In other words, all the elements of the abundant life that have been provided for us through Jesus are included in the word salvation—and every one of them is received by faith. Romans 5:1-2 confirms this. It says we are “justified through faith” (or made righteous in our spirit) AND “also we have access by faith into this grace (state of God’s favor)” ("Amplified Bible, Classic Edition").
Faith causes us to be favored by God! It enables us to lay hold of all the good things He has stored up for us. It opens a door for Him to move supernaturally in our lives.
God is not a dictator. Unlike the devil, He won’t come in and try to force His will on us. That’s not His way of doing things. He lays out His will and His promises for us in the Bible, and then He gives us a choice. He says, “If you want what I’ve made available to you, believe what I said, and you’ll receive it.”
He even did that with His Old Covenant people. He told the Israelites how good their lives would be if they believed and obeyed Him, and how bad their lives would be if they didn’t. Then He said, “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live” (Deuteronomy 30:19).
Although they ultimately didn’t, God desired for the Israelites to choose life, and He desires the same for us today, but He won’t make the choice for us. While He has “pleasure in the prosperity of his servant” (Psalm 35:27), He won’t force us to prosper. While He wants us to be in health (3 John 2), He won’t make us get healed.
He just gives us His Word. What we do with it is up to us. We can either believe it in our hearts, confess it with our mouths, and receive what He promised…or not.
Supernaturally Preserved and Protected
I know this sounds simple, and really, faith is just choosing to believe the Word of God more than we believe anything else. It’s making Him our final authority and honoring His Word as the absolute truth.
44 : BVOV
