• Matthew 8:5-13

The centurion depends on the word alone as evidence.

• Romans 4:16-22

Word faith rises above the 5 senses.

Where Faith Comes From

According to Hebrews 12:2 faith comes from Jesus.

Again, Romans 10:17 tells us that faith comes from hearing God’s word.

More specifically, however, faith is the product of hope, and hope is the product of the promises of God.

• Acts 26:6

We have to put God’s word first in our lives.

Faith’s Entourage

Hope

Hope is what feeds our faith and keeps it alive and healthy.

• Galatians 5:5
• 2 Corinthians 10:15
• Colossians 1:23
• 1 Peter 1:21

Patience

Patience carries our faith when the time between “Amen” and the manifestation of God’s promise is long.

• 2 Thessalonians 1:4
• Hebrews 6:12
• James 1:3
• Titus 2:2
• Revelation 13:10
• 1 Thessalonians 1:3

Love

Love dictates the actions of our faith.

• Galatians 5:6

Faith does not work. Faith merely inspires works. Here, the word “worketh” is the Greek word energew, and means to be active or efficient. Thus, faith does dot go out and work because of love, but, rather, faith is energized or made effective because of love. Think of love as being the batteries that energize your faith. Therefore, faith expresses itself through love.

• Ephesians 6:23
• 1 Thessalonians 1:3
• 1 Thessalonians 5:8

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How Faith Works

Faith Does The Work

In the first place, faith is our servant, not the reverse.

We make faith work for us, faith does not make us work for it.

• Luke 17:5-10

The context is clearly that of faith.

We Must Tell Faith What to Do

Put your faith to work, or “Put your faith on assignment.”

You must speak the words you intend your faith to produce.

• Mark 11:22-25
• 2 Corinthians 4:13, 14
• Luke 6:45

Once we have told our faith what to do, we need to keep our actions in line with that task.

• James 1:22

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The Paradox of Faith

Faith works, but faith is not works.

Nowhere in scripture do the words “use your faith” appear.

In fact, the words “use” and “faith” do not appear together in any verse of Scripture.

Thus, faith is not something you use. We are told to have faith, but we are never told to use faith.

Faith is not something we use; in fact, quite the opposite is true. When we have the God kind of faith, that faith uses us.

Matthew 6:25-34

Here we have a very remarkable disclosure concerning faith.

The first words of Jesus to his listeners tell the tale.

Take no thought…

• For your life.

For what you shall eat

For what you shall drink

• For your body.

For what you shall wear

The Life is more than food and clothing.

The Life

There are 6 key verses of Scripture dealing with “the life” beyond a general sense.

• Proverbs 14:30
•  Isaiah 38:16  
• John 1:4
• John 11:25
•  John 14:6
• 1 John 1:2

Clearly, Jesus was not speaking simply of our basic existence when he stated, “The life is more than food and clothing.”

No one uses faith. If we use faith, then faith becomes a type of work and is no longer faith.

Verse 25 makes it impossible to use faith, for in so doing, you would be taking thought of all of the aforementioned elements of life.

Verse 26

Here the lowly sparrow is used as an example.

The idea is not to present the sparrow as a sloth, but to show that the sparrow does not make provision for itself.

The sparrow simply trusts (with his little sparrow trust) that God will provide for him.

Are you not much better than they?

You should not spend your time making provision for yourself. God will provide for you the same as for the sparrow.

Verse 27

Fretting will not make you taller, younger, smarter, stronger, or better looking.

You have direct control over your own body, yet your cogitations cannot change these, the least of things.

• Luke 12:26

There is no such thing as The Lilies Warehouse.

The lilies need not fret about how they will look or what they will have.

Just being what they are determines how they will look and what God will provide for them.

Another pivotal verse you should not allow to escape your understanding.

Jesus concludes his question with the clause—

…O ye of little faith?

Ye of Little Faith

This is not a rebuke as is usually put forth.

How can Jesus rebuke his disciples for having little faith when, in Matthew 17:20 he tells them that is really all the faith they need to move even a mountain.

And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

Do not waste time in an attempt to make physical provision for yourself.

That is the sort of thing befitting unbelievers.

Our greatest efforts, thoughts, and aspirations must be directed toward the kingdom of God and the righteousness of God.

All physical needs will be provided for us by the Father.

Tomorrow is a non existent reference of time. It is used to denote the day that will follow this current one. Tomorrow does not exist.

Do not worry about what problems might arise tomorrow.

Tomorrow is not here and its problems, tests, trials, troubles, and misfortunes are just as non existent as tomorrow itself.

You are only alive now! You cannot alter that which does not exist.

We must spend our energies on today (now) and those energies must be directed toward the kingdom of God and the righteousness of God.