This is the one great question in the search for faith. We know God can do all things but which of them will He do? Faith and the things of faith have more to do with knowing what God wills to do rather than knowing what God can do.
Can we have faith if we do not know if He will do it? I think not. There would be no basis for faith. To believe that whatever comes along is God’s will is nonsense. It is like having no goals. How would you know if and when you had received? You would never know what to expect. It would be just as absurd as painting the windshield of your car black and then believing everything you hit was God’s will.
“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the (spoken) word of God.” Romans 10:17
Faith begins where the will of God is known. The big quest in the search for faith is the search for God’s specific will. His specific will for you, in your specific situation, and at this specific time. Once you receive the answer to that you either have faith or you don’t. And if you don’t, you now know that you need to seek Him for something else. Finding the will of God is done before you pray, not after. That way, you know what you are praying for and what you are to receive. Prayer is not a crap shoot. It is not throwing some prayer against the wall to see if it will stick.
Knowing God can do it is the basis of hope. Knowing God will do it is the basis of faith. There are those that do not believe you can know the will of God. They do not believe that God speaks personally to individuals today. And all their theology stems from that incorrect view. God does still speak to individuals today and He wants you to seek Him till you hear Him. And when you do hear Him you will have the answer to your hope. Then you will know – not only that He can do it, but that He will do it. And upon that you can walk through fire or stormy seas.
“Therefore, keep up your courage men, for I believe God that it will turn out exactly as I have been told.” Acts 27:25
Hello, I really enjoy your site. but I have a question and not sure where to write it. My question is Where do we go when we die? Is it directly to heaven if your a believer and hell if your not. Or do we just sleep till judgement and then it will be decided where we will go?
On the cross, Jesus said to the one thief also hanging on a cross,”Today you will be with me in Paradise.” There is also a conversation of one in Hades asking for one in Paradise to give a drop of water, which of course was impossible due to the great casm between them. The illistration in the Bible shows that they all are not asleep.
Interesting question. Many speculate that the Christians in Heaven will be spirits without a body. For a while, Christ Himself would be the only one with a glorified body – one still with the nail holes in His feet and hands that He will carry for all eternity as a reminder. Once the Rapture occurs those in Heaven and those on their way to Heaven (on earth) would all receive their new glorified bodies.
I would presume it would be similar on the other end. The rich man in Hades was visible in bodily form but it does not actually say that he had a body. But he will someday have one and then he will be in Hell forever. Terrible stuff!
Thank you so much for your blog – I “stumbled upon it” a few weeks ago. Today’s post resonates particularly strongly with me. I wrote in my journal earlier this month that I have been believing more in the evil one’s power to harm me than in God’s desire to bless me (that God’s power is greater has not been the question). And just earlier today, I had written that it’s time for me to actually take God at his Word in my own life. I have faith in God, and that faith is based on his Word.
God is a really good God. This particular topic touched directly on the prayer point I’m believing God for and I strongly believe that he will do it. Thank God for HopeFaithPrayer Blog it is really inspiring.