HAVING YOUR OWN FAITH
Think of having faith in your own faith! Think of the thrill of having your own prayers answered! A mother rushed up to me at the close of a service and said, "Oh, Mr. Kenyon, God heard my prayer last night and healed my baby." She had been a Christian for years, and had never had her prayers answered.
A grandmother wrote, "You will never know the joy I have just experienced. My little grandchild was very ill, and in a dangerous condition. Then I remembered the Name of Jesus and my rights in Christ. I went into the sick room, knelt down by the baby, put my arms around it, and commanded in Jesus' Name that the disease leave and that the baby be healed. The mother stood by the bedside, tears streaming down her face. The baby opened his eyes, looked up at his mother and smiled. God had heard my prayer.
"I turned and laid my hands upon my daughter who had been sick ever since the child was born. She was healed.
"Can you imagine what this means to me? It is the first time in my life that I ever saw my prayers answered like that." This should be the normal experience of everyone of you.
When you realize that the great majority of Christians never have a prayer answered, you can understand what I mean by having your own faith.
"I turned and laid my hands upon my daughter who had been sick ever since the child was born. She was healed.
"Can you imagine what this means to me? It is the first time in my life that I ever saw my prayers answered like that." This should be the normal experience of everyone of you.
When you realize that the great majority of Christians never have a prayer answered, you can understand what I mean by having your own faith.
Most Christians are depending upon other people's faith. They can do the praying, but they want someone else to do the believing. In reality they are not praying. They are just repeating words, for prayer in the New Testament sense is born of faith, and is always answered.
The Father planned that all should have faith. Have you noticed that passage of scriptures in Mark 16:17-18? "These signs shall accompany them that believe: in my name shall they cast out demons; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall in no wise hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover."
The Father planned that all should have faith. Have you noticed that passage of scriptures in Mark 16:17-18? "These signs shall accompany them that believe: in my name shall they cast out demons; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall in no wise hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover."
Of whom is He speaking? Of the man or the woman who has just accepted Christ as Savior and confessed Him as Lord. He has just received Eternal Life. At once he begins his combat with the unseen forces of darkness. Someone is sick or in bondage. He exercises his rights. In Jesus' Name he commands the power of Satan broken.
Acts 20:32 shows the place of the Word in the life of the believer. "Now I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you the inheritance, among all them that are sanctified."
"To build you up" means to build you up in faith, in love, and in ability to help humanity.
Your faith may be developed until it becomes a mighty force. That was the dream of the Father for you. The Word will build up your sense of Righteousness.
Acts 20:32 shows the place of the Word in the life of the believer. "Now I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you the inheritance, among all them that are sanctified."
"To build you up" means to build you up in faith, in love, and in ability to help humanity.
Your faith may be developed until it becomes a mighty force. That was the dream of the Father for you. The Word will build up your sense of Righteousness.
I know of nothing that is needed more than this. When we become conscious that we are Righteous, we will not think of our weaknesses and failings. Isaiah 32:17 "The work of righteousness shall be peace: and the effect of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever."
This verse does not belong to Israel. It is a prophecy of the Church. The work of Righteousness that God wrought in you has brought peace to your heart. Romans 8:1 "There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus." You live in perfect quietness and rest.
This verse does not belong to Israel. It is a prophecy of the Church. The work of Righteousness that God wrought in you has brought peace to your heart. Romans 8:1 "There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus." You live in perfect quietness and rest.
The effect of Righteousness on your heart is a new quietness and a new type of faith.
You enjoy the effect of your confidence in the finished work of Christ. You know that you are a master of circumstances. You know that you are a master of demons. You know that if you lay hands on a sick person, he will be healed.
The realization of this truth gives you a sense of quietness, a fulness of joy that you have never enjoyed before. The phrase, "confidence forever," is striking. You have moved out of the restless atmosphere of fear and doubt, into the quiet waters of victory. You have become a master where you served as a slave. You are a conqueror where you suffered defeat. You walk in the light where you walked in darkness.
You enjoy your privileges in Christ. At last you have your own faith. At last you have arrived. You know what John 15:5 means: "I am the vine; ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same beareth much fruit: for apart from me ye can do nothing." You enjoy the consciousness of the life of the vine abiding in you. You are the fruit-bearing part of Christ.
You enjoy the effect of your confidence in the finished work of Christ. You know that you are a master of circumstances. You know that you are a master of demons. You know that if you lay hands on a sick person, he will be healed.
The realization of this truth gives you a sense of quietness, a fulness of joy that you have never enjoyed before. The phrase, "confidence forever," is striking. You have moved out of the restless atmosphere of fear and doubt, into the quiet waters of victory. You have become a master where you served as a slave. You are a conqueror where you suffered defeat. You walk in the light where you walked in darkness.
You enjoy your privileges in Christ. At last you have your own faith. At last you have arrived. You know what John 15:5 means: "I am the vine; ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same beareth much fruit: for apart from me ye can do nothing." You enjoy the consciousness of the life of the vine abiding in you. You are the fruit-bearing part of Christ.
You have been grafted into Him by the New Birth. That graft has given you a new nature.
You bear the Jesus kind of fruit, which is love fruit, faith fruit. The world is benefited by it. Christians are lifted everywhere you go into a new consciousness of their rights and privileges in Christ. You know what John 15:7 means: "If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatsoever ye will, and it shall be done unto you."
You know you do abide in Him. You bear the fruitage of His indwelling Word.
You bear the Jesus kind of fruit, which is love fruit, faith fruit. The world is benefited by it. Christians are lifted everywhere you go into a new consciousness of their rights and privileges in Christ. You know what John 15:7 means: "If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatsoever ye will, and it shall be done unto you."
You know you do abide in Him. You bear the fruitage of His indwelling Word.
His Word in your lips produce real results. The Father's Word in Jesus lips healed the sick. His Word in your lips does the same. You know what it means to have legal rights, and whatever you demand He gives you. The word "demand" is used in its truest sense. John 16:23-214 Jesus said, "In that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, If ye shall ask anything of the Father, He will give it to you in my name."
The word "ask" means "demand." It is not used in the sense that you command Him to give, but in the sense that you go into the bank and demand payment on your check. In the same sense your faith takes its rights, its portion. At last you know what James 1:22-24 means.
"But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deluding your own selves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a mirror: for he beholdeth himself, and goeth away, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was." You have become a "doer of the Word." You are not just a hearer. You do not delude yourself with false hopes.
The word "ask" means "demand." It is not used in the sense that you command Him to give, but in the sense that you go into the bank and demand payment on your check. In the same sense your faith takes its rights, its portion. At last you know what James 1:22-24 means.
"But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deluding your own selves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a mirror: for he beholdeth himself, and goeth away, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was." You have become a "doer of the Word." You are not just a hearer. You do not delude yourself with false hopes.
You are in Christ. You are an heir of God and a joint heir with Jesus Christ. You know that His Word abides in you and produces results. You are a producer. You are not marking time any longer. You know now "what manner of man you are." You know that you are a New Creation, empowered by God.
The other day I looked at one of the new cars. The salesman said, "There is a 160 horsepower motor under that hood." I said, "That could climb hills." The man said, "It laughs at mountains." I stood beside a believer. I said, "That man is empowered with God's ability. He laughs at all grades. He sings his song of triumph as he goes over in high.
He is not a subject, a slave. He has passed out of that class into the class of a master.
The other day I looked at one of the new cars. The salesman said, "There is a 160 horsepower motor under that hood." I said, "That could climb hills." The man said, "It laughs at mountains." I stood beside a believer. I said, "That man is empowered with God's ability. He laughs at all grades. He sings his song of triumph as he goes over in high.
He is not a subject, a slave. He has passed out of that class into the class of a master.
He remembers in the morning what manner of man he is. He faces life with a song of victory. The Word of Christ dwells in him richly in all wisdom and prudence. (Colossians 3:16). The Word has become a part of God to him, a part of the living Christ to him.
Day by day the great, mighty Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead builds that Word into his spirit consciousness.
Christ is being formed in him. One of these days, Christ, in all His fulness, will dominate him, until he will whisper softly, (Galatians 2:20) "It is no longer I that live, but Christ liveth in me.' Colossians 2:6-7 "As therefore ye received Christ Jesus as Lord, so walk in him, rooted and builded up in him, and established in your faith, even as ye were taught, abounding in thanksgiving."
Day by day the great, mighty Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead builds that Word into his spirit consciousness.
Christ is being formed in him. One of these days, Christ, in all His fulness, will dominate him, until he will whisper softly, (Galatians 2:20) "It is no longer I that live, but Christ liveth in me.' Colossians 2:6-7 "As therefore ye received Christ Jesus as Lord, so walk in him, rooted and builded up in him, and established in your faith, even as ye were taught, abounding in thanksgiving."
The scripture is real to him. Did you ever notice Ephisians 4:7? "But unto each one of us was the grace given, according to the measure of the gift of Christ?" Now we are moving up into the big things. The guide said, "In a few minutes we will be in the redwood section, and you will see the giants of the vegetable world."
I said softly as I walked into the prayer meeting, "We are coming into the spiritual redwoods. We are going to see spiritual giants, supermen. They have God dwelling in them. The Word of Christ is rich upon their lips. The love that relentlessly drove Jesus to the cross has gained possession of them.
"They no longer walk as natural men. They belong to the love class, the miracle class.
I said softly as I walked into the prayer meeting, "We are coming into the spiritual redwoods. We are going to see spiritual giants, supermen. They have God dwelling in them. The Word of Christ is rich upon their lips. The love that relentlessly drove Jesus to the cross has gained possession of them.
"They no longer walk as natural men. They belong to the love class, the miracle class.
"They are in the Jesus class. "They have graduated from the lower class. "They are the men and women who have `attained unto the unity of faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, and have become full-grown men unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.' "They have their own faith. They are established in the truth. The Word is real to them."
LOVE'S IDENTIFICATION
We have seen that the New Creation is utterly one with Christ. We have seen that the New Creation is one with love, one with Him, and Love is one with the New Creation.
The new Creation is the body of Christ. This living organism, God-dominated, God-filled,
is here among men acting love, acting in His stead, taking over His work.
In the first chapter of Acts, Luke says by the Spirit, "The things Jesus began to do and teach." We began where He left off. We take up the work that He laid down. He was the Burden-Bearer, the Lover. He is acting in us, through us, and with us.
LOVE'S IDENTIFICATION
We have seen that the New Creation is utterly one with Christ. We have seen that the New Creation is one with love, one with Him, and Love is one with the New Creation.
The new Creation is the body of Christ. This living organism, God-dominated, God-filled,
is here among men acting love, acting in His stead, taking over His work.
In the first chapter of Acts, Luke says by the Spirit, "The things Jesus began to do and teach." We began where He left off. We take up the work that He laid down. He was the Burden-Bearer, the Lover. He is acting in us, through us, and with us.
IDENTIFICATION
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