Power Twins

*Almost everywhere you find faith mentioned in the Bible, you’ll also find patience. Faith and patience are power twins. Together, they produce every time. Patience is a working power. When faith has a tendency to waver, it’s patience that comes to faith’s aid to make it stand. The power of patience is necessary to undergird faith. Hebrews 6:12 says, “ ” *And James 1:2-4 says, 2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. Patience without faith, however, has no power to call into reality the things desired. Since faith is the substance of things we hope for, patience without faith has no substance. On the other hand, faith without patience many times will fail to stand firm on the evidence of the written Word that gives “title deed” to things not seen. Jesus told Peter He had prayed for him that his faith fails not. Without the power of patience at work, sense knowledge—the things we see—can overwhelm our faith that is based on what the Word of God says. Patience, then, undergirds our faith and gives it endurance to persevere until the answer comes. * Faith is a powerful force. It always works. It’s not that our faith is weak and needs strength, but without the power of patience, we stop its force from working in our lives because of our negative words and actions. It’s our faith, and we can either put it into action or stop it from working. Traditionally, we think of patience as just “knuckling under” and being satisfied with whatever comes our way. That’s not at all what patience is. It is a real force that has to be developed. *Titus 2:2 2  Older men are to be temperate, dignified, sensible, sound in faith, in love, in perseverance. Faith also has to be developed. The same scripture says we are to be sound in faith. Patience and faith work together the way faith and love work together. Each force plays a unique role in our Christian lives. * It is dangerous to confuse the roles of these two forces, substituting one for the other. For instance, Hebrews 11:1 says that faith is the substance of things hoped for. Hope without faith has no substance. People say, “We are hoping and praying.” This sounds good, but has no substance. In this case, hope is being confused with faith. Without the substance of faith, that kind of praying will not produce results. You can see that in a critical situation this would be dangerous. We need to have our thinking straightened out according to the Bible, so we can use these forces properly and produce God’s perfect will in our lives. *One of the most common traditions and mistakes in this area of believing is that trials and tribulations develop faith. Trials and tribulations do not develop faith. Romans 10:17 says, “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Trials and tribulations develop patience. We have already learned from James 1 that this is true. The Apostle Paul says the same thing in Romans 5:3. Faith is developed as we act on the Word of God. Hebrews 12:2 states that Jesus is the Author and Finisher, or Developer, of our faith. It doesn’t say Satan is the developer of our faith. It is vitally important we realize the difference between the developing of faith and the developing of patience. *Faith should be developed on the Word of God before the trial or testing comes. Jesus says in Luke 6:47-48 that a man who acts on His words is like someone who builds his house on a rock. When the floods beat on that house, the house does not fall. Notice the man has to dig deep. This is where his faith is developed. His patience is developed during the storm. He knows his house will stand because it’s built on rock. Remember, Jesus says the man builds on that rock. He acts on the Word. His faith is developed before the trial comes. The force of patience is developed in the trial or tribulation and undergirds, or keeps the door open, for faith to work and to overcome whatever is put before it. *The definition of patience is “being constant” or “being the same way at all times.” James 1 says we are to be single-minded. We must always respond or react in every circumstance of life the same way—on the Word of God. Regardless of what may be thrown at us, we must become so Word-of-God-minded that we don’t act in fear or doubt, but always on what the Word of our God says. The Word says that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. Jesus has always and will always respond to the Word rather than to circumstances, reason or fear. This is the way we should be. Being sound in patience is to answer every doubt and fear with the firm assurance and confession that God’s Word is true, no matter what we feel, hear or see. Regardless of what storms may come our way, the Father’s Word cannot fail. In that kind of atmosphere, faith is free to move and overcome whatever Satan has put in our way.* James 1:12-21 says: In order to properly develop the power of patience, we must know what the Bible says about testings and trials. The Greek word translated temptations in these scriptures is the same word for “trials” and “testings.” It is vitally important that we know, from verse 13, that God is not tested by evil, and He doesn’t tempt or test men with evil. We are warned to never say that we are tested by God. Verse 14 explains what a test or trial is. It’s anything that applies pressure on the lusts or desires of the flesh. Any pressure that draws us away from God’s Word is the beginning of a test. If we then act on that lust, sin is the result. Still, we have a way of escape, because the Word says we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ. He is faithful to forgive us our sins when we confess them. (See 1 John 1:9.) We are still more than conquerors in Jesus. When Satan applies pressure on our bodies to make them sick, we don’t have to succumb to that pressure. When he presents us with financial ruin, we don’t have to yield to the temptation to turn to the world and borrow. Most of the time, this only makes matters worse. Thank God, we can turn to God’s Word in Philippians 4:19 and use our faith. Then, regardless of circumstances, we exercise the power of patience and continue to stand fast in the liberty to which we have been called (Galatians 5:1 *Don’t forget the ministry of the Holy Spirit in all this. He is continually working in you, teaching, interceding and backing your faith with His mighty power. This is where the power of patience is so important. As long as your faith is active, the Spirit of God is active. It’s impossible to please Him without faith. Patience guards against your admitting a doubt or confession of fear into your consciousness. Even when we stretch our faith as far as it will go, He who is within us is greater than he who is in the world. First Corinthians 10:13 says, *This scripture reveals three more important things about trials: (1) Testings and temptations are common to man. No one is ever tested or tried with things that are not common to mankind. Satan does not have the right to call upon his experi­ence as a heavenly being to apply things that are outside the realm of humanity, as tests or trials. (2) God is faithful. You will never face anything you cannot overcome. (3) God always provides the way of escape. Satan’s weapons are no match for the weapons God has provided for us. Thank God, the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but powerful through God to the pulling down of strongholds. Satan is limited to the things that are common to mankind, but we are not. We have access to the full armor of God, Himself. Our patience rests solidly on the full assurance that, no matter what comes next, Jesus has provided more than enough victory to put us over. * Many Christians use Romans 8:28, “…All things work together for good to them that love God” as an excuse to fail. To them this scripture says, “All the devil does to me will turn out for my good. After all, you know the Bible says we are made stronger by the trials and tribulations of this life.” The Bible does not say that at all! When the Apostle Paul wrote that all things work together for the good of those that love God and are called according to His purpose, he was teaching on intercessory prayer. All things work together for the good of those who love God, when we are operating together in intercessory prayer! While a friend and I were talking about prayer one day, the Lord spoke to me and said, Those things do not mean all bad things work together for the good of those who love God. I am talking about the things of God: the Word of God, the gifts of the Spirit, the Name of Jesus and the power-weapons of the Body of Christ. These are the things that work together for the good of those who love God. Under this kind of operation, the things that the devil throws at you will be overcome by the power of the things of God, and victory will be the result. Many trials Satan causes make people weaker instead of stronger. If it were the trials and tribulations that make us strong, everyone on earth would be a spiritual giant. Certainly there have been enough trials and tribulations to perfect the saints. That must not be the avenue through which God perfects us Ephesians 4:11-12 says, “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.” This is the way the saints are perfected—not through tribulations. We are to be perfected by the Word, through the ministry. Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m glad to know that God didn’t send cancer to edify me or poverty to perfect my faith. No, these curses are not from God. They are from Satan, and we are to triumph over them with the power twins—faith and patience. * The Word does not say faith is developed by trials, but it does say that the trying of our faith works patience. It’s what we do with trials and tribulations that makes the difference—not the fact that we’re suffering. There are those in the Church who think we are to glory in tribulations, but tribulation is not the goal of Christianity. Many think we can’t be worth anything until we suffer. That’s not true. You’ll not be worth anything unless you overcome that suffering. Suffering is the result of the attack of Satan. The glory is in overcoming that trial with the Word of God, through the power of God. There is no glory in knuckling down and enduring trials. This is why we can count it all joy when we are tried. We know that Jesus has defeated Satan, and that we’re victors over anything he sends our way. * Jesus said in John 16:33, The glory lies in overcoming the world and its trials and tribulations. Trouble may come our way, but through the good things of God, He always causes us to triumph in Christ Jesus. * The Apostle Paul said, “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.... And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope” (Romans 5:1-4). Paul was saying that he had peace with God whatever came his way. He had this peace, not only when things were working right for him, but also when trouble came down the road. He did not let go of his peace with God because of tribulation. This tribulation only worked patience in him, and patience brought the experience of victory. Then the experience of victory worked hope. * In Hebrews 10:35-38 we are admonished to, “Cast not away therefore your confidence [or faith], which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise…the just shall live by faith.” Now, remember, Romans 5 says that tribulation works patience, and Hebrews 10 says that we have need of patience—because patience works experience. Experience is the reward. Patience produces the reward of experiencing the answer. “For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God,” or you could say it this way, “After you have acted on the Word of God, employ the power of patience and you will receive the promise of that Word.” Hebrews 6:12 tells us that through faith and patience we inherit the promises. Faith is acting on the Word. God’s Word is His will. After you have exerted the force of faith by acting on the Word, or the will of God, then patience comes into action to produce the experience of victory! With the power of patience at work, the experience of faith’s result is inevitable. This is how faith and patience work together to produce victory. For example, your body has symptoms of sickness and is screaming with pain. You must get your faith into operation. The first thing you must do is to go to the will of God—the Word.* Open your Bible to Matthew 8:17 which says, God’s Word does not say that by His stripes you may be healed, but by His stripes you were healed. You were healed! Now you are beginning to look at healing through the eye of faith.* Your faith is looking beyond the symptoms in your body. Then say, “Father, 1 Peter 2:24 says that by the stripes of Jesus, I was healed. I apply this Word to my body, and I command it to be healed, in the Name of Jesus. The Word says I am healed. I say I am healed. Sickness, I speak to you in the Name of Jesus, and I command you to leave my body.” That did it. You believed you received when you prayed.* Jesus said, (Mark 11:24). You have His Word. Many times all symptoms leave immediately, but not always. There are times when the power of patience must be put into operation to undergird your act of faith on God’s Word. You did the will of God when you did what the Word says. Now, you have need of patience so that you will be entire and wanting nothing. The experience of that healing is inevitable. It is not a “maybe it will and maybe it won’t” situation. The Word says you were healed. Now through patience, you must hold fast to this Word concerning healing, regardless of symptoms or pain, knowing that patience will produce the experience of healing. Working the power of patience is the difference between success and failure in the faith walk. * Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” You must believe you are healed before you see the results in your body. You can’t wait until your body looks and feels healed before you believe it. If you do, you’ll never receive by faith. You can’t get faith’s results without exerting the force of faith. Faith is believing you receive whatever you ask before it can be seen or felt. Your evidence is the Word of God, not the sought-after result. The Word is your evidence that you have it now. You have exercised your faith in God’s Word. Now let patience have its perfect work. The force of faith is at work, undergirded by the power of patience. Your faith connected with the Father the very moment you took His Word as the evidence of your healing. Now, confess with your mouth that it’s yours, and by your actions show that it’s yours. You must talk healing and act healing. *Patience began to work from the time you believed you received, and it must be allowed to work until the last symptom leaves your body. The voice of patience says, “I know God’s Word is true. I will not be moved by what I see or feel. I will only be moved by the Word of God. I patiently rest on the truth of God’s mighty Word!” * The experience of the answer is inevitable