“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing," Jesus said. "The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. But there are some of you who do not believe”.
—John 6:63 (NKJV)
“If God is for you, who can be against you?” Paul asked in Romans 8:31.
Nothing stands against His promise in your life except unbelief. Jesus couldn’t heal very much in Nazareth because of their unbelief (Mark 6:5). The disciples couldn’t cast out a demon because of their unbelief (Matthew 17:19-20). To receive what God has promised, you must believe that His promise is yours.
“For what if some did not believe?" Paul asked in Romans 3:3-4. “Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect? Certainly not! Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar.”
The Word of God won’t work in your life if you don’t believe it, but the Word of God itself never loses any power. Paul declared that God’s promises are always true even if people don’t believe Him. His promises are of no effect to those who don’t believe. But to those who put their faith in the finished work of Jesus, the Word of God still has the power to save and heal and restore. When you don’t believe what God says is true, you void the effectiveness of His Word in your life. His Word won’t be effective unless you mix it with faith (Hebrews 4:2). Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God (Romans 10:17).
Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise.
—Hebrews 10:35-36 (NKJV)
Without confidence, it is hard to endure. To have confidence, you trust that God is faithful to provide the promises His finished work of grace has purchased. When you doubt Him, you find yourself struggling to make something happen. You will never receive when you doubt God and make the work your own. It is not your work. It is His work. It is not your responsibility. It is His responsibility. Your responsibility is to allow Him to work in you and to convince you of His truth.
Your feelings will lie. The enemy comes against your confidence in God’s promise. Stand and fight the good fight of faith. Submit yourself to what God says is true, and the enemy will flee. Hold on to your confidence. Persevere, and don’t give up. When you persevere in believing, you receive God’s promise.
It is the Holy Spirit who gives life to the Word. Your doubt, worry, and fear profit you nothing. They keep you from believing God's promises. They speak death instead of life. The words God speaks to you are His words. They are Spirit and life.
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