Part 6: Other Faith Builders

This section is a continuation of the "Living in the Overflow" Study and contains the following articles.

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How "Considering Not" Can Keep You Connected to God

Have you ever noticed that our society values alternatives and encourages us to weigh our options? Options can be good in some situations but they can also lead us astray.

Let's start with an example. A doctor explains a certain medical condition to a patient and assures him that the planned course of treatment has been guaranteed to bring positive results. The patient starts researching the condition on the internet and learns about the possible side effects, the rare problems other people have encountered and alternative courses of therapy. The patient has now come to the fork in the road where he has to make a choice. Will he allow himself to consider these other options or will he focus on the option the doctor has already outlined?

We first learn about the concept of considering not from Eve. Satan got into the Garden of Eden through a snake and posed a question to her in Genesis 3:1.

Genesis 3:1
NOW THE serpent was more subtle and crafty than any living creature of the field which the Lord God had made. And he [Satan] said to the woman, Can it really be that God has said, You shall not eat from every tree of the garden?

Up until now the only words Eve had heard spoken were from God. Therefore she only knew words that lined up with God's way of doing things. At this point Eve had a choice. One option was to not waste her time even answering the question because God had already told her the Truth. However, she chose option two which was to entertain the question and open the door for further discussion as we see in Genesis 3:2-6

Genesis 3:2-3

And the woman said to the serpent, We may eat the fruit from the trees of the garden, Except the fruit from the tree which is in the middle of the garden. God has said, You shall not eat of it, neither shall you touch it, lest you die. But the serpent said to the woman, You shall not surely die, for God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing the difference between good and evil and blessing and calamity. And when the woman saw that the tree was good (suitable, pleasant) for food and that it was delightful to look at, and a tree to be desired in order to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she gave some also to her husband, and he ate. Then the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves apronlike girdles.

Because there was no sin yet, God spoke directly to Adam and Eve's spirits. They received constant revelation knowledge from Him. Their souls were not involved therefore they could not be swayed by their mind, will and emotions. In Genesis 1:28 we learned that God gave man dominion over the earth therefore Satan knows he cant force man to do anything. He can only convince man to act on his own free will and chose death over life. Satan's plan was to get Eve in a conversation where he might convince her to doubt what God had told her. Once Eve started considering that there might be other options, she started using her soul (mind, will and emotions) to make her decision and not her spirit. Satan knew that if he could get to her emotions, he could get her into selfishness and start thinking, "I should be able to eat of this tree. How can God tell me not to eat of the tree?" Then, once selfishness is at work, it opens the door to fear which turns the power over to Satan and disconnects us from God.

Picture a table lamp. You can turn on the switch and put in a light bulb but it's only when the lamp is plugged into the power source can it work and give off light. Similarly, our faith is like the plug for the lamp. It's only when our faith is plugged into God do we have power.

How do we stay plugged into God?

Everything starts with our thoughts. What you think on determines what you believe and have faith will happen. Eventually you will begin to act on your faith and speak what you believe. This then sets into motion God's laws of sowing and reaping. If we sow God's Word we will see God's Word manifest in our lives. On the contrary, worrying, which is considering options that don't line up with God's Word, is having faith in fear. I John 4:16-18 tells us that God is love and perfect love casts out fear.

I John 4:16-18

And we know (understand, recognize, are conscious of, by observation and by experience) and believe (adhere to and put faith in and rely on) the love God cherishes for us. God is love, and he who dwells and continues in love dwells and continues in God, and God dwells and continues in him.

In this [union and communion with Him] love is brought to completion and attains perfection with us, that we may have confidence for the day of judgment [with assurance and boldness to face Him], because as He is, so are we in this world.

There is no fear in love [dread does not exist], but full-grown (complete, perfect) love turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror! For fear brings with it the thought of punishment, and [so] he who is afraid has not reached the full maturity of love [is not yet grown into love's complete perfection].

Fear cannot exist in the presence of God. This means that fear contaminates our faith and unplugs us from God our power source. Staying focused on the Truth in God's Word and considering not the other options is the way to stay connected to God. It's the way we sow the good seeds that we want to see manifest in our lives.

Abraham Our Role Model

In Romans 4:18-20 Abraham teaches us how to stay focused on the promises.

Romans 4:18-20

[For Abraham, human reason for] hope being gone, hoped in faith that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been promised, So [numberless] shall your descendants be.

He did not weaken in faith when he considered the [utter] impotence of his own body, which was as good as dead because he was about a hundred years old, or [when he considered] the barrenness of Sarah's [deadened] womb.

No unbelief or distrust made him waver (doubtingly question) concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong and was empowered by faith as he gave praise and glory to God,

There were many natural facts laid before Abraham that he had the opportunity to focus on. He was nearly one hundred years old and well past child bearing years based on natural laws. His wife was barren and could not conceive a child. God had promised that he would be the father of many nations but time had passed since that covenant and nothing had happened.

However, even though it looked hopeless by Abraham's natural eyes (which were looking at the physical things around him), he knew the Truth in the covenant that he had with God. He considered not these natural facts and focused on what God had promised. He didn't deny that the natural facts existed. He simply decided to focus on the fact that God was faithful to watch over His Word, His Word was more powerful than the natural facts and God's Word would prevail over all situations.

2 Timothy 2:13
If we are faithless [do not believe and are untrue to Him], He remains true (faithful to His Word and His righteous character), for He cannot deny Himself.

Hebrews 10:23
So let us seize and hold fast and retain without wavering the hope we cherish and confess and our acknowledgement of it, for He Who promised is reliable (sure) and faithful to His word.

1 Corinthians 1:9
God is faithful (reliable, trustworthy, and therefore ever true to His promise, and He can be depended on); by Him you were called into companionship and participation with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

1 Corinthians 10:13
For no temptation (no trial regarded as enticing to sin), [no matter how it comes or where it leads] has overtaken you and laid hold on you that is not common to man [that is, no temptation or trial has come to you that is beyond human resistance and that is not adjusted and adapted and belonging to human experience, and such as man can bear]. But God is faithful [to His Word and to His compassionate nature], and He [can be trusted] not to let you be tempted and tried and assayed beyond your ability and strength of resistance and power to endure, but with the temptation He will [always] also provide the way out (the means of escape to a landing place), that you may be capable and strong and powerful to bear up under it patiently.

1 Thessalonians 5:24

Faithful is He Who is calling you [to Himself] and utterly trustworthy, and He will also do it [fulfill His call by hallowing and keeping you].

The Deal of a Lifetime

As Christians, we know that Jesus died on the cross and redeemed us from the curse of the law. Sickness was under the curse therefore we don’t have to accept it. However, this knowledge comes with a choice. When the devil tries to give you a pain or sickness, you have a choice on how you are going to respond. Will you spend time worrying that the pain could be cancer? Will you jump on the internet and search all of the possible causes of the pain? Will you give action to your fears by talking about them with family and friends? Will you spend time going to different doctors looking to them to heal you? Or will you consider not those other options and focus only on the fact that by Jesus stripes you were healed?

Jesus closed the doors to sin, sickness, disease, and lack and left only one door open. The door through Him that leads us to eternal life. A life of nothing missing and nothing broken. Consider not those other options because Jesus already eliminated them for us. Focus on the one option (and very best option) that's left which is complete health and wholeness for every area of your life!

You've just completed Part 6: Faith Builders. Select the below links to read another section.

Go to Part 1: Outline section.

Go to Part 2: Introduction section.

Go to Part 3: Foundational Principles section.

Go to Part 4: Covenant Promises section.

Go to Part 5: Kingdom Principles section.

Go to Part 6: Faith Builders section.

Go to Part 7: Resource Materials section.

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