Embark on a journey to discover the unshakable bedrock of faith that transcends human wisdom and is firmly rooted in divine power. Our enlightening exploration draws from the profound lessons of 1 Corinthians Chapter 2, where the Holy Spirit emerges as the ultimate guide to understanding God's generous gifts. This deep dive into spiritual truths promises to fortify your convictions and empower your mission in life, as we reveal how faith, untouched by earthly logic, is sustained by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Together, we confront the skepticism of critics and philosophers, reasserting the certainty of the resurrection as the cornerstone of a believer's faith. As your hosts, we're here to illuminate the path to spiritual strength, where the Bible and the Holy Spirit act as beacons, collectively guiding us toward our divine purpose. Without the interference of worldly forces, we illustrate how nothing can hinder a faith-driven life. Tune in for an inspiring session that will not only strengthen your spiritual core but also encourage you to boldly live out your calling with unwavering confidence.
Embark on a journey to discover the unshakable bedrock of faith that transcends human wisdom and is firmly rooted in divine power. Our enlightening exploration draws from the profound lessons of 1 Corinthians Chapter 2, where the Holy Spirit emerges as the ultimate guide to understanding God's generous gifts. This deep dive into spiritual truths promises to fortify your convictions and empower your mission in life, as we reveal how faith, untouched by earthly logic, is sustained by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Together, we confront the skepticism of critics and philosophers, reasserting the certainty of the resurrection as the cornerstone of a believer's faith. As your hosts, we're here to illuminate the path to spiritual strength, where the Bible and the Holy Spirit act as beacons, collectively guiding us toward our divine purpose. Without the interference of worldly forces, we illustrate how nothing can hinder a faith-driven life. Tune in for an inspiring session that will not only strengthen your spiritual core but also encourage you to boldly live out your calling with unwavering confidence.
Speaker 1:
I'm going to talk to you today about the authority or the power of your faith and the five absolutes regarding your faith. This is what faith is. It cannot be taken away from you when you move by faith. So we're going to start off in 1 Corinthians, chapter 2, and I want to read to you, beginning at verse 12. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God, that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. That is a powerful passage of Scripture. In that particular passage we learn immediately that God gave us the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit is not the spirit of the world, it's not related in any way to the world or to any ideology that is found in the world today that it's the spirit which is of God, or it's God's spirit and the reason that it's given to us that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. God gives it. He doesn't demand us to pay for it and we're going to be able to use that to grow strong in the Lord. We're going to be able to use the Holy Spirit to guide us in encouraging one another and also it'll help us perform and carry out the missions that God sends us on. So which things also? We speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Ghosts teach us, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. First Corinthians, 2, 14,. But the natural man received not the things of the spirit of God, for they are foolishness under him and neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned. So it shows me that whenever we are ministering to anybody, they're open to receive what we've got. God has prepared their hearts and we are able to speak by the power of the Holy Spirit into their lives. Now, this is not something that we do in our own strength or our own wisdom, or anything regarding our worldly and fleshly skills and abilities. This is all done by the Holy Spirit. What God does and what he works in through us, this is the new creature in Christ that's moving. This is the ministry gifts that we have. So we have these gifts, we have these abilities. And now what is stopping us? Well, the fact is that when you begin to move by faith, nothing can stand between you and what God's purpose and God's intention is for you to walk out and fulfill. It is wrong to think that the devil or any human being could stop us from doing that which God wants to do in and through us.
Speaker 1:
1. 1 Corinthians, chapter 2, verse 5, says this that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. That is the first absolute that I want you to understand and to consider, to take on board, if you will. Your faith has nothing to do with the wisdom of the human mind or the culture of the world. It has everything to do with the power of God. That's where your faith stands, and when you release your faith and you are saved, you are filled with the Holy Spirit, you have power. That's what Jesus said in Acts 1.8. He said after this when the Holy Ghost has come upon you, you shall have power.
Speaker 1:
So the first absolute that we understand is that your faith, my faith, does not stand in the wisdom of men, but your faith stands in the power of God. Principle number one your faith stands in the power of God. Number two this is absolute when you are saved, filled with the Holy Ghost, moving by faith. This will not alter or change one bit your faith is true because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. When we think about this, that the power of the resurrection we are able to stand in, that we get saved. Because of that, we're able to do the work of God, because Jesus rose from the dead.
Speaker 1:
That's why, philosophers of the world, human wisdom, every once in a while you will find a, it seems to me anyway, a bombardment against whether Jesus truly died or not, or if he did die, did he resurrect? And of course, as far as man is sinking and human understanding, of course Christ did not raise from the dead. But the Bible tells us and remember the Bible, that's our solid foundation, the Holy Spirit. We know that Jesus Christ rose from the dead. And do you know that if there was no resurrection, if Jesus did not raise from the dead, then everything that we would try to do by faith would not work. It would be completely in vain, according to 1 Corinthians, chapter 15 and verse 17. No resurrection, your faith is in vain. You could try to exercise your faith all you want, but nothing would be happening because there would be no power there for it. There would be no way that God would honor that. But Jesus did raise from the dead, he arose, and we walk in that resurrection power. We are filled with the Spirit of God and when that happens, my friend, your faith is unstoppable. So don't think for one moment that there's nothing to this. We cannot please God without faith, and our faith needs to be in operation.
Speaker 1:
I'm reminded of a passage out of James, the second chapter, in the 17th verse. It says faith by itself, if it does not have works, it's dead. If you don't exercise it, it's dormant and it's doing absolutely nothing. What I want to share with you today is this one no one else has dominion over your faith. Nobody can command you to move by faith. Nobody can command you not to move by faith. Nobody can say well, use faith now or don't use faith now. Nobody has that authority. That authority is given strictly, solely to you by God Himself. God says you are the one who has dominion over your faith. Do not try to blame it on somebody else.
Speaker 1:
So we're going to say well, what about people such as yourself, pastor Don, or other people who try to talk to me about faith and tell me what to do? What is going on there? They're not trying to control you. They're not trying to say this is what you must do and you must do this now, this way. No, what we are doing when somebody encourages you in your faith according to 2 Corinthians 1-24, what is happening is they are merely helpers. They are helping you. They're helping you to get up and go on. They're helping you to know in which direction they're helping you and telling you by don't give up, don't surrender, but as far as dominion. Whether or not you are going to move by faith, that is completely up to you and, as a believer, god wants you to move by faith, because we read in Hebrews that it's impossible to serve God or to please God if we don't have faith. So, and faith is so necessary, it was so necessary that Jesus even questions his disciples once and he said where's your faith? They need to be using it.
Speaker 1:
The fourth absolute regarding your faith. Nobody can take this away from you. You are able to increase your faith, demonstration, manifestation wise. I believe that as we grow stronger, as we become walking commitment to the Lord and as we mature, I believe that our faith does increase. And I believe that when we're a child, we think as a child, but when we become a man, we put away childish things, we move on into deeper and greater realms.
Speaker 1:
According to 2 Corinthians, chapter 10 and verse 15, when your faith the Bible says is increased. And, of course, when that happens, everybody's enlarged. We're all enlarged your teachers, your helpers, the believers who are near you, your friends everybody is increased as your faith increases. It makes sense, doesn't it? When you increase, you're able to get more. When you don't have it, you can't give it. And as we grow, we learn how to handle, we learn how to be very sensitive to the moving of the Holy Spirit, and God will come and He'll just speak to you. You've just got to do it. You just got to step out by that, because God is wanting you to do that. So that encourages me when I think about that, that I can enlarge my faith.
Speaker 1:
And the fifth absolute that I'd like to share with you is this your faith is a ministry. It's a ministry to you and as you move in your ministry, you are able to encourage many people. It's a ministry. It's not something that some people have and some people don't. It's not like that kind of ministry like some would be apostles or some would be evangelists or some would be helpers. It's not that kind of a ministry. What it is, it's the Holy Spirit ministering to you and as your faith increases and manifests, it strengthens you and anything that strengthens you in your walk with God is a ministry.
Speaker 1:
So let me just go over those five absolutes. Number one your faith stands in the power of God. It's in none other. Number two your faith is true because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Number three no one else has dominion over your faith. Number four you are able to increase your faith. And number five your faith is a ministry toward yourself. It blesses the heart of God and I'm sure it blesses many believers as they watch you move forward by faith and, as a result, they all receive Thank God for that.
Speaker 1:
So you are exactly who God says you are. You are a born again, spirit filled, faith, walk in, believer, and God wants you to live in increase every day, want you to mature, he wants you to grow, he wants you to see, he wants you to be enlarged. And faith takes us there. You know why Because he's God and he's given you the power and you are who God says you are. So recognize you've got this increase. Recognize that God gave you that ability to accept the increase and to walk in the victory or the fullness of that increase.
Speaker 1:
There is no place to be found in the body of Christ for a believer to be fearful or afraid. When we are in that state, we cannot contribute life to anyone. That's why the enemy tries to keep believers knocked off their stride. He's always accusing them of something. He's constantly trying to stop them. God's increasing you and you are becoming more and more like Jesus every day. You're walking out in so many areas. So listen to what God speaks to you. Obey that command and you're going to be able to stand upon what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 2.4. He said my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power. Be encouraged by this word. Today you are a champion. My name is Don Carpenter. Be sure to visit my website, doncarpenterca. God bless you until next time.