What is Missing in Word of Faith?
Romans 7:6
But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.
The Word without the Spirit of Truth (Holy Spirit), is the word without power. Jesus said His words were spirit and life. Confessing the word over and over until we believe it is not entering His rest and not acknowledging His finished work. (Heb. 4:10) Otherwise we would need to receive Christ and confess with our mouths over and over every day to receive Him. (Romans 10:9-10) Some believers are still unsure of their salvation and we may laugh at such ignorance but how similar to confess His word without His Spirit, the ultimate lip service. People, who are not believers, can confess/declare a myriad of beliefs, affirmations and even change their physical and circumstantial reality, without ever acknowledging or believing in Him. As Christians we are not asked to just confess the word, but to believe on Him. How can we believe without the power of God? (1Cor.2:11-13)
Confession can become another law unto itself....say it until you believe it. If we approached Christ Jesus like that before we were saved, no one including ourselves would believe our salvation was genuine, for it is the power of the Spirit that brings newness of life. If we have to continue confessing and we lose heart and faith by the end of the week (more doctor reports, more bad news, more bills, more mistakes)...and then eagerly awaiting the next Sunday service, or latest teaching CD, book to get “topped up” , it becomes a treadmill of sorts and vain repetitions.
NO! The Spirit of God lives within us and when our faith is weak, our circumstances overwhelming, we don’t seek another preaching, post, article, YouTube or CD as a quick fix. We seek Him the indwelling Spirit. Remember He is not offended by the weakness of our faith. Jesus appeared to Thomas after Thomas inadvertently challenged the Lord with, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” That is a fairly specific and demanding call on the part of Thomas. How did Jesus respond, “How dare you question my divinity?” No, He appeared before Thomas and said, “Reach your finger here, and look at my hands: and reach your hand here and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving but believing.” The Lord does not withdraw when we are doubtful but draws even nearer to reassure us so we can believe. Holy Spirit now is the One who draws nearer. When we are weak we admit it and ask for His help to strengthen our faith; asking to reveal what in us may need to move and His goodness is sooooo good, He will not only reveal it but heal it. He isn’t insulted; He is fully engaged in our triumph! The Word is living and infused with the Spirit of God. He inspired it, so perhaps rather than running to every minister, charismatic leader/teacher or preaching hoping against hope to be re-ignited, we can seek Him out, the Teacher, Holy Spirit, Spirit of Truth, Helper/Comforter.
Confession in and of itself cannot add life (1Cor 2:13-14, 2Cor. 3:6), that is why by Wednesday night, church goers fall flat again and are in need of the midweek recharge. Holy Spirit is the abiding presence, always recharging....but not if ignored (1Cor 2:12-14). Let us not be like the natural man (unbelievers) who, “...do not receive the things of the Spirit of God, nor can he know them because they are spiritually discerned....The Word must come to life for the letter (and in the Greek that means any grammar/writing) kills but the Spirit adds life. The word without the Spirit is confession without life. And these secrets, the depth of His love, the revelation of His word are made available through the Holy Spirit, the indwelling Spirit of God.
“Clearly you are an epistle of Christ...written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is of the heart.” (2 Cor. 3:3)
We are now His word made flesh ~ Hallelujah!