THE GIFTS OF POWER

THE GIFT OF FAITH

Since "Without faith, it is impossible to please God (Heb. 11:6)," God has given

two ways of producing faith in our hearts: faith as a fruit of the Spirit and faith as

a gift of the Spirit. Faith is both a fruit of the Spirit and a gift of the Spirit. Faith

as fruit of the Spirit is faith in process. Even as fruit develops and matures, so

faith grows. Faith as a fruit is faith in process:

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the

word of God" (Rom. 10:12).

As you read the word, as you speak the word, as you live the word, as you

act the word, faith comes. When faith matures, a knowing is present, and your

miracle is accomplished (see a discussion of faith as fruit under the "Fruit of the

Spirit").

Faith as a gift, however, is faith as an act, an event. You do not do any-

thing to receive it. As you are going through the routine things of life, faith is

dropped in your heart by the Spirit. This is faith as a gift. The Holy Spirit gives it.

The end result is the same. In other words, whether the knowing that you have in

your heart is the result of faith as a gift or faith as fruit makes no difference,

because it is faith. It is the "substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things

not seen" (Heb. 11:1). There is a knowing in your heart. That knowing can be

developed as a fruit as you abide in Jesus Christ and His word abides in you; or

the Spirit of God can just drop it in your heart out of the clear blue sky as a gift of

faith.

ABRAHAM, THE FATHER OF FAITH

The best example of a man receiving a gift of faith is Abraham, father of

faith. When Abram was 86 years old, God spoke to him and said,

Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou

be able to number them: and he said unto him, So

shall thy seed be (Gen. 15:5).

Years later, when Abram was 99 years old, God spoke to him again about his

children:

Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but

thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many

nations have I made thee" (Gen. 17:5).

Paul sets forth the faith of Abraham:

(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. Who against

hope believed in hope that he might become the

father of many nations, according to that which was

spoken. So shall thy seed be. And being not weak in

faith, he considered not his own body now dead,

when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet

the deadness of Sarah's womb: He staggered not at

the promise of God through un-belief; but was strong

in faith, giving glory to God; And being full persuad-

ed that, what he had promised, he was able also to

perform (Rom. 4:17-21).

Abraham believed God, and he went around praising God and saying, "I am

the father of many nations." He would enter a city and the Chamber of Commerce

would ask, "What is your name?" He would answer, "My name is Abraham. I am

the father of many nations." They would reply, "Oh, great, where are your

children?" Abraham would say, "I don't have any." Then the conversation would

be repeated, "What did you say your name was?" "My name is Abraham; I am the

father of many nations." "And where are your children?" "I don't have any kids,

but I am the father of many nations." As the neighbors look over the backyard

fence at him, they are even more puzzled. Abraham is standing out there with

Sarah, stroking his beard, and he is counting stars and saying, "Sarah, look at

them: Kids, Kids, Kids." The neighbors wondered about them, but of course, the

neighbors realized that they were harmless, just senile. You would not necessarily

have to institutionalize anybody just for going around talking about kids. One day,

though, the Lord appeared and set the day for the blessed event. Upon hearing

this, Sarah laughed. This is the way faith came to Abraham. God dropped faith

into his heart. He believed in the God who calls "those things which be not as

though they were"; "he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief";

and he "against hope believed in hope" that he might become the father of many

nations. God had spoken, and Abraham believed God. He went around praising

God, and God brought it to pass. That is the gift of faith--faith to receive from

God.