Faith Filled Family Magazine September 2016 | Page 71

promised power through the Holy Spirit and with that power nothing is impossible for us. However, while the authority to supernaturally affect our current and future circumstances may be automatic, power is not. Situations that are beyond our natural abilities to change need supernatural faith and power. Supernatural faith and power are expended at the discretion of the Holy Spirit, subject to the will of God, to produce miracles, and bring glory to God. In their book, Strongman’s His Name…What’s His Game? Drs. Jerry and Carol Robeson provide a great example of how the Holy Spirit produced supernatural faith and power resulting in a miracle. In the story, a doctor who swerved to avoid an accident, hit and mortally injured a young girl who was walking along the road. The doctor testified that the Holy Spirit prompted him to rebuke the spirit of death in the name of Jesus and when he did so life immediately returned to the girl’s body. The authors advise readers that when faith or the unction springs up in our hearts or spirits, we will know it without a doubt. The understanding then is that when that unction is present it is at that moment that we are in God’s will for us to act in faith and to affect circumstances. Outside of this leading by the Holy Spirit, we would be persisting on having our will be done above the will of God. Ultimately, we would be utilizing a power other than God’s. Any power used outside of the will of God is similar to the power that works in witchcraft or magic. The Bible teaches that faith without works is dead. If our faith is in God, trusting His will and His power, our work then is to cultivate an atmosphere where the Holy Spirit is pleased to abide in us. The work that demonstrates our faith and invites the presence of the Holy Spirit is obedience. Our obedience may be expressed in a number of ways as commanded in the Bible, including through the rituals mentioned above. That should be the work of our faith. benefits of the Kingdom of God will follow. The man at the pool of Bethesda sought a miracle for the affliction he had for thirtyeight years. His faith was tenacious for he persistently went to the pool for healing year after year, yet it yielded him nothing. Although miracles were happening for many others, it was not happening for him. He was sowing the “faith seeds,” but he had not met the condition—obedience—for God to bring about When we abide in God and His the increase. After many years word abides in us, God prom- of suffering this man was finally ises to grant our every desire. a recipient of God’s mercy, but We are abiding in God when we perhaps he could have received are obedient to His word. It is healing sooner if he was in the through love and obedience that will of God? we become one with the Father and the Son and have access God’s mercy is tremendous and to supernatural faith and power. very welcome in our lives. I am This is the condition that is nec- not sure where we would be essary for the power of God— without it. But His will offers so supernatural faith—to dwell in us much more—it is perfect. Every and work in us and through us. promise, just like every seed, When we submit in obedience is an expression of God’s will. to God’s authority over us, He However, every seed has spegrants us authority and power in cific growing requirements that the Kingdom of God. The centu- must be met in order for them to rion who sought Jesus for heal- grow and produce. Like seeds, ing for his servant understood God’s promises also have condithe natural concept of author- tions that must be met in order ity and power. He understood for them to produce in our lives. that authority and power may In situations where we are conbe gained by individuals who fessing scriptures, exercising submit in obedience to authority. faith, or applying some other This natural concept of author- biblical principles and these ity and power is also applicable promise seeds are not producspiritually. ing in our lives, it may be that some conditions have not yet Scriptural confessions are pru- been met. In order for the seeds dent, but many times all it takes to produce for us, whether they to favorably affect life situa- are spiritual or natural seeds, we tions, is obedience. Obedience must be knowledgeable about is better than anything else we the seeds we intend to sow, could offer God. Although there especially their planting requireis nothing wrong with seeking ments. For unless we are obedimiracles, it is more beneficial ent to the “laws of the seeds,” we to seek to be obedient and the will not reap.