Blasphemy?
John 14:14: "If you ask Me anything in My Name (as My representative), I will do it." (AMP) Most of us have been taught the use of the Name of Jesus will bring answers to any prayer. Habitually, we close most prayers "In the Name of Jesus." Unless you are way different than me, we still have a bunch of unanswered prayers prayed "In the Name of Jesus." The scripture says if we ask anything. If scripture is true, I've often wondered why the Name of Jesus sometimes doesn't work!
Does Scripture Work Automatically?
Would that it would! What did Jesus say in Matthew 21:21 regarding the fig tree? "... if you have faith (personal trust and confidence) in Me and do not doubt..." (AMP) So, no, Scripture doesn't work automatically. It depends on our faith and not doubting. What? Does this mean I have personal accountability? Most of us believe it does, but we often give ourselves more credit for faith than is justified. We also often pass over our doubts believing that God will cover them up! Let's do some bottom line talk.
What is Faith, Really?
In my last post, we established that faith is what we believe in our hearts by trusting in Jesus. An important question may be, however, is our faith only mental assent or is it that we know beyond a shadow of a doubt in our hearts that a scripture is true? I have mental assent to all of God's promises in the Bible. Do I know that they are truth for me? Not so much! Would I bet my life on them? Not likely! Therein lies the problem for most of us.
Let's get specific. Acts 3:16 in the Amplified Bible: "And on the basis of faith in His name, it is the name of Jesus which has strengthened this man whom you see and know:.." Did you get that? On the basis of faith in His name. This is absolute trust in His authority and power to do what He says. No wonder that the name of Jesus doesn't work sometimes when I pray in His name! Without this trust there is only doubt!
What About the Other Things I Can Do?
For many Christians, anointing with oil takes up the slack, so to speak. James 5:14 says the elders are to anoint with oil when they pray the prayer of faith. Two preconditions are present here however: The elders must have His faith in this scripture in their hearts and the recipient must make a heartfelt confession of any known sin (1 John 1:9). But that's just it. Scripture doesn't say to anoint our houses, our property, our family members or every person we pray for. It says we must have faith in the name of Jesus for the name of Jesus to work!.
John Fenn, founder of Church Without Walls International, goes further and says whenever we are using some habitual formula or practice taught by a church or ministry leader it is because we lack faith in the name of Jesus. My thought. Instead of faith in the name of Jesus, these practices promote faith in the practices themselves and in our doing them!
How to We Get the God-Kind of Faith?
The rest of Acts 3:16 quoted above from the Amplified Bible: " ...know: and the faith which comes through Him (Jesus) has given him (the healed person) this perfect health and complete wholeness in your (our) presence." In the resurrection of Jesus, we were given all things for life and godliness. As this scripture says, this includes "faith which comes through Him." Further, He gives us His grace (ability) to receive revelation of the Scripture as a basis for our faith.
So, how can we satisfy our responsibility to see the name of Jesus work when we pray? We must meditate on Scripture, seek revelation of its truth from the Holy Spirit and be willing to bet our lives on it!
What if We Don't Have This Faith?
I listened to brief teaching by C.S. Lewis last night on Revelation 21:8: "But as for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable (who are devoid of character and personal integrity and practice or tolerate immorality), and murderers, and sorcerers (with intoxicating drugs), and idolaters and occultists (who practice and teach false religions), and all the liars (who knowingly deceive and twist the truth), their part will be in the lake that blazes with fire and brimstone, which is the second death." (AMP) If we profess to believe in the truth of Scripture, we can't avoid believing in this one!
If we don't have revelation of the faith of Jesus that has been given to those that pray the prayer of faith, then we have the responsibility to decide to obtain it. Through meditation on Scripture, through seeking revelation from the Holy Spirit, through praying continually in the Holy Spirit and through being continually occupied with and thinking about God, the Holy Spirit will form the basis for faith in His name in us! As Scripture tells us, it is through faith and patience we receive His promises!
But we might ask what about the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ? His favor has made the way to forgiveness when we sin hasn't it? Yes, but we cannot overlook the practice of known sin. So, is Revelation 21:8 true or not? C.S. Lewis says it clearly is true and applicable to all of us that call ourselves Christian. This is a hard sell in today's church!
I ended my last post with a statement "Time grows short." Whether or not we believe Revelation 21:8 applies to New Testament Christians, to ourselves in other words, one thing should be clear. It is time to be about the Father's business!
