Posted on 06/30/2011 1:40:14 PM PDT by Frank Broom
Calling things that be not as though they were is a principle in the Bible that a lot of people don't understand. And the reason people don't understand is because people only consider what they can pick up with their senses as being real. But, there is another realm that is just as real that you can't see as this realm you can see. Like Elisha and his servant when the Syrian army had them surrounded, the man of God's servant came out and saw the army that had them surrounded and paniced, but the man of God came out and said "Fear not for there is more that be with us than be with them." Now what the man of God said was not seen, but then he prayed that God would open the eyes of his servant and his eyes were opened and he saw the angels of God that were around them. Notice what was unseen was just as real as what was seen (2Kings 6:14-17).
How about the Shunamite woman who's son died, she laid her son in the man of God's bed and asked her husband to send her a young man and one of the asses so that she could see the man of God and when her husband asked her why was she going to see the man of God she said, "It shall be well", she was believing something outside of her senses. She had her faith in the man of God raising her child from the dead and as far as she was concerned it was as good as done. When she came to the man of God he sent his servant to ask her is it well with thee? Is it well with thy husband? Is it well with child? And she answered "It is well" (2Kings 4:26). And the man of God did raise her child from the dead. She could have broke down and cried "Why me God", but she chose to tap into something that was just as real if not more real than her circumstances.
How about Abraham, God told him neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but Abraham for a father of many nations have I made thee before it was a physical reality. God doesn't wait until something happens to call it done. God considers a thing done once He speaks, He calls the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:9,10). And if He considers it done so should you. The problem people have is that you are speaking contrary to what is seen, they only consider what their senses tell them. But, faith goes beyond the senses and considers what God says over what their senses tell them. And faith when released out of your mouth will bring into manifestation what is was released for. It is the substance of things hoped for like in the beginning it was through faith that the worlds were framed by the word of God (Hebrews 11:1,3). And faith will still create in this physical world. That's why Jesus said if you had faith as a seed...., because a seed works to create what you sowed for and faith creates what you released it to. A seed has to be released out of the ground for it to produce if it say in the earth it will never produce. And likewise your faith has to be released if it going to produce something in this physical world. So let your faith out and let it create.
Thank you, I needed this today.
Thank you for this reminder!
The first example of Gehazi being treated to a view of the Host of the Lord does not support your conclusion. Gehazi did not see the angelic host because of his faith. Elisha asked God to help Gehazi see because of his LACK of faith. Furthermore, nothing was created in this example. The angelic host was already present, and Gehazi got to see them.
In the second example the Shunamite woman's son was raised because she persisted in seeing Elisha. She did not create anything at all by her faith. She had faith in God's prophet, yes. But that faith did not create. God responded to her persistent request by raising her son... period.
The third example does not involve Abraham creatinganything at all. Abraham believed God and it was reckoned to him as righteousness. God called something into existence that did not exist previously, namely Abraham's descendents.
Faith in God is good....it results in God reckoning you as righteous. But the notion that your faith creates something did not exist previously is nonsense... I believe the theologically correct term is "poppycock."
And one more thing, you misquoted Hebrews 11:1-3. The worlds were not created by faith. It is by faith that we UNDERSTAND that the worlds were created by God’s word. God spoke, the worlds became. No faith was involved in that creation. We understand by faith that He created. Don’t twist the scriptures.
Thank you RedRover for taking the time to read this article. I’m glad you were able to get something out of it. Thanks!!
Thank you loveliberty2 for taking the time to read this article. Thanks!!
Guyin40s in the examples I listed I did not say they created anything I listed those examples to show how they were believing in something that was outside of their senses I did not say they created anything. And as far as me mis quoting Hebrews 11:3 if you read Romans 10:8 Paul call God’s word the word of faith. You say faith was not involved and you have a right to your opinion, but I say it was.
I find that among the various beliefs, there are those who are so well-versed in scriptural knowledge that they killed their own faith. That is something we all should be wary of. There is a strong resistance to believing the impossible leaving hope all but lost and that would explain why the church is weak. So.... Calling things that be not as though they were is for the believing Christian to take hold of especially in this world.
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