Participants: Shelley Quinn
Series Code: GPL
Program Code: GPL000019
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00:01 Hello, I'm Shelley Quinn.
00:02 Do you know the seven critical steps 00:04 to develop victorious faith? 00:05 Join us now in "The Grace Pipeline" 00:07 to see what the Bible has to say about this. 00:31 Welcome to "The Grace Pipeline." 00:34 If you are following along in the series companion book 00:37 also titled "The Grace Pipeline," 00:39 today we are starting on page 160 of chapter 10. 00:45 For our last several programs 00:47 we have been examining the meaning of faith. 00:50 And today we will list seven steps 00:52 you can follow to live in victorious faith. 00:56 I am excited to share these steps for the development 00:59 of your full throttle faith because I'm convinced 01:03 it will strengthen you to finish the race with stamina. 01:07 In my own life as I applied these principles 01:10 the Lord taught me. 01:11 He worked a pronounced change in my attitude and my actions. 01:16 And my sincere prayer for you is that 01:19 these Bible truths presented in the following summary 01:23 will become deeply rooted in your heart. 01:27 And by the power of God's grace you will put them into practice. 01:31 If you do, I know you will marvel 01:33 at the way your faith flourishes. 01:36 Now this is going to be a quick study 01:38 and we have many scriptures to consider. 01:41 So let's get started. Step one is trust. 01:46 Trust is the foundation for faith. 01:49 True belief in the Lord is trust 01:52 whereas unbelief is a refusal to trust. 01:56 Faith requires a confident belief 01:59 that God is who He claims to be 02:01 and He is able to perform His promises. 02:05 He is trustworthy. God's nature is love. 02:09 He is all powerful and nothing is impossible for God. 02:13 He works all things together for our eternal benefit. 02:19 He's consistent. God does not change. 02:22 So we can build our confidence on the historical record 02:26 of His righteous character and His faithfulness 02:30 looking to the testimonies of others as evidence 02:33 that trust in Him is well founded. 02:37 And as we grow in our walk of faith with the Lord, 02:41 personal experience will fully persuade us 02:44 that God is able to do all He has promised. 02:48 You know, Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 1:20, that 02:52 "All the promises of God find their Yes answer in Christ." 02:59 All of God's promises are ours if we are in Christ. 03:04 We must find the advice of Solomon 03:08 found in Proverbs 3:5-6 where he says, 03:13 "Trust in the Lord with all of your heart 03:17 and lean not on your own understanding, 03:20 in all your ways acknowledge Him, 03:23 and He shall direct your paths." 03:27 Now if we're not going to lean on our own understanding 03:31 then upon whose shall we lean? 03:35 Upon God's as revealed in His word. 03:39 The more we learn of His character, 03:42 of our new identity in Christ, and of His exceedingly great 03:47 and precious promises that become ours in Christ, 03:51 the more our trust will increase and in developing greater trust 03:57 our faith will eventually become invincible. 04:01 The Bible teaches that faith comes 04:04 by hearing and hearing by the word of God. 04:09 The formation of fortified faith largely depends 04:14 on your knowledge of His word. 04:16 Faith expects very little when God's word is unknown. 04:21 Little knowledge of His word equates with little faith. 04:26 But conversely, as we focus on God and His word 04:31 our faith increases, producing peace and strength of mind. 04:37 Listen to the promise of Isaiah 26, 04:40 this is verses 3 and 4. 04:43 And it says, "You" speaking of God 04:47 "will keep him in perfect peace, 04:50 whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. 04:56 Trust in the Lord forever, for in Yah, 04:59 the Lord, is everlasting strength." 05:04 All right, trust is step one. Hope is step two. 05:08 And in the Greek, the word hope means eager expectation. 05:14 As we trust in the Lord's faithfulness, 05:17 believing all of His promises are ours in Christ, 05:21 we begin to eagerly expect Him to perform 05:25 that which He assures us 05:28 He will do for us, in us, and through us. 05:33 And this hope develops faith and patience 05:37 that result in our inheriting all of His promises as revealed 05:42 in Hebrews 6:11 and 12 which reads "We desire 05:48 that each one of you show the same diligence 05:52 to the full assurance of hope until the end, 05:56 that you do not become sluggish but imitate those 06:00 who through faith and patience inherit the promises." 06:06 Why is hope so important? 06:09 Hebrews 6:17 and 19 says, "my hope is the anchor 06:15 of the soul, both sure and steadfast." 06:19 Trust expands into eager expectation 06:22 that God will act on our behalf as He promises. 06:27 And this sure hope is the anchor for our souls preventing trials 06:32 and temptations from tossing us about. 06:36 Hope is the main stay of confident faith 06:41 and it changes our manner of prayer 06:44 to that of asking in faith. 06:47 Hope rids us of double minded doubt. 06:51 We are unsure of what our future holds, 06:55 but we can have absolute assurance 06:58 in the one that holds the future. 07:00 Cling to your hope in God, your faith will triumph. 07:06 Now in developing victorious faith, 07:09 step three is the title deed. 07:13 The only writer that tried to distill Bible teachings 07:17 to a definition of faith was the author of Hebrews 07:21 in Chapter 11:1 where he says, "Now faith is the assurance, 07:27 the confirmation, the title deed of the things 07:31 we hope for, being the proof of things we do not see 07:36 and the conviction of their reality faith perceiving 07:41 as real fact what is not revealed to the senses." 07:46 You know, the author of Hebrews here proclaims 07:50 that faith is the assurance of things hoped for. 07:54 And the evidence of what we do not see. 07:57 The Greek word for assurance is hupostasis, 08:02 a word that was commonly used in the ancient business document 08:06 which represented the guarantee of the transaction. 08:11 In the vocabulary of our culture 08:13 we would say hupostasis is a title deed. 08:17 So let me ask you, if a wealthy man 08:20 gives you the title deed to his European estate, 08:23 you become the rightful owner, right? 08:26 Although you may not have seen your new mansion in acreage, 08:30 they now belong to you. 08:32 You have proof. 08:33 You have the title deed which is the basis 08:37 for your assurance and the guarantee of the transaction. 08:41 See, Abraham had this title deed. 08:44 He had absolute assurance in God. 08:48 And Paul writes in Romans 4:19-21, 08:52 that "Abraham was not weak in faith, 08:55 that he did not waver at the promise of God 08:58 through unbelief, but that he was strengthened in faith, 09:03 giving glory to God and being fully convinced 09:06 that what God had promised He was also able to perform." 09:12 In this verse Paul portrays unbelief 09:16 as the opposite of faith. 09:19 Abraham stood firm in believing God. 09:23 He faced his circumstances, the physical facts 09:28 without weakening in faith, assured of the fact that God 09:31 was mighty and able to keep His word and His promise. 09:36 To move forward in faith we are compelled 09:40 to claim God's promises. 09:43 Spiritual faith is based on the facts of God's word. 09:50 Faith begins where our sight ends. 09:53 It is the spiritual telescope 09:56 that allows us to look into the future. 09:59 And as we believe God promises, claiming them, 10:04 we lay hold of the title deed that is our guarantee 10:08 and our hearts are settled by faith. 10:13 Now step four is to speak in the Spirit of faith. 10:19 Hebrews 4:14 says, "Let us hold fast our confession." 10:25 You know, faith should result in a profession 10:29 or a declaration of what we believe. 10:33 Of course, Christians speak of the profession of faith 10:37 one makes during the ritual of baptism. 10:40 Yet faith is evidenced to an even larger degree 10:43 by what we say in our everyday conversations. 10:48 When speaking with someone who is in the midst of a trial 10:52 you can instantly identify their level of faith 10:56 by the words they utter. 10:58 The mourner who speaks with self pitting murmuring 11:02 is not acting in faith. 11:05 Are you familiar with the fable 11:07 about a character called "Chicken Little?" 11:09 In this storyline the hysterical Chicken Little 11:13 does not speak in faith. 11:15 He cries out as if the sky is falling, the sky is falling. 11:19 Have you ever met a Chicken Little type character 11:22 who always dramatizes their problems when speaking of them? 11:27 You know that they are not speaking in faith. 11:30 What escapes our lips evidences 11:34 our trust and our hope in the Lord. 11:37 Are you holding fast to the title deed of His promises? 11:42 If so, speak a word of faith 11:46 in the Spirit of faith confessing it with your mouth 11:51 and this is the confidence that we have in God. 11:55 Let's look at two Bible verses that confirm 11:58 that this should be our action. 12:00 And we're going to look at two back to back. 12:03 First is Romans 10:8-10 and Paul writes to the Roman saying, 12:09 "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart, 12:14 "that is the word of faith which we preach, 12:18 "that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus 12:22 "and believe in your heart that God has raised Him 12:24 "from the dead, you will be saved. 12:28 "For with the heart one believes unto righteousness 12:32 and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." 12:36 Now let's go forward and look at what he wrote 12:38 to the Corinthians in 2 Corinthians 4:13. 12:43 He said, "Since we have the same spirit of faith, 12:48 according to what is written," now he quotes what is written. 12:53 'I believed and therefore I spoke.' 12:56 Since we have that same spirit of faith, 12:59 according to what is written, 13:00 'I believed and therefore I spoke, 13:02 ' we also believe and therefore speak.'" 13:08 " Speak with the spirit of faith. 13:11 Paul says, speak with the spirit of faith. 13:14 Why, why is that so important? 13:17 Well, Proverbs 18:21 teaches us that 13:20 "Death and life are in the power of the tongue." 13:24 When we speak words that are contrary 13:27 to God's testimony and scripture, 13:29 our utterance is in unbelief. 13:32 We are in essence refusing to place our trust in the Lord 13:36 and we're complaining against Him. 13:40 You know, God gave Moses a message, 13:42 a very severe message for the people 13:45 whose lack of trust and hope in Him 13:47 cause them to murmur in unbelief. 13:50 The Lord said in Numbers 14:27 and 28, he said, 13:55 "How long shall I bear with this evil congregation 13:59 who complains against me? 14:00 I've heard their complaints 14:02 which the children of Israel make against me." 14:04 And He says, "Say to them, 'As I live,' says the Lord, 14:08 'just as you have spoken in my hearing, 14:12 so I will do to you.' " Wow. 14:15 God in His displeasure with their lack of faith 14:20 told Moses that He would allow the people's own words 14:24 to become a self-fulfilling prophecy that prevented them 14:30 from entering the promise land and it did. 14:34 You know, according to Jesus, it is out of the abundance 14:39 of our hearts that our mouth speaks. 14:42 If our hearts are filled with assurance and confidence 14:46 in the Lord we will believe and speak accordingly. 14:52 Now I should clarify this thought, 14:54 because to speak in the spirit of faith 14:56 does not mean that we cannot acknowledge 14:59 the very real circumstances of our life. 15:02 It simply means that we acknowledge our trust in God 15:07 and with eager expectation we claim His promises 15:11 knowing that His power is greater than our problems. 15:15 By the weapon of faith we can pull down the stronghold 15:19 the enemy tries to set up in our minds. 15:22 Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 10:4 and 5, 15:26 that "The weapons of our warfare are not carnal 15:29 but they are mighty in God for pulling down strongholds 15:33 and casting down arguments and every high thing 15:36 that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, 15:41 and it helps us to bring every thought into captivity 15:45 to the obedience of Christ." 15:48 Can you see how speaking in the spirit of faith 15:52 will cause us to take our thoughts captive 15:55 according to the mind of Christ. 15:58 What you speak into your life is important. 16:02 What you speak into you children's life is important. 16:05 Speak by speaking God's word 16:08 and He will reprogram your thoughts. 16:11 You will posses a spirit of faith 16:14 and speak in the spirit of faith. 16:17 And as an affirmation of your faith 16:19 return God's promises to Him in prayer. 16:23 Pray and speak in this manner. 16:25 And the potential of the seed of faith 16:28 will quicken in your heart. 16:30 Faith comes by hearing. 16:32 And there is nothing more convincing than 16:35 to hear God's truth with your own voice. 16:38 This practice will infuse you with faith. 16:43 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope 16:47 without wavering for He who promised is faithful. 16:52 You know, Jesus said, "if you have faith 16:55 a small as a mustard seed you will say to this mountain, 16:59 'mountain, move from here to there.' 17:02 And it will move and nothing will be impossible 17:04 for you, " He said. 17:07 I think what He's saying here is that obstacles 17:10 are nothing more than stepping stones to people 17:15 who speak with the spirit of faith. 17:19 Now the fifth step in developing a victorious faith 17:22 might surprise you, but it's critical. 17:25 It's actions of obedience. 17:28 This is an absolutely essential step 17:32 to achieve victorious faith, actually to reaching 17:36 any level of faith because we are told in James 2:17, 17:42 "Thus also faith by itself, 17:45 if it does not have works, is dead." 17:50 Faith that does not result in works is stillborn. 17:55 It's dead. 17:57 Believing but not acting upon our beliefs 18:01 can be compared to the same mental assent of the demons 18:05 that believe in God and tremble. 18:08 We cannot advance in faith without personal action. 18:13 You know, Paul writes in Romans 1:5 that, 18:16 "Through Christ we have received grace 18:21 for obedience to the faith." 18:24 That is why Paul admonished the Philippian Christians, 18:28 who were saved by grace, to workout your own salvation. 18:33 But then he added that this work 18:35 should not be in personal strength. 18:37 For he wrote, "it is God who works in you 18:41 both to will and to do His good pleasure." 18:44 Paul was Christ's hand selected evangelist 18:49 for the gospel of grace. 18:51 He knew that grace included the good works 18:54 that God had planned for us. 18:56 And he says in Ephesians 2:8-10, 18:59 "For by grace you have been saved, 19:02 through faith created in Christ Jesus for good works 19:06 which God prepared beforehand that you should walk in them." 19:12 We are to walk by faith. 19:15 Walk, that requires personal exertion and it requires 19:19 personal application of God's promises to our lives. 19:24 How we conduct our everyday lives in speech 19:28 and action reveals if our faith is genuine. 19:32 Our actions are the expression of our faith. 19:37 To walk by faith we must act upon what we believe. 19:42 The wall of Jericho fell flat because Joshua set faith 19:47 into action by obedience. 19:50 Prompted by faith a heathen harlot 19:54 named Rehab hid Joshua's Hebrew spies 19:58 and she was spared at the destruction of Jericho. 20:01 She later married an Israelite gave birth to Boaz. 20:06 And Rehab is listed in the lineage of Christ 20:09 and in faith's hall of fame along with other champions. 20:14 Faith saves when faith obeys. 20:19 In 2 Thessalonians 1:11 and 12 Paul prayed 20:25 "That God would count you worthy of His calling and fulfill 20:30 all of the good pleasure of His goodness 20:32 and the work of faith with power." 20:35 You see, God empowered work springs from faith 20:41 and it is sustained by faith. 20:45 Faith inspires activity. 20:48 Our deeds breathe life into our beliefs bolstering our faith. 20:54 Galatians 5:6 informs us that in Christ Jesus 20:58 neither circumcision nor uncircumcision 21:01 avails anything, but only faith working through love. 21:07 Let me tell you something. 21:09 It is not the name of your denomination 21:11 that will qualify you for heaven. 21:14 It is the love of God that is living in your hearts 21:18 that makes you want to walk in His will. 21:22 Any so called faith that refuses to walk in obedience 21:27 to God's requirements is a counterfeit. 21:30 The Bible instructs us not to love in word 21:33 or in tongue only, but in deed and in truth. 21:40 A victorious attitude is the sixth step 21:44 and if you think about it-- when you think 21:48 of a superstar athlete, they're not born superstars. 21:53 They train to win. 21:55 One attribute they all seem to have 21:58 is an attitude of victory over defeat. 22:02 No matter now many times they fail they keep trying. 22:06 No matter how well they succeed 22:09 they continue to attempt to beat their personal best. 22:14 Remaining positive and determined in their efforts 22:17 they still have little or no assure of victory. 22:20 But we find reason to celebrate. 22:24 1 Corinthians 15:57 says, "Thanks be to God 22:28 who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 22:33 So unlike the superstar athletes, 22:36 we are guaranteed the victory if we remain yoked to Christ. 22:41 We are partnered with His power. 22:44 And by His Holy Spirit dwelling within us, 22:46 He lifts us up and He carries us to the finish line 22:52 giving us victory over sin and death. 22:55 Hallelujah. 22:57 I don't know about you, but that makes me excited. 23:00 Now-- excuse me. 23:02 Let's consider Paul's victorious attitude. 23:05 He says in Roman 5:17, "Those who receive abundance 23:12 of grace and of the gift of righteousness 23:15 will reign in life through Jesus Christ." 23:21 Paul believed that we reign in life through Christ 23:25 and this developed his victorious attitude. 23:27 In fact, in Romans 8 Paul ask these amazing questions. 23:31 He says, "What then shall we say to these things? 23:34 If God is for us who can be against us? 23:36 And He who did not spare His own Son, 23:39 but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not 23:43 also with Christ freely give us all things?" 23:46 And Paul makes a confession of confidence in Romans 8:37 23:51 saying, "We are more than conquerors 23:54 through Him who loved us." 23:56 Eagerly expect God to fulfill His promises, 24:00 claiming them for your own, 24:02 put your faith into action and it will soar. 24:06 Do not allow your feelings to overpower your faith, 24:10 but by God's power you can overcome any attitude 24:14 of defeat and every temptation the enemy throws your way. 24:19 Our faith is the victory according to 1 John 5:3-4, 24:25 which says, "For this is the love of God, 24:29 that we keep His commandments. 24:30 And His commandments are not burdensome. 24:33 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. 24:36 And this is the victory that has overcome the world-out faith." 24:43 Let me tell you, if you fall God will help you up again. 24:47 Stay in training for eternity with the victorious attitude 24:51 that is so critical to full throttled faith. 24:55 Faith is the victory. Now for step seven. 25:01 Step seven is we must stand firm. 25:05 We must plant our feet on the solid ground of faith 25:10 and not be moved no matter what circumstances, 25:14 family members, friends or enemies throw at us. 25:18 Isaiah 7:9 says, "If you will not believe, 25:23 surely you shall not be established." 25:26 In other words you must stand firm 25:28 in faith or you won't stand it all. 25:30 If you make Jesus the object and source of your faith 25:34 by identifying with His name and the faith that comes 25:37 through Him, you will have perfect soundness. 25:42 Take your stand in Christ and you will have reached 25:45 the summit of faith. 25:47 You will be kept by the power of God through faith 25:50 for salvation that will be revealed at the last. 25:54 Lay hold of His promises and exercise endurance 25:58 so that as Hebrews 10:36 says, "After you have done 26:02 the will of God you may receive the promise." 26:05 Cast all of your cares upon the Lord and trust 26:08 He will care for you. 26:10 Place your hope in the God who gives grace to the humble. 26:14 Claiming your title deed you are guaranteed 26:18 of the transaction for which He has called you 26:20 to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus. 26:24 Speak in the spirit of faith knowing 26:27 that the same sufferings you endure are experienced 26:30 by your brotherhood in the world. 26:32 And with actions of obedience be vigilant 26:35 and avoid the devil that walks around 26:38 like a roaring lion seeking whom He may devour. 26:42 Maintain a victorious attitude 26:46 knowing that He will exalt you in due time. 26:50 Your active faith will give you assurance to stand firm. 26:55 God will perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. 27:01 Growing in grace go forward in faith, 27:04 fight the good fight, finish the race, keep the faith. 27:08 You will receive the end of your faith, 27:10 the salvation of your soul. 27:12 You can be certain of the outcome, 27:14 because He who called you is faithful. 27:17 The joyful promise of 1 Thessalonians 5:23 and 24 27:21 is yours which says, "Now may the God of peace 27:24 Himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit, 27:27 soul, and body be preserved blameless 27:30 at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27:32 He who calls you is faithful, who will also do it." 27:37 What a blessed assurance God gives us. 27:39 Don't let the lies of the devil defeat you, 27:42 rather allow the God of all hope to fill your heart 27:45 to overflowing with the promises of His grace. 27:49 Well, our time's over but join us next time 27:52 because we are going to learn 27:53 how to open the faith faucet with effective prayer. 27:58 God bless. |
Revised 2014-12-17