Faith

Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. This faith is "not of yourself lest any man should boast. Many people get all mixed up about this, but it is really quite simple if we understand what faith is. Real faith is the faith of God. It is of God and not of yourself lest any man should boast. Ephesians 2:8 And it comes by God speaking. 1 Corinthians 12:2-3 Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word (literally utterance) of God. Romans 10:17 Our physical eyes can't see the things that God utters to our spirit and to our mind, but our spiritual eyes can certainly see the vision that He gives. His vision has substance and it is the evidence of those things that our physical eyes cannot see. God speaks a vision of His hope and His faith comes. When God gives a vision, He uses all of our spiritual senses. We are dull of hearing when we are first born again, but we can become mature and have our senses exercised by reason of use. Hebrews 5:13-14

(some caveats about hearing God's Voice)

God's vision always shows us our calling in Christ, what we need to be doing in the moment as a result of that calling, who we really are, and who we fit into Christ the Body. "As the [human] body is one and has many members, so also is Christ."

When God gives His vision, it is the spiritual equivalent of the natural act of looking at yourself in a mirror. James 1:23-25 In the spirit, you see your calling and who you are in Christ, even if the vision seems vague because the veil of your flesh is dulling your senses. If you keep being obedient to the heavenly vision, then your senses will become more clear. The flesh dies away. Galatians 2:17-20 Luke 9:23-26 The vision becomes more clear. 1 Timothy 4:1-2 If you are not obedient, then you will slowly have your conscience seared.

The apostle, James, spoke of this spiritual mirror and its relationship to obedience and submission. If a man has faith (keep in mind that this is the kind of faith that can only come as we hear the utterance of God, and God's utterance includes the vision of hope, that is, who you are in Christ.) and has not works (keep in mind that only dead works can be self-generated, but this speaks of the kind of works that grace does in and through you. 1 Corinthians 15:10 And the only way to get access to grace is through the faith of God. Romans 5:2) that man is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror and immediately forgets what he looks like.

So, what does God show you in the mirror? God shows you exactly who you are, how you are joined to Christ the Head in Heaven, how you are joined to Christ the Body on Earth, and what that means at the moment for your thoughts, words, and actions. It is meant to allow His grace to flow through you to fulfill the vision in your thoughts, words, and actions. When God's grace flows through you, a part of your wicked natural mind is transfigured into Christ's glorious mind. This is Christ in you the hope of glory.

Every part of what God shows you is according to the pattern of Scripture. God never contradicts Himself. God has laid out the entire pattern for the church, the Body of Christ, in Scripture. Unfortunately, it doesn't look much like what is found in most churches. As you walk into Christ by hearing His voice and submitting to Him, He will take you step by step into greater discernment of what is and what is not the Body of Christ. He will show you the corruption of the one-man ministry system, the chief pastor system, forms, rituals, human-designed church finance, and much more. He will show you the need for the apostles, traveling elders and deacons, and also for local elders and deacons. He will show you the difference between the false apostles and the true apostles, along with all the other false and true ministries such as teachers and prophets. There is substance that is not yet seen by the natural eyes, but is coming into view to the spiritual eyes as God pulls away the veil of the flesh.

I think of how often I have tried to somehow pull myself out of a problem rather than waiting in silence for God only. Sometimes, I have tried to help God figure things out rather than receiving His faith as He speaks and allowing His faith to give access to the grace, the love of God which is then shed abroad in my heart by the Holy Ghost, doing all God's works of love and solving every problem.

The complexity of God’s Way understood in a single diagram

Obey your flesh and descend into darkness

How can we know anything about anything? That’s the real question

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