03.07. TWO UNDERSTANDING THE FAITH OF GOD
TWO UNDERSTANDING THE FAITH OF GOD
Proverbs 9:10 b reads: < the knowledge of the HOLY ONE is understanding. > And Hebrews 11:3 a, instructs us that we understand by faith!
Putting these verses together we see that understanding by the faith of the HOLY ONE, is what enables us to have the knowledge of the HOLY ONE! And, this knowledge communication is entirely made through substance.
We have the knowledge of the HOLY ONE through substance commu- nicated into our inward parts! This substance is of HIS fullness! In fact Isaiah 53:11 b, tells us that by HIS knowledge the RIGHTEOUS ONE will justify the many! HIS knowledge that justifies - "the many" - comes through the actual communication of HIS faith.
Galatians 2:16 (KJV) reads: < Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law, but by the faith of JESUS CHRIST, even we have believed in JESUS CHRIST, that we might be justified by the faith of CHRIST, and not by the works of the Law: for by the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified. > HIS knowledge is communicated through the substance of HIS faith! And, the reality of justification comes through the substance of HIS fullness actualized (from HIM) through HIS faith! The substance of HIS faith brings into us a new knowledge form that is exclusively and entirely of GOD! See Deuteronomy 29:29 and Mark 4:22!
And, as HIS faith is perfected and completed into us, we actualize an understanding that knows the HOLY ONE through actual substance possessed in our hearts of flesh! The RIGHTEOUS ONE mentioned in Isaiah 53:11 b - WHO is the MESSIAH - is in Jeremiah 23:5-6 called "the LORD our Righteousness" - "YHWH-TSIDKENU" or "YAHWEH-TSIDKENU"!
So, the faith of GOD - WHO is by Name called YHWH (YAHWEH) - is communicated through the HOLY ONE, the MESSIAH, JESUS CHRIST (YESHUA MASHIAH), through substance! This communication is an expression of GOD’s righteousness!
So, the righteousness of GOD finds expression in us through the sub- stance of MASHIAH YESHUA’s fullness. This communication through MASHIAH YESHUA is an "I AM" com- munication! It is the communication of the faith of GOD through CHRIST JESUS. The communication of the faith of GOD through CHRIST JESUS - by substance - is also necessarily fully subject to GOD and HIS Sovereign purposes. With this background we can now seek to understand the faith of GOD. Romans 4:17 b, gives us a vivid and powerful insight into the faith of GOD. This verse tells us that < ... GOD ... calls into being that which does not exist. >
Salvation is designed in the faith of GOD to call into being a new man in the image and fullness of CHRIST JESUS! Salvation is necessarily and inherently a creative process. A creative process expressed in the image and fullness of CHRIST JESUS!
Such a creative process - in CHRIST JESUS - is inherent to the design of the Word Of GOD! This is GOD’s will! The Word Of GOD communicated in the Spirit and Life of CHRIST JESUS is therefore inherently creative. The Word Of GOD is therefore designed to call "into being" - in GOD’s faith - all that GOD has purposed in HIS Sovereign Will.
There is in this reality, a realm of the Word Of GOD designed to call "into being" - through the mouth and hearts of GOD’s children - all that GOD has purposed for HIS chosen ones in HIS Sovereign will (see Deuteronomy 30:14-15; 1 John 5:10 a, 7-8, NKJV and, Romans 10:8-13). To facilitate the actualization of this reality in truth, the LORD JESUS is called the Apostle and High Priest of our confession (see Hebrews 3:1).
And, in order to ensure that we function in true faith, the LORD JESUS CHRIST is also called the Author and Finisher of our faith (see Hebrews 12:2 a)!
What GOD has designed, the LORD JESUS CHRIST expresses in Mark 11:23, declaring: < Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, "Be taken up and cast into the sea," and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it shall be granted him. > In Mark 11:23, the LORD JESUS CHRIST is describing a faith form that HE will Author and Finish (or Perfect) in each one of us!
Believing that what we say is going to happen - when aligned with GOD’s will witnessed in our heart - is the practical, functional reality of GOD’s faith actualized in our hearts! This is Blood Covenant function actualized.
We are all called to actualize this reality. In this reality, the LORD JESUS declares in Matthew 17:20 c, < ... And nothing shall be impossible to you! > Nothing that is in line with GOD’s will, will be impossible to us! We can do all things through CHRIST WHO strengthens us (Php 4:13).
And, this faith alignment in GOD’s will, is brought about through JESUS CHRIST being the Apostle and High Priest of our confession and, in HIM being the Author and Finisher of our faith. This faith align- ment in GOD’s will is Blood Covenant mediated into the tablets of our heart by JESUS CHRIST! This faith alignment stands in the substance of CHRIST JESUS fullness actualized in our hearts of flesh. JESUS CHRIST ensures this actuality by being the Apostle and High Priest of our confession and, by being the Author and Finisher of our faith.
Notice that the LORD JESUS, in Mark 11:23 c, tells us that when this alignment in GOD’s will takes place: < it shall be granted >. See also 1 John 5:13-15!
All that derives from the faith of GOD is entirely subject to HIS will. HIS faith is not opened to us as something subject to our whims and fancies.
All that derives from the faith of GOD is entirely in and of CHRIST JESUS - the Way, the Truth and the Life! The phrase < it shall be granted > tells us clearly that the faith of GOD opened into our inward parts is entirely subject to GOD’s will. Functioning in GOD’s faith is not allowed to contravene GOD’s Sovereign will in which HIS faith is released for us!
GOD’s faith witnessed in our hearts - as our faith in HIM - must be exer- cised entirely in line with GOD’s Word and HIS will for the performance of that Word.
GOD’s faith witnessed in our hearts must be exercised in line with GOD’s Covenant Word fashioned and formed in our hearts and "minds" (Greek: "dianoia") in HIS will. This Covenant Word stands in a heart of flesh as introduced in Chapter 1. This heart of flesh is entirely of the fullness of JESUS CHRIST.
GOD’s faith witnessed - by the HOLY SPIRIT - in our hearts of flesh, in the Witness and Testimony of JESUS, has the potentials of manifesting a conviction of "no doubt" within us! This conviction - that has no doubt - is of the substance of JESUS CHRIST fullness!
[In Chapter 6, we describe another form of conviction and confidence that Lucifer developed that is entirely false. This faith form that took shape in Lucifer’s mind is a totality in deception.]
It is in this reality that GOD declares prophetically, in Jeremiah 1:11-12, that HE is watching over HIS Word to perform it.
GOD performs HIS Word - in fulfilled terms - through the Witness and Testimony Of JESUS (see Luke 22:15-16; Matthew 5:17-18). The Word Of GOD that is communicated into us by the HOLY SPIR- IT, through the Witness and Testimony of JESUS, is GOD’s Word that GOD will perform - forever!
GOD will perform HIS Word when our heart is alive to HIM and, to HIS purposes for the performance of HIS Word!
GOD will perform HIS Word through the conduit of HIS faith opened through our heart - as our faith responds to HIM in confident convic- tion, in the reality that HE IS and, in the reality that HE is a rewarder of those who seek HIM (see Hebrews 11:6)! When our faith responds to HIS faith we have a Covenant reality brought into place within our own hearts that is an actual functional expression of GOD’s Righteousness. This is a Covenant reality unveiled by the HOLY SPIRIT, in CHRIST JESUS. This Covenant reality stands by the faith of GOD brought into a realized state of conviction and confidence in our being. This is the right- eousness of GOD made alive in us.
Hebrews 3:14 (NKJV) speaks of a state of being birthed in a confidence that is fashioned in ’hupostasis’ (also called ’substance’ in Hebrews 11:1, NKJV): < For we have become partakers of CHRIST, if we hold fast the beginning of our confidence (Greek: ’hupostasis’) firm until the end. >
Notice that in this state of being that has a growing confidence, we are actually proclaimed to be actual partakers of CHRIST! We become actu- al partakers of CHRIST in the substance that has the witness of a grow- ing confidence - in HIM. The substance of CHRIST is of the faith (and love) of GOD! For GOD so loved the world that HE gave us HIS SON. HE gave by faith com- municated in HIS love for us! This substance - that expresses itself in us as a growing confidence - is of the faith of GOD opened to us through CHRIST JESUS! This confidence is a functional state of being that is entirely of what CHRIST JESUS HIMSELF developed through HIS life and ministry before GOD the FATHER. This is why in John 7:38, the LORD JESUS CHRIST declares: < He who believes in ME, as the Scripture said, "From his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water." >
Given the size of rivers that we see in the natural world, we see that the spiritual actuality of rivers flowing out of our innermost being is simply astonishing!
Such a reality is developed out of GOD’s faith for the unveiling of HIS sons in the image and fullness of CHRIST JESUS! The spiritual blueprint for such a flow in the SPIRIT Of GOD is the Testimony Of JESUS. For this reason the Testimony Of JESUS is called the Spirit Of Prophecy.
GOD’s faith gives expression - in us and amongst us - to actual functional spiritual realities that have the potential to flow out of us as actual rivers of living water!
GOD’s faith gives expression - in us and amongst us - to rivers of living water consistent with HIS Will, HIS Purpose and, HIS moral attributes. In Romans 4:17 b, quoted earlier, we see that the faith of GOD calls forth what isn’t, into actual being. And, this gives actual functional expression to GOD’s Word.
Genesis 1:3 proclaims this reality in dramatic fashion: < Then GOD said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. >
GOD then examines the evidence of this light that had come into being and Genesis 1:4 reads: < And GOD saw that the light was good ... >
Hebrews 11:1 (KJV/NKJV) tells us that faith has an evidence. And the evidence of GOD’s faith is always good - being entirely consistent with the moral attributes of HIS Nature and Character! In the Scriptures we see that GOD has progressively spoken HIS Plan for us, and the world that we live in, into progressive being. HIS Plan for us is entirely of HIS faith.
We are designed to actively participate in the unveiling of GOD’s Plan by seeing our inward parts align with HIS Plan. This alignment happens through understanding. This understanding comes out of HIS faith! This understanding aligns us by faith in HIS will. The alignment is entirely based on the substance of our faith.
If this substance is of JESUS CHRIST, our faith stands perfectly aligned with GOD’s will! If the substance is not of JESUS CHRIST (WHO is called the Way, the Truth and the Life in prophetic terms), then we are standing in rebellion or disobedience before GOD.
GOD’s faith has the potential of operating in us and through us when we speak forth what stands as a conviction and a confidence in our heart, aligned to HIS Will. This is a functional reality in Covenant that GOD has - by HIS faith - begun to bring into a functional state of being in us.
HE does this in CHRIST JESUS, by the HOLY SPIRIT! In the light of GOD’s Master Plan, we see that many portions of the prophetic Word have been fulfilled in history and in the lives and testi- monies of our spiritual fathers who have been before us.
There are many more exciting portions of Scripture that are awaiting their fulfillment in this age and the age to come.
Similarly there are also higher levels of Scriptural reality that are awaiting their fulfillment in this age and the age to come.
Most importantly for each one of us, there is a personal dimension to this Master Plan that is relevant to each and every one of us, in the context of us becoming functioning members of one Body. One Body defined as the fullness of JESUS CHRIST with the potentials of giving expression to HIS fullness so that HIS fullness will fill all in all (see Ephesians 1:22-23). The personal dimension to this Master Plan that is relevant to each and every one of us unveils us each as unique epistles of CHRIST! In Revelation 21:1-5, the apostle John sees the reality of GOD’s faith in prophetic terms as follows: < And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea.> And I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from GOD, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, "Behold, the Tabernacle Of GOD is among men, and HE shall dwell among them, and they shall be HIS people, and GOD HIMSELF shall be among them, and HE shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there shall no longer be any death; there shall no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away. And HE WHO sits on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." And HE said, "Write, for these words are faithful and true." (See Revelation 3:14 b) >
John sees in vision what GOD sees in HIS faith. Where, GOD’s faith is the expressive and creative, conduit of HIS Omniscience!
We can also note that what GOD sees, is opened to John in the Book Of Revelation through the Testimony Of JESUS (see Revelation 1:1-2) which is proclaimed to be entirely faithful and true (see Revelation 3:14 b). It is in this Witness of the Testimony Of JESUS that GOD’s faith operates in us and through us and over us!
And, this Witness is entirely faithful and true and will always be so to each one of us who is willing to realize (or actualize) its reality - by substance of MASHIAH YESHUA’s fullness!
GOD’s faith is revealed - to us - through the Testimony Of JESUS. Through the Testimony Of JESUS, GOD’s faith becomes a functional Witness within us. And, GOD’s faith revealed through the Testimony Of JESUS is faithful and true! Always! The Witness that is true and faithful is designed - in GOD’s faith - to become our operating system in partnership with the HOLY SPIRIT. Because HIS faith revealed through the Testimony Of JESUS is always faithful and true, we can have an unshakeable confidence in GOD that can move mountains! The reality that gives credence to the fulfillment of Scripture (in terms of all of its promises and prophetic content) is the actual faith of GOD - communicated through the Testimony Of JESUS, through the finished work of the Cross, into hearts of flesh that can be quick- ened into a functional mode of unshakeable confidence, by the HOLY SPIRIT.
And, this is function fashioned and expressed in Covenant partnership with GOD - in CHRIST JESUS, by the HOLY SPIRIT (see Romans 8:2)! This functional reality is true life actualized!
GOD has expressed HIS faith (and HIS love) for our wellbeing through HIS Word given to us as a Testament and as a Covenant. The Testament is the proclamation of HIS faith (and love) and, the Covenant is the realization of HIS faith (and love) in an inward func- tional confidence! This inward confidence is authored and finished (or, perfected) by JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF!
And, this is why CHRIST JESUS - the Author and Finisher of our faith - tells us that we can actually have the faith of GOD! When GOD’s Covenant Testament - in us - is quickened by the HOLY SPIRIT into a functional Witness, we have the potential of actually func- tioning in spiritual realities entirely defined in GOD’s faith for us!
Both the Testament and the resulting Covenant are proclamations of GOD’s faith brought to fulfillment into us, and our spheres of influence, through JESUS CHRIST, by the HOLY SPIRIT.
We now understand that the Scripture carries a realm of the Word Of GOD that is the seed of GOD’s own faith! This seed has the potential of communicating (and developing) func- tional realities in GOD’s faith into our being in such a way that we become actual functioning vessels of the MOST HIGH GOD! When we were born again, it is the seed of GOD’s Word that birthed the reality of new life in each of us: in unique terms in each one of us (see 1 Peter 1:23).
It is fascinating that this reality of new life in us is addressed in 1 John 5:10 a as the Witness. 1 John 5:10 a reads: < The one who believes in the SON of GOD has the Witness in himself. > Being born again opened a potentially functional Witness within us. This Witness is a Covenant Witness that GOD wants to develop within us through our faith in JESUS CHRIST. This Covenant Witness is entirely designed in GOD’s faith (and love). And, this Covenant Witness, when fashioned into us, is entirely designed to also operate in realities that derive in and from GOD’s faith (and love). From the first fruits of the new birth we can immediately see that the Word Of GOD is actual spiritual seed that grows into a Tree Of Life in JESUS CHRIST - that stands in the Witness: "I AM The Life"! This Tree Of Life is grounded in the Root Of David and unveils us each as Offspring Of David as noted in Revelation 22:16. This spiritual seed of the Word Of GOD is designed in GOD’s Word to unveils us each as Morning Stars in the image and fullness of the Bright Morning Star (see 2 Peter 1:19; Revelation 22:16).
Please understand that this spiritual seed gives rise to actual functional realities that we do not have in our own selves. The realities opened to us in the seed of GOD’s Word can actually grow and develop with actual changes in our character and nature and abilities in GOD! Many of us have already experienced the first fruits of this amazing reality. The seed of GOD’s Word can develop into distinct (and diverse) func- tional partnerships with GOD. These functional partnerships are defined by Covenant that GOD wants to form in our hearts.
[The unveiling of this functional partnership is part and parcel of the Mystery of GOD’s will for our life.]
Simply put, the spiritual seed of GOD’s Word, carries an awesome poten- tial for each one of us in GOD’s faith and because of GOD’s faith! The seed of GOD’s faith which has the potential of growing into an actu- al Tree Of Life - in us and amongst us - has awesome prophetic implica- tions as noted in: Revelation 22:1-6; John 14:6; John 17:26; John 17:26 c; 1 John 5:10 a; Revelation 3:14 b and, Proverbs 15:4! The seed of GOD’s Word that HE has given us is the Seed Of CHRIST (see Galatians 3:16). [Compare also Romans 10:17 (KJV/NKJV) with Romans 10:17 (NASB/NIV) and understand that the Rhema Word Of GOD is made manifest as the Rhema Word Of CHRIST through com- munication of the Spirit and Life of JESUS CHRIST as noted in John 6:63. See also John 17:8 a, 7a and 6a.]
GOD’s Word unveils its true and abiding fulfillment potential only in CHRIST JESUS. This is why Revelation 19:10 c, instructs us that: < The Testimony Of JESUS is the Spirit Of Prophecy. > This simply means that the Word Of GOD that carries the seed of GOD’s faith is channeled into our lives through the Testimony Of JESUS. And, this prophetic reality is, in Rhema terms, called "the Witness" as we read earlier in 1 John 5:10 a! This W itness is described in R e v elation 3:14 as < The AMEN, the faithful and tr ue W itness, the Beginning of the C r eation of GOD ! > This Witness of the Beginning of the Creation of GOD is of the faith of GOD. This Witness is being developed in us as an on-line functional Witness. This Witness is designed to enable us to actually function in and by and through GOD - continuously - in conscious, sub-conscious and unconscious terms from our inward parts!
Through actual function in this Witness we die to self and self-denomi- nated function. And, we die to self and self-denominated function in con- scious, sub-conscious and unconscious terms! In HIS faith we are a new creation in the making! As we learn to function in and by and through GOD - in realities defined in HIS faith and love for us - we die to self and self-denominated func- tion, and we come forth as a new creation! As we learn to objectively and passionately glorify GOD in this func- tioning that derives from HIS faith and love for us, we die to self and self- denominated function. The Witness is the Rhema reality of the Testimony Of JESUS - HIS Words - brought to life in us and amongst us, by the HOLY SPIRIT. This means that the Word Of GOD is explained in truth (see John 14:6 and John 1:18) through the Testimony Of JESUS. The Testimony of JESUS is described as "HIS Words". [Compare John 6:63 and Luke 21:33 with 1 Peter 1:25 to understand this.] "HIS Words" have deep prophetic significance for us.
"HIS Words" are living expressions of the Spirit and Life of JESUS CHRIST that the HOLY SPIRIT communicates into us (see John 16:13-15 and John 6:63).
"HIS Words" bring GOD’s faith and GOD’s design contained in "HIS Words" into us! GOD’s design for us unveils in the Testimony Of JESUS! And, the seed of HIS Words can grow and give growing expres- sion to GOD’s faith and design for us! The Word Of GOD - revealed in CHRIST JESUS and communicated by the HOLY SPIRIT - is the seed by which GOD sows HIS faith and develops realities in consonance with HIS faith and HIS will in us and into us.
GOD’s Word, in GOD’s faith, is "seed faith" for a new creation - a new man. This reality of the Word Of GOD that is seed faith is entirely communi- cated through the Witness and Testimony of JESUS CHRIST.
Seed faith communicates through the conduits of the Spirit and Life of JESUS CHRIST.
And, this totality of GOD’s Word communicated into our being, has the potentials of finding actual functional expression in our inward parts as "the Witness" (see 1 John 5:10 a, NASB/NKJV). And in this reality the LORD JESUS CHRIST becomes to us - in prac- tical functional terms - the Way, the Truth and the Life.
And, this reality is a creative realization brought forth through GOD’s faith! The Way, the Truth and the Life is - in prophetic terms - a fully functional state of being that is to be brought forth in us, in the image and fullness of JESUS CHRIST. The image and fullness of JESUS CHRIST gives perfect form and expres- sion to the substance of GOD’s faith for us (and towards us). And so, we see that ’the Witness’ grows out of the Seed Of CHRIST. In this true seed faith of the Word that grows into the Witness in us, we can actually grow to move mountains in GOD’s perfect will and power (see Matthew 17:20 and Mark 4:26-28. See also Matthew 13:23; Romans 10:17 and Mark 4:20).
And, in Matthew 17:20 c, the LORD JESUS instructs us that all this is so, so that nothing shall be impossible to us!
GOD’s Covenant Word with us is designed to demonstrate the fact that we are a peculiar people chosen to function entirely in and by and through GOD! In learning to function in and by and through GOD we die to self and actually live by GOD! This is our destiny as sons of GOD - a royal priesthood of kings and prophets. We can do all things through CHRIST WHO strengthens us (see Php 4:13; Php 4:19).
Through CHRIST being formed in us (see Galatians 4:19), GOD’s faith takes form in us in terms fully subject to GOD’s Will purposed in CHRIST JESUS (see Colossians 1:12-20 and Ephesians 1:3-10), by Covenant writ written into our hearts by the Finger of GOD (see Exodus 31:18; Exodus 32:15-16; 2 Corinthians 3:3; 2 Corinthians 3:6; Jeremiah 31:31-34). Our access to this faith of GOD is entirely subject to us being fash- ioned in the image and fullness of CHRIST JESUS (see Romans 8:29; Romans 8:28-30; John 1:16-17, KJV/NKJV/NASB); Ephesians 1:22-23 and Ephesians 2:10).
AMEN (see Revelation 3:14 b)!