What Strong Believers Believe
By Capazin Thornton
While some believers wander and wane, strong believers grow stronger.
The 1980’s and 1990’s was an era of great teaching in the Body of Christ. Many teachers taught on faith and confession. Even so, some believers did not really learn to live by faith.
Some thought they must quit their jobs to live by faith. They confessed, “God will take care of me.” Sadly, some of them quickly moved from Wealthy and Blessed Boulevard to Barely Get Along Street.
Recently, it occurred to me that some people do not now understand the crucial interplay between faith and belief.
- to have faith is to trust
- to believe is to be persuaded
Believing precedes trust. For example, when we believe in our hearts that God is faithful, it is so very easy to trust Him. And then to confess, express, and live out what we believe.
So what do strong believers believe that keep them rooted and grounded?
What Strong Believers Believe
Strong believers believe the Word of God
Strong believers believe the Word of God, beginning to end. They are fully persuaded it is authentic God revelation that lives and abides forever. Therefore, it is relevant to every generation. [And so is the person who reads, studies, rightly divides and applies it.]
The Word is full of light, truth, and godly wisdom. The Word has inherent power to regenerate, heal, restore, purify and nourish any who believe and mix their faith with it.
So, strong believers can never be cavalier about God’s Word. And they refuse to exalt men’s insipid opinions and endless theories above the pure, unchanging Word of God.
Strong believers believe in the Name of Jesus
“And these signs shall follow those who believe in My Name: they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents, and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they [the sick] will recover.”—Mk 16:17-18
These promises are to the believing ones—those who believe in the Name of Jesus. I have used these scriptures to minister to many sick people with great results.
I say: “Jesus said that a believer shall lay hands on the sick and the sick shall recover. You are the sick person. I am the believer. I believe when I lay hands on you, the power of God will be released and you will be healed in Jesus’ Name.”
Some are healed instantly. Others recover over time. Either way, the Lord confirms His Word with accompanying signs.
Strong believers believe in the Holy Spirit
Strong believers believe in and rely on the Holy Spirit as Helper, Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor —Counselor, Strengthener, Standby. They know the Holy Spirit is God’s gift of grace to help us face every challenge, live as more than a conqueror, and do the greater works Jesus promised.
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Actually, strong believers are ordinary believers who implicitly believe and trust God. As the result, we realize all things are possible to the believing ones.
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Are you a strong believer or on your way to becoming one? Please feel free to post your comments?
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Capazin Thornton is a Christian speaker and author in Orange County, California.