Do you know how to keep the Faith

Unfortunately, many who call themselves Christians have very little faith.

Matthew 17:20

 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.

4 Steps to faith

Step #1- Hear the Word

How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?  15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!  16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?  17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.  KJV Rom. 10:14-17

When you first heard the Word, faith came into your heart to believe that Word of salvation, and that Word brought life to your spirit.  There is power in the preached Word-

For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.  KJV 1 Cor 1:18

As the Word is spoken in preaching, it brings power into the hearer to bring salvation.  The first time you heard the Word, it brought salvation for eternal life.  But salvation covers more than just your eternal destination- it is the Greek word soteria meaning material and temporal deliverance from danger and apprehension; personal deliverance; safety. (From Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words)  It covers all aspects of life here and now, not just in the sweet by-and-by.  The Word brings salvation for every aspect of your life as you hear the Word preached concerning the promises that cover your circumstances.  You can hear it from preachers, but more importantly, you can also hear it coming out your own mouth. The more you hear it, the more you believe it because faith cometh by hearing the Word.

Step #2- Believe the Word

Part One of Faith in Two Places

 

 Faith must be in your heart as well as in your mouth.  Believing the Word, getting the Word into your heart, comes first.  Jesus spoke of hearing the Word and keeping it- 

But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.  KJV Luke 8:15

Hear the Word, then make the decision to keep the Word in your heart.  You choose to believe what you want to believe.  As you surround yourself with the Word and guard your heart, faith will come.  

My son, attend to my words; consent and submit to my sayings.  21 Let them not depart from your sight; keep them in the center of your heart.  22 For they are life to those who find them, healing and health to all their flesh.  23 Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life.  24 Put away from you false and dishonest speech, and willful and contrary talk put far from you.  Prov 4:20-24 AMP

 Hearing the stuff of the world continually will undermine your faith.  It is so important to guard your heart.  Keep the Word foremost before you, for they are life and health to you.  Proverbs is loaded with exhortations to hear the Word and keep it in your heart.  Hearing the Word continually is what will bring life and deliverance into your circumstances.  Faith comes by hearing, and faith is what God needs in you to work in your life.  Guard your heart from the influences of the world.  Thinking like the world will keep you from believing God's promises for your life.  Paul exhorted the Romans to renew their minds:

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.  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.  Rom 12:2-3  KJV

The measure of faith that God placed in you when you were born again will develop as you continue to hear the Word from preachers as well as out of your own mouth.   Which leads to #3- Speak the Word.
 

Step #3- Speak the Word

Part Two of Faith in Two Places

 

 Faith has to be in two places- in your heart and in your mouth.  As you speak the Word over your situations, it brings the power of God into that situation to bring salvation.  Speaking the Word builds your faith in that Word, and that brings the power of God into your life to change things according to that Word. 

We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak.  2 Cor 4:13 KJV

Faith speaks:

But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:)  7 Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.)  8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach.  Rom 10:6-8 KJV

The next two verses are the blueprint for salvation:

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  Rom 10:9-10  KJV

 

Salvation is obtained by believing in your heart, then confessing with your mouth.  Everything we receive from God is received in the same way- believe God's promises in your heart and confess them with your mouth.  Faith speaks.

Now look at Mark 11:22-24:

And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.  23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.  24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.  KJV

Notice how Jesus connects believing with saying.  Believe in your heart, say with your mouth.  Faith speaks.  For more on the power of your words, see my lens Word Power- Your Future Is in Your Mouth; links are below.

Step #4- Do the Word

Speak the Word and Walk in Love

 

There are 2 main aspects to doing the Word.  The first is a repeat of #3- speak the Word.  Speaking the Word is doing the Word.  The second aspect is to walk in love.  Faith only works when we are walking in love.

For [if we are] in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith activated and energized and expressed and working through love.  Gal 5:6 AMP

Jesus left us with one main command- to love; to love God and to love one another.  Selfish people can't operate in faith because there's no love in selfishness.  You can't be in faith and be selfish and walking in offense or anger.  Love is concerned with others, and is concerned with ministering the love of God to those around them.  When you're walking in love, you don't have you on your mind, you have others on your mind, and you are believing God to take care of you.

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.  23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: 24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.  25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.  James 1:22-25 KJV