Simple Self-Test for Determining if You Are in Faith

by Rex Rouis

Jesus told us how to tell if we were in faith in Mark’s Gospel:

And Jesus answered saying to them, “Have faith in God. Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea, and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen. It will be granted him. Therefore, I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them and they will be granted you.” Mark 11:22-24

Head-Testing-300-webThe test is this – Whenever we declare something in prayer, do we actually believe it will happen, instead of just hoping it will happen?

If we do, then we are in faith, if not, we are not. Faith is a settled knowing that it will happen, and we no longer have to even think about it. Faith is like throwing a ball in the air and not having to look up to see if it will come back down. Unbelief finishes the prayer wondering if an answer will come back down from Heaven. It won’t. Faith knows that it will, it just does not know exactly when.

It is easy to receive when one has faith, and impossible when one does not. The effort then is to have faith. Read about faith, study the Bible, meditate on the scriptures, and spend quiet time with God. Faith comes by hearing, and God usually speaks in a quiet time with to the scriptures that have already been put in the heart. Faith comes from God, but only as we put His word into our hearts and seek Him. We receive the answer by faith now so that we can receive it later in reality.

Comments

  1. I’m not sure I understand what Patrick is saying and I’ve heard from many many word of faith Teachers. (The term measure of faith) to me measure of faith has to mean ability and potential to believe as Jesus does! This is my understanding: if we had the faith some teach, faith would not have to come, and faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17) Heart hearing! The seed of the word has to be planted in our hearts, watered, nurtured, practiced, the word of God teaches some have great faith, little faith, some of those teachers make it sound like, just make a choice and believe it, sorry pal, that doesn’t come without spending much time with Jesus, understanding him loving him trusting him and it’s all a progression and him giving me the ability (measure) to walk the way he wants Me to walk! Because the way I hear this being taught the ( measure of faith)They make it sound like just make a choice and believe it there’s a major process of instilling the presence of Jesus in one’s heart, of which brings confidence and trust that he is faithful and will perform what he promises! The measure of faith is a seed and that has to be progressively nurtured to get us to the place where Jesus wants us to be. Most Christian people’s (default) is flesh, emotions,Our (default) has to become Jesus through his word!Not done by just our will alone! Our hearts have to be developed and nurtured in the love of God which is in Christ Jesus and that calls for self denial And a Persistence of knowing Jesus in the power of his resurrection! Without a death(Will to obey) no new life can come! I’m no spring chicken but I’ve seen few that want to pay that price! And we wonder why we don’t see Jesus the way He desires us to see Him!

    1. Author

      John – I do not believe we all ‘have the measure of faith.’ I need to write an article on this. Paul in Romans 12 is not talking about ‘objective’ faith, that is, faith for things, like healing. As you so aptly say, ‘Faith comes by hearing..” Even the mustard faith concept is not totally correct. It is only when that seed grows up into a full mature tree (faith) that it brings shelter and provision. God bless you. We love you and your comments. Rex

      1. Please Rex, let keep it simple – Paul in Rom 12 is maybe not talking about ‘objective or subjective’ faith – he is talking about faith. I do not agree with your comment. Thierry

      2. Praise God pastor Rex.I have a question.. when you pray for one thing repeatedly since you’ve not received it does it show that you don’t have faith?
        There’s a place Jesus repeated his prayers the same thing at Gethsemane mark 14:39..did it He had no faith to pray the same thing more than once?.thank you in advance and God bless you so much!!!

  2. I have been reading some scripture that might interest some elderly individuals . I noticed in psalms 101:3 that God promises to forgive all our sins and heal all our diseases . Now you might want to ask yourself ; ” I know God forgives sin , but the healing disease part , I think He means something else “. No, my friend, God means healing for your body, just as it says. And that promise is for everyone , young and old . We all know that God will forgive everyone, whether you are twenty or ninety. But God also wants to heal you whether you are twenty or ninety. He forgives OUR sins and heals OUR diseases ; ; that includes all human beings that are willing to take God at His promises . Also , Isaiah 53:4-5 says , He carried away OUR sickness and disease ; and Matthew 8:17 shows Jesus doing just that ! Now, notice in Isaiah 53 there is that word, “OUR” again. If you are elderly , you are still an OUR . Jesus loves you and paid the price to free you and I from sickness and disease. Well , you say, then how is a person suppose to die ? but by disease or sickness ? After all , these natural bodies are not meant to live forever , you are right , they will not live forever, but they will be changed when Jesus comes back. Your natural body will die , and someday be raised up supernatural . But it does not have to die from disease; God can free you from your body without giving you sickness or disease . If God gave you breath, can’t He take away your breath ? or however God wishes to take you apart from sickness or disease . I speak with great respect to all the seniors, I humbly say that God paid a price for all of us, including seniors ! He loves you and me. I myself being a senior. So, remember, all the promises are yea and amen, in Him , 2 corinthians 1:20 .
    Let us believe God together.

  3. some think that ” God did not heal me because I have issues in my life “, if I could only be a better person than he would heal me. This is wrong thinking. Notice that Jesus healed all that came to him. He did not wait until all their issues were resolved, if they had faith, he healed them. The woman that touched Jesus’s garment believed, therefore she was healed. If her healing was based on whether she was good enough or not, she would always be wondering if she was good enough. All she knew was that Jesus healed all that came to him; gentile or jew. Also the fact remains that we are good enough ! Why? because Jesus washed us in his blood, and made us good enough ! Since you have been washed in his blood, you have been given all things pertaining to life and godliness. Go ahead and recieve your healing !

    1. Author

      Rick – Great word. Keep reading about Him and seeking Him. He is faithful and loving. It is all based on faith.

  4. Amen! It is sad to hear a Christian say: “Maybe God is teaching you something when a crisis happens.” I pray scripture all day long for faith and repent for unbelief!

    1. Author

      Jeff – Yes I agree. Most of that ‘whatever happens must be of God’ stuff is a theology based on the results of doubt and unbelief. I am not saying that bad things don’t happen to good faithful people, on the contrary, we know that it does. However, we must realize that the bad is NOT from God but is evil trying to destroy us. We must respond to evil with faith in God. Faith is our victory, not a victory from God Himself, but rather, a victory over evil that is in the world.

      John 10:10 – “The thief comes not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” – THROUGH FAITH.

  5. Author

    Sorry, but just because something comes down the road, it does not mean it is God’s will. You must find out if something is God’s will before you pray, not after. Faith is not simply trusting in the Lord WHATEVER He does. Where is the devil in all this? You have to find out what the Lord wants for you and then you go for in faith. Not waiting till the devil brings you migraines and then think it was God.

    You’re not really believing anything you are just accepting everything. Find someone in the New Testament that did that. Jesus never just accepted anything that came along as if it was God. Faith if finding the will of God and going for it.

    1. Good word, faith mechanic , on not everything that comes along is from God . We have to resist the devil and submit to God’s will . The devil also has a will that he tries to impose on us . So there are always two choices .

  6. God has given every man the measure of faith. It is in there and just needs to be acted upon. Many times we blame ourselves for not having enough faith when in fact we should be fighting the good fight of faith by not allowing doubt to steal away what we are believing God for.

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