03.10. FIVE A C T UA L I Z I N G THE WITNESS OF GOD'S FAITH
FIVE A C T UA L I Z I N G THE WITNESS OF GOD’S FAITH
We have in this book come to understand that GOD has ordained a totality in HIS own faith by which we can actually function. We can develop a reality of living, moving and having our being in HIM and by HIM - in the glory of HIS grace actualized!
GOD’s grace is a reality in HIS faith communicated to us through CHRIST JESUS, by the HOLY SPIRIT. The Testimony Of JESUS is the spiritual conduit for the communication of GOD’s faith. The intent of the Testimony Of JESUS is to give actual spiritual defini- tion and expression to the reality of living, moving and having our being in GOD!
JESUS CHRIST gave true expression to the faith of GOD and, the Testimony Of JESUS gives true definition and expression to a faith reality that will enable all of us to live, move and have our being in GOD.
[Lucifer on the other hand, received of the faith of GOD and built an altar of faith to himself and his own motives that ultimately blasphemed GOD.]
We have in this book seen that the LORD JESUS HIMSELF has told us that we can actually "have the faith of GOD!" And, the LORD JESUS has also told us that in this reality, nothing will be impossi- ble to us.
We now understand that through the ministry of the HOLY SPIRIT, we can come to receive, realize and express, GOD ordained faith realities, which are inherent to GOD’s Word opened to us in the Testimony Of JESUS. The faith realities inherent to GOD’s Word are communicated to us in the Spirit and Life of CHRIST JESUS!
GOD’s Word communicated into us, in the Spirit and Life of JESUS CHRIST, give actual expression to the faith of GOD developed for us in the life, ministry and testimony of JESUS CHRIST. The faith of JESUS is GOD’s faith made available to us in fully communicable terms. The faith (and love) of JESUS CHRIST is GOD’s provision to us.
And, several potentially phenomenal realities open to us in the faith of JESUS CHRIST that is fully communicable into us by our hope on HIM and our faith in HIM!
Several verses in the Kings James translation of the Bible describe this actuality of the faith of JESUS available to all who have received JESUS CHRIST as LORD and Saviour.
Galatians 2:16 (KJV) reads: < Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law, but by the faith of JESUS CHRIST, even we have believed in JESUS CHRIST, that we might be justified by the faith of CHRIST, and not by the works of the Law: for by the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified. > This verse from the KJV is crucial to us because it mentions both the faith of JESUS CHRIST and faith in JESUS CHRIST. This verse is describing an awesome reality to us. This verse tells us that our faith in JESUS CHRIST enables us to actually draw from realities expressed in HIS faith so that we - in all that we have realized in the actu- alization of HIS faith - are justified! That is, we are justified by the faith of JESUS CHRIST that we have actualized by faith in HIM! To be justified before GOD means having actual functional position before GOD in the faith of JESUS CHRIST realized from our faith in HIM! By focusing on JESUS CHRIST - by faith in HIM - we have the poten- tial of actualizing all that stands for us in HIS faith! And, this is the basis of grace (see Ephesians 2:8-10; John 1:16-17, NASB+NKJV+KJV). Hence the reality declared in Php 4:13, that we can do all things through CHRIST WHO strengthens us.
2 Peter 1:1 (NASB) confirms this reality, with the Apostle Peter pro- claiming the reality of: < those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our GOD and Saviour, JESUS CHRIST. > The Apostle Paul confirms this actuality in Galatians 2:20 (KJV) by pro- claiming that: < I am crucified with CHRIST: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but CHRIST liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the SON of GOD, WHO loved me, and gave HIMSELF for me. > So we are being told that we can all receive the same kind of faith.
And, this comes only because the same kind of faith is entirely of JESUS CHRIST. And, this realization will enable us all to actually live and func- tion by the faith of JESUS CHRIST!
Galatians 3:22 (KJV) reads: < But the Scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of JESUS CHRIST might be given to them that believe. >
Here we see that every promise in the Scripture is made available to us by the faith of JESUS CHRIST! So the faith of JESUS CHRIST - which is the faith of GOD made available to us through JESUS CHRIST - is the basis of the actualization of all of GOD’s provi- sion (by promise) for us.
Simply nothing - in line with GOD’s Sovereign will - will be impossible to us because of the availability of the faith of JESUS CHRIST!
And, now we clearly understand why the Master declared that nothing will be impossible to us!
GOD has provided for us access to all that is impossible under the crite- ria of the Law (both in the natural and spiritual) - through the faith of JESUS CHRIST. And so, nothing shall be impossible to us! AMEN! In the faith of JESUS CHRIST all that is in the Prophets - by Promise - is available to us through substance communicated. This substance communicated is of the faith of JESUS CHRIST. And so, nothing will be impossible to us.
So, the Cross testifies and witnesses to a faith that is able to destroy death and, open to us possibilities by promise in all eternity! And, this is a real- ity that is of the faith of GOD - for us, in the glory of HIS grace! The possibilities by promise arise, in the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets, in the substance of MASHIAH YESHUA’s fullness! Indeed nothing shall be impossible to us in the merits of the LAMB. The realities that arise in the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets are entirely of the faith of GOD that becomes a lifeline of grace upon grace to us. The seed of GOD’s faith - communicated through the seed of CHRIST - has the potential of becoming a growing and blossoming Tree Of Life in us. So how do we pursue the reality of GOD’s faith opened to us through the Spirit and Life of JESUS? How do we come to function in realities that are available to us in the faith of JESUS CHRIST?
How do we come to actualize realities in GOD’s faith that unveil in the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets?
What does Paul mean when he says that the life he now lives in the flesh he actually lives by the faith of JESUS CHRIST? The Scripture tells us that faith is a Mystery (see 1 Timothy 3:9). The Mystery Of Faith opens to a clear conscience. Who but JESUS CHRIST had a clear conscience? And, in JESUS CHRIST - in HIS faith and love for us - this clear conscience is communicable!
Paul describes this reality in Romans 9:1 < I am telling the truth in CHRIST, I am not lying, my conscience bearing me witness in the HOLY SPIRIT >.
Fundamentally, true faith is necessarily a mystery that unfolds from GOD’s heart.
Man needs true faith so that he can receive of the life of GOD. True faith is a revealed reality. Revelation is described in CHRIST JESUS and, is communicated by the HOLY SPIRIT.
We can only enter this revealed reality with a clear conscience that arises from a heart built in the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. The unleavened bread of sincerity and truth comes in the substance of the Master’s fullness! The reality of having the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth - in an increasingly clear conscience - is entirely a consequence of receiving grow- ing measures of the substance of the Master’s fullness! The unleavened bread of sincerity and truth - testified to in a clear con- science - is a reality that stands in revelation knowledge. The unleavened bread of sincerity and truth that unveils in a clear con- science, is an actual revelation of the knowledge form that MASHIAH YESHUA developed before GOD - in HIS life, ministry, crucifixion and resurrection (see Isaiah 53:11 b). The Mystery Of Faith unveils by revelation knowledge - given true defi- nition in CHRIST JESUS. Revelation knowledge communicates the secrets of GOD into us (see Deuteronomy 29:29 and Mark 4:22). The purpose of this revealed knowledge - defined and communicated in the faith of GOD - is to create living epistles of CHRIST, who are called servants or ministers of the New Covenant (see Exodus 31:18; Exodus 32:15-16; 2 Corinthians 3:3; 2 Corinthians 3:6; 2 Corinthians 3:3-6, NKJV).
We are epistles of CHRIST - called forth as servants or ministers of the New Covenant - and, also called to be actual stewards of the Mysteries Of GOD! This reality is pointed to in 1 Corinthians 4:1, which reads: < Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of CHRIST, and stewards of the Mysteries Of GOD. > The Mystery Of CHRIST is the exclusive conduit that reveals and actualizes our stewardship of the Mysteries Of GOD (see Ephesians 3:3-4; Ephesians 3:7-10). And our stewardship of the Mysteries of GOD will reveal an administra- tion suitable to the fullness of the times - the summing up of all things in CHRIST JESUS (see Ephesians 1:9; Ephesians 1:3-10 and Colossians 1:17-20).
All of this reality of an administration suitable to the fullness of the times stands entirely in the faith of GOD. The faith of GOD is communicat- ed in the summing up of all things in CHRIST JESUS so that the full- ness of CHRIST JESUS will fill all in all (see Ephesians 1:22-23 and Ephesians 4:10). In this reality the fullness of CHRIST JESUS gives true expression to GOD’s faith! By praying in tongues - by the HOLY SPIRIT, in CHRIST JESUS - we have access to the Mysteries Of GOD (see 1 Corinthians 14:2).
Paul, who profoundly demonstrated such an access to the Mysteries Of GOD through his ministry and his writings, instructs us that praying in tongues will result in revelation, knowledge, teaching and prophecy (see 1 Corinthians 14:6).
It is because of this astonishing reality of revelation, knowledge, teaching and prophecy that he was a party to - by the HOLY SPIRIT, in CHRIST JESUS (see note 5.1) - that, Paul declares that he prayed in tongues "more than you all" (see 1 Corinthians 14:18).
Jude 1:20-21 a, gives us further insight on tongues by instructing us: < But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith; pray- ing in the HOLY SPIRIT .... . >
Here we see that tongues - manifested by the HOLY SPIRIT, in CHRIST JESUS (see Romans 8:2), in the Witness (see 1 John 5:10; 1 John 5:7-8, NKJV and Revelation 3:14 b) - open us to the reality of "most holy faith".
Only GOD’s faith is "most holy"!
GOD’s most holy faith is communicated through HIS WORD - entire- ly by the SPIRIT Of GOD! That GOD’s faith can - by the HOLY SPIRIT, in CHRIST JESUS - become "your most holy faith" is simply an astonishing reality!
Fundamentally, tongues are designed to reveal this reality of the most holy in fully functional terms through the conduits of revelation, knowl- edge, teaching and prophecy.
Prophecy is designed to release the faith of GOD from our hearts through our mouths. In fact, the Word Of GOD is designed to unveil from us all, in this reality (see Deuteronomy 30:14-15; Romans 10:8-11; Jeremiah 1:11-12).
Peter tells us in 1 Peter 4:11 (NKJV) that we have the potentials of becoming the actual Oracles Of GOD (see note 5.2)! Awesome isn’t it!
And, we can actually perceive in our inward parts the reality of actual stewardship of the Mysteries Of GOD through a most holy faith. This most holy faith is the faith of GOD perfected and completed into us by the HOLY SPIRIT through the substance of CHRIST JESUS Fullness! John 1:16 reads: < For of HIS Fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. > The substance of CHRIST JESUS Fullness is described in prophetic terms as the Bread Of The Holy and the Bread Of The Most Holy in Leviticus 21:22. Leviticus 21:22 reads: < He may eat of the Bread of HIS GOD, both of the Most Holy and the Holy. >
It is in the realization of the Bread Of The Holy and the Bread Of The Most Holy - by substance communicated - that we come to possess a growing witness in the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. The unleavened bread of sincerity and truth in turn results in us having a confidence that will result in mountains of impossibility being moved!
It is crucial to understand that the confidence is not of the flesh of man but is entirely of the flesh of the SON Of MAN (see John 6:53; John 6:51-53)! The eating of the Bread is described prophetically by the Prophet Jeremiah (in Jeremiah 15:16): < THY Words were found and I ate them, and THY Words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart; for I have been called by THY Name, O LORD GOD Of Hosts. >
Against this prophetic background, the Master proclaims that man has the potential of actually living by every Rhema Word that proceeds out of the Mouth of GOD (see Matthew 4:4). That man can actually live by every Rhema Word that actually proceeds from the mouth of GOD is simply astonishing. Obviously this is a reali- ty that stands in the faith and love of GOD! Our biggest hindrance to hearing and receiving from GOD is our carnal nature and carnal mindset. The Scripture speaks clearly that we must be renewed in the spirit of our mind (see Ephesians 4:23; Ephesians 4:22-24).
Tongues are a spiritual tool, by which, GOD enables us to side step the hindrances of our carnal mind that has been built out of the spirit of the world.
Tongues facilitate the realities of the Mysteries Of GOD or the secret things of GOD into our being (see Deuteronomy 29:29) - through the conduit of a most holy faith.
Isaiah 28:9 tells us that GOD has the intent of teaching us: < To whom would HE teach knowledge? And to whom would HE interpret the message? ... >
Isaiah 54:13-14 a proclaims an awesome reality that stands in the faith of GOD:
< And all your sons will be taught of the LORD; and the wellbeing of your sons will be great. In righteousness you will be established ... >
Zephaniah 3:9 (KJV) declares: < For then I will turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the Name of the LORD, to serve HIM with one consent. > The NASB talks of GOD giving to the people purified lips.
GOD is talking of pure language, manifested from purified lips as a con- sequence of the realization of a most holy faith! Our LORD JESUS CHRIST reinforces this actuality in John 6:45. The LORD JESUS declares: < It is written in the Prophets, "And they shall all be taught of GOD." Everyone who has heard and learned from the FATHER comes to ME. > The fundamental purpose of tongues is to communicate knowledge and the on-line message of GOD into us (see Isaiah 28:9) in a most holy faith. This communication will result in a flow of revelation, knowledge, teach- ing and prophecy into us and through us (see 1 Corinthians 14:6). Enabling us to function as the Oracles of GOD! The result of all this will be a greater intimacy with JESUS CHRIST (see John 6:45 and Proverbs 9:10 b)!
Isaiah 28:11 prophecies that this reality will come through tongues: < Indeed HE will speak to this people through stammering lips and a foreign tongue. >
What an absurd prophecy! Totally out of sync with the human intellect. How on earth can you teach someone in a tongue that he does not under- stand!
But, GOD is speaking of a reality - communicated in the substance of CHRIST JESUS fullness - in which we can potentially be entirely taught by GOD. And, GOD is speaking of communication that is described as "spirit upon spirit" in 1 Corinthians 2:12-13; 1 Corinthians 2:9-13. This is the work of the HOLY SPIRIT WHO is charged with revealing the depths of GOD and manifesting that which man cannot know in and of his own self (see 1 Corinthians 2:9-10; 1 Corinthians 2:12 and John 16:13-15). The right evidence of such a process being brought into place in us is however, not merely how much we speak in tongues, but in how much of CHRIST is being formed in us (see Galatians 4:19; Galatians 2:20, KJV and, John 6:45). We must never let the gift replace the giver (see Ephesians 4:7-10). The purpose of the gift in tongues is to realize the fullness of CHRIST JESUS that stands in what is prophetically addressed as the Mystery Of CHRIST (see Ephesians 3:3-4; Ephesians 3:7-10).
HE must fill all in all - in us, amongst us and through us (see Ephesians 1:22-23; Ephesians 4:10 and, Colossians 1:17-20). This is what the Church is responsible for. The communication of the fullness of HIM WHO is to fill all in all! The faith of GOD is designed to bring this to fulfillment in us and amongst us as the Body Of CHRIST across the world and in the heavenly places - both Jew and Gentile, male and female! AMEN!
Praying in tongues results in two fundamental realities - knowledge and the message (see Isaiah 28:9) - that are described and developed in the Word Of GOD.
Knowledge describes the abiding and eternal realities of the Word Of GOD that go to form a heart of flesh in us. This is the Covenant Word of GOD. The Covenant Word of GOD is fashioned and formed in the substance of the fullness of CHRIST JESUS (see note 5.3) - the Bread Of The Holy (see note 5.4) and the Bread Of The Most Holy (see note 5.5). This abiding Covenant Word of GOD is the actualization of the knowl- edge of the HOLY ONE that justifies us. Isaiah 53:11 b reads: < By HIS knowledge the RIGHTEOUS ONE, MY Servant, will justify the many ... . > This knowledge form is part of the Mystery Of CHRIST that tongues are designed to reveal. The message describes the spontaneous, functional Word Of GOD that comes by a flow of thoughts or words, a silent voice, a spoken voice, pic- torial thought flows via visions and dreams, spiritual impressions etc that are discerned together with the spiritual backdrop of our inward spiritu- al senses. Our inward spiritual senses are built out of the Logos Word Of Righteousness (see Hebrews 5:13-14 and see also note 5.6). The message enables the spontaneous operation of the gifts of the HOLY SPIRIT.
But, the message also unveils teaching, preaching, praying, worship, prophecy etc through the Witness that GOD is building and developing in all of us. The message must flow in a witness in us (see Deuteronomy 30:14-15 and 1 John 5:10 a) that objectively chooses to glory in JESUS CHRIST and, has no confidence in the fallen flesh of man (see Php 3:3). The knowledge that forms the Covenant heart of flesh determines the quality of the "message flow" in our witness in conscious, sub-conscious and unconscious terms. So tongues are designed to be the spiritual tool by which we can pursue the reality of being made entirely functional by GOD - in CHRIST JESUS, by the HOLY SPIRIT! AMEN (see Revelation 3:14 b and 1 John 5:10 a, 7-8, NKJV)! In fundamental terms, we should function in tongues to receive of the knowledge form of the Word Of GOD that needs to be explained to us by the HOLY SPIRIT, through the conduits of the Spirit and Life of CHRIST JESUS.
Seemingly simple words like love, faith, knowledge, understanding, wis- dom, righteousness, holiness, truth, good, power, authority etc have real- ities in the "I AM" of GOD - opened to us in MASHIAH YESHUA - that are actually infinitely beyond what the languages of man impute to them (see Isaiah 55:8-9 and 1 Corinthians 2:9; 1 Corinthians 2:9-14)!
These words form the building blocks that give expression to Scriptural realities described as: the Mystery Of The Gospel, the Mystery Of Faith, the Mystery Of Godliness, the Mystery of GOD’s Will, the Mysteries Of The Kingdom, the Mystery Of CHRIST and stewardship of the Mysteries Of GOD!
1 Corinthians 2:9 describes such a reality in these terms: < ... "Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that GOD has prepared for those who love HIM" > The Word Of GOD tells us that GOD is watching over HIS Word so that HE can perform it (see Jeremiah 1:11-12). When individual words are put together in verses of Scripture, we see that many passages of Scripture carry a spiritual universe of reality that have the potential of actual performance - in the potentials and actualities of the faith and love of GOD HIMSELF! AMEN (see Revelation 3:14 b and 1 John 5:10 a, 7-8, NKJV)!
All these require the gift of tongues to actualize. This is why Paul (in 1 Corinthians 14:21) quotes Isaiah 28:11 from a peculiar perspective as: < in the Law it is written >! In what way is Isaiah 28:11 "in the Law"? In what way is speaking in tongues "in the Law"?
Through a Law Of Faith that establishes the Law Of GOD (see Romans 3:27; Romans 3:19-27; Romans 3:31) in the substance of CHRIST JESUS Nature, Character and Testimony!
How does the Law Of Faith establish the Law Of GOD? Through actual communication of the substance of the fullness of JESUS CHRIST into us! The substance of the fullness of CHRIST JESUS fulfills the Law and the Prophets through HIS faith and love expressed for man through the Cross (see Matthew 5:17-18).
Faith establishes the Law by being able to communicate - through sub- stance - the Nature and Character of JESUS CHRIST (specifically HIS Love exercised through the Cross) that fulfilled the Law (see Mark 12:28-33).
[We can also see how tongues facilitate the actualization of the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets from this sequence of Scripture: Exodus 31:18; Exodus 32:15-16; 2 Corinthians 3:3, NKJV+NASB; Jeremiah 31:31-34; Hebrews 10:15-17.]
Tongues facilitate the revelations that stand in the Mystery Of CHRIST, through the communication of the Mystery Of Faith supernaturally. All this is in substance so that nothing will be impossible to us. For nothing to be impossible to us, we must ensure that the substance is entirely of CHRIST. We do this by fixing our hope on CHRIST JESUS - without wavering.
1 John 3:3 reads: < And everyone who has this hope fixed on HIM purifies himself, just as HE is pure. >
We exercise our tongues in this unwavering hope in MASHIAH YESHUA (see Romans 5:5; Romans 5:1-5) that anchors our soul behind the veil in realities that open the Mysteries of the Kingdom into us (see Hebrews 6:19-20; Hebrews 7:22; Hebrews 7:28 and Matthew 13:11; Matthew 13:16-17; Matthew 13:23).
Hope in CHRIST JESUS will produce the substance that is of HIM. And, potentially nothing shall be impossible to us! AMEN!
Scripture References & Notes - Chapter 5 (5.1) Romans 9:1 points to the reality of functioning by the HOLY SPIR- IT, in CHRIST JESUS: < I am telling the truth in CHRIST, I am not lying, my conscience bearing me witness in the HOLY SPIRIT >.
(5.2) 1 Peter 4:11 (KJV) reads: < If any man speak, let him speak as the Oracles of GOD >. The NASB uses the phrase: < the Utterances of GOD >.
(5.3) John 1:16-17 (NASB) reads: < For of HIS fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through JESUS CHRIST. >
(5.4) Called the Bread Of The Presence in Exodus 25:30 (NASB).
(5.5) Called the "Hidden Manna" in Revelation 2:17 which is the Bread Of The Most Holy (see Hebrews 9:4) that communicates the substantive realities of the Name Of GOD (see 2 Samuel 6:2). This is the highest real- ity that the LORD JESUS CHRIST came to fulfill (see John 17:6; John 17:26; John 17:26; John 6:51; John 6:48-51). This fulfillment is entirely of the substance of MASHIAH YESHUA’s fullness that communicates the Bread Of The Most Holy.
(5.6) Notice the mention of milk in Hebrews 5:13 as in Isaiah 28:9! So the Word Of Righteousness that builds our inward spiritual senses is laid into us line upon line, precept upon precept, a little here a little there (see Isaiah 28:10-11). Tongues facilitate this process - supernaturally!