Lame Faith: Why Faith Without Love Will Not Work
Dr RJ Sing, 16 min, Part 2 of Faith Toward God
Originally preached as “Faith Toward God, Part 2”
Sermon outline
You have a spirit of faith that believes and speaks now, but it is crippled when you fail to walk in love and holiness, so guard your heart and stand on the Word as your title deed.
Main text
- 2 Corinthians 4:13
- Hebrews 10:38
- Hebrews 11:1-6
Opening
This part picks up exactly where Part 1 stopped, on 2 Corinthians 4:13 and the spirit of faith. He has the church say 'I have a spirit of faith' and tells them that is all you need to win a fight, pointing straight to David and Goliath.
A spirit of faith wins the fight
David, Joshua, Paul and Peter all had a spirit of faith. That spirit believes and therefore speaks. If you are trusting God for healing, do not fill your day with television and newspapers and then expect the pastor's hands to do it; build your faith by hearing the Word over and over.
Illustration: Young David asked what the man who defeated Goliath would get, tried on Saul's armour, felt uncomfortable and said he had not proved it, but he had proved the sling and the stone.
“Why don't you activate your faith by meditating on the word?”
- 1 Samuel 17
- 2 Corinthians 4:13
- Romans 10:17
Now the just shall live by faith: faith is now
God mentions faith around 200 times in the Bible, so it is not filler. Hope is for the future, but faith believes and appropriates now, bringing what you want to see out of the unseen into the seen. That is why you must keep your heart with all diligence.
“Anything for the future is hope. Faith believes now.”
- Hebrews 10:38
- Proverbs 4:23
Faith without love will not work
You cannot afford to be offended, to hate or to step out of the love walk, because it cripples your faith. Forgiveness is a choice you make every day, no matter what people have said or done. When you lose your joy and your love walk, you end up with lame faith that struggles to receive healing.
Illustration: If someone treads on your toes, love them back anyway.
“If you want your faith to work, you've got to marry it with love.”
The Word of God is your title deed
Legally speaking, Christ has already healed us, and the Word is the document that proves your ownership. Faith is not a hit and miss game but a system, and meditating on the Word is like taking medicine. The devil is not worried about religious people who do not know their rights, but a believer with the Word is a force to be reckoned with.
Illustration: A car dealer buying your car does not ask to see the car first; he asks for the logbook, because that is your legal proof of ownership.
“The word of God is your title deed.”
Guard what you let in: holiness keeps faith effective
Spirits can be transferred, so be careful who lays hands on you, who prays in your home and who you hug. God's people must be holy and set apart; being righteous in Christ does not mean dabbling in sin. Often unanswered prayer is not a lack of faith but ineffective faith from unsanctified living, and he stresses he is not condemning anyone because God loves them too much to leave them there.
Illustration: Well-meaning Christians invite anyone in to pray over their home, and a visitor full of fear, doubt and unbelief leaves that spirit behind, so everything starts going wrong and they do not understand why.
“It's not a lack of faith. It's ineffective faith.”
- Leviticus 11:44
- 2 Corinthians 5:21
Revelation is caught, not taught
He runs back through Habakkuk 2:4, Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11 and 2 Corinthians 4:13 and tells the church they have caught the spirit of faith. God's Word is simple; the Holy Spirit teaches, highlights and brings things to remembrance as you read. He then reads Hebrews 11:1-6: faith is the evidence of things not seen, and without faith it is impossible to please God.
Illustration: When someone tells you that you can't do it, tell them it's too late, because you learned in church that you can do all things through Christ.
“Revelation is caught. It's not taught.”
- Habakkuk 2:4
- Romans 1:17
- Galatians 3:11
- 2 Corinthians 4:13
- Philippians 4:13
- 2 Corinthians 6:16
- John 14:26
- 1 John 2:27
- Hebrews 11:1-6
Putting it into practice
- Feed on the Word, and listen to it over and over, before you come for prayer.
- Choose to forgive every day so your faith is not crippled.
- Be careful who lays hands on you and who you invite to pray in your home.
- Live holy and set apart, and get out of any sin you are dabbling in.
- Open your heart as you read so the Holy Spirit can give you revelation.
Closing
He finishes reading Hebrews 11:1-6, repeats that without faith it is impossible to please God and that the just shall live by faith, and the recording ends as he says that anything of unbelief is not faith. No closing prayer is captured.
Declarations he led
- I have a spirit of faith.
- Choose to forgive.
- I've caught it tonight.
In his words
- “Faith is bringing things you want to see from what you can't see.”
- “You have lame faith when you fail to walk in love.”
- “To forgive is a choice.”
- “The devil's not concerned about a man that doesn't know his rights in Christ.”
- “God's word is simple. It just takes the theologians to mess it up.”
Every scripture in this message
- 1 Samuel 17
- 2 Corinthians 4:13
- Romans 10:17
- Hebrews 10:38
- Proverbs 4:23
- Leviticus 11:44
- 2 Corinthians 5:21
- Habakkuk 2:4
- Romans 1:17
- Galatians 3:11
- Philippians 4:13
- 2 Corinthians 6:16
- John 14:26
- 1 John 2:27
- Hebrews 11:1-6
