By: J.E. Gray

Immediately upon repenting and in order to find forgiveness, we must believe. We find in Hebrews 11:6, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

I remember when I first made my start for God some years ago. Of course, I knew nothing about how to find the Lord. I appreciate the fact that there was a concerned man that prayed with me. I was kneeling at the altar praying with tears falling from my eyes, and it seems that I was just not getting anywhere. It came to me that perhaps I had waited too long, that I could never be saved (before I made a start, the devil told me I had plenty of time, then after I started, he told me that I had waited too long).

With a sorrowful heart, I poured out my soul to God. I didn’t want to live in sin anymore. I wanted to be saved. I didn’t want to be lost and go to hell. It seemed that I was praying against a brick wall, just a darkness there that didn’t let any light come through. This little man that was praying with me kept repeating over and over again within my hearing, “You’ve got to believe, you’ve got to believe, if you’ll just believe.” At first I thought, “I wish he would not annoy me like this. I don’t seem to be getting anywhere. I might as well get up and quit.” But, I finally realized what he was saying. Just simply believe; believe that God has mercy; believe that God is, and that he rewards those who diligently pray; believe that God will not hold it against you for the things that you have done, but that he will forgive you. As I thought upon this, it seemed almost too good to be true. Just repent and ask God to have mercy, and
believe, and he in turn would lead me in the way that I ought to go and direct my step in the path of God. So, I began to apply this and believed that there is a great God of heaven and that he died on the cross of
Calvary to save my soul, and it was not his will that I should perish, and that he did not exclude anyone. As this faith began to flow into my heart, the load began to lift, and it seemed that everything about me changed all at once. It was not the things about me that changed. I was the thing that had changed. I would never have gotten anywhere unless I had applied the term of faith.

As we walk with God, we must continue in faith. You start out by faith and you walk by faith. The just shall live by his faith! This faith works by the attitude of love inside the heart. Without that faith, we cannot please God, but with it his name is honored and glorified. This faith will cause people to obey and do as God would have them to do. We need it; we must have it today.

“By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became the heir of righteousness which is by faith” (Hebrews 11:7). One after the other, men of old were called men of faith.

Abraham was a man of faith. When he was called to go out, he obeyed the voice of God. He looked for a city which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God. Sarah was a woman of faith, who at the age of ninety, believed that she would have a son. As we read on in Hebrews Chapter eleven, we are reminded that faith does everything. it dries up rivers, moves mountains, raises the dead, stops the mouth of lions, opens eyes (and hearts), works righteousness, causes things to move and holds on when
things aren’t moving.

John wrote, “and many other signs truly did Jesus… which are not written in this book: but these are written, that ye might believe… and that believing ye might have life through his name,” St. John 20:31. The power of faith is an absolute necessity in the approach to God. If a man has wavering faith, “let not that man think that he shall receive anything from the Lord.” (James 1:7) Jesus said, “… if ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye could say to this mountain: Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove.” (Matthew 17:20) Many do not expect it in that fashion. We want faith like a mountain to move a mustard seed. When men look and see that nothing has happened when they pray, they must honestly
admit that it is just as they expected.

“According to your faith, be it unto you.” We have the Power of God at our disposal. It is accessible unto us, but only through faith. If we believe, then we shall receive, for Jesus said, (Mark 9:23) “… all things are possible to him that believeth.” Again, he said, “… what things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them and you shall have them” (Mark 11:24). Why not? If we doubt, we are saying that we do not trust; we do not believe in the honesty of the Lord. Neither do we believe in the verity of his word. He will perform what he has said.

As Solomon stood upon a platform in the courtyard of the temple and raised his hands in a prayer of dedication, he said, “Now, then, O Lord God of Israel, let they word be verified, which thou hast spoken unto thy servant David” (II Chronicles 6:17). The Lord has promised that if they would build the temple that he would live in it. Solomon was calling his hand to perform. Evidently Solomon believed that it was going to happen, because he had called the people together to witness the manifestation of God. He was
not expecting a failure; he was expecting God to perform what he had promised.

Men have prayed and God has answered, men that are just like you and me. The Bible tells us that in the case of Elijah, he was a man like we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain and it didn’t rain for three years and six months. He prayed again and God sent rain from Heaven. Before it happened he could hear “… a sound of abundance of rain.” He prayed seven times until finally the report came that there was a cloud arising out of the sea like unto a man’s hand. Something about faith causes you to
actually know it is going to happen before it takes place. This is what Hebrews 11:1 is saying in these words, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

Faith cannot be based upon gimmick; it cannot be based upon theory, nor psychology, nor superstition. It must be based on the true promises of God. Faith which is based upon the true promises of God will perform, will bring to pass that which did not exist. Faith will cause things to happen. The word alone will do nothing unless it is properly mixed with faith. (Heb. 4:2) And yet, hearing the word increases our faith. I have witnessed again and again what faith can do in the lives of individuals. It is the instrument needed for all occasions. If you believe God, it shall be. Paul said, “… I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me” (Acts 27:25)

If you want God’s spirit in your life, believe God. His promises are true. He has never failed and he never will. Take his word and believe it firmly. Do not allow yourself to doubt or question the word of God. Whatever you ask in faith, believing, just take it as it is. Ask it in his name and believe it. If you repent of your sins, you must believe that he is just to forgive, and that his mercy will be extended to you.

People have continued to live by the rule of faith through the years and receive the promises that God has given because that they dare to believe. If you do not believe, you will not receive anything from the Lord. If you do not believe in the Holy Ghost, you will never receive it, but if you believe, you shall receive.

A traveler crossed a frozen stream, in trembling fear one day; Later a teamster drove across, and whistled all the way. Great faith and little faith alike, were granted safe convoy; One had the pangs of needless fear, the other, all the joy. -Selected

Since it is a fact that “… God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” (Romans 12:3) “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. 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.” (Rom. 12:1,2)

“God having provided some better thing for us…” (Hebrews 11:40 and “…seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith:…” (Hebrews 12:1,2)

(The above material was taken from the booklet Treasures of Truth.)
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