The Origin, Exercise, Development and Outcome of Faith

Today, the title is, The Development. Well, let's start over. Let's see this. The origin, the exercise, development, and outcome of faith.

The origin, exercise, development, and outcome of faith. We do a lot of talking about faith. We do bits and pieces here and there, but today we want to approach this as systematically as we can about these various aspects of faith, the origin, the exercise, the development, and outcome of faith. As the events develop leading to the return of Jesus Christ, we're going to have to face some very difficult trials and tests as we already are doing. And God has given us the power to overcome this world through faith. Yet very few really understand what faith is all about. In 1 John chapter 5 verse 4, we read this one of the sermons, Days of Unleavened Bread, in 1 John 5 and verse 4. For whosoever has begotten of God overcomes the world, and this is a victory that overcomes the world, even our faith. Faith has an abstract dimension of belief that is beyond the physical, similar to what you heard in the sermonette. Supernatural. It's above what the physical is. And yet at the same time, faith has a concrete basis, in fact, in the spiritual domain, with regard to what God has promised in His Word. In Hebrews 10.38, we also read this during the Days of Unleavened Bread, it says, that just shall live by faith. That's repeated about three times in the Bible, the judge shall live by faith. Do we really understand what this means? Some are still trying to work up faith and look for signs. I got faith. I got faith. As if faith was merely a positive feeling that one has inside, and if you believe strongly enough, long enough, hard enough, it will happen. Now, there is a belief dimension and an abstract dimension to faith. You have to believe. On the other hand, faith must be coupled with this abstract dimension with an attitude of total surrender, submission, and commitment to strive to obey God regardless of the situation or circumstance. No matter what the situation or circumstance is, there is this surrender, this submission, this total commitment. Let's look at Matthew chapter 13. Matthew chapter 13. What we're going to talk about here today and what we're going to present, you would need to take notes. If you take notes and you need to seriously consider and study these things.

In Matthew chapter 13 verse 57, and they were offended to him, but Jesus said unto him, A prophet is not without honor, saving his own country and in his own house. And he did not many works there because of their unbelief. So you definitely have to believe.

Some combine outward signs with faith and righteousness. Some confuse outward signs with faith and righteousness. Once again, some confuse outward signs with faith and righteousness. The Pharisees, for example, fasted twice during the week. They said they gave tithes of all they possess. There were many dos and don'ts of the law that they had added. We look at Matthew 5.20 now, back a few pages. What did Christ say about the Pharisees? They made a show of righteousness, a big show of righteousness, as in the example of the Pharisee and the publican who went up to pray. And the Pharisee boasted that he gives tithes of all he possesses, and he fasted twice in the week and all of that. And then the publican, not so much as lifting his head to heaven, said, Lord, have mercy on me and center. And Jesus Christ says here in Matthew 5.20, For I say unto you that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. Some want to reduce faith to small areas of life when the future may be uncertain. Will I get this job? Will I be able to find a mate? Will I ever be able to get married? Will I be healed? Some ministers even go so far as to say if you brethren had enough faith, then so-and-so would be healed.

Faith is the springboard to all things spiritual. It's not the springboard to all things physical necessarily, as some teach in the world's churches. The prosperity gospel teaches of faith called name it and claim it. If you want to be rich, you think about being rich, and if you think long enough, hard enough, believe it strong enough, it'll happen. A lot of people have gone down that path and been deceived. Now come back to this statement. Faith is the springboard to all things spiritual. And we turn now to our familiar Hebrews 11 and verse 6, which I hope now that everyone here has memorized. And immediately when you hear Hebrews 11 and 6, you could at least paraphrase it. Once again, what was that thesis statement that I said? Faith is the springboard to all things spiritual. But without faith, it is impossible to please God. It's where it begins. For he that comes to God must believe that he is, and that he is the rewarder of those who diligently seek him. Faith being the springboard to all things spiritual. Faith abides forever. We go to 1 Corinthians 13 verse 13 now, and we'll read this. And we'll be coming back to this, but faith never ends.

And 1 Corinthians 13 13 now abides faith, hope, charity, these three. But the greatest of these is charity. But faith is the springboard. Faith is the basis of hope. We have hope because we know through faith God will deliver. I have hope because through faith I know that God will deliver. Now, love is the greatest, but faith and hope are the precursors. Faith through the word and spirit of God are the enablers. They allow us to get to that point. So let's see if we can systematically trace the steps in the origin, exercise, development, and outcome of faith. Faith is a combination of what? Of the three C's.

Conviction, commitment, and courage in action. We're going to look at each one of these, and I'm going to say this again. Faith is a combination of conviction, commitment, and courage. We'll examine each one of these. Conviction is a product of the Spirit and word of God. That's how it comes about. Here is the origin aspect of faith. Conviction is a product of the Spirit and word of God. The absolute origin of you having spiritual faith resides with the Father making the first step toward you, as in, let's go to John 644. John 644 is perhaps another scripture that you have memorized. If not, you should.

John 644, this verse has been thundered in the Church of God many, many hundreds of times in the last several decades. John 644, No man can come to me except the Father which has sent me. Draw him, and I will raise him up at the last day. So the Father initiates the process. Now we look at James chapter 1, and we'll see this also. No man can come to me except the Father. Draw him. Then we look at James chapter 1.

Verse 16 will begin, Do not err, my beloved brethren. Do not err. Do not be mistaken. Do not fall into the trap of error. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father of lights with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning of his own will. Beget he us with the word of truth that we should be a kind of first-roots of his creation. Thus, the origin is initiated by the Father. And in a sense, God drafts us into his great spiritual army. If you want to use that analogy, it begins with the Father. Just that fact that God the Father knows you and that he has called you into his marvelous light in and of itself should be all inspiring and greatly motivating. Now we look at Luke chapter 10 and verse 21.

God the Father initiates, no man can come to me, to Jesus Christ, unless the Father draw him. And Jesus Christ is the revelator. He is the one that reveals this will of the Father. And so we look at Luke chapter 10 and verse 21. What are we talking about now? We're talking about the origin. How does it begin? How can you have spiritual faith? He who would come to God must first of all believe that he is. No man can come to me unless the Father draw him. Of his own will, beget he us with the word of truth. So the Father is intimately involved in the process. In Luke chapter 10, Luke chapter 10, and let's see which verse I want to begin with. Let's begin with 20. Luke 10 and 20.

Jesus Christ plays a role in this. The Father draws. Jesus Christ reveals. And then we get an aspect here of the Spirit and Word of God working in combination to convict us. So now we go to John chapter 16. John chapter 16. Remember we said that conviction, commitment, and courage, all of those in sequential order work together in the origin. And of course, it's hard to separate each of these steps and isolate them because in one way, they sort of go together at the same time. But we want to try to systematically go through each one. So in John 16 and verse 7, John 16 and 7, nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is expedient for you that I go away. If I go not away, the Comforter, John 14, 26, identifies the Comforter as the Holy Spirit. The Comforter will not come unto you, but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And it's just following the Greek rules of grammar. Comforter is masculine, and so is the reference pronoun. It does not make it a person. We know that clearly. But when he has come, he will reprove the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment. Now our key word here is, when he has come, it will reprove. Now that word, reprove, is a very important word, and you need to write it in your margin. That word is the Lencho in the Greek, E-L-E-N-C-H-O. And it means convict. And what is conviction? Conviction means to lay a weight, something on the mind, that you feel almost compelled that you have to act upon it. You are so convicted, it weighs so heavily on your mind that you say, I've got to do something about this. And of course, if it's in the spiritual domain and you are so convicted, and you don't take action, then you are quenching the Spirit. And if you quench the Spirit long enough, of course, the Spirit won't work with you. So we see this element of the Holy Spirit. It will convict. It is the enabler that lays this weight on your mind, that opens the mind. We look at verse 13. How be it when it, the Spirit of truth, is not the truth. Talmuma is come. In this case, it, Talmuma is neuter, and the refer pronoun should be neuter. It will guide you into all truth. For it shall not speak of itself. Now, the Holy Spirit does not go around speaking of itself uttering. And a lot of people say, you can turn on the direct TV in channels 363 up to 378, and all these TV preachers, and a lot of them talk about how the Spirit spoke to me, and God said this and this and that and the other. And it says, and it says, When the Spirit of truth is come, it will guide you into all truth. For it shall not speak of itself, but whatsoever it shall hear, that shall it speak, and it will show you things to come. So what does the Spirit of God hear? It hears the truth. Now, if, I guess, obviously, God could speak to us, and He did speak to people in the Old Testament. There are numerous cases in which God appeared to people in the Old Testament. He appeared to Abraham, and He spoke to Isaac and Jacob and Moses and different ones, and to Solomon and a dream. And these theophanies they're called. Theophany, T-A-T-O-S, or T-H-E-O for God, and Ephony for appearance. God appearances theophanies in the Old Testament. But God decided that He would use human beings as instruments, and He raised up a church, the Church of God, to take the gospel message to the world. Now, this is very clear if you go to Romans 10. Romans 10 and verse 14.

And Romans 10 and verse 14.

How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed, and how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? See, if God wanted to speak to people in outer Mongolia, or Tibet, or wherever it is, maybe Tibet is out of Mongolia. He could, but He has not chosen to do it that way. He uses human instruments.

And how shall they believe in whom they have not heard, and how shall they hear without a preacher? So He uses human instruments. And how shall they preach, except they be sent? As it is written, how beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things.

I mean, it is a tremendous honor, yet at the same time a tremendous responsibility for which everyone would be accountable who would stand before people and teach and preach the Word of God, because there is great accountability.

How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things. But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah said, Lord, who hath believed our report. That doesn't mean that you stop preaching the gospel. God says to keep on. Blessed is that servant whom I will find so doing when I come again. So you keep on keeping, then. So then faith comes, how? By hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. So we have the Spirit convicting and the Word of God working in concert together, and that lays this weight on a person's mind. This is the truth. What am I going to do with it? Here comes this exercise part of it. Am I going to exercise the truth?

I use the analogy of a tennis game. You can use volleyball, tennis, something along those lines, in which here is the server. In this case, God is the server. And through His Spirit and through His Word, He serves the truth onto your plate, your mind and heart. And it convicts you. And it says, what am I going to do with it? And like in the tennis game, the server serves the ball over there. You have the racket in your hand. Do you choose to return it? And so you begin to exercise obedience or response to the truth. See, faith and obedience are inextricably linked together. And you can have this belief element, and it's necessary. Remember, it says in James, the devils believe and tremble. They believe that God exists. The demons recognized and gave testimony to the fact that Jesus Christ was the Messiah during His earthly ministry. But they would not repent. They would not believe to the point of obedience.

Now, the next one, after we are convicted, if we begin to exercise this faith, then God begins to... It's like a reciprocal. He begins to add to it. If you look at 1 Corinthians 12, verse 9, there's something unique here about the gifts of the Spirit with faith. Faith is the only one that is a gift of the Spirit and also a fruit of the Spirit. A gift of the Spirit and a fruit of the Spirit. In 1 Corinthians 12, verse 9, "...to another faith by the same Spirit, to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit." Now, we're not going to turn there right now, but in Galatians 12, verse 22, where the fruit of the Holy Spirit is listed, faith is one of those things that is listed.

So it is a gift of the Spirit, and it is a fruit of the Spirit. But see, the process, the origin, would have never developed. The Father draws. Jesus Christ reveals of His own will. But yet He us with the word of truth.

How shall they hear without a preacher? Well, we'll back up. Conviction comes from the Spirit and word of God. How shall they hear without a preacher? Faith comes from a hearing. Hearing by the word of God. And then we're left with what we're going to do with it. The response or the exercise of faith. Now, let's go to 2 Timothy 2, verses 1 and 2. 2 Timothy, the commitment part. God then commits this truth to us. Now, this word, commitment, in the Greek, has a connotation of placing in sacred trust similar to what you would do with your valuables.

You want to put them in a safe place. Keep them so no one will be able to take it from you, where thieves and robbers can't break through and steal. But with this precious truth, the pearl of great price, there's nothing any more valuable. God says, I'm going to give it to you for you to place in sacred trust. In 2 Timothy 2, verse 1, You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and the things that you have heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit you to faithful men.

That's one of the goals that I have in the last years of my life. And I know I don't have all that many years left. Anybody knows that. This coming week, I'm going to be teaching by WebEx at ABC. Through the marvels of technology, you don't have to drive up there. And for two weeks, I'll be teaching two hours a week. Trying to commit these things to young men and women. We're going to be doing the same thing, obviously, and have been doing here in the local church.

And I hope none of us take what is being offered to us for granted. These things that you have heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit you to faithful men who shall be able to teach others also. As I mentioned a few weeks ago, whatever it was, the old guard, as it were, those who have been in the church for decades and decades, are going to pass off the scene.

And so those of you who are coming on, and we are encouraged to see a number of young people in our congregation here. I know we had a visitor the other few weeks ago. He said, look at all those children, or whatever word he used.

I don't like the word kids. I never call my children kids. But anyhow, so this commitment to place in sacred trust with us, and then the next step is the courage to obey, to do the truth. See, courage is an outcome of the first two.

Courage is a product of the first two. That means that to the degree that you are convicted, to the degree that you are committed, you will act courageously. And if it is so burning within your mind and heart, it's almost like you're compelled to do it. Let's look at Acts 5.29. The early days of the Church, after Jesus Christ's ascension and the apostles were going in and out of Jerusalem, in and around the temple area, preaching, Jesus Christ said this this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in Judea, Samaria, to the uttermost parts of the world.

And they began that preaching there in the environs of Judea and Jerusalem. And great persecution was upon them, but they acted courageously. They let no man stop them. Then Acts 5.29. Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than man. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you slew, and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a prince and a savior, and for to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses of these things. And so is also the Holy Spirit whom God has given to them that obey him.

So you see that obedience and the Spirit of God are linked together. God gives his Spirit to those who obey him. And of course, they wanted to kill him. But Gamaliel stood up and said, If these things be of God, then no man can stop them. And if you try to stop them, and they are of God, you're fighting against God. Verse 39, But if it be of God, you cannot overthrow it, lest happily you be found even to fight against God. And to him they agreed, and when they had called the apostles and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus and let them go. And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer for his name.

Conviction. Commitment. Courage. So we have seen now to some degree the origin of faith, the exercise of faith, and as you go along in this path, you begin to develop. Faith. And faith becomes your way of life. Faith is a weightier matter of the law. Let's go to Matthew 23, 23. I don't think many people understand this and the depth that we should. And we can all learn in Matthew 23 and verse 23. Remember, we have read Matthew 5.20, "...unless your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven." "...woe unto you scribes, Pharisees, hypocrites, for you pay tithe of the men anisene coming, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith." These are weightier matters of the law. If they're weightier matters of the law, they must of necessity spring from it. That is, from the law. There is one lawgiver who is able to save and destroy. That's James 4.12.

But John 6.63, the words I speak, they are spirit and they are life. Your word is truth. So you couple all of these things together, and you see, faith comes by hearing, as we read from Romans 10.17. See, the weightier matters of the law, faith, judgment, mercy, and faith. So we'll back up here to the weightier matters of the law, the first one. These three things spring from the law. Judgment. How do you judge yourself? How do you know sin? You look into the Word of God, the law of God. Paul says, I would not have known sin unless the law said, thou shall not, and whatever the commandment is.

Thou should be no murderer. You can name all of them. So you judge yourself, and when you judge yourself and you're convicted of your sin, you ask God for his mercy. And God says, he's faithful and just to forgive us of all unrighteousness. Go walk in faith. Go walk in faith. Believe me. That is, believe God and do what he says. You have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith. These ought you to have done and not to leave the other undone. In John chapter 8, there's the example of the woman caught in the act of adultery. They brought this woman before Jesus and said, this woman has committed adultery. She was caught in the very act. The law says she should be stoned. But what do you say? And Jesus, in the course of this conversation, wrote on the ground, maybe writing some of their sins on the ground, and if it was enforced according to the law of Moses, they too would be stoned. And they left. He turned to the woman and said, where are your accusers? And Jesus said, they're gone. Paraphrasing. And Jesus said, neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more. In other words, go walk in faith.

Faith is a weightier matter of the law. It springs or stems from the law. Yet the world's preachers teach that the law has been done away with. And as we have seen, faith is inextricably linked to obedience. Through obedience, faith is perfected. You should write that down. Through obedience, faith is perfected. People want to talk about faith and having more faith.

James 2 and verse 17, we'll see this very clearly. James here uses the example of Abraham to prove what I've just said. What did I just say?

Faith is perfected through obedience. In James 2 verse 17, Even so faith, if it has not works, is dead being alone. Now I would substitute the word obedience.

Now the word in Greek is ergon, which can be used for physical work. But whether you use works or obedience, the Greek says ergon works. Yes, a man may say, You have faith and I have worked. Show me your faith without your works. In other words, just say, I believe. Oh, I believe, I believe. So many people will say that today, I believe. A lot of people have uttered prayers today, but they won't obey. They'll be in Sunday church tomorrow, or they won't be in church maybe anywhere. But yet they pray, but they won't obey.

Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

Or through obedience, you believe there is one God, you do well. The devils also believe and tremble. But will you know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? You can say, I believe, till you're blue in the face and faint away. Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? God said, Go sacrifice your only son, the son of promise. Abraham didn't argue. Isaac didn't argue. They struck out on their mission. Isaac sort of wised up and said, Father, where's the sacrifice? And Abraham said, God will provide. And just before Abraham brought the knife down on Isaac's throat, his hand was staid. And he looked and saw this rim. He caught him the thickened, and God provided a sacrifice. Of course, God has provided a sacrifice. Jesus Christ the righteous.

In Abraham's mind—and I'm not going to turn to Hebrews where it says this—Isaac was as good as dead. But he had received him as a figure from the dead in resurrection. That's to the extent to which Abraham believed God and did what he said. See you how faith wrought with his works and by works was faith made perfect. So obedience is a great perfector—there's no such word as perfector, but anyhow—is a perfector of faith. Through faith, or through obedience, our faith can be perfected. And the Scripture was fulfilled which said, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness. This word imputed doesn't mean that Jesus Christ took off some of his faith, like he might take off your shoe and give to somebody else. This word imputed means it was reckoned. It was placed to his account, like he'd write an entry in the journal of so-and-so has a hundred dollars or whatever it is, but this is a lot more than a hundred dollars because God came to know Abraham and he's called the Father of the faithful. And the Scripture was fulfilled which said, Abraham believed God, it was imputed or reckoned unto his account for righteousness, and he was called the Friend of God. You see then how that by works a man is justified and not by faith only. Likewise also was not rehab the harlot. We talked about rehab the harlot on Monday, the last day of Unleavened Bread, when she had received the messengers and had sent them out another way. For as the body without the Spirit is dead, so faith without works or obedience is dead. The methods of increasing faith are the same as increasing the Holy Spirit. I've already stated that you must be convicted, committed, and acted courageously. In addition, see what are the things that feed this conviction, this commitment, and this courage, reading and studying the Word of God. Your Word of a hidden in my heart that I might not sin against you. Psalm 119 verse 10 or 11.

Studying the Word of God, praying, obeying, fasting, and fellowship. Those are five of the main ways of increasing faith. Studying the Word of God, hiding it in your heart, obeying the Word of God, praying, fasting, and fellowship.

How sad it is that faith and belief have been stripped of their life by the religion of this world. Belief in the Greek is the great word pistuo. P-I-S-T-U-O. Pistuo means to adhere to, trust, rely on, obey. So it has a connotation of obeying or doing. Trust, rely on, obey. In the spiritual realm, you cannot truly believe God without doing what He says. You can say, I believe all day long, as we've already noted. In the physical realm, you also have to believe and do. Let's take the statement, you will profit from a college education, and it can enable you, though it is not necessary in every case. A lot of people do well without a college education, but in general terms, you'll probably be able to live a fuller and more abundant life. Intellectually, you may believe. Almost every parent says, I'm going to try to make sure that my child receives a good education or an education. And intellectually, you may believe the statement, but you don't really have faith in it until you put forth the effort to do it. There are a lot of people walking the streets who, in an intellectual sense, will say, boy, I really need to go to school. I really need to get an education. But they're not willing to pay the price. And believe me, there is a price. Faith in the Greek word for faith is pistis, p-i-s-t-i-s, from pitho to assent, to evidence, or authority to rely on by inward certainty, agree, assure, believe. So these are the words believe and faith. They're almost like reciprocals of each other, almost like synonyms. That's one of the reasons why James wrote that through obedience our faith is perfected. So in simplest terms, what does it mean? Faith means to believe God and do what he says. Now, charismatic evangelicals and many other persons in the Church of God have tried to measure faith by signs. I've heard some preachers say, well, if we are really believe hard enough and have enough faith and God begins to heal a lot of people, then that's a sign that we are more righteous than anybody else. That's not necessarily true. The Apostle Paul shows a futility of physical signs and gifts apart from becoming love as God is love. In terms of 1 Corinthians 1, see the Corinthians, they were really both full of speaking in tongues. They had spiritual gifts. You could see that they're righteous. They can speak in tongues.

Notice what Paul says here in the first chapter, verse 4, I thank my God always on your behalf for the grace of God, which has given you grace, charis, divine favor, which has given you by Christ, that in everything you are enriched by him in all utterance. So they had this gift of tongues and in all knowledge, even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you. But it was causing a lot of division and Corinth, various spiritual gifts. Now you go to 1 Corinthians 12. The theme of the general conference of elders this year is edifying the body through spiritual gifts, edifying the body through spiritual gifts. They were talking about spiritual gifts, and I was the one that came up with cliche. I don't guess it's cliche, but with the saying, edifying the body through spiritual gifts.

1 Corinthians 12. Paul has to correct them on spiritual gifts. 2 Corinthians 12. Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. You know that you were Gentiles carried away under those dumb idols even as you were led. Therefore, I give you understanding that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus a curse that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Spirit. So then he begins to explain spiritual gifts. They're different gifts, and the purpose is to edify the whole body. Now he comes down to verse 31.

Covet earnestly the best gifts, and yet I show unto you a more excellent way. We're talking about faith, and that some people think, well, if this person or that person is healed, it's because they are great men of faith, maybe the person who gave the prayer to anoint the sick as if it was through him. Now it does say that somehow the gift of healing, but there's something more important.

Verse 31 again, covet earnestly desire, earnestly the best gifts, and yet I show unto you a more excellent way. This more excellent way in the Greek is a superlative of a way that far surpasses any other way. Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, have not charity, agape, spiritual love, God is love. You could say, if I'm not becoming as God is, I am become a sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith so that I could remove mountains and have not charity, if I'm not becoming as God is, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, have not charity, profits me nothing. That is the more excellent way. Becoming love as God is love is the greatest measure or sign of your faith. I shall repeat that. Becoming love as God is love is the greatest measure or sign of your faith. And if you're not becoming that, it's all in vain. Even giving your body to be burned.

Signs are, to a large degree, four unbelievers. Chapter 14, verse 1. Follow after charity and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that you may prophesy. Verse 3. But he that prophesies speaks and amends edification, exhortation, and comfort. So if your gift is not doing that, it's not doing the job. But let's look also at verse 22, because I said signs in general are for unbelievers.

I remember back when I first started on the visiting program at Ambassador College, I was still a student, not ordained, but out visiting. And one Sunday afternoon, I went to someplace out here toward Mount Pleasant and came to the door. And they met me at the door. They recognized me and asked me to come in. They had a child in the bedroom as burning with a fever.

And I had an anointed cloth and anointed that baby. And within a few minutes, the fever was gone. Of course, that did a lot for me and for them.

Verse 22, where four tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe.

But to them that believe not, but prophesying serves not for them that believe not, but for them which believed. So the emphasis is on becoming as God is. The outcome of the exercise of faith is given in 1 Timothy 1 and verse 5. Let's go to 1 Timothy 1 and 5. Once again, the outcome of the exercise of faith is given here. Then as soon as we read this, we'll go back and give a concrete example of this taking place. In 1 Timothy 1 and 5.

Now the end, and the Greek word for end here is telos. It means the outcome or the result. The end or the outcome of the commandment is charity. Out of a good heart and of a good conscience and of faith unfamed. See, if you live by faith and do the things that God has outlined in His Word, then the outcome will be the Holy Spirit shed abroad in your hearts through Jesus Christ, through God the Father and Jesus Christ.

In Hebrews 11 verse 1, a definition of faith is given, and we will use that as our springboard here. In Hebrews 11 verse 1, we should be able to quote the Scripture, faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. What is the greatest substance that you hope for in your life? It would be, hopefully, holy, righteous character. For God to create within each one of us holy, righteous character. What would be the evidence of things unseen? The Spirit and Word of God. As we respond to it, we exercise it, develop it, and the outcome of the commandment is charity and faith unfamed. Now we go to Romans 4. We'll see this in action. In Romans chapter 4, the example of Abraham here, remember our faith is a substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Or if we do what we read in James 2, believe God, do what he says. That's what Abraham did.

As it is written, I have made you a father of many nations, before him whom he believed, even God, who quickens or makes alive the dead and calls those things which be not as though they were, who against hope believed in hope. Now what does that mean? It sounds like a contradiction. Against hope, the hope of this world, in the physical sense, it could not happen. Abraham was an old man. Sarah was passed away the period of life of childbearing. Physically speaking, Sarah could not have a child who, against hope, believed in hope. What did we say earlier? Faith, the springboard, all things spiritual, now abides these three. Faith, hope, charity, the greatest of these, is charity. But faith and hope are springboards to that eventual outcome. Who, against hope, believed in hope because they had faith, that he might become the father of many nations according to that which was spoken, so shall your seed be. And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead. When he was about a hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb. See, against hope, believed in hope through faith, staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief. Remember that Sarah laughed when this was first said, you're going to have a child. She knew that she wasn't going to have a child unless something miraculous happened.

He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God, being fully persuaded that what he had promised he was also able to perform. And therefore, it was, this word imputed again, reckoned to his account, to him for righteousness. Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him. See, in this case, what was the substance of things hoped for? It was the Son of Promise, Isaac. And being not weak in faith, Abraham and Sarah came together. They were able to conceive a miracle, what you heard about in the sermonette, a miracle. And she conceived, and Isaac was born, the substance. What was the evidence of things not seen? Well, it was the Holy Spirit and Abraham's faith and obedience coming together.

Now note, now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, but for us also to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered for our offenses and was raised again for our justification. Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom also we have access by faith into this grace, wherein we stand and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations. Now verses 3, 4, and 5 encapsulate in these three verses sort of like our life of this origin, exercise, development, outcome of faith. We saw this concrete example with Abraham and Sarah with regard to Isaac. They believed God against hope, believed in hope. They were able to conceive Isaac was born. It wasn't written just for him, but for us. Not only so, but we glory in tribulations also, knowing that tribulation works patience. So here we begin to exercise this faith, this conviction, and what has been committed to us. Tribulation works patience. And this patience is not something that is passive in the sense, hold your place, we're coming right back there, but I won't look at James 1. In James chapter 1, I hope we get the significance of what we say here. In James 1-2, My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into different temptations or trials or tribulations. Why? Knowing this, that the trying of your faith works patience.

But let patience have her perfect work, that you may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. How can patience have its perfect work? Because all through the process, you know through faith that God will deliver you.

Now we go back to Romans 5. Not only so, but we glory in tribulation, verse 3 again, knowing that tribulation works patience.

You're anticipating, you're hoping, you're praying, you're expecting God to deliver. And patience experience. The word here, experience, means proof testing. Proof testing. I don't know why they would use the word experience here. In patience, proof testing, and this proof and testing, hope. You're hoping that God will deliver. And hope makes us not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, which is given unto us. See, if we go through all of these various trials and tribulations and difficulties, and we go through it patiently, and we are filled with hope and faith and expectation, through this God is working within us. He is creating within us His holy righteous character, the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, which is given unto us. God deeply desires to create His character in each one of us. The primary substance, the love of God, shed abroad in our hearts, the evidence of things not seen, the Holy Spirit working within us.

Signs for that substance lead to death. The real signs of our faith, and the greatest sign are we becoming love as God is love. So, brethren, I hope now that we have have a better understanding of the origin, the exercise, the development, and the outcome of faith. To some degree, faith can be measured to the degree that we place ourselves in God's hands and internalize, Thy will be done. There are many examples, Shadrach, Meshach, facing the fiery furnace, Daniel and the lion's den, and we could go on and on. But, brethren, I hope you see very clearly about faith and how it is developed in our lives, and what the outcome and what the product is to become love as God is love.