The Spirit of Faith: Part One – A Lifestyle of Provision and Favor

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The Spirit of Faith: Part One – A Lifestyle of Provision and Favor

By Pastor Bryan Hudson, DMin

Main Text

• 2 Corinthians 4:13 — And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed and therefore I spoke,” we also believe and therefore speak
• Paul roots the teaching in faith as a lived reality: believing, speaking, and embodying Christ.
• 2 Corinthians 4:3, But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. 5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.

Key Themes and Teachings

1. Treasure in Earthen Vessels

• God has placed His treasure (His presence, power, and favor) in us.
• This makes ministry possible: it’s God doing the work through us.
• God has confidence in His people, just as we have faith in Him.
• Recognizing this treasure should influence our choices, attitudes, and lifestyle.

2. The Spirit of Faith

• Defined as a disposition or attitude that aligns with God’s Word.
• Not simply belief in a moment, but a permanent posture shaped by the Holy Spirit within us.
• Like any human disposition (mood, attitude), the spirit of faith becomes the way we live and respond.
• Key principle: “I believed, therefore I spoke” (Psalm 116:10).
  • Faith is honest—acknowledging struggles while declaring God’s promises.
  • Faith does not require denial of reality, but trust that God transforms reality.

3. Faith vs. Fear

• Both involve belief in the unseen:
  • Fear imagines unseen dangers.
  • Faith embraces unseen promises.
• If we can believe in fear, we can believe in faith.
• Example: Faith is like a key fob—evidence of what you don’t yet see (the car).

4. Renewed Inwardly

• Outwardly, we may age or decline, but inwardly the Spirit renews us day by day.
• Faith focuses on unseen realities: God’s ongoing renewal and strength.
• Comparison to maintaining a car: what’s inside sustains and renews the outside.

5. Light Afflictions vs. Eternal Glory

• Paul calls his sufferings “light” compared to God’s eternal glory.
• Faith reframes difficulties by viewing them against eternal realities.
• Affliction is temporary; God’s work in us is weightier and eternal.

6. Example of Abraham & Sarah

• God promised them a child at 75 and 65, but fulfillment came at 100 and 90.
• Lesson: Faith requires lifestyle consistency over time, not momentary belief.
• They had to maintain the spirit of faith for 25 years.
• Faith does not deny barrenness or age—it believes God’s promise beyond them.

7. Lifestyle of Faith

• True faith is not about one-time victories but a sustained way of life.
• Like athletes: a single good performance isn’t enough; lifestyle determines consistency.
• Faith requires daily walking (“walk and not faint”), not just occasional soaring.
• Lifestyle supports faith’s manifestation—holiness, prayer, Scripture, perseverance.

8. Seeing the Unseen

• 2 Corinthians 4:18 — “We look not at things seen, but unseen.”
• Physical circumstances are temporary; God’s promises are eternal.
• Faith involves shifting vision:
  • Seen reality: problems, lack, age, struggles.
  • Unseen reality: God’s provision, renewal, promises.
• Believers must choose what they focus on.

9. Faith Is Honest, Not Denial

• Faith doesn’t call sickness health or deny problems.
• Faith acknowledges reality but affirms God’s greater reality: “I may be sick, but I am healed through Christ’s stripes.

Application

• Guard your lifestyle: choices,