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FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD

For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. (James 2:26)

Faith will not move anything until it moves you. The first part of you that your faith will move is your mouth!
Mark Hankins

In my psychology class, we learned that reasoning will not change an emotion, but action will. In other words, you can’t feel your way into better behavior, but you can behave your way into better feelings. God created us so that actions are stronger than feelings. Faith is an act. By faith we access the grace of God. Just a little bit of faith can access a whole lot of grace.

God has already done everything He is going to do about our salvation, our healing, our deliverance, and our blessing. Jesus paid it all and then sat down. Now it is our move — we have to know what He’s done for us and act in faith on the Word of God.

Many churches are full of nouns, adjectives, pronouns, and prepositions but God is looking for verbs. He is looking for people who will believe and will act in faith.

Confession: Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe all things are possible to him that believeth. (Mark 9:23)

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BELIEVE IS A VERB

Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. (James 2:17)

Reasoning will not change an emotion, but action will!
Mark Hankins

I recently watched a man on television who said that he had written the first novel that had no verbs in it. He said it was full of nouns, adjectives, pronouns, and prepositions, but no verbs. They asked him how well the book was selling and he said, “not very well.” When asked why, he said, “Because it has no action.”

James 2:26 says, “For as the body without the spirit is dead so faith without works is dead also.” The Amplified Version says, “For as the human body apart from the spirit is lifeless, so faith apart from (its) works of obedience is also dead.”

The word, believe is a verb and verbs always denote action. Faith, on the other hand, is a noun. However, effective faith (faith that gets results) must be translated into action.

Confession: I am a doer of the Word of God, not just a hearer only (James 1:22). My faith is in action! So also faith, if it does not have works (deeds and actions of obedience to back it up), by itself is destitute of power [inoperative, dead]. (James 2:17 AMP)

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FAITH IS MOTION ACTIVATED

Didn’t I tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?
(John 11:40 Message Bible)

One act of faith will open up the supernatural and cause the glory of God to come in.
Mark Hankins

I remember the first time I went into an airport bathroom where the faucets were motion activated. I stood there looking for a handle or a pedal or something to turn on the water. It looked like the plumbing and the sink was there, but there were no handles. While I stood there trying to figure this out, a man walked into the restroom and waved his hand under the water faucet. Immediately, water began to come out. I stood there thinking I had just seen a miracle. That’s when I looked up and saw a sign on the wall that said, “Equipment is motion activated.”

In other words, God said, “Salvation is here, healing is here, deliverance is here, and I am just waiting for someone to say, ‘I believe that’ and to act in faith.” While you are praising, rejoicing, and dancing around, the water begins to flow. Salvation, healing, and deliverance come — they are motion activated.

Confession: Salvation is here! Healing is here! Deliverance is here! As I act in faith and rejoice, I believe that I will see the glory of God in my life!

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THE KING STILL HAS ONE MORE MOVE

He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:6)

The spirit of faith is necessary to do the will of God.
Mark Hankins

I heard the story of a group that was touring the artwork at the Louvre. In this group was an international chess champion. The group was going through the Louvre looking at the artwork when they came to a picture entitled, “Checkmate.” The artist had drawn a chessboard where it looked like the king had no more moves. The picture showed the chess player with his head in his hands and the devil laughing at him. The group looked at the picture and moved on; but the chess champion stayed at the picture and stared at it. After a while, the leader of the group came back to check on him. The chess champion said, “You know, they’re either going to have to change the name of this picture or change the picture, because I am an expert and I can see that the king still has one more move.”

God wants you to know that the King has one more move! As you maintain a spirit of faith and let God make His move, the picture will reverse. Now the devil has his head down and you are the one that is laughing!

Confession: I am confident that he who hath begun a good work in me is faithful to complete it (Philippians 1:6)

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EXPERIENCING THE GLORY

That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man. (Ephesians 3:16)

The man with an argument is always at the mercy of the man with an experience.
Mark Hankins

What is the glory? The glory of God is not just something intellectual; the glory of God is something you experience. The Apostle Paul talks about experiencing the glory of God throughout the book of Ephesians.

In Ephesians 3, Paul says that God will strengthen your inner man; this strength comes from His glory.

Moses desired to see the glory. He cried out to God and said, “Show me your glory.” David did the same thing in Psalm 63, “My soul thirsteth for thee…to see thy power and thy glory….”

God will strengthen you and increase your capacity so you will be able to possess things in your life that are exceeding abundantly above what you could ever imagine. God wants to do something in you that will shock a generation!

Confession: Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us. (Ephesians 3:20)

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