Kenneth Copeland - Faith and patience : the power twins

Faith and Patience: The Power Twins

"My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing" (James 1:2-4).

"That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises" (Hebrews 6:12).

The power of patience is a working power. When faith has a tendency to waver, it is patience that comes to faith's aid to make it stand. The power of patience is necessary to undergird faith.

Almost everywhere you find faith mentioned in the Bible, you also find patience.

Faith and patience are the power twins.

Together they will produce every time.

Patience without faith has no power to call into reality the thing desired. Faith is the substance of things we hope for. Patience without faith has no substance.

On the other hand, faith without patience many times will fail to stand firm on the evidence of the Word that gives deed to things not seen. Jesus told Peter that He had prayed for him that his faith fail not. Without the power of patience at work, we will allow sense knowledgethe things we seeto overwhelm our faith based on what the Word says rather than what the natural eye can see.

Patience undergirds faith and gives it endurance to persevere until the answer comes.

Faith is a powerful force. It always works.

It is not that our faith is weak and needs strength, but without the power of patience, we ourselves stop the force of faith from working because of our negative confessions and actions. It is our faith, and we can put it into action. It is our faith, and we can stop it from working.

Traditionally, we think of patience as knuckling under and being satisfied with whatever comes our way. That is not at all what patience is. Patience is a real force. It is to be developed. The Word says in Titus 2:2

that we are to be sound or developed in patience. Faith is a force that is to be developed. The same scripture says that we are to be sound in faith. Patience and faith are two individual forces. They work together the way faith and love work together. All of these are different forces. They each play a different role in our Christian lives.

It is dangerous to confuse these forces and try to use one in the place of the other. For instance, the Bible says in Hebrews 11:1 that faith is the substance of things hoped for.

Hope without faith has no substance. People say, "We are hoping and praying." This sounds good, but it has no substance. In this case, hope is being confused with faith.

Without the substance of faith, that kind of praying will not produce any results. You can see that in a critical situation this would be dangerous. We need to have our thinking straightened out according to the Bible so that we can properly use these forces in their proper places and produce God's perfect will in our lives.

One of the most common traditions and

mistakes in this area of believing is that trials and tribulations develop faith. Trials and tribulations do not develop faith. "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17). Trials and tribulations develop patience. We have already learned from the first chapter of James that this is true.

The Apostle Paul says the same thing in Romans 5:3.

Faith is developed as we act on the Word of God. Hebrews 12:2 states that Jesus is the Author and Finisher, or Developer, of our faith. It does not say that Satan is the developer of our faith. It is vitally important that we realize the difference between the developing of faith and the developing of patience. Faith should be developed on the Word of God before the trial or testing comes.

Jesus said in Luke 6:47-48 that if a man acts on His words, He likened him unto a man who builds his house on a rock. When the flood beat upon the house, the house did not fall.

Notice the man had to dig deep. This is where his faith was developed. His patience was developed during the storm. He knew his house would stand because it was built on rock. Remember how Jesus said the man built on the rock? He acted on the Word. Faith is developed before the trial comes. The force of patience is developed in the trial or tribulation and undergirds or keeps the door open for 9

our faith to work and to overcome whatever has been put before us.

The definition of patience is being constant or being the same way at all times. James says in chapter one that we are to be single-minded.

We must always respond or react in every circumstance of life the same wayon the Word of God. Regardless of what may be thrown at us, we must become so Word of God-minded that we do not act in fear or doubt but always act on whatever the Word of our God says. The Word says that Jesus is the same yesterday today and forever. Jesus has always and will always respond to the Word rather than to circumstances, reason or fear. This is the way that we should be. Being sound in patience is to answer every doubt and every fear with the firm assurance and confession that God's Word is true, regardless of what we feel or see. Regardless of what storm may come our way, the Father's Word cannot fail. In that kind of atmosphere, faith is free to move and overcome whatever Satan has put in our way.

Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shal receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. Do not err, my beloved brethren.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Of his own wil begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

Wherefore lay apart al filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls (James 1:12-21).

In order to properly develop the power of patience, we must know what the Bible says about testings and trials. The Greek word translated temptations in these scriptures is the same word for trials and testings. It is vitally important that we know, from verse 13, that God is not tested by evil, and He does not tempt or test men with evil. We are warned never to say that we are tested of God.

Verse 14 explains what a test or trial is. A test or trial is anything that applies pressure on the lusts or desires of the flesh. Any pressure that draws us away from God's Word is the beginning of a test. If we then act on that lust, sin is the result. Still, we have a way of escape, for the Word says we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ. He is faithful to forgive us our sins when we confess them. We are still more than conquerors in Jesus. When Satan applies pressure on our bodies to make them sick, we don't have to succumb to that pressure. When he presents us with financial ruin, we don't have to yield to the temptation to turn to the world and borrow. Most of the time, this only makes matters worse. Thank God, we can turn to God's Word in Philippians 4:19 and use our faith. Then, regardless of circumstances, we exercise the power of patience and continue to stand fast in the liberty unto which we have been called.

Don't forget the ministry of the Holy Spirit in all of this. He is continually working in you, teaching, interceding, backing your faith with His mighty power. This is where the power of patience is so very important. As long as your faith is active, the Spirit of God is active. It is impossible to please God without faith. Patience guards against your admitting a doubt or confession of fear into your consciousness. Even when we stretch our faith as far as it will go, He that is within us is greater than he that is in the world.