Today we continue to teach on our overall theme for the year: “GREAT FREEDOM.” In this series, we studied 2 Corinthians 3 and for the last few days, we have been looking at chapter 4. Today we will look at verse 13.
(2 Corinthians 4:13 NKJV)
And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed and therefore I spoke,” we also believe and therefore speak.
This scripture reminds me of a message I preached this past Sunday entitled, “Seeing and Believing.” I will do something different today. Instead of my normal flow, I will share a short excerpt from Sunday’s message; a portion I believe lines up with 2 Cor 4:13.
So what does this mean for you today? Let’s see.
Here is an overview of what I covered on Sunday:
*** God prepared everything you would ever need before the world began. He prepared for your arrival.
*** While you were born for God’s specific and divine purpose, you were born with the right to make your own decisions (a free moral agent) and you were also born oblivious to God’s plans.
Step one is receiving Jesus.
— The Father sent people to you, to tell you about His Son.
— Once you were Born Again, you received the Holy Spirit.
— Once you have the Holy Spirit, you are in a position to SEE in the Spirit!
*** Through the Holy Spirit, God reveals TO you what was prepared FOR you, but concealed FROM you! ***
Note: Under the Old Covenant, the Angel of the Lord would often come to people, to speak to them, to perform this function. Once we are Born-Again, we don’t need the Angel of the Lord to do this. We have the Holy Spirit. The Angel spoke to people from the outside. The Holy Spirit speaks to us from the inside.
*** When the Holy Spirit reveals God’s plans to us, our job is to BELIEVE then plans, and to then exercise FAITH to lay hold of what, in God’s eyes, is already done!
This is why you are called and commanded to walk and live by faith: What is faith?
*** Faith is the corresponding action you perform in the earth, based on the revelation you received from the Holy Spirit!
*** Faith is something you SAY, something you DO or a seed you SOW, based on what God revealed!
Going back to our verse for today, Paul said, “And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed and therefore I spoke,” we also believe and therefore speak.” (2 Cor 4:13). When you SAY what you believe God revealed and you then live based on that revelation, it is called faith.
I gave several examples of this on Sunday. I will only give you one example today. It is from Mary, the mother of Jesus. If you read Luke 1:26-36, you see that an Angel came to Mary, he told her that she would become pregnant, that she would have a son, that his name would be Jesus, and that He would be the Son of God. When Mary asked for clarification, the Angel said, “The Holy Spirit will come to you, and the power of the Most High God will cover you. The baby will be holy and will be called the Son of God. And here’s something else: Your relative Elizabeth is pregnant. She is very old, but she is going to have a son. Everyone thought she could not have a baby, but she has been pregnant now for six months. God can do anything!”
Once Mary heard all of that, she was finally able to believe. And like Paul said, she SPOKE what she BELIEVED. She said, “I am the Lord’s servant. Let this thing you have said happen to me!” At that very moment, she became pregnant and the Angel went away. She was pregnant with the Word. She was pregnant with purpose. She was pregnant with God’s promise. But she was also in somewhat of a bad situation. She was engaged and now she was pregnant by someone OTHER than her ffiancé. So she went to the one person who could understand her situation, her cousin Elizabeth, who was also pregnant supernaturally at the time.
When Mary walked through the threshold of Elizabeth’s home, her cousin said, “As soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.”
Mary believed God, she aligned her LIPS with her believing, and she was told that there would be a fulfillment of those things she believed! I say the same thing to you.
When the Holy Spirit reveals something to you, you must realize that this is something that was prepared FOR You before the world began. You did not know anything about it. But as the Holy Spirit reveals TO you what was prepared FOR you, but concealed FROM you, your job is to BELIEVE it, to align your LIPS with it, and to then provide the corresponding action to bring it to pass. It may take time, but if you remain in faith, you will SEE in your hands, what God REVEALED in your heart!
That’s enough for today.
Declaration of Faith:
Father, I am a believer and not a doubter. I walk by faith and not by fear. You made plans for me before the world began. I was not aware of those plans. Your Spirit, who lives in me, reveals TO me what was prepared FOR me, but concealed FROM me. As He does, I believe it and receive it. And then, like Paul said, I believe, therefore I speak. I align my LIPS and my LEGS with what You revealed! This is the life of faith and this is how I live! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
