they shut up and come out!
Continued in Part Four.
