Faith Has Two Sides

If you want to have a deep study on the life of faith, friends, then I would suggest you camp out in your Bibles, in the book of Hebrews, and take a long walk down that fantastic corridor of faith found in Hebrews chapter 11. That chapter never fails to amaze me, and astound me, and shame me all at the same time as I read about those worthies of whom the world was not worthy. In Hebrews chapter 11, and verse 1, we see the opening statement that sets the stage for this hall of faith.

Let me read this to us at this time. Here now is the word of God, and may the Spirit of the Lord attend the reading of his holy word. Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

It plainly states that faith and hope go together, and faith and hope go together like biscuits and gravy. You can't have one without the other. And it says over in verse 5, it says this about Enoch, that he pleased God, and then the very next sentence declares, but without faith it is impossible to please him.

Now that's a remarkable statement, friends, that if we want to be pleasing to God, then we must have a life of faith, and exercise that faith on a regular basis. I want to bring before us to-day a message on the principles of faith. Years ago I made a vow with God in prayer that, I asked him if he would make me a man of faith, I'd be willing to be challenged in my walk with him, if he would develop in me a life of faith.

Little did I realize back yonder, in those years of sunshine and roses, what I had to go through, what had to transpire in my life, in order for that request to come true. I have been on a faith adventure, and if I told you my story, most folks would not believe it. But God has worked wonder after wonder in my life, as he has taught me faith.

Perhaps you, friend, desire to become a person of stronger faith, and you have that desire to have a walk of faith with God. Then listen to this message I have for you today. The title of my message today, friends, is Faith Has Two Sides.

And I will do my level best to prove that point to you that faith has two sides. It has a divine side, and a human side. And I want to bring out several aspects from that statement, as we look deeply into the faith life.

There are seven faith principles I want to share with you today, friends. So get out your pens and paper, and jot these down as we proceed. Principle number one.

The promises of God are stored up in ample supply, waiting to be activated by faith, and released by faith. Time and time again, as we walk through the pages of Hebrews chapter 11, we encounter the following remark. By faith, Noah did so and so.

And by faith, Moses did this and that. And by faith, Abraham did so and so. In other words, it was their faith activated that moved the Almighty to act on their behalf.

I repeat, the promises of God are stored up in ample supply, waiting to be activated by faith. An example of this can be seen in the life of Abraham. For it was the exercise of faith by Abraham, in offering up his son Isaac, that was activated by his belief in a God who will provide.

You see, friends, the ram was in the bushes all the time, waiting to be brought out or released by faith. God had the necessary supply waiting in the wings, so to speak. God was waiting on man's faith to release the supply.

Faith principle number two. God the giver, God the Father, wants to bestow blessings upon His children as they exercise and grow in faith. We see this in Luke chapter 11 and verse 13, which declares, If ye, then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him? Listen, friends, God has a rich storehouse of blessings He wants to bestow upon us, and He is waiting for our faith.

Jeremiah speaks of the wonderful things, great and mighty things, God has in store for us. In Jeremiah 33.3 we see, Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not. Listen, friends, God is looking for faith from us.

God is on the lookout for faith. We see in Luke 18.8, Nevertheless, when the Son of Man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth? Now let's look at faith principle number three. Faith has to be exercised by our belief in order to be activated by God.

Jesus said in Matthew 9.29, According to your faith be it unto you. And we see this principle again in Matthew 8.13, where Jesus says, And thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. Underline that statement, friends, according to your faith.

We see this faith principle at work in Hebrews 11.11, Where it speaks of Sarah's faith and how her faith was exercised by her belief. Listen, and was delivered of a child when she was past age. Are you ready? Because she judged him faithful who had promised.

Now let us peer into faith principle number four. There is a manward side to faith and a Godward side. The divine and the human, so to speak.

We see this in Mark 9.23. Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. This is the manward side to faith. Do we really believe? Jesus often challenged his disciples by saying, Where is your faith, or ye of little faith? But here Jesus says, All things are possible to him that believes.

And over in Matthew 17.20, Jesus contrasts unbelief with belief. And Jesus said unto them, Because your unbelief, or verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, Ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place, And it shall remove, And nothing shall be impossible unto you. Did you hear that, friend? Nothing will be impossible to those who believe.

Now look back at the Godward side of faith as seen in Matthew 19.26. With God, all things are possible. Listen, friends. Most of us would agree with that last statement that with God all things are possible.

But do we really believe that? That is true in our lives. Jesus said, All things are possible to him that believes. Do you believe? How deep is your faith? I believe a wonderful picture of faith can be found in Ezekiel 47.

And in verses 3 through 5, it pictures our spiritual progress in faith. There in chapter 47, the prophet Ezekiel is standing at the temple, and he beholds a river flowing from it. And this depicts the living waters of God's grace in a walk of faith.

See how his faith develops. First he gets his feet wet up to the ankles. Then he goes a little deeper with water to the waist.

Then he dives into the waters to swim in. Well, faith is like that, friends. God wants to develop our faith, but we must be willing to go deeper with him.

Now let's look at faith principle number 5. Faith has two sides. It is both believing that God is able, that with God all things are possible. This is the acknowledging on our part that God is able.

But faith is not activated until I believe in my heart of hearts that all things are possible to him that believes. I must ask myself, am I hindering God by my unbelief? Unbelief is a great obstruction to Christ's favors and blessings. When Jesus was in his hometown, the people murmured and said, Is this not the carpenter's son? And they were offended in him.

And listen to Matthew 13, 58. And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief. Wow, that should resonate in our hearts.

Their lack of faith hindered him. That's an astounding statement. Is the church today shackled by her own unbelief? Is this the reason why we're not seeing revival today? Are our communities being shaken for God today? Or does evil increase at a rapid rate? Should we not have a vital Christianity that turns the world upside down through its unshakable faith and bold witness? Should almighty God be doing more through my life but his work is blunted by my own lack of faith? When I stand before him in glory at the judgment seat, will I see then what could have been now in my life had my faith been more vital in him? He's looking for my faith now while I'm here on earth so he can do the impossible through me.

Faith goes against the odds and laughs in the face of the impossible. My God is able to do all things. That's why he parted the Red Sea like a great smooth carpet so his people could walk over.

He tumbled the walls of Jericho into dust with a march and a shout. Jesus made the blind to see, the deaf to hear, the lame to leap, the dead were raised to life. Jesus took an old sinner like me and brought me from death to life and salvation in Christ.

He's the same God as he was back then and he's still in the miracle working business today, friends. Oh, you have to believe that. Do we believe? He's looking for our faith.

He wants us to step out on faith and to trust him. My wife suddenly died and I was left to raise our teenage daughter by myself. God had been speaking to me through Isaiah 43, 18.

Remember ye, not the former things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing. Now it shall spring forth.

Shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness and rivers and the desert. I felt led of the Lord to leave my roots in Tennessee and move to Florida to give us a fresh start in life. I know for most folks moving across the country to a new city, you'd be sure to have enough money budgeted for the move and a cushion to fall back on if you needed it.

But I had no cushion other than the money that was enough to get us there and that would just last us at best a couple of weeks. We hit the road on faith in God and trusting him to do as he said to make a way in the wilderness, which it surely has been. God has been faithful and he has honored my faith in him and trust in him by taking care of us.

And he has been true to his word and making a way in the wilderness. My hope rests in my God and I am confident he will perform the rest of his word from Isaiah 43 in bringing rivers in the desert. He has taught me how to live a life of faith, friends, and he has placed me in challenging circumstances to test and try my faith.

And I have learned that faith has two sides, the God word and the man word. I repeat that faith has two sides, both through the acknowledging and activating aspects of empowering faith. We see this faith principle in the life of Abraham in Hebrews 11, 19, which states accounting that God was able to raise him up even from the dead.

Abraham was able to offer up his son Isaac because he knew that God was able to raise him up afterwards. His belief met his faith and activated the bells to begin ringing in heaven as the angels looked down in wonder at a man's faith. Now, let's look at faith principle number six.

It was Abraham's exercise of faith that released the supply of God, in his case, the ram and the bush, for the sacrifice to God. Chew on that one for a while, friends. God had the supply.

Do we have the faith? I was in a jam. I couldn't get out of. God had the supply.

Did I have the faith? God released the supply to me because I believed he would. He was waiting on the activation of my faith to release his supply. I love the life of faith.

It's exciting. It's an adventure. Why? Because God is great and Jesus is wonderful and God's word is true and he is true to his word.

Now, let's look at this last aspect, the seventh faith principle. Jesus said time and time again, according to your faith be it unto you. And that's the question we must ask ourselves.

Is our faith real enough? Is our faith deep enough? Faith and hope go together. The psalmist declared, I had fainted unless I had believed to see the goodness of God in the land of the living. Do we really believe that God will perform in our lives what he has stated in his word and affirmed by his spirit? How deep do you want to go with God, friend? Up to the ankles? How about to the waist? Do you want to go out into the deeper water and swim? Peter got out of the boat and actually walked on the water just like Jesus.

But he took his eyes off him in unbelief and he heard his master say, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? Jesus is looking for faith in you, friend. He wants to develop your faith. He wants to challenge your faith by testing it.

Grow your faith by trying it. But God is looking for faith. That great declaration of faith that begins in Hebrews 11.33 demonstrates what can happen when our faith meets the promises of God and is activated in the heavenlies.

Listen. Who, through faith, subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens, women received their dead, raised to life again, and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection, and others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment, they were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword, they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented, of whom the world was not worthy, they wandered in deserts and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth, and these all having a good report through faith, in other words, friends, these saints of God endured these things because of their faith, and they obtained a good reputation by their faith, as it was demonstrated under every kind of trial, and every kind of circumstance known to the human condition, all for the glory of God, let our prayer be, great God, increase my faith, my Bible declares, blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, whose hope the Lord is, like I said, faith and hope go together like biscuits and gravy, well, friends, I hope these little seven principles of faith have been a help to you, as they have been to me, let us ask God to build faith in us for His glory, and that we can be more pleasing to Him, as we live unto Him, by faith, let us pray.