God’s Power Through Spiritual Gifts (part 6):

The Gift of Faith

9.21.2022

1 Corinthians 12:31 (AMPC)

But earnestly desire and zealously cultivate the greatest and best gifts and graces (the, higher gifts and the choicest graces). And yet I will show you a still more excellent way [one that is better by far and the highest of them all—love].

1 Corinthians 14:1 (AMPC)

EAGERLY PURSUE and seek to acquire [this] love [make it your aim, your great quest]; and earnestly desire and cultivate the spiritual endowments (gifts), especially that you may prophesy (interpret the divine will and purpose in inspired preaching and teaching).

1 Thessalonians 5:19 (AMPC)

Do not quench (suppress or subdue) the [Holy] Spirit;

1 Thessalonians 5:19 (A.S.Way)

In your church gatherings do not repress manifestations of the Spirit’s gifts.

1 Thessalonians 5:20 (AMPC)

Do not spurn the gifts and utterances of the prophets [do not depreciate prophetic revelations nor despise inspired instruction or exhortation or warning].

W.E. Vine – v. 19

(Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary) “The peace, order, and edification of the saints were evidence of the ministry of the Spirit among them, 1 Cor. 14:26, 32, 33, 40, but if, through ignorance of His ways, or through failure to recognize, or refusal to submit to, them, or through impatience with the ignorance or self-will of others, the Spirit were quenched, these happy results would be absent. For there was always the danger that the impulses of the flesh might usurp the place of the energy of the Spirit in the assembly, and the endeavor to restrain this evil by natural means would have the effect of hindering His ministry also. Apparently then, this injunction was intended to warn believers against the substitution of a mechanical order for the restraints of the Spirit.”

Review

1 Corinthians 12: 4-11

There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: 8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.

There are three major classifications of spiritual gifts…

Revelation Gifts – Reveal something

Word of Wisdom

Word of Knowledge

Discerning of Spirits

Power Gifts – Do something

Gift of Faith

Working of Miracles

Gifts of Healings

Utterance Gifts – Say something

Gift of Prophecy

Different Kinds of Tongues

Interpretation of Tongues

We have covered:

*Spiritual Gifts are as a result of the Baptism with the Holy Spirit.

*Jesus was used in the gifts of the Holy Spirit during His ministry.

*Jesus wants us to be used by the Holy Spirit the way He was used by Him!

John 14:12-14 (NKJV)

Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. 13 And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!

We have covered the Revelation Gifts.

Tonight, we will begin to look at the Power Gifts – the gifts that do something!

The Gift of Faith (Special Faith)

Definition: The Gift of Faith is a supernatural endowment by the Spirit whereby that which is uttered or desired by man or spoken by God, will eventually come to pass.

The gift of Faith covers blessing or cursing, creation or destruction, removal or alteration.

It is a gift of the Spirit to the believer that He might receive miracles.

It’s different from the two other power gifts (working of Miracles or Gifts of Healings) because its operation is not immediately or generally observable.

The gift of Faith is more passive than active:

The Working of Miracles is a gift of the Spirit given to the believer that he might work miracles:

Moses dividing the Red Sea…

One receives (faith), the other does (working of miracles).

One is an act (Working of Miracles) – the other (the gift of Faith) is more of a process.

The Gift of faith is more passive than active.

The Working of Miracles is more active than passive.

Working of miracles does things by the Spirit. The gift of Faith receives or enjoys things by the Spirit.

Those who possess the gift of Faith believe God in such a way that God honors their word as His own and miraculously brings it to pass.

Job 22:28 (NKJV)

You will also declare a thing, and it will be established for you; So light will shine on your ways.

1 Kings 17:1 (NKJV)

And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab,”As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word.”

It is distinct and separate from:

Saving Faith –

Ephesians 2:8-9 (NKJV)

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.

This faith comes through the Word – Romans 10:17

The Fruit of Faith

Galatians 5:22-23 (NKJV)

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

Faith – Gk – faithfulness – This is fruit for character.

Special Faith is faith for Power.

Saving Faith comes before salvation. Faith the fruit comes after salvation for character. Faith the gift comes after the Baptism with the Holy Spirit.

General Faith

This is the faith by which we normally receive answers to our prayers. It grows as you feed on the Word and exercise it.

This special faith comes after the Baptism with the Holy Spirit.

Examples of the Gift of Faith

It is seen in Isaac blessing Jacob in terms that only could be fulfilled over a long period of time.

Genesis 27:27-29 (NKJV)

And he came near and kissed him; and he smelled the smell of his clothing, and blessed him and said: “Surely, the smell of my son is like the smell of a field which the Lord has blessed. 28 Therefore may God give you of the dew of heaven, of the fatness of the earth, and plenty of grain and wine. 29 Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you. Be master over your brethren, and let your mother’s sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you, and blessed be those who bless you!”

Daniel protected from lions

Daniel 6:16-23 (NLT)

So at last the king gave orders for Daniel to be arrested and thrown into the den of lions. The king said to him, “May your God, whom you serve so faithfully, rescue you.” 17 A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den. The king sealed the stone with his own royal seal and the seals of his nobles, so that no one could rescue Daniel. 18 Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night fasting. He refused his usual entertainment and couldn’t sleep at all that night. 19 Very early the next morning, the king got up and hurried out to the lions’ den. 20 When he got there, he called out in anguish, “Daniel, servant of the living God! Was your God, whom you serve so faithfully, able to rescue you from the lions?”

21 Daniel answered, “Long live the king! 22 My God sent his angel to shut the lions’ mouths so that they would not hurt me, for I have been found innocent in his sight. And I have not wronged you, Your Majesty.” 23 The king was overjoyed and ordered that Daniel be lifted from the den. Not a scratch was found on him, for he had trusted in his God.

3 Hebrews protected in a furnace of fire

Daniel 3:20-27 (NLT)

Then he ordered some of the strongest men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. 21 So they tied them up and threw them into the furnace, fully dressed in their pants, turbans, robes, and other garments. 22 And because the king, in his anger, had demanded such a hot fire in the furnace, the flames killed the soldiers as they threw the three men in. 23 So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, securely tied, fell into the roaring flames. 24 But suddenly, Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in amazement and exclaimed to his advisers, “Didn’t we tie up three men and throw them into the furnace?” “Yes, Your Majesty, we certainly did,” they replied. 25 “Look!” Nebuchadnezzar shouted. “I see four men, unbound, walking around in the fire unharmed! And the fourth looks like a god!” 26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came as close as he could to the door of the flaming furnace and shouted: “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!” So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stepped out of the fire. 27 Then the high officers, officials, governors, and advisers crowded around them and saw that the fire had not touched them. Not a hair on their heads was singed, and their clothing was not scorched. They didn’t even smell of smoke!

Elijah called judgment on the wicked.

1 Kings 17:1 (NLT)

Now Elijah, who was from Tishbe in Gilead, told King Ahab, “As surely as the LORD, the God of Israel, lives—the God I serve—there will be no dew or rain during the next few years until I give the word!”

Elijah fed by ravens

1 Kings 17:2-7 (NLT)

Then the LORD said to Elijah, 3 “Go to the east and hide by Kerith Brook, near where it enters the Jordan River. 4 Drink from the brook and eat what the ravens bring you, for I have commanded them to bring you food.” 5 So Elijah did as the LORD told him and camped beside Kerith Brook, east of the Jordan. 6 The ravens brought him bread and meat each morning and evening, and he drank from the brook. 7 But after a while the brook dried up, for there was no rainfall anywhere in the land.

Paul was not harmed by snake bite.

Acts 28:3-6 (NLT)

As Paul gathered an armful of sticks and was laying them on the fire, a poisonous snake, driven out by the heat, bit him on the hand. 4 The people of the island saw it hanging from his hand and said to each other, “A murderer, no doubt! Though he escaped the sea, justice will not permit him to live.” 5 But Paul shook off the snake into the fire and was unharmed. 6 The people waited for him to swell up or suddenly drop dead. But when they had waited a long time and saw that he wasn’t harmed, they changed their minds and decided he was a god.

Jesus raising Lazarus from death

John 11:41-44 (NLT)

So they rolled the stone aside. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, thank you for hearing me. 42 You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me.” 43 Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!”

Spiritual Gifts often operate together.

In raising the dead, three operate together – the gift of faith, the working of miracles, and the gifts of healings.

It takes the gift of faith to call the person’s spirit back after it has left the body.

It takes the working of miracles to raise the person from death.

It takes the gifts of healings to heal the person from whatever caused death.

Smith Wigglesworth.

The Gift of faith may be in operation in casting out evil spirits.

Matthew 12:22 (NKJV)

Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw.

Matthew 12:28 (NKJV)

But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.

It takes more than one gift in operation to cast out an evil spirit: the gift of faith plus either the discerning of spirits or the word of knowledge.

The gift of faith can be employed for protection or deliverance from storm, shipwreck, evil men, evil spirits, wild beasts, pestilence, calamity, triumph over every evil power, and supernatural protection in all circumstances.