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BELIEVING GOD FOR WHO HE IS
BASIC DOCTRINES
LESSON 5
THE NAMES OF GOD REVEAL HIS PROMISES
If we know Who God is, we will be able to have confidence in Him when we make our petitions known to Him. The various Names of God throughout the Bible teach us that He is Who He says He is. In this Lesson, we will study the Names of God as revealed in the Bible.
Remember, Hebrews 11:6 tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God, because he that comes to Him must believe that He is who He says He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
In that light, we need to know Who He says He is in various parts of the Bible.
JEHOVAH ROHI
OUR SHEPHERD
His Glory is manifested when we believe in His Name which declares Him to be our Shepherd (-Rohi), and we see Him lead us safely through whatever situation we may be faced with. Psalm 23 says it all:
Ps 23:1-6
1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
Because He is my Shepherd, I have no need for anything. He takes me to places of provision, and gives me food to eat (both spiritually and physically), and quenches my thirst, both spiritually and physically. Look at what Jesus, the Good Shepherd teaches us:
Matt 6:25
25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
When He says to take no thought for these things, He means it. DON'T WORRY…The Lord is a Good Shepherd, and He will Provide for you. Christians get in a dither about their situation, but the Good Shepherd won't let us down. We need to learn to rest in Him. Christians who get excited about their financial situation or their provision, don't really know Him as their Shepherd.
He restores our soul…
This Word “restore” means He brings us back to Him. If we slip away, He has a way of getting us back, even if it means with the rod of correction.
Matt 18:11-14
11 For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.
12 How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?
13 And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray.
14 Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.
WITHOUT FAITH, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PLEASE GOD, BECAUSE HE WHO COMES TO GOD MUST BELIEVE THAT HE IS (JEHOVAH ROHI-OUR SHEPHERD) AND THAT HE IS A REWARDER OF THOSE WHO DILLEGENTLY SEEK HIM.
JEHOVAH JIREH
OUR PROVIDER
His Glory is manifested when we believe in His Name which proclaims Him to be our Provider (Jehovah [or Yahweh] Jireh) (Genesis 22:14) and we see that provision come to pass. The Lord has said that He will withhold no good thing from those who seek Him,
Ps 34:10
10 The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.
Ps 84:11-12
11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.
12 O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.
....and that He will supply all of our NEEDS according to His Riches in Glory:
Phil 4:19
19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
As we have seen, the walk of the Christian is to be centered on obedience toward God. The condition to our blessings is IF we are obedient to God. If we have been obedient to Him, and have diligently purposed to walk in His Will, instead of our own, we can believe that He will provide all our needs according to His Riches in Glory.
Deuteronomy 28:1-14, and Matthew 7:21-25 are passages in the Bible that compliment one another.
Matt 7:21-25
21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
The bottom line of our walk in covenant with the Lord is that we are to walk in obedience to Him.
Deuteronomy 28:15-68 and Matthew 7:26-27 also parallel one another, and tells us that if we don't walk in willing obedience to His word, we will live under a curse.
Many Christians try to stand on the Promises of the Lord when they are walking in disobedience to His Word.
Deuteronomy 28:4,5, and 8 promises prosperity to the obedient people of God. But many Christians focus on obtaining the things of this world more than they do the furtherance of the Kingdom of God.
Col 3:1-7
1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
6 For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:
7 In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.
As we are obedient to the Lord, those things that we lay our hands to will prosper. It will be a natural result of our obedience. Jesus said we don't have to take any thought for those things that we need, if we are truly seeking first His Kingdom AND His Righteousness in our lives.
God isn't a liar. His Word is True. Many Christians behave as though they have to convince God to be true to His promises. God just simply wants us to rest in Who He is. If I am faithful to examine myself on a daily basis, and am willing to repent of those things in my life that are contrary to the Will of God, God will be true to His Name. Disobedience is a result of unbelief.
Just as His Name declares, He is our Provider. “Without faith, it is impossible to please God, because he that cometh to God must believe that He is (Jehovah Jireh, our Provider), and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”
JEHOVAH ROPHE
THE LORD OUR HEALER
His Glory is manifested when we believe in His Name, which declares Him to be our Healer (Jehovah [Yahweh] Rophe (Exodus 15:22-26), and when we see that Healing come to pass.
Exod 15:26
26 And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.
Ps 103:2-3
2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
Isa 53:5
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
Jesus Christ was God manifested in the flesh…as He walked among us, He healed the people that came to Him.
In Matthew 8:7-13, we are told of when a centurion came to Jesus and asked that He would heal his servant. The centurion told Jesus all He needed to do was speak His Word, and his servant would be healed.
It is the Word of God which is True, and we must learn to believe His Word above whatever any circumstances may seem to say.
WE WALK BY FAITH, AND NOT BY SIGHT.
Again, to be able to stand firm on the promises of God, we ourselves need to be walking in obedience to His Word.
The Word of God says that many people in the Body of Christ are weak and sickly, because they partake of the Lord's supper unworthily…When we take communion, we are proclaiming that we understand what the Lord has done for us in His death on the cross.
If we just flippantly exercise a form of religion, and eat and drink the bread and the wine because it's just what we do on Sunday, giving no thought to the fact that Christ came to save us from our sins, and that He took our sins on Himself so we would not have to pay the penalty for our sins, we are in essence, doing despite to the Spirit of Grace.
We need to examine ourselves, and determine whether we are in the Will of God or not.
1 Cor 11:26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.
27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.
30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.
31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.
Sickness in Christians can often times (but not always) be a chastisement from the Lord. Because of our disobedience, many times the Lord removes His Protecting Hand from us, and we walk in that sickness.
The Word of God says we are not to be conformed to the world. Let us examine ourselves and see if we have allowed the world to slip into our lives.
The Word of God says we are not to set our affections on the things of this world. Let us examine ourselves and see if that is what we have done.
The Word of God says that we are not to be liars, backbiters, gossips, thieves, covetous, jealous, bitter, adulterous, idolators, drunkards, greedy, selfish, divisive, filled with hate, unforgiving, etc. etc.. If we are sick, we need to examine ourselves, and determine if the Lord has withdrawn His protective hand from us.
Regarding sickness, James tells us:
James 5:14-20
14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:
15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
17 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.
18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.
19 Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him;
20 Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.
Confession and healing and forgiveness appear to go hand in hand in a Christian's life. If our conscience is clear, then we can trust our Lord to heal us.
His Name declares Him to be our healer. Without faith it is impossible to please Him, because he that cometh to Him must believe that He is (Jehovah Rophe, the Lord our Healer), and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
JEHOVAH NISSI
THE LORD OUR BANNER
His Glory is manifested when we believe in His Name which declares Him to be our Banner (-Nissi Exodus 17:8-15) and we see Victory over our enemy.
The Word of God says that our battle is not with flesh and blood…but that we are battling a spiritual battle as Christians.
Eph 6:12
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
James 4:7
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Christians believe that since they were born in the flesh, they are subject to sin. But when we became born of God, we were delivered from the power of sin in our lives (Romans 6:14).
Ephesians 6:12-18 tells us that the warfare that we are fighting is spiritual warfare. It tells us how to battle this:
Eph 6:12-18
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
Many commentaries have been written, and many sermons have been preached on this passage of Scripture. But the simple fact is that we have been empowered to do the Will of God, and to overcome the enemy of our souls in every aspect of our lives when we received Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.
According to verse 14, we are to walk in Truth. The Word of God is True. We have seen how Jesus resisted the temptations of the devil with the Word of God. If we believe in the Word of God, we can walk in the Truth, and the Truth will set us free.
As we walk in the Truth of God, we will walk in Righteousness before God. We will make decisions that are pleasing to God, rather than merely decisions that are pleasing to our flesh.
In verse 15, we are exhorted to take the gospel wherever we go. If we carry the testimony of what the Lord has done in our lives, we will be able to share it with others, and impact lives for the furtherance of the Kingdom of God in our community.
In verse 16, we learn that it is our faith in God which enables us to overcome all the attacks that the enemy of our souls throws at us. Our faith tells us that we are Children of the Most High God, and that if he is for us, no one can stand against us.
Verse 17 mentions taking the helmet of salvation. The knowledge that we are saved from the wrath of God allows us to walk in confidence when the enemy tries to heap condemnation on us, and he does try to heap condemnation on us every time we fail; but the Truth of the matter is this:
Rom 8:35-39
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
This is where the final item in the armor of God comes in.
The Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.
The flesh doesn't profit anything, but it is the Spirit of God which gives us life. And the Sword of the Spirit is the Word of God. The Word of God does not minister to the flesh, but to the Spirit of man. The Word of God is absolutely true. The enemy of our souls tempts us to yield to the lusts of the flesh so he can get us under condemnation. The Word of God, if it is rooted deeply in our hearts, will enable us to resist the temptation to yield to the lusts of the flesh.
The flesh is at war with the Spirit, and we will be overcomers if we wield the Sword of the Spirit in every aspect of our lives.
Gal 1:3-4
3 Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ,
4 Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:
Col 1:9-13
9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
11 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;
12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
Without faith, it is impossible to please God, because he who comes to God must believe that He is (Jehovah Nissi- the Lord our banner), and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. The Lord intends us to be overcomers, and not defeated people in all aspects of our lives. He will give us victory over the sins that so easily beset us.
JEHOVAH SHAMMAH
THE LORD IS HERE
His Glory is manifested when we believe in His Name which declares Him to be "here" (-Shammah Ezekiel 48:35), and we know that the Ever Present One will never leave us or forsake us, and we are comforted in the midst of our trials with that knowledge.
Ps 46:1-11
1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
3 Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.
4 There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.
5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.
6 The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted.
7 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
8 Come, behold the works of the LORD, what desolations he hath made in the earth.
9 He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire.
10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.
11 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
No other so-called “god” in all the religions of the world is like the One True God that the Christian faith reveals. He is an ever-present Help in times of trouble. He has promised us that He would never leave nor forsake us. He is ready to help all those who call on Him out of a pure heart. The Bible declares the nation whose God is the Lord to be blessed!
Deut 4:7
7 For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the LORD our God is in all things that we call upon him for?
Ps 145:18-21
18 The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.
19 He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them.
20 The LORD preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy.
21 My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD: and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever.
Jesus assured us that He is with us Always.
Matt 28:19-20
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
He is with us in the midst of our trials:
Rom 8:28
28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
We see that He is with us even in the trials of our faith. But there is one other thing that we must consider about this One Whose Name declares that He is Here.
THE GREATEST DEMONSTRATION OF UNBELIEF IS THAT WHICH WE DO WHEN WE BELIEVE THAT NO HUMAN EYES CAN SEE US. WHILE THIS MAY BE TRUE, GOD IS HERE IN OUR PRESENCE, AND HE SEES WHAT WE DO BEHIND CLOSED DOORS. IF THAT REVELATION COULD SINK INTO OUR HEARTS AND MINDS, OUR WALK WITH HIM WILL BE A WALK WITHOUT HYPOCRISY.
Without FAITH, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PLEASE HIM, because he that comes to Him must believe that He is (Jehovah Shammah - The Lord is here) and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
JEHOVAH SHALOM
THE LORD OUR PEACE
We see His Glory manifested when we are caught in a situation that threatens to destroy our peace, and we see the God of Peace (-Shalom:Judges 6:24) intervene in our lives, and we experience a peace that passes all understanding.
We must remember that He is a God of Covenant, and His Name reflects the covenant He has promised us. If we OBEY Him, we will be able to rest in His Promises.
Lev 26:1-13
1 Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the LORD your God.
2 Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD.
3 If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them;
4 Then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.
5 And your threshing shall reach unto the vintage, and the vintage shall reach unto the sowing time: and ye shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely.
6 And I will give peace in the land, and ye shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid: and I will rid evil beasts out of the land, neither shall the sword go through your land.
7 And ye shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword.
8 And five of you shall chase an hundred, and an hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight: and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword.
9 For I will have respect unto you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, and establish my covenant with you.
10 And ye shall eat old store, and bring forth the old because of the new.
11 And I will set my tabernacle among you: and my soul shall not abhor you.
12 And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people.
13 I am the LORD your God, which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, that ye should not be their bondmen; and I have broken the bands of your yoke, and made you go upright.
As I mentioned earlier, God is a Covenant God, and His Promises are contingent upon our obedience. See the warning He gave His people Israel:
Deut 29:19-20
19 And it come to pass, when he heareth the words of this curse, that he bless himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart, to add drunkenness to thirst:
20 The LORD will not spare him, but then the anger of the LORD and his jealousy shall smoke against that man, and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him, and the LORD shall blot out his name from under heaven.
For those who would insist that this is the Old Testament and we are under the covenant of Grace of the New Testament, we will look at what the New Testament has to say:
Heb 10:28-31
28 He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:
29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?
30 For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.
31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
We are under a New Covenant, one of Grace, and not the works of the Law. But the God who we serve is the same today as He was yesterday, and He calls us to Obedience. If we walk in obedience toward Him, He will give us peace.
Ps 4:1-8
1 Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.
2 O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame? how long will ye love vanity, and seek after leasing? Selah.
3 But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the LORD will hear when I call unto him.
4 Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.
5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD.
6 There be many that say, Who will shew us any good? LORD, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.
7 Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased.
8 I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.
Ps 29:11
11 The LORD will give strength unto his people; the LORD will bless his people with peace.
When we receive Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, the Kingdom of God is established in our hearts:
Rom 14:17-19
17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
18 For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men.
19 Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.
Because of our attitude to walk in obedience toward God, He will give us peace in the midst of all our trials:
Rom 16:19-20
19 For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil.
20 And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
Without Faith, it is impossible to please God, Because He that comes to Him must believe that He is (-Shalom; our Peace) and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
JEHOVAH M'KADDESH
THE LORD OUR SANCTIFICATION
We see His Glory manifested when we believe that He is the one Who has made us Holy, Who has sanctified us (Leviticus 20:7), and Who has Purified us.
We cannot take any credit for the Work He does in us, but He enables us to obey His commandments. He tells us to sanctify ourselves, and then He says that He sanctifies us.
Lev 20:7-8
7 Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the LORD your God.
8 And ye shall keep my statutes, and do them: I am the LORD which sanctify you.
He empowers the Born again Christian to walk in His Will. We will look at the definition of “Sanctification”:
6942 qadash-
to consecrate, to sanctify, to prepare, to dedicate, to be hallowed, to be holy, to be sanctified, to be separate
a) 1) to be set apart, to be consecrated 2) to be hallowed 3) consecrated, tabooed
b) 1) to show oneself sacred or majestic 2) to be honored, to be treated as sacred 3) to be holy
c) 1) to set apart as sacred, to consecrate, to dedicate 2) to observe as holy, to keep sacred 3) to honor as sacred, to hallow 4) to consecrate
d) 1) to be consecrated 2) consecrated, dedicated
e) 1) to set apart, to devote, to consecrate 2) to regard or treat as sacred or hallow 3) to consecrate
f) 1) to keep oneself apart or separate 2) to cause Himself to be hallowed (used of God) 3) to be observed as holy 4) to consecrate oneself
In the Bible, where you see the words translated as “Holy” and “sanctify”, you will see that they are closely related to one another.
6918 qadowsh or qadosh-
sacred, holy, the Holy One, a saint, set apart
Over and over again, throughout the Bible, we see God Almighty telling His people to be Holy, because His is Holy.
We will look at just a few of those places for the purpose of this study:
Lev 11:45
45 For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.
Lev 19:2-4
2 Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy.
3 Ye shall fear every man his mother, and his father, and keep my sabbaths: I am the LORD your God.
4 Turn ye not unto idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods: I am the LORD your God.
Lev 20:26
26 And ye shall be holy unto me: for I the LORD am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be mine.
It is important to note this last passage, because the Lord says that He has severed His people from other people. They were to live differently than the people in the world.
Rom 12:1-3
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2 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.
Many Christians fail in this respect…they have not presented their bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, because of their conformity to the ways of the world.
Like Israel of old, many Christians want the things of the world more than they desire the things of God. A renewed mind will esteem the things that the world has to offer as refuse, or a little thing. A renewed mind will want to seek the establishment of Kingdom of God and His Righteousness.
And this is a wonderful Work that the Lord Has done in their hearts, when the yielded Christian is more concerned about the furtherance of God's Kingdom than his own well being.
True sanctification or holiness is being separate. Seeking only to please the Lord, and not our own selves.
But when we reach a place where we esteem the things of this world as nothing, and our hearts are fully set on serving the Lord with all of our being; we can't compare ourselves to others, and think we have arrived when they have not. The Lord Warns us:
Rom 12:3 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.
Let me point out here in the light of this passage, that true men and women of Faith understood that the things of this world are nothing, and that being separate unto the Lord is everything to the true child of Faith:
Heb 11:32-40
32 And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets:
33 Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
34 Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.
35 Women received their dead raised to life again:
Most Christians would want to stop here, and concentrate on these mighty deeds of faith…they subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens, women received their dead raised to life again…What promises!
But as we can see by looking just a little further in this passage of Scripture, a person who is walking in Holiness before God Almighty, separate from the world understands that the most important thing in the world is that God is glorified in our lives, no matter what comes our way:
…and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:
36 And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:
37 They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;
38 (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:
40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.
The promise was that the world would be reconciled unto God. That both Jews and Gentiles would know the One True God Who created them for Himself. A sanctified Christian has learned to be content, whether he is abased, or abounds (See Philippians 4:11-13).
The Blessing of God is that in all things, we are more than conquereors.
True sanctification results in this attitude:
Rom 8:35-39
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
We are called to be Holy under the New Covenant:
1 Pet 1:13-19
13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:
15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;
16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
17 And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:
18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
In Deuteronomy 7, we see that the Lord warns Israel from becoming conformed to the ways of the world around them, and then He reminds them that they are chosen because He loves them, not for any redeeming qualities of their own:
Deuteronomy 7:6 ….For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.
7 The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people:
8 But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
As we yield ourselves to God, in sincerity and truth, He will purify us unto Himself, and will make us a people zealous of good works.
Titus 2:11-15
11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
15 These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.
Where it seems impossible for us to walk in the Holiness of God, it IS POSSIBLE, if we just rely on Him to perfect the work He has begun in us.
Without faith, it is impossible to please God, because he that comes to Him must believe that He is (Jehovah MaKaddesh, our Sancification), and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
JEHOVAH TSIDKENU
THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS
We see His Glory when we believe that He is our righteousness (Jehovah Tsidkenu - Jeremiah 23:5,6) and we let His Righteousness shine through us.
In Romans 3:10 we are told that none of us as human beings are righteous.
Rom 3:10-18
10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
13 Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:
14 Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:
15 Their feet are swift to shed blood:
16 Destruction and misery are in their ways:
17 And the way of peace have they not known:
18 There is no fear of God before their eyes.
But that is no surprise to God, so He set forth a remedy for all of humanity:
Rom 3:19-26
19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
Jesus taught us what our attitude should be concerning righteousness:
Matt 5:6
6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
The Born Again child of God will want to please the Father in all that he does. Jesus said if we HUNGER and THIRST after righteousness, we will be filled. As we grow in the knowledge of the Lord, we obtain more understanding of what the Righteousness of God is.
Rom 1:16-17
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
As God does a work in our hearts, we may still occasionally battle with the desires of our unrighteous flesh, but as we grow in our understanding of the Christian walk, the righteousness of God will manifest itself in our lives. We will bear the Spiritual fruit of righteousness in our lives.
Righteousness is a gift from God.
Rom 5:17
17 For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)
Rom 6:13-23
13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
20 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.
21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.
22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Faith and obedience walk hand in hand.
If we truly believe in God, we will want to be obedient to Him. As we walk in faith toward God, we will be obedient, and His Righteousness will manifest itself in us.
Our own righteousness will get us nowhere in our walk with God. It is God Who has instilled the understanding of how we need to walk toward Him. It is God's Righteousness that the Born again Christian walks in, not his own. Self Righteousness fosters pride. If we actually understand that it is God's Righteousness which works in us, we will have no room for pride in our hearts.
Without Faith, it is impossible to please Him, because he that comes to Him must believe that He is (our Righteousness, Jehovah Tsidkenu), and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
GOD ALMIGHTY
EL-SHADDAI
We see His Glory when we believe that He is our Almighty God. (El Shaddai - Genesis 17:1-2). The Almighty God caused Sarai to conceive when it was impossible in a human perspective.
Genesis 35:11 shows that the Almighty God can cause a great nation to come from the seed of one man.
Psalm 27 tells us that the Almighty God will protect us in time of trouble:
Ps 27:4-6
4 One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in his temple.
5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.
6 And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD.
When we have put all of our trust in Him, the Almighty God will be our refuge and our fortress.
Truly, the Word of God does not say in vain,
Ps 91:1-16
1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.
9 Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;
10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.
14 Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.
15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.
16 With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.
Rom 8:31-39
31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.
34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Without Faith, it is impossible to please Him, because he that comes to Him must believe that His is (God Almighty- El Shaddai) and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
EL-ELYON
MOST HIGH GOD
We see His Glory manifested when we believe that He is (El Elyon, Gen 14:19) the Most High God. He is the Possessor of the Heavens and the earth.
Ps 9:1-3
1 I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works.
2 I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High.
3 When mine enemies are turned back, they shall fall and perish at thy presence.
We know that the Word of God says that our battle is not with flesh and blood, but it is a spiritual battle. We have overcome by the blood of the Lamb. The enemies of our soul will be turned back by the Most High God, Who possesses the heaven and the earth.
Ps 47:1-4
1 O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph.
2 For the LORD most high is terrible; he is a great King over all the earth.
3 He shall subdue the people under us, and the nations under our feet.
4 He shall choose our inheritance for us, the excellency of Jacob whom he loved. Selah.
The Most High God is not to be taken lightly. We are to walk according to and be obedient to His Will in our lives.
Ps 50:14-23
14 Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High:
15 And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.
16 But unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth?
17 Seeing thou hatest instruction, and castest my words behind thee.
18 When thou sawest a thief, then thou consentedst with him, and hast been partaker with adulterers.
19 Thou givest thy mouth to evil, and thy tongue frameth deceit.
20 Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother; thou slanderest thine own mother's son.
21 These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes.
22 Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver.
23 Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God.
Without Faith, it is impossible to please Him, because he that comes to Him must believe that He is (El-Elyon, the Most High God), and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
JEHOVAH QANNA
THE LORD IS JEALOUS
Since He is the Most High God, we are not to have any gods before Him. Worldliness, covetousness, materialism, lust, food, pride, drunkenness, family, friends…all these can be gods that we have deemed more important than the Most High God. We can see His Glory manifested when we believe that He is (Jehovah Qanna - Exodus 34:14) a Jealous God.
Exod 34:14-16
14 For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:
15 Lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they go a whoring after their gods, and do sacrifice unto their gods, and one call thee, and thou eat of his sacrifice;
16 And thou take of their daughters unto thy sons, and their daughters go a whoring after their gods, and make thy sons go a whoring after their gods.
The New Testament parallel to this passage is found in Romans 12:1-2:
Rom 12:1-2
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2 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.
And…
2 Cor 6:14-18
14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
There is much compromise in the church today. Worldliness and pursuit after the things of the world abounds, and there are many false teachers who encourage this type of lifestyle. They teach the Christians to believe that they can be recipients of the blessings of God with out obedience to Him and His Word. This worldliness that has crept into many churches today is teaching Christians to be disobedient to the very Word of God.
Deut 4:23-31
23 Take heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the LORD your God, which he made with you, and make you a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, which the LORD thy God hath forbidden thee.
24 For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.
25 When thou shalt beget children, and children's children, and ye shall have remained long in the land, and shall corrupt yourselves, and make a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, and shall do evil in the sight of the LORD thy God, to provoke him to anger:
26 I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that ye shall soon utterly perish from off the land whereunto ye go over Jordan to possess it; ye shall not prolong your days upon it, but shall utterly be destroyed.
27 And the LORD shall scatter you among the nations, and ye shall be left few in number among the heathen, whither the LORD shall lead you.
28 And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell.
29 But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.
30 When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the LORD thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice;
31 (For the LORD thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them.
See what the first commandment was to Israel:
Deut 5:6-10
6 I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.
7 Thou shalt have none other gods before me.
8 Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth:
9 Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me,
10 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.
The Most important thing In a Christian's walk is his or her relationship with God. This relationship will result in obedience and walking in His Righteousness.
The second most important thing is Glorifying His Holy Name to the world, and to further the Kingdom of God on this earth, and this is done through proclaiming His Reality to those who are still in darkness.
If we are faithful in these two things, we won't have to worry about the blessings of the Lord, because they will overtake us.
Without faith, it is impossible to please him, because he that comes to Him must believe that He is (Jehovah Qanna - the Lord is Jealous), and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
ABBA
FATHER
We can see His Glory manifested when we believe that He is our Father, our Abba, when we make Him our all in all.
Abba is a term that slaves were forbidden to use in addressing the head of the family. According to “Vine's” dictionary of the Greek language, it “approximates to a personal name, in contrast to “Father” with which it is always joined in the New Testament. This is probably due to the fact that, abba having practically become a proper name, Greek-speaking Jews added the Greek word pater, "father," from the language they used.
Abba is the word framed by the lips of infants, and betokens unreasoning trust; "father" expresses an intelligent apprehension of the relationship. The two together express the love and intelligent confidence of the child.”
Gal 4:6-7
6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
Believing that He is our Father, we know that we can approach Him boldly concerning any petition, and He will hear us. As a loving Father Who has our best interests at heart, He will grant our wishes according to His Wisdom, and He will chasten us when we are disobedient. But this always results in our growth in Him.
The child most generally reflects what kind of parents he has:
Matt 5:44-48
44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?
48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
Our Heavenly Father is a Good Father. He has our best interests at heart.
Matt 7:9-12
9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?
10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?
11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
12 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.
Without Faith, it is impossible to Please God, because he that comes to Him must believe that He is (our Father, Abba) and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
When we really BELIEVE that He is Who He says He is, we see His Glory manifested in our lives, and we become eyewitnesses of His Majesty, or His Glory, just as the disciples were in the beginning.
2 Pet 1:16-17
16 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
17 For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. (KJV)
Notice that in verse 42, Jesus said "I knew that thou hearest me always…" Jesus is our example of our faith. He knew that the Father heard Him always…What would happen if Christians had that kind of knowledge? Jesus tells us what would happen.
John 14:12-14
12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. (KJV)
Faith, as Jesus was teaching it, is not a source of power for the person who wants to do magic tricks to impress people. Jesus was expressing the fact that with God, nothing is impossible. There is no situation that a person could find themselves in, that God couldn't deliver them from. The key is BELIEVING. Not just saying "I believe", but actually KNOWING that it is true.
There are schools of thought today that purport to teach faith principles, but which are actually Christianizing New Age teachings. WE ARE NOT TO HAVE FAITH IN OUR FAITH. WE ARE TO HAVE FAITH IN THE ONE WHO IS THE AUTHOR AND THE FINISHER OF OUR FAITH!
TRUE FAITH IS BELIEVING THAT GOD IS ALL THAT HE SAYS HE IS.
1. WRITE THE NAMES OF GOD AND WHAT THEY MEAN TO YOU IN YOUR PRESENT SITUATION:
FAITH FILLED PRAYER
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