Everything God has provided, by grace, is already a reality in the spiritual realm. But whether or not it ever manifests in the physical realm depends on your ability to receive, not on God’s giving.
Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV)
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Faith pleases God and there are two aspects to faith that pleases God in Hebrews 11:6 – faith that saves and faith that receives. Faith that receives manifests the benefits of faith that saves.
Question: How do you diligently seek God? Answer: You seek God, first and foremost, by getting saved, by being born again and receiving eternal life. You diligently seek God by learning how to manifest the benefits of your salvation.
Faith that receives is how you manifest in the physical realm what already exists in the spiritual realm. Faith that receives is how you manifest in the physical realm all the benefits of your salvation that already belong to you. Salvation is a one-time thing; manifesting the benefits of your salvation is a lifetime thing.
The details of faith that receives come from Romans 10:
Romans 10:9-10 (NKJV)
9 That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Romans 10:9 refers to: “Salvation is a one time thing.” A person gets saved by confessing Jesus as Lord and believing that God raised Him from the dead so they can be right with God. Salvation is a one time thing.
Romans 10:10 refers to: “Manifesting the benefits of your salvation is a life time thing.” One of the benefits of salvation is righteousness (being made right with God). You are already the righteousness of God in Christ, but you may not be manifesting right living. You are already healed, but you may not be manifesting divine health. Manifesting the benefits of your salvation is a life time thing.
Sweeping statement now: The way a person gets saved is the same way they manifest all the other benefits of their salvation; by speaking words out of a believing heart. The way you receive healing, prosperity, deliverance, and protection is the same way you receive salvation; by speaking words out of a believing heart.
Faith that receives believes with the heart and confesses with the mouth. Your believing and your speaking are based on your hearing; what you hear on a continual basis.
Speaking is based on believing (what you speak is a result of what you believe). Believing is based on hearing (what you believe is a result of what you hear). Hearing is based on preaching (what you hear is a result of what people tell you).
If your hearing is wrong, your believing is going to be wrong. If your believing is wrong your speaking is going to be wrong, and it all culminates with your words. Jesus tells us why the words we say are so important in Mark 11:23. Jesus speaking:
Mark 11:23 (NKJV)
“For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.”
Jesus said that a person is going to have what they say. In other words, what you are experiencing in your life right now, according to Jesus, is what you have been speaking. Positive speaking produces positive results and negative speaking produces negative results.
Question: “What have you been speaking?” Answer: You have been speaking what you have been hearing. Is what you are hearing increasing your faith to receive the benefits of your salvation or decreasing your faith to receive the benefits of your salvation?
Romans 10:17 (NKJV)
So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Faith that receives comes by hearing the Word of God. The objects of our faith are God and His Word. Faith that receives must be based on God’s Word. Jesus stressed the importance of this when He said:
Matthew 24:35 (NKJV)
“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.”
The Word of God is more certain than the existence of the universe. Everything is temporal except God’s Word. Everything is temporal, including your circumstances, except God’s Word. If you find yourself in unfavorable circumstances, know that your circumstances are subject to change with the application of God’s Word.
Sometimes it is easier to follow what man thinks about something than to follow what God thinks about the situation. Sometimes the hardest thing in the world is to get your mind to give up what man says and believe what God says. Remember, what you hear is a result of what people tell you. God’s Word is God speaking to you. There is going to come a time in every person’s life when they are going to have to make a decision whether or not to accept God’s Word as the source of truth for their life.
The importance of putting yourself in a position to hear God’s Word cannot be overemphasized because God’s Word contains God’s thoughts. Your thinking must be in line with the Word of God because you cannot believe God, you cannot “believe that you receive” the benefits of our salvation beyond the actual knowledge you have of God’s Word.
Deuteronomy 30:14 (NKJV)
But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it.
I want you to notice the last five words in the above verse, “that you may do it.” The goal of believing with the heart and confessing with the mouth is action. The purpose of believing with the heart and confessing with the mouth is so you can practice the Word of God.
Faith that receives acts on God’s Word. Faith that receives practices God’s Word. Nothing happens until you act on God’s Word. There is no lasting manifestation until you practice God’s Word.
Salvation is a one time thing, manifesting the benefits of your salvation is a lifetime thing. Healing is a one time thing, living in divine health is a lifetime thing. Deliverance is a one time thing, living free from addictions is a lifetime thing. Faith that receives manifests the benefits of your salvation!