The Spirit of Faith Newsletter -June 1982 (Print Edition)
“Attitude?”
Attitude? What is so important about our attitude? 2 Corinthians 4:13 says, “We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak…” The term that is used here – “the spirit of faith”, is not talking about the Holy Spirit or even the human spirit. It is used in the same sense that we would say, “He’s got the school spirit.” In other words, it denotes a winning attitude! Notice, we have the same spirit of faith, or attitude of faith; this is followed by, “I believed… I spoke.” Your believing and speaking is the result of your attitude.
Many Christians are not speaking the Word of God over their situation because their attitude is wrong! They don’t have a “spirit of faith;” instead, they have a defeated, lackadaisical attitude…”I don’t know why this ‘faith stuff’ doesn’t work for me… why bother?” They may have meditated on the Word, listened to good tapes, confessed the Word for days… weeks, even months; yet they let their attitude fall even for a moment and they lose their zeal, their confession, and most important – their victory!
Paul said that the children of Israel had a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. (Romans 10:2) We, as Christians, need zeal with knowledge! Hosea 4:6 tells us that God’s people are failing, perishing and being destroyed for a lack of knowledge.
Notice it says that we have a knowledge problem, not a faith problem! It Is not your lack of faith that is holding you back, it is your lack of knowledge! Knowledge of what? Knowledge of the Word of God! Yet, even if you were to have all the knowledge necessary to be victorious in life through the Word, and you knew exactly what to pray and confess; if you didn’t have a winning attitude you wouldn’t even try! We need this attitude of faith! It is an attitude that looks at the circumstances in the light of God’s Word, not how bad it may “look”. Paul was beaten, shipwrecked, stoned and left dead…but he raised up and walked on! Why? Look at what he says about those circumstances, “…For our light affliction (pressure,) which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; (notice) while we look not at the things that are seen, but at the things which are not seen (the Word of God): for the things which are seen (his circumstances) are temporal (TEMPORARY; subject to change); but the things which are not seen are eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:17, 18) I added the inserts to emphasize what Paul was saying. He called all the terrible things he suffered “light afflictions…which were but for a moment!” How could he say this? He said that only while he wasn’t looking at the circumstances, but rather at the Word of God. He had his eye fixed on what the Word said, not on his circumstances.
Haven’t you ever noticed that the terrible, earth-shattering trouble that you were in last year at this time; the one that you were sure would do you in… now seems like a light affliction which was but for a moment? While you were in the circumstances they seemed too awesome to overcome. Now, looking back on them you might say, “Well, it wasn’t so bad, I made it through all right after all!” What has changed? Your attitude! If you would learn Paul’s secret, you would keep up an attitude of faith! What was that secret? Look at what the Word says, not at the circumstances. Circumstances are temporary. The Lord told me something once that I almost missed, He said, “Circumstances always change.” I thought, “So?” He said, “You don’t understand. Circumstances are always changing, either for the good or the bad. The key is to use My Word to change the circumstance of your life to line up with the Word. You are a world overcomer!” 1 John 5:4 says that we are world overcomers, and that the victory that overcomes the world (and circumstances) is our faith! We need to keep a “SPIRIT OF FAITH,” a winning attitude, at all times as we apply our faith!
Items of Interest in This Issue
A Spirit of Faith Seminar report from our Lexington, NC meeting, a reminder for the Spirit of Faith Seminar coming to New Covenant Church in Winston-Salem, NC in June of 1982, a tape offer on “Our Attitude of Faith!”
