Strengthening your faith in God is something we must all do as we continue to serve Him. There are four foundational truths you must understand if you are going to believe God. These need to be established in your mind. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 1:20 these encouraging words. “For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.” Paul knew the moment he wrote these words that the enemy would fight this thought. Jesus is saying “Yes”! The promises can be attained if we will say “Amen” and speak and act in faith.
Paul immediately in the next verse fortified the faith of those young disciples in Corinth with the next two verses. 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 “Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.”
He was giving them four truths that make a powerful foundation:
- You can “stand firm” in Christ
That is good news. But you have to realize something important. It is not your own strength. It is not because you are such a wonderful believer! It is not because you know so much or do so much. 2 Corinthians 1:21 “Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ.”
If you are going to believe God, you are going to have to be able to stand firm. Do you know why? Your faith is going to be tested. Your flesh is going to be tried. Your walk is going to be challenged. Just like Daniels prayers were resisted by the enemy your prayers are going to be resisted. If Jesus has said, Yes and I believe he has, then you have to put both feet down and you have to put your armor on. You have to pick the sword of the Spirit. You have to have the shield of faith. You have to declare these words:
I am standing firm!
And then there is another truth you have to believe.
- You have an “anointing”
There is an anointing available for every believer. These are three words that will help you believe God. Because you see the Word tells me this. “Without Him I can do nothing.” But it also tells that with him. “I can all things through Christ.”
Here are three words that make the devil shake and principalities tremble. Here are three words that give you an understanding of you are and a supernatural strength to move forward. Those three words are found in 2 Corinthians 1:21 “He anointed us.” Strengthening your faith in God comes from realizing the power of those words.
How many of you realize that when you come into any area of life, there is new nomenclature that you have to learn? You have to learn its meaning. The same is true with the Bible. What is an anointing?
The common person on the street would have to google the word to know what it meant. As you study the Word you discover in the Old Testament, that Prophets, Priests, and Kings were anointed by God. The anointing was both physical and spiritual. Physically, they would take oil and pour it over the head of the person as a symbolic gesture. Spiritually, that oil represented the power of the Holy Spirit.
God told Samuel to task his flask of oil and go to the house of Jessie. He called for all of his sons to be brought out, and so they brought the oldest and the strongest and the handsomest young men and brought them before Samuel. He asked Jessie, “Is this all the sons you have?”
Jessie replied, “No there is one more, but he isn’t much. He is just a little kid out watching the sheep.”
They brought him in and God said this is the one and Samuel took out his horn of oil and poured it over David’s head and anointed him as king. From that point on. David walked in anointing. That means that the supernatural blessing of God was upon him. The Holy Spirit was enabling him. When he fought Goliath, he was anointed. When he wrote a praise psalm to God he was anointed. When he went to battle he was anointed.
What does that mean? It meant that Gods power, blessing, authority was upon him for the task he faced. The oil that was poured on young David is a symbol of the Holy Spirit.
Here is the good news! In the New Testament, God didn’t just anoint the pastors, evangelist, prophets, apostles, and teachers. The Holy Spirit like oil was poured out on anyone who would receive it. And when they acted. God acted.
I told the Lord so many years ago before I ever started to preach, teach and write. I can’t do this on my own. I need the anointing. Smear the Spirit on me. Pour it out upon me.
The truth is we all need the anointing. And Paul declares, You have an anointing. I believe in the baptism of the Holy Spirit. You see in the Old Testament, they would pour oil on you. If you were a man it would run down your beard and on your garments and soak in.
But in the New Testament we are baptized, immersed into, and anointed by the Holy Spirit.
And if you are going to believe God, you better understand those words. You have an anointing. Because it is the anointing that does the work. We don’t have to preach with the enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in the demonstration of the Spirit of God and of power. You can have the skill and great talent as a musician, and the music can sound wonderful. People will enjoy it. But if you have the anointing of the Spirit upon you. Not only will the people enjoy it. But the touch of God will be on it. Tears will be shed as you sing and play.
You can try to share Jesus with your neighbor on your own. But if the anointing isn’t there it isn’t going to penetrate. Jesus says yes, my power, my victory, my anointing is yours. But with the anointing it will penetrate.
The next truth you need to know is this…
Not only will God make you stand firm
Not only do you have an anointing.
- You belong to Jesus
2 Corinthians 1:22 “(he has) set his seal of ownership on us…” Now I know that we are a long way from the wild west. But back in the day, a cattleman used to brand his cattle with his brand, so that every outlaw would know and recognize that cow belongs to the double R and if you mess with it, you are messing with the entire crew of the double R.
Paul says, you need to believe God for he has set his seal of ownership on us. I want everyone to know.
I belong to Jesus. My life is not my own. I have been with a price. That price is the precious shed blood of Jesus. I once was a part of another kingdom. But I was bought and paid for, and redeemed, and God has put his seal on my life. I used to be a stranger to God. I used to be an outsider. I used to be a child of the devil.
But, I have been bought. I have been adopted. I am now a Kings kid! I am not a victor through Christ.
Because the word says,John 1:12-13 “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” Strengthening your faith in God is easy when you know whose you are.
We are talking about faith here. Jesus is saying, “yes” to you! As you approach God, You are not a pauper on the outside asking the king for a favor. You are not a guy on the corner holding a sign saying, a quarter will help. You are a son of God.
When I go to my daddy’s house, I don’t even ask. I get there, I pull up. I walk in the back door. I say what’s up. I go over to the refrigerator. I open it up. I reach my hand in there and grab the 2% milk.
I know where my granny’s glasses are. I pull one of them out. I pour myself some milk. If there is some left over fried chicken I reach in there and get myself a thigh and a chicken breast. Put it on a paper plate.
You can’t do that in my father’s house, but I can. Why? Because I am a son. And that is what God is saying. You have a seal of ownership upon you. You can come into your heavenly father’s house and say Abba. Daddy. Father God. I belong to you. I need some help. You own the cattle on a thousand hills.
I ask you today in Jesus name.
Do you know what he says, Romans 8:17 “Now if we are children, then we are heirs-heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.”
He says, yes. All of his power. All of his authority. All of his victory is your inheritance.
Then there is one other truth! Not only will you stand firm, have an anointing, and have seal of ownership.
- You have a guarantee of the promises
I am trying to get you to believe God. Jesus is saying “yes”. If you get this, you will never be the same.
This is what it says. The promises are yes and amen. God says yes. We say amen.
What does God do? 2 Corinthians 1:22 “and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.”
That is the same concept as putting down earnest money when you go to buy a house. You can talk to the owner. You can talk to the real estate agent. You can tell them how you are going to buy the house.
But they don’t believe you are serious until you put your money down. You put down the deposit. I promise I will close this house. I promise I will do it. I have shown you my good will by putting down a deposit.
God loves us so much. This is what he does. He doesn’t just tell you the promise is yes! He doesn’t just hear your amen. He puts a deposit in your heart. He puts the Spirit of God in our hearts. That Spirit guarantees what is to come.
Here is an amazing question. When you pray and ask and believe and you see the word with its promises…Do you ever get that little feeling down inside. It’s right in your heart. I can’t describe it.
I don’t really know how to tell you. But it feels like the presence of God. It feels like love wrapped up in chocolate. It feels like a warm fuzzy.
I have something to tell. That is more than an emotion. That is more that your physical body responding to some outward stimuli. That is the Spirit of the Living God inside of you as a deposit.
Once you know it. Once you feel Him. You can stop asking and start praising. You can stop pleading and start taking steps of faith. Because You know that the faithful God will do it. It is a guarantee of what is to come. Strengthening your faith in God is possible when you know what that touch is all about.
That deposit of the Spirit means more than just that God is going to answer your prayers here on earth.
What does it guarantee?
Heaven? Yes!
Eternity with God? Yes!
A glorified Body? Yes!
No more tears? Yes!
A place prepared for us? Yes!
A new Jerusalem? Yes!
See Jesus face to face? Yes!
Strengthening your faith in God is a real possibility when you know the Word.
You can stand firm. You have an anointing. You are belong to Jesus. You have been given the deposit of the Spirit.
Be strengthened in Jesus name!
Minister Dennis Ross, I think is way to people know how uses us.first we have to our lives over to him and with the anointing g will fall fresh on us all. Thank you co.e them coming g