Central Truth: God has provided the way whereby everyone can have faith.

We read in Hebrews 11:6, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

We see from this that “without faith it is impossible to please him …” Therefore, if God demands that we have faith when it is impossible for us to have faith, then we have a right to challenge His justice. But if He places within our hands the means whereby faith can be produced, then the responsibility rests with us whether we have faith. God has told us that without faith it is impossible to please Him. But He has also told us how to get faith. If we don’t have faith, it is not God’s fault. To blame God for our lack of faith is nothing but ignorance. God has provided the way whereby everyone can have faith.

Faith for Salvation

The Apostle Paul said that we are saved by faith. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Eph. 2:8). But how do you get faith to be saved?

Romans 10:8-10, 13, 14, 17
8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

After studying the passage of Scripture quoted above, what three steps does man take in order to receive salvation? (1. Confess, 2. Believe, 3. Accept) To whom is this salvation available, according to verse 13? (Whosoever) According to verse 17, where does faith come from? (By hearing the Word of God)

Acts 11:13, 14
13 And he shewed us how he (Cornelius) had seen an angel in his house, which stood and said unto him, Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter;
14 Who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved.

God instructed Cornelius to send for Peter in order to learn the plan of salvation. In the Great Commission, recorded in Mark 16:15-18, Jesus told His disciples, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature …” As Cornelius had not as yet heard this glorious gospel, he was not saved. God told Cornelius to send for Peter in order to learn the plan of salvation. Why did Cornelius have to send for Peter? Why couldn’t the angel have explained the plan of salvation to Cornelius just as well? (Angels cannot preach the gospel. God has given this task to man.)

The verse, “Who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved,” shows us that men are saved by hearing words. The reason for this is that “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

Faith for Healing

Acts 14:7-10
7 And there they (Paul and Barnabas) preached the gospel.
8 And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother’s womb, who never had walked;
9 The same heard Paul speak: who steadfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed,
10 Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked.

A casual reader of the Word once said concerning this passage of Scripture, “Isn’t it wonderful how Paul healed that man?” However, Paul did not heal the man. The man was not healed because Paul was an apostle. He was not healed through Paul’s faith. The man himself had the faith.

Paul did three things:

1. He preached the gospel (verse 7).
2. He perceived that the man had faith to be healed (verse 9).
3. He told the man to stand up and walk (verse 10).

The man did three things:

1. He heard Paul preach (verse 9).
2. He had faith to be healed (verse 9).
3. He leaped and walked (verse 10).

The man was not healed by some power that Paul had. The man himself had faith to be healed.

Where did the man get the faith to be healed? (By hearing Paul speak [verse 9]). What did Paul speak? (He preached the gospel [verse 7]). Paul preached a gospel of salvation and a gospel of healing. “For I not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek” (Rom. 1:16). A footnote in the Scofield Bible referring to this verse says, “The Greek and Hebrew word for salvation implies the ideas of deliverance, safety, healing, and soundness.” Therefore, Paul was saying, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. It is the power of God unto deliverance, safety, healing, and soundness.” Paul preached the full gospel, not just part of it.

Acts 8:5-8
5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them.
6 And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.
7 For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed.
8 And there was great joy in that city.
The great miracles recorded in the above verses came about as the result of Philip’s preaching Christ. The New Testament knows no Christ without Christ the Healer. Physical healing is part of the gospel. If there is no gospel of healing today, then neither is there a gospel of salvation.

Faith in Action

P.C. Nelson, who was for many years a noted Baptist minister, said, “Healing is part and parcel of the gospel.” While he was pastoring a church in Detroit, Michigan, in 1921, he was run over by an automobile. The doctors said that his right leg would probably have to be taken off at the knee. Even if they didn’t have to take it off, it would be stiff. As he lay in his hospital bed the verses of scripture in James 5:14,15 came to him. “Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.”

He tried to excuse himself to the Lord by saying that they didn’t practice this in his church. The Lord reminded him of a certain man and his wife who believed in it and told him to call them to come pray for him. He did so and they came, anointed him with oil, and prayed the prayer of faith. He was healed and his leg didn’t have to be removed, neither was his knee stiff. “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

Many years ago, as a young denominational boy I lay on the bed of affliction. As I lay there reading Grandma’s Bible, the more I read the more I learned. I soon realized that I had never heard the full gospel, but just part of it. The more I read the more I saw that I didn’t have to die. The more I studied the Word the more I realized that I could be healed.

The devil was right there, of course, bringing to my remembrance all the doubt and unbelief I had ever heard. He told me that healing had been done away with. (Fortunately, I couldn’t remember ever hearing that faith had been done away with.) Also, I had been taught that God would heal if He wanted to do so. This, however, was an even bigger insult than saying that He couldn’t.

I read in Mark 5:34 where Jesus spoke to the woman with the issue of blood, saying, “Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.” Jesus didn’t say that His power had made her whole. He said, “Daughter, thy faith …” When I saw this I knew then that if her faith had made her whole, my faith could make me whole. And, thank God, it did. My paralysis disappeared, my heart condition became normal, and I’ve been going at a hop, skip, and a jump ever since then, preaching the gospel in its fullness. “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

Memory Text: “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17).
Faith in Action: “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only ….” (James 1:22).

Next Lesson – Kenneth Hagin Faith – What Is Faith?

Comments

  1. Is it wrong to want to be great in God the Lord Jesus eyes. To want to be someone he can depend on. If that is not wrong to want those things why can’t I feel Jesus wants me to have love from him. I really don’t get close to men that easy does that have anything to do with why I can’t see myself close to Jesus because he was a man living here on earth in his days of life here.

  2. My wish is to have more faith by waiting on God almighty and trust Hi more and stop leaning on my on understanding, which only brings disapiontment.

    1. You get Faith by the Word of God. You express Faith by obeying and doing the work of God. If you find it difficult to understand His word, look for people who have lived by Faith and teach Faith, there you have it. For Faith cometh by hearing the word of God.

    2. Keep hearing the word of God, study day in day out. Let this book depart not from your mouth, so keep speaking it and get familiar with it, then it will register in your sub consciousness. The life you wish becomes a reality for you.

  3. I need to know how to get faith in Jesus Christ so help to know how to have faith in Jesus Christ OK so I can be saved again

    1. *hello dear,
      Jesus is ready to walk into u ourofe and make you his own, all he needs is for you to believe that indeed he came to die for your sins and my sins and accept him by accepting him as your Lord and personal saviour.
      I’m John1:12 as many as received him, to them he gave the power to be called soma of God. Believe, confess and accept him today, life with Jesus is so sweet.
      You can read Romans 10:8-10 and ask the Holy Spirit to help you on this journey and grant by you understanding of the word of the Lord

  4. It is wrong and even sin for a Christian to live without faith.
    Thank you God for providing us a means to get it. Am grateful!

  5. Personally, I believe God calls to EVERYONE, including people who say they are atheists. And he allows people to come to him by any mean they feel comfortable with. You build your faith by hearing the word of God, and practicing your faith. It’s a gift. You have the right to accept or not accept it.

    That’s just my take on it. No intention to offend you, and if I have, I apologize.

  6. I bless God, for the life of papa and his ministry when he was here on earth.

  7. I am 53 years old and have never experienced faith in God. My whole life has been one struggle after another. How do I find that feeling , the faith in your soul that so many people posses ? I want to feel faith in something, someone , just don’t know how???Please help

    1. Author

      Lisa – I just wrote an article that just might be perfect for you – You Cannot ‘Out Think’ the Devil But You Can ‘Out Speak” Him. Speak God’s word till it gets inside of you. Let Him do the rest. Faith is not a feeling, but it will bring feelings. Don’t look for the outward or the feelings.

      Just to be sure, go here and read this and then pray it out loud from your heart – Salvation.

      We love you. God will meet you. Speak His word and seek Him humbly and heart felt. Not as a beggar but as someone expecting someone that loves them to show up. Be expectant. He will come to you. Release everything to Him. Rex

    2. I am struggling with my faith in Jesus. I know he came and died for our sins but I don’t have faith that he loves me to save me from my own self doings. I do need help but I feel like I am alone all the time. When I try to pray or read the Bible I start inching or can’t breath to good or something distracts me I can’t say the right words to Christ Jesus doesn’t seem like I am heard at all. My temptation always seem to win after I fall into temptation it sickens me how can I keep from falling Luke I have been all my life.

      1. “I know he came and died for our sins but I don’t have faith that he loves me to save me from my own self doings.”

        I think EVERY Christian deals with this. Even Mother Theresa, who worked with the “untouchables” in India, voiced doubts. Don’t force prayer. Be yourself.

  8. I was looking for Papa Hagin’s teachings on you tube and came across The Mechanics of Faith. What a blessing! Thank you so much for this wealth of spiritual teaching. l am so thankful and will be visiting this website often. I praise God for the great men of God like papa Hagin other that you put their teachings here for us to feed our spirits and grow. I love papa Hagin teachings; he was a great servant of the Lord.

  9. I am a living creature that GOD sends a miracle and my faith gave me.

  10. These few minutes i have spent on the net has been a great blessing to my life.Sir Hagin i know up in heaven u’ll really expect us to do better than u did…WE will not fail u and JESUS,cos we are building on what u left 4 us.THANKS 4 BEING A BLESSING TO OUR LIFE nd one day i will thank u specially FACE 2 FACE.

  11. This is my first time visiting your website and it was by accident I pulled it up. I have truly been enlightened by what I read and will be visiting regular so please your website open. Thank you.

    1. Author

      Peggy, thank you for your gracious comment. You are exactly what this website is all about, thank you

  12. Dr. Hagin,

    I have faith. I publicly profess belief in my Lord and Savior. I believe he forgives, heals and will save me. I have seen, experienced and received great miracles, including healings of other people. But I have also been saddled for my entire adult life with chronic, still undiagnosed health problems. (I’m 57 now.) Is this just a test from God?

    On another matter.. A friend just admitted to me that he is an atheist. I’ve believed in God since I was a very young child, and can’t imagine how anyone can look at the wonders of life and the universe, and not think a supreme being is responsible. I also don’t know why someone would CHOOSE to believe there is nothing in the afterlife. It seems to me that God would give the spark, that motivated me to learn more about Him, and not give it to my friend. The only conclusions I keep coming to, is that atheists DO know God, but due to pride or disobedience, they won’t acknowledge Him. Or maybe they think by refusing to acknowledge God, they will not be judged?

    What are your thoughts on this?

  13. i think the cross that we are to take up daily and we must remember that the cross was a method of death is to daily CRUCIFY the flesh. We do this by staying in touch with the holy Spirit throughout the day.As we practice the presence of God our natural desires fade away and we become aware of something far better than our piddly wants as they are consumed by Gods wonderful plan for our lives.
    thank you gerard

  14. THANK YOU JESUS THIS SITE IS A BLESSING TO ME! I have just been struggling spiritually and this has given me something to read to increase my faith that is backed by the word! I don’t know who you are but I AM INDEED BLESSED BEYOND MEASURE! Continue what you are doing because I will be reading! Amen!

  15. Hello, I am sitting here in Afghan with the army early in the am, just looking at pictures of DR. Kenneth E Hagin, a man I truly believe to be a wonderful man of God. Run across your site, and have to say what a wonderful job you have done to example what the “Word of Faith movement” is all about. Thanks for posting some of his lesson, I miss his teaching for sure. Have a bless and wonderful Day

    William L

Leave a Reply to FaithMechanic Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.