God has many ways to speak to us, one of them is his written word – The Bible.
This is the first step in receiving anything from God. Your heart must have full assurance established in the fact, The bible is God speaking to you. You must be firmly persuaded that God cannot lie and all of his word is true. Your trust and belief in his written word is a truth you must embrace. This choice is up to you alone. You choose to believe him.
The scriptures answer this question for us, the apostle Paul writes to the church at Thessoloniki –
1Thess. 2:13 For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.
You have to believe it, for it to work for you, God and his word are one.
God cannot lie, He is truth Himself, Jesus is called the Word made flesh, Jn 1:14
John 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
The bible says it is impossible for God to lie.
Hebrews 6:18 That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie,…..
When you hear the Word of God, you choose to believe it, it is your choice.
Two types of unbelief
Number one – you have no knowledge or are ignorant of what it bible says.
Number two – you have not been fully persuaded that it is the truth.
The cure for unbelief is knowledge of God’s word, which is why Jesus taught.
That is why he set teachers in the church to teach or give bible knowledge of bible facts. Ephesians 4:11
God’s word has creative power in it and it is the only thing that can divide the spirit, soul and body.
Remember we don’t receive from God according to what he can do. We receive according to what we believe or according to our faith. Matthew 9:29
God requires faith to receive from him, and faith to hold on to what you received from him.
He has given us the Bible to obtain faith and to receive answers to our prayers.
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Jesus said,…
John 12:47-48 And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.
He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.
When a person honors Gods words, they honor God. God and his word are one. We see an example in Mark 6
Mark 6:1 And he went out from thence, and came into his own country; and his disciples follow him.
Mar 6:2 And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands?
Mar 6:3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.
Mar 6:4 But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.
Mar 6:5 And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them.
Mar 6:6 And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.
Notice he taught, when a person does not have knowledge of God’s word, the cure is teaching. If a person’s knowledge is limited or doubtful, they need more of the word to be fully persuaded that what they hear is what they choose to accept.
These people choose not to honor Jesus and were offended that the words he spoke. It was not that he could not do mighty works. He was hindered because of the peoples unbelief. Verse 5 says, he could only heal a few sick folks. Another translation says he healed a few with minor ailments, like a headache. See Matthew 13:58
If unbelief hindered Jesus work then, unbelief will hinder Jesus work today.
God’s word is his will. Faith begins where the will of God is known.
The bible refers to faith and believing interchangeably. You go to the Bible to get faith.
Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
The word of God is not like words of any other book. Jesus said
John 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
Jesus spoke of the importance of hearing and receiving God’s word in the parable of the sower, Mark 4:14-20 he also spoke of the word as being an example of physical food compared to food for the inner man.
Luke 4:4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.
Another translation says –
“No,” Jesus said. “The scriptures teach that life is more than food; a man must also feed his spirit on God’s words.” (Templeton)
In my life growing up, I respected and honored my natural father. I loved him and wanted to please him and do what he wanted me to do, I did not always succeed.
However his love for me did not stop, even if he had to correct me, sometimes with a spanking. If you truly love God you will keep his commandments. John 14:15
We get correction by receiving his word. John 15:3, Psalm 119:47, Eph 5:26, Heb 12:6 – Instructs, teaches, educates, learns. Then thank him for it.
When it comes down to it, His word will always prevail. He has magnified his word above his name. Psalm 138:2, Job 23:12 amp.
– I encourage you to approach the Scriptures with an open heart and mind. Be willing to change any beliefs and traditions you have held up to this point if they do not agree with what you read in the Bible. Above all, make the decision to believe and act on what God has said, even though circumstances, feelings, and well-meaning people around you say otherwise. Remember, God cannot lie. (Numbers 23:19) He stands ready to perform what He promised in His word for anyone who will determine to believe it. –K.E. Hagin