Opposing your Faith

God’s plan for man included sending His Word to dwell in human flesh for thirty-three and a half years. Jesus Christ became the first begotten of the Father and His ministry lasted three and a half years. His mission was that of reconciliation, as God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself. Jesus promised to send those who believed on Him a Comforter, after He returned to the Father. This Comforter we know to be the Holy Ghost. He is the Spirit of God, the Life of Christ, and the substance of our faith. Nevertheless, it is the life of Christ that I want you to see. You must understand that the life of Jesus Christ lives in you. That life is the same today as it was 2000 years ago.

Romans 12:3

3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

This scripture declares that God has dealt to every one of us the measure of Faith. We must consider that the only thing we have received from God is the Holy Ghost. Everything He has dispensed is in the Spirit He has given us. It follows therefore, that the faith He gave us is in the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost being the life of Jesus is His faith that we have received. This is important because it takes the stress out of trying to walk in faith. All we have to do is obey the Christ within, and walk in His Spirit. His faith has already been tried and tested and has never failed. While Christ was here on earth everything that He did or said was in accordance to, reliant on, and of complete trust in what the Father had said. His life was completely sold out to doing the will of the Father. There was never an issue with Him as to whether or not He was going to obey God.

The Bible says Christ was obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. He knew that His life was in God’s hands. He knew that His body would not see corruption (decay) and that He would be raised from the dead. He believed it because God said it. He knew that the Father was faithful and could not lie. This same Faith (adhering to, relying on, and completely trusting God) is in each and every one of us who have accepted Christ. This faith is part of our inheritance in Christ. Let me spell out right here your responsibility in this equation. You must supply faith in the Christ that is in you. You must believe on Him the way the scripture has said (St.John 7:38).

The Father does not expect this to be hard, considering you have already experienced the power of Christ. Your faith in Him is manifested in your obedience. To obey is to walk in the Spirit of Christ. Accepting this premise, we must look into that which hinders the church from walking in that faith.

Galatians 2:20

20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

This scripture forces you to examine the true operation of your salvation. The old man of sin is dead. He is crucified with Christ. The source of life for your body now is the Spirit of Christ Jesus, (the Holy Ghost). Because the old man of sin died in Christ, it is lawful for him to be raised in Christ. These are the facts and this is the good news, the report that was not believed. We, the Sons of God live by the power of the indwelling Christ; He is our source of life. The Father has not given us the spirit of the world again to fear but that of Jesus Christ, the conqueror of death. In Him we live, walk, and overcome the temptations of this world.

Philippians 2:5

5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

According to the above passage, it is your responsibility to allow the mind of Christ to be in you. It follows therefore that you can deny that mind. You have the ability to refuse to be led by the Spirit; you can choose your own path. The bottom line is . . . you can refuse to obey God. Christ also had the same choice. In making your decision though, consider this:

1 John 1:5-7

5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:

7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

If you choose not to walk in the life of Christ, then you choose to walk in darkness and death. As I stated earlier, Christ is the same today as He was yesterday and the scriptures clearly define our relationship to Him.

I John 4:17

17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

To walk in the Spirit is to be as Christ is. He came to reconcile men to God and now we have been given the ministry of reconciliation. To walk in the Spirit allows us to experience the same passion for our brothers in the world as Christ has. Furthermore, His Spirit being the source of our lives, genders Godly character and emotions. Christ is continuing His mission in our bodies. He remains focused on the will of the Father, willing to obey at any cost. This is the mind of Christ today as He lives in you. You must take on or allow this mind to operate by not quenching or grieving the Holy Ghost. Obedience to the mind of Christ is your salvation; to do otherwise is death, hell and destruction.

WALLS OF IMPASSE

Let us continue to investigate why the Faith of Christ has not been consistent in our lives.

1. WANTONNESS: Unlawful desires, lust and consideration of self; sin. One of the major oppositions in the Body of Christ, generally, has been wantonness. “Wantonness” is desires or even mindsets for which you are willing to break the laws of God to fulfill. Wantonness has kept men from walking in the power, authority and faith of Christ.

It has been a crippler in the Church. It is in the hearts of men that desires, emotions, affections and appetites exist. Your strong desires and mindsets have persisted in your heart because you have protected and shielded them from the influence of the Word of God. Pride is the mechanism used to shield the areas of the heart that house your most protected wants and private beliefs.

James 5:5

5 Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter.

As a result of wantonness the world will not see the Sons functioning and operating in the totality of faith, (the operation of the Holy Ghost). It will only see those who have a form of godliness, but who deny the power thereof. Jesus prayed for the Father to make us one with them and each other, but want, greed and lust forbid this. So the question before you today is, “What is it that you want so much that you are not willing to do without it? What is it that is hindering the life of Christ from being manifested? Could it be sex, a car, a house, a job, or money? Or, could it just be your way of thinking?” Whatever that thing is, it must be eradicated from your being. Be honest with God and yourself; you know the answers to these questions. You are not in the dark concerning the desires that hold your mind captive. Remember, the truth shall make you free.

1. INIQUITY: Lawlessness, that which stops the flow of love. Another reason the faith of Christ has not been consistent in the lives of the Sons of God is iniquity. When it comes to obeying the Word, the Sons have been lawless. The source of much of the iniquity in the Body of Christ is offenses. When offenses linger there is rarely an application of the Word, as such an application would force the continued flow of love and unity.

Once the Word is rejected, offenses reign. It becomes more appealing to retaliate, or just give the offender a piece of your mind. In some instances you may have withheld your affections as a means of punishing your offender. The Word of God is constantly set aside time after time. To forgive and to recompense no man evil for evil, but to overcome evil with good have been mere quotations. The focus has shifted from pleasing the Father. High-mindedness and retribution are now the order of the day.

1. HIGH-MINDEDNESS Many in the Body have thought too much of themselves. They are standing on pedestals demanding submission, obedience and in some cases worship.

II Corinthians 10:3-5

3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:

4(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ

Authority has been given to the leadership in your life to cast down every high thing that exalts itself above the knowledge of God. It is my responsibility to tell you the truth. Sometimes that truth may seem cruel and cold, but then sin of any kind is cruel and cold. Examine yourself to see if you are in the faith. You know the drill. Document the place where you stand in the Word: what is the nature of your fruit? What is the image you have of yourself? If it is not the image of Christ, then it needs to be destroyed.

1. RETRIBUTION: payback; a passion for emotional or physical satisfaction, vengeance Love never needs to be avenged; it has no enemies. Instead, it bears the infirmities of others. It is hard for some to allow themselves to forgive without a penalty. Men especially see this as a sign of weakness. If you allow your ego to get in the way, when will you ever turn the other cheek?

1 Peter 2:21-23

21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:

23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:

Walking after the flesh brings no pleasure to God. We must do that which is acceptable unto Him. However, in order to do so you must walk in the Faith of Christ. Remember, it is not about the other person, or the situation itself, but it is about your submission to God.

1. PRIDE: Self-exaltation and an unnatural love for one’s self. Another wall of impasse has been pride. Pride is self- exaltation. Given any relationship, whether friendship, marriage or blood relations, if there is any contention, then pride is manifest.

Proverb 13:10

10 Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom. We should be able to disagree without becoming contentious.

God hates pride (Proverbs 8:13)

Proverb 16:18

18 Pride goeth before destruction and an haughty spirit before a fall

Pride and wantonness go hand in hand. Pride will keep you in lust and wantonness. We learned many years ago that pride is not a friend.

1. REBELLION AND STUBBORNNESS. We have seen over the years how rebellion and stubbornness can wreak havoc in a home, church or community. The major attributes of rebellion are:

• Going against or opposing that which you have been a part of;
• Going against established order;
• Rejecting of known truth.

There have been many situations in ministry where rebellion has been prevalent. It has manifested itself through offenses, wantonness and a lust for ministry. Many leave their churches to live out the lusts of their heart or mind. Rebellion and stubbornness can also manifest themselves in those who sit in church week after week, singing in the choir or working on the deacon board or some other activity in the household of Faith. These individuals either directly or indirectly oppose established authority. They do not respect the government of God, nor do they regard the casualties that result from their disrespect of God’s people or His Word. If you walk in rebellion or stubbornness then the only thing that matters is what you want at that time. No amount of truth can persuade you. In fact, truth becomes an offense. Until you begin to see rebellion and stubbornness the way God sees it, you will continue to walk in it.

1 Samuel 15:23

23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.

The Lord puts rebellion in the same category as witchcraft. He places stubbornness in the same category as idolatry. This is a serious matter. Look at the latter part of1 Samuel 15:23; “Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.” IF YOU REJECT GOD OR HIS WORD, HE WILL REJECT YOU.

Men so often do not see their actions as rebellious. But even as God sent instructions to Saul by Samuel (the prophet) He also instructs us through our leaders. As with Saul, the Sons of God today still decide what they will and will not obey of the Lord. As long as it is something that is pleasing to the flesh or something you can agree with or understand you may follow instructions to the letter. However, if God’s instructions become unpleasant to the flesh or you do not agree with or understand them, then pride will dictate your response. Remember, a lack of understanding is no justification for pride. Meekness will always open the door for understanding. Saul simply chose not to obey and God rejected him. Your rebellion says to God, “I am an idol worshipper and the image I worship is me.”

Stubbornness can be very costly. It can rob you of peace and contentment. A man can know for example that his wife is the better person to handle the finances, but because he is a male and his father may have said, “You must control your house,” that man will never allow his wife to do those things that she does best in the management of the home. His stubbornness becomes more important than having a sound financial statement. One of the major attributes of faith is spiritual alienation from the world. (We are in the world, but not of this world).

When your character and personality interfere with the life of Christ, lust and wantonness for the things of this world become a driving force. The lust of the mind stimulates your members and creates desire for the things of this world. You are the offspring of God. Therefore, it is no longer the devil or some demonic spirit living within you creating this lust. It is your own thinking. You, too, are perfect until the day the iniquity you created is found in your heart. That is why you must be steadfast in renewing your mind. You must allow (let) this mind that was in Christ Jesus be in you. Every aspect of your life should be according to the faith of Christ. Jesus did not attach Himself to things on planet Earth, but He set His affections on things above. He was a pilgrim passing through. He knew His purpose was to do the will of the Father. If Christ is to live through us, then we too must live as pilgrims, just passing through this world.

Hebrews 10:38

38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.

Let us not draw back but let us go on and live by the Faith of Jesus Christ.