Faith: Proactive Abiding

For he that has entered into His rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from His. Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall according to the same example of unbelief. -Hebrews 4:10-11, KJ21

-Hebrews 4:10-11, KJ21

Laboring to enter into rest might sound like a paradox, but in reality, it takes hard work to learn to live a different way and with a different life source – the fountain of your spirit’s union with God. God living His life through you is much, much easier, but it takes gentle and persistent effort to resist years of habit and the nature of Adam, which always vies for control. This place of active rest is the easy yoke that Yeshua offers us moment by moment.

Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me — watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

-Matthew 11:28-30, MSG

The Hebrew definitions of faith (emunah and aman) tell us that true faith is about action, rather than passively waiting on God to do something. But also remember that it is His life doing those works through you. Your part in this equation is to hear God’s word and to receive by choosing to believe, but your soul and your flesh will never be able to do that in the steadfast way necessary to manifest your miracle. It must be His Spirit flowing through your spirit. Remember, He has no trouble believing Himself!

It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.

-John 6:63, NKJV

You are one with Him, but when you, out of habit, live out of the illusion of separation, you trade His limitless resources for the flesh, which can never produce faith. Perhaps you feel the flow of God’s life and faith through you when someone prays for you, or gives you a prophetic word, or when you are in a corporate gathering where He is moving powerfully, but lose your spiritual momentum without those external props. Perhaps, at times, you soar high in faith and, at other times, succumb to complete and utter despair. The only way to become emunah (steadfast) is to consistently and proactively abide in Christ. Your human spirit is the part of you that became one with God at salvation, so keeping your spirit strong enables you to remain connected to His flow of life. Spiritual disciplines such as worship, prayer and fasting don’t change God or convince Him to move on your behalf. They change you by nourishing and strengthening your spirit and by dealing with the self-life that chokes out the life of your spirit. Remember, all things are already yours and already exist in their entirety in your Father’s heart and mind. It is simply your consistent (emunah) connection to Him that enables you to receive and manifest those things here, in the same way your computer stays connected long enough for a file to be transferred. Your human spirit is one with His Spirit, and your conscious awareness of that reality and your choice to let Him live through you is the abiding that will enable you to receive whatever you desire.

I am the sprouting vine and you’re my branches. As you live in union with me as your source, fruitfulness will stream from within you—but when you live separated from me you are powerless. But if you live in life-union with me and if my words live powerfully within you—then you can ask whatever you desire and it will be done. When your lives bear abundant fruit, you demonstrate that you are my mature disciples who glorify my Father!

-John 15:5, 7-8, TPT

This is a short clip from the Miracles Are Normal Video Course. To order, just click HERE

Until next time…
Virginia

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