FAITH RECEIVING GOD’S PROMISES
Romans 4:17 (KJV) “(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.”
We have a great example of how to receive the promises of God in Romans chapter 4. Abraham, known as the father of our faith, shows us the principles of faith necessary to obtain the promise, even when it seemed naturally impossible.
The first thing I see that Abraham had to learn from God was to call those things which be not as though they were (Romans 4:17). We see God doing this from the very beginning. Genesis 1:2 says, “And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.” You can see that the earth was dark and in chaos.
Then we see in verse 3, “And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.” I want you to notice that God did not say, “Quit being dark, and I mean it!” He didn’t tell the darkness to stop being something. Instead, He spoke what He wanted it to be. He said, “Light be,” not “darkness go away.” What is the difference? Isn’t it the same thing? Apparently not, since the Word of God is very specific about this principle.
God even went so far as to change Abram and Sarai’s names. Abraham means “father of multitudes.” Abraham didn’t have an heir, yet God began calling him “the father of multitudes.” God was calling those things which be not as though they were.
Words are very important in receiving the promises of God. Many Scriptures tell us this. Proverbs 18:21 says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” Proverbs 6:2 says, “Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.” James 3:2–4 also teaches us about the power of our words and how the tongue steers our bodies and gives direction to our lives.
We cannot talk about words and calling those things which be not as though they were without mentioning what the Head of the Church said in Mark 11:23. Jesus said that you would have what you say.
So, what should you be saying?
If you have sickness in your body, say, “By the stripes of Jesus I am healed. Jesus became a curse for me. Sickness is a curse, and I have been redeemed from the curse.”
If you feel stressed, say, “Jesus is my peace. I keep my mind stayed on Him; therefore, I am in perfect peace.”
If you are confused and cannot seem to make a good decision, say, “I am His sheep, and I know His voice, and the voice of a stranger I will not follow. Because I am a child of God, I am led by the Spirit of God. I always make good decisions.”
You say what you want, not what you have. When you feel weak, say, “I am strong!” Let’s be like God. If you don’t want darkness anymore, say, “Light be!” Just as it was on the day light came forth, the Holy Spirit is present to perform the Word of God that is spoken.