Holy Spirit - Part 12: The Gifts of Faith, Miracles, and Healing
Our faith comes from God and we are saved by grace through faith, which is a gift from God. (Eph 2:8-9)
Mark 11:22
“And Jesus answering, saith unto them 'Have faith in God' “.
His command to those who believe is to have faith and He did not simply order us to do so but He also gave us the capacity to accomplish that command.
Roman 12:3
“... God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith”.
Hebrews 12:2
“Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith...”.
Hebrews 11 is our strongest teaching on the gift of faith, explaining that it is believing in what we cannot see (walking by faith not by sight). When it comes to God we must truly believe two things:
ONE – That He is
TWO – That He rewards those who seek Him
Faith is the characteristic of the believer that allow us to overcome and to accomplish what may otherwise seem impossible in our lives. If we know God we will not limit His work in our lives for His Word gives us the proper concept of Him.
Romans 4:21
“And being fully persuaded that, what He had promised, He was able also to perform”.
Our faith in God is not blind for the man of faith often sees more than others may see.
2 Kings 6 shows Elisha revealing to his servant what before only he could see himself.
Hebrews 11:27 teaches us that Moses saw He who is invisible and by faith walked forward to begin to lead the chosen people.
There is “saving faith” as taught in Ephesians 2 and there is “active faith” revealed in Exodus 14, Joshua 3 & 6). Active faith sees and believes God's promise to deliver.
This gift of the Spirit is given to be used in love.
1 Cor 13:2
“... though I have faith and understand … I am nothing...”
Faith known but not expressed in love, brings no results of value. All of the gifts of the Spirit are received and exercised by faith.
Peter said that faith in Jesus AND the faith by Jesus heals.
Acts 3:16
“... faith in his name … the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness...”.
When we exercise our faith, it shows to be never ending as more is granted to those who show that which they have been gifted by the Spirit. We must stand strongly in the faith gifted as Satan is well aware of it and he waits at the foot of every spiritual mountain to diminish or destroy our faith. We can see this fact in Matthew 17 as the miracle of the Transfiguration was seen by the fortunate three, and only a few verses later, Satan showed his displeasure by arranging failure of the apostles to cast out evil spirits.
Our faith is tested when we do not see immediate results after we have stepped out in active faith. Sometimes there is a time interval before God reveals His purpose and implements His will in us. Patience is required (longsuffering). Hebrews 6 & 10 & 11, as well as James 1 teach this lesson clearly.
GIFT OF MIRACLES
If we cannot believe in God, we cannot believe in miracles.
Acts 26:8
“Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead”?
A miracle is God operating according to laws higher than the laws of nature that we know and understand. He supersedes the laws we know.
Isaiah 55:8
“... neither are you ways my ways, saith the Lord”.
Everyday things we accept today as normal in our lives would have been considered miracles 100 years ago.
We must be well aware that all miracles are not of God. Some are of the evil one.
2 Thess 2:9
“... Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders”.
Should miracles be shown at any times through us, in our faith being active or as answered prayers, we must be very careful never to accept praise for such things, as all
praise and glory are His, not ours.
God used massive miracles in the OT to deliver His chosen ones, and in the NT to demonstrate His gift of power to the Messiah He sent as well as power in His chosen apostles. After those dispensations, He revealed perhaps His greatest and most evident miracle in bringing the Holy Spirit to actually live within us, guiding and teaching us to be more and more like our Messiah.
While we ourselves are likely not able to perform miracles at will, we should not lose sight of the fact that God can and does. All things are possible with Him.
Gen 18:14
“Is anything too hard for the Lord...”?
GIFT OF HEALING
Sickness and aging came into the world with the original sin of Adam and Eve. From that time forward, it has been important that we remember that sickness in an individual is not necessarily due to specific sin in that one, but is due to sickness that resides in the world.
Isaiah 53 speaks of the horrible beating Jesus took for our healing. He purchased our salvation and sin debt at Calvary and paid for our sin by His own stripes.
The Father promised such healing for us.
Exodus 15:26
“... if thou wilt diligently harken to the voice of God … I will put none of these diseases upon thee...”.
Jesus' entire ministry was one of healing, spiritual and physical. He made it clear at several healings that these were done so that the power of God might be seen. He sent His apostles out to heal but was very clear that they can heal if and only if they do so in His name. They did so, and many were healed.
We ourselves do not have to have the gift of healing within us to pray for those who need healing. James 5 teaches that all believers are to pray for one another.
Luke 22:19 teaches us that in the communion service, our remembrance should be of the body that was given and broken for our healing.
Our spirits were in need and we were healed by His Word, and it is our responsibility to witness that same Word to those we meet who are in need of that same healing.