In this piece, I want to share the word of God with us and it is on the subject of faith. I want to share with us what has been titled, Understanding the Foundation, Structure and System of Faith. Now, while I was meditating on this title, there was a particular picture that came into my spirit, and I want to share that picture with us so that it will help us to understand what I am about to share with us in this piece. You see, if you are going to build a house, let's assume you want to build a house. There are three phases in which that project of building a house will go through.

 

The the very first phase of building a house is laying a foundation. There is no way you can build any house, anywhere in the world, that it will not require you first digging a foundation. Even a foolish man knows that foundation is very important when it comes to building. If you want to build something without a foundation, it's going to amount to what Jesus said in the book of Matthew chapter 7 verse 26 when He said a foolish man built his house on the sand and when the rain came and the wind blew, and the flood came, these are three elements of the earth. The Bible says it washed away the house. What was the reason? Because there was no foundation. So, anyone who wants to build anything must first and foremost understand that whatever it is that you want to build must have a basis, a foundation. This is where it rests. Without a foundation, whatever you are building is not going to last even, if it stands for a period of time, it will not last forever.

 

Now after the first phase, the second phase is the structure. You don't build a foundation or leave it at the level of foundation. When the foundation has been laid, there is a structure that must of necessity comes on the foundation. Now you don't lay a foundation of a four-bedroom flats and then you start thinking of putting a duplex on it, it is still going to amount to a waste of time. So, what determines the structure that is going to come on the foundation is the foundation has been laid. So, if the foundation is a four-bedroom flat, then a four-bedroom structure must come on it. And if the foundation is a duplex for example, then a structure that befits the foundation must be built on the foundation. So, the second phase is the structure.

 

The third phase which is as equally important as the first two phases that we have mentioned, is systems. Every house possesses a system. Now, what is a system in a house? A system talks about the things that makes your house habitable or livable. What makes you live in that house and be comfortable in it are simply the systems that you have put in place. So, you talk about: the electrical system, it must be perfect. You talk about the water system; you talk about everything that has to do with how you will enjoy the comforts that comes with that building, is the system. If you have a foundation and you have a system, but you don't have a structure, you still haven't completed that project. So, for you to be able to enjoy any house anywhere in the world, these three phases must be completed. Now there are other phases, which I believe you don't need. For example, if you build a house and you want to sell it, then you go to the fourth phase, how do I sell it? How do I market it, but for our understanding, let's talk about those three basic phases. So, you require a foundation, you require a structure, and you require systems that will make your house to be liveable, and living in it to be pleasant.

 

Now let's bring that picture into the discourse in this piece. We want to look at the foundation, the structure and the system of faith. But let's start from the foundation of faith and I want to start by defining to us what the word ‘foundation’ is. So, when we talk about foundation, it has to do with the underlying basis or principle upon which something is built. So, when we talk about faith, what exactly is faith built upon? What exactly is the principle or the basis upon which faith is built upon? What exactly is the origin of faith? Where does faith come from? Where does faith emanate from? This is what we want to look at, in the foundation of faith. So, Foundation has to do with the underlying basis of principle upon which something is built.

 

Now let's trace the origin of faith. Let's open our Bibles to John chapter 17:1-3. There are two things I want to extract from those three verses. Although the Bible passage we're about to read does not really speak into what I'm talking about, but there are two things that we want to bring out from those verses that talks about the origin of faith or where faith starts from. The Bible says:

 

Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, ² as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. ³ And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

 

Where I am particularly going is that verse three, because we are trying to trace the origin of faith. It says: “that they may know You, the only true God.” So, God is the only true God. Any other god that tries to claim it is true is already a lie because Jesus said, “God is the only” no other god that is true. “The only true God and Jesus Christ…” thank God Jesus brought Himself into the equation, or else, we could be tempted to sideline Him. So, in context, Jesus was saying to have eternal life, first and foremost, you must know God, but it doesn't stop there. You must also know Himself, which is Jesus Christ, that God has sent. Now, what is the point I'm trying to make? The foundation of faith from this verse three, is first and foremost, knowing God and Jesus Christ His Son.

 

There is no way we can ever trace the origin of faith that we can trace it outside of God, and outside of His Son, Jesus Christ. So, what does that tell us? It simply means that faith originated from God. God is the one who birthed faith. Do we understand that? So, the foundation of faith is knowing that faith does not come from any other place other than from God. Hebrews chapter 12:2. It says: “Looking unto Jesus, the author, and finisher of our faith.” So that means there is no way we can talk about faith outside of God. Faith wouldn't have existed if God didn't exist. Now, I want to show us something that came to my spirit while I was meditating. I want to show us:

 

Faith and the Law of first Principle

 

Now what we are trying to do right now is to still prove further that faith originated from God. But I want to use that law of first principle to explain further the origin of faith. Now the question you want to ask is: what is the law of first principle? You know, in the Bible, if you're a Bible student, we usually talk about the law of first mention a lot. But the law of first principle is actually a mathematical law, because when it came to my spirit, I actually linked it to mathematics. But when I read further, I also linked it to philosophy. I also saw that philosophers usually use the law of first principle, and I also discovered that scientist also use it. But when it came to my spirit, initially, I traced it to mathematics. But we want to see how this law is applicable to linking faith to God.

 

The law of first principle is a proposition or assumption that cannot be deduced from any other proposition or assumption. When you talk about the law of first principle, it talks about a proposition, something that is proposed, or an assumption that cannot be traced to any other source, or any other origin, apart from that first proposition, or that first assumption. Now looking at it in the subject of faith, and God, it then simply means that faith existed in God, the law of first principle simply states that faith begins from God. Before God, there was nothing like faith. In fact, before God, there was nothing like God. Do we understand? So, if before God, there was nothing like God, then it means that before God there was nothing like faith that existed anywhere. Because you must understand that God began God. God originated from God.

 

Who gave birth to God? Who is the father of God? So, that law of first principle simply states that if we are going to trace the origin of faith anywhere in the world, there was no place that was first mentioned that faith began from outside of God. Look at it, Genesis 1:1, we just want to read the first phrase. The Bible says: “In the beginning, God…” Do we understand? In the beginning, meaning that there was nothing that existed before God. In the beginning, God! There was no record of before the beginning, certain things happened. No, it says, In the beginning, God. So, if God had been from the beginning, then it means faith began with God. John 1:1, let us look at those two beginnings. Look at what the Bible says: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” This John chapter one verse one is the beginning of the other beginning. Hope we know?

 

Before that beginning in Genesis chapter one verse one, that God started, you know, creating all things, His spirit was hovering and then He began to speak, and then things began to fall into line; John chapter one verse one was the beginning of that beginning. And when you trace it, it still went back to God. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” So, when you are tracing the foundation of faith, the origin of faith, you cannot trace it to anything outside of God. If your faith will be potent, it must be built on that foundation. It must be built on that foundation that faith began with God, faith began from God. God is the source, the originator of this faith that we talk about.

 

Hebrews 11:3-4, let us examine other Scriptures to corroborate because we are laying the foundation and scriptures must help us to understand what we are talking about. The Bible says: By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. ⁴ By faith Abel offered to God…” Why didn’t Abel offer to something else outside of God? Abel couldn’t have offered anything to anything that isn’t God because that faith is from God. By faith, Abel offered to God, not to things, not to deity, not to cosmos. As at the time of Abel, heaven and earth had existed, there are things on the earth. But the Bible didn't show us that Abel offered to tree or was worshipping the sun, or was worshipping the stars or the moon. The Bible says he offered to God. So, Abel knew that faith came from God and if you will offer anything, it has to go to God.

 

Look at what the Bible says further: By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks. God saw His faith, because he owns it. It came from him. And when God saw that faith, God Himself testified that this boy, this is faith. Because when you create something and you see the original and the fake, you are the creator, you can spot at a glance, like no, this is an imitation. This is not what I created. So, when God saw the faith of Abel, God Himself testified. This is Faith.

 

When God saw the faith in Abraham, God testified, this is faith. As a matter of fact, the faith of Abraham even turned to righteousness. God said, no, you know righteousness have not come before in the time of Abraham. When God saw his faith, God says, “you are righteous.” The rest of us we became righteous when Christ died now; was that not when we received the gift of righteousness? Abraham got righteousness before we came, Abraham got righteousness before the law and the ten commandments came. When God saw faith in Abraham, God said, “No, this is more than faith. This faith should bring the future into the present.” In the case of Abraham, the Bible said when God saw his faith, God declared him righteous. When God sees faith, God knows that this is faith, because He Himself testified in the case of Abel, he testified in the case of Abraham. So how can God testify of someone's faith? Because when He sees faith, He recognizes it. Faith comes from Him. It says: “God testifying off his gift, and through it, and him being dead still speaks.

 

Look at First Timothy chapter 1:12-14. We are still tracing the foundation of faith. I just want us to see a few Scriptures and then we move on from there. Paul wrote to Timothy and said: “And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, ¹³ although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. ¹⁴ And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith…” God gave him grace and God gave him faith, with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.”

 

So, Paul, recognize the kind of faith that got him out of the system that he was used to, a religious system that was not producing anything, he says, this wouldn't have happened if God didn't make that faith available to work in me and through me. Leave that, let us see 2 Peter 1:1-2. Look at what apostle Peter said. The Bible says: “Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: ² Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord…”

 

Why is faith being constantly linked to God if it didn't come from him? Why was everyone linking it to Him? If I'm not the creator of Tesla, nobody can link any Tesla product to me, they will link it to the creator. Is that not so? Why is everyone linking faith to God? Because faith came from God. So, the origin of faith is in God, outside of God, there is no faith. Faith came from God. First Corinthians Chapter 3:10-11. Paul said: “According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. ¹¹ For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” The foundation of faith is in Jesus Christ, is in God, and Jesus. So, when you know God, when you know His Son, Jesus Christ, then you can trace faith to them. The origin of faith is from God, and His Son.

 

Now let's look at the structure of faith, we have looked at the foundation. So, what is the structure of faith? Now what is structure? Structure has to do with building, structure has to do with an edifice, something that is being built or something that has been built. So, we have looked at the foundation, what exactly is the structure of faith? Now look at this definition: The structure of faith talks about believing in the things that God has made available for us in Christ. So, what does that mean? This simple analogy came to my spirit while I was meditating. In Christ Jesus, there is nothing that you are trying to make available. Do we agree with that? In Christ Jesus, there is nothing that you and I, we are trying to make available so that we can be perfect and complete in Him.

 

Everything that we require, God has made available in Christ. And that is the structure of your faith, believing that you come into Christ, entering into the provision that God has made, not that you are coming to make a contribution. Can you die for yourself? Can your blood make you clean? No. So God says, I have made all things available in Christ Jesus. And this is how you assess those things, by faith. So, the structure of your faith is you entering into the provision of God in Christ Jesus, it is not by works. It is a provision of grace, which has been made available by faith. That is your structure of faith. When you become born again, you are coming in into an already made structure, not something you are coming to build afresh. Do you understand? And that's why the Bible didn't say you should build faith. The language Bible used is grow in faith, you can grow in faith. You can't build faith; you want to build a different faith that God has built? No! There is no other faith other than faith in God. But that faith in God can be grown in.

 

When you come into God, or when you come into the family of God, the Bible says a measure of faith was deposited in you. It is a measure; it is not the fullness. So, as you enter into the family, and you are growing, that faith grows with you, but you are not building any faith. Yes, the Bible says building up yourself or your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost. It didn’t say building a different kind of faith, it is saying building the same measure of faith that you have been given. How do you grow in that faith? He says you pray in the Holy Ghost. It is not saying you should come with your own kind of faith. The faith has been made available. How do you grow in it? He says you pray. That's how it works. So that structure of faith is you entering into the provision. 

 

Now look at the Scripture, Colossians 2:9-10. So that I don't begin to say certain things outside of the context. Let's read it in the Bible. Colossians 2:9-10, it is a familiar Scripture. The Bible says: “For in Him… Who is the ‘Him’? Christ Jesus. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; In Christ Jesus dwells that fullness; ¹⁰ and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.” Did he say you should come with your own contribution? He says you are coming in into a work that is already complete. He says “you are completely in Him who is the head of all principality and power.” In Him we are complete. There is no addition there is no subtraction. All we do is to enter into that fullness that has been made available. How do we assess that fullness? It says: “By faith in Christ Jesus.”

 

Let me show us something that struck me. Ephesians chapter 1:3-14, I want to point something to us. We will get to understand this “in Him” being opened us to us in this chapter. See what the Bible says:

 

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, ⁴ just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world…” When did He choose us? Before the foundation of the world. Where did He choose us? In Him! That is the very first in Him you will see in that Scripture as we read further. that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, ⁵ having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, ⁶ to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. ⁷ In Him…” That is another in Him you should take note of. It is not in you; it is not in your effort.

 

“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace ⁸ which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, ⁹ having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, ¹⁰ that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him. ¹¹ In Him…” Why is it saying in Him if there is nothing about Him? there is something about the Him, which is Christ Jesus. also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, ¹² that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. ¹³ In Him you also trusted…”

 

Paul wanted all of us to get it. Paul was an apostle of grace and he understood this grace message very well. He was by revelation showing us these things, some of the other apostles didn’t get it, but he got it. When you emphasize something five times, that is more than repetition. That is like saying get this thing into your head. It is in Him. Your fullness is in Him, your wholeness is in Him, your salvation is in Him. The Bible says there is no other name that has been given to man under heaven that man should be saved other than the name of Jesus. Prosperity is Him, Riches, in Him, good health, in Him, love is in Him, grace, in Him. What exactly are you looking for in God that is not in Christ? The Bible says the fullness of the godhead has been deposited in Him. Everything is in Christ so to say, in some logical sense.

 

That is why God said when you ask Him anything, ask in His name. Everything is in Him. “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, ¹⁴ who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.” There was something I did really after reading this passage. I removed every other part that does not have the In Him and I only put together those verses that has the in Him. It shows really that there is no gap. All that you ever require for life and godliness is actually in Him. This is the way it read:

 

“…just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, ⁷ In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace ¹⁰ that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him. ¹¹ In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, ¹³ In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise…”

 

That is why Paul said something so fundamental to the Romans. He said: Where is the boasting? What exactly do you want to boast about? There is nothing that you have or possess, that you do not receive in Him. Romans chapter 3, let me read that Scripture to us because it is very fundamental, because Paul needed to show the Romans that there is no boasting anywhere. Romans 3:27-31, Paul said:

 

“Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. ²⁸ Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law. ²⁹ Or is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also, ³⁰ since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. ³¹ Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.”

 

Paul was simply saying that in Christ Jesus, there is no boasting because you didn’t make any contribution. The contribution or the things that you are enjoying in Christ Jesus, they came to you by faith. It is the provision of God that you assessed by faith. And this is what the structure of faith is, you enter into a structure. You enter into a building simply because a structure was on ground. That is how you come into Christ to lay hold of all that God has made available for you. You don't come into the structure and then you discover there is no window or let us put burglary. That means you are contributing something. “I entered this building a lightbulb is not working. Let me go and buy a light bulb you can boast after all, when that light bulb was not working. I was the one that bought it, I put it there.” Or there is no burglary somewhere. I bought it with my money. I put the burglary there. You can't say you are the only owner of these things. No, we both own it. But Paul said there is no boasting, you can't boast of anything. Because there is nothing that you have or you enjoy that you have not received. You entered into that structure, and then you began to enjoy.

 

Let's look at the last one, the system of faith. Now we have looked at the foundation, we have looked at the structure. What is the system of faith? Let me give us a definition, a simple definition, and a Scripture and I will round off. The system of faith talks about the way and manner that faith is lived and applied. The system of faith talks about the right application of faith. How do you apply faith? It's a challenge for many of us in the body of Christ. We know about faith, but we don't know the application. How do we apply faith? How do we make faith to work for us? Let me show us a simple Scripture. Mark chapter 5:25-34. This Scripture will help us to understand what the system of faith talks about. The Bible says:

 

Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, ²⁶ and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. ²⁷ When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. ²⁸ For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.” ²⁹ Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction.

 

Now, let's pause in that particular place. We are looking at the application of faith right now, that is what the systems of faith talk about. This woman did four things in those few verses. Let me show us. Number one is that she heard about Him. Application of faith, the woman heard about him. Before that time, she has done all she could do, and there was no solution until heard something. Faith begins from what you hear. Fear begins from what you hear. But faith and fear cannot cohabit. But the two of them begins from what we hear. This woman heard about him.

 

Number two, she came behind to touch Him in the crowd. She heard something and she did something. She heard something and she did something. The Bible says she touched His garment when she came and she was able to have aher way, she didn't pause and was hoping that Jesus will look into her direction. Jesus may never look into her direction because there were a number of people there. And everyone was thronging Him, and so how do you begin to look at the woman? But when she came, and she was able to have access into the crowd, she torched.

 

And the last thing is, she said something to herself. These are the applications of faith. This is how we apply faith. The Bible says “faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.” If faith is going to be built up in your heart, it's important that you hear, what you hear builds faith, what you hear depletes faith. She heard something, but fortunately for her, what she heard was about Jesus. The first application of your faith in the system of faith is you must constantly hear. You can't build faith if you're not hearing anything. And then what do you do with what you hear? Many of us hear so many things. And we don't do so much with what we hear. What do you do with what you hear? What do you do with the Word of God that you hear? What action do you take with the word of God?

 

It is not all about hearing and hearing and hearing. Paul said don't be hearers, he said be doers. There is the level where the things we hear about faith is being applied. How do we apply it? You know sometimes, you know why faith don't work for us? We don't practice faith abi nitio but when we are faced with situations and circumstances of life, we want to apply faith. At that level, it becomes very difficult. Honestly, that's the truth. From the beginning we don't apply faith from the beginning. But when situations and circumstances now stare us in the face, we now remember there is faith. It is well. Most of the time at that point, faith becomes very difficult to apply. And that is why the best application of faith is applying faith even when you feel you don’t need it.

 

You don't need to wait for situations to happen to you before you apply faith. Apply faith for every step, apply faith for everything. You see, the principles of God are absolute dependence on Him. When God discovers that you have an alternative, and is the truth, sometimes in those situations’ faith don't work. This woman approached Christ after she had exhausted all alternatives. For 12 years, she was trying to make it work. She even became bankrupt in the process. Until alternatives were gone and then she was left with a single choice. You know, in economics, alternatives foregone and you face with the choice. Until you are left with faith alone, that is how God wants us to live.

 

In the beginning, God had nothing other than faith. And that was why He was able to make all that He made by a spoken word. Nothing else. If God said, “Let there be light, and there was no light”, what else do you think He would do? Will He be looking to buying a Lister Generator? It has to work because there is no alternative, there is no option B. Many of us believers, we have option B, we would have run around and run around and when every of those options fail, we now turn back to God. You don’t build structure in day; it is built over time. You don’t build faith overnight. Yes, there are some instantaneous faiths. Let's put a balance. There are some certain times that you just needed God at that point in time and then God shows up. God sees your heart, He knows that you don't have option, you don't have any other option.

 

But when God sees that you actually had options, you have relegated Him. You know, one thing that I learned while growing up in faith is that you don't use faith as spare tyre. Many of us believers use faith as spare tyre. You know, many of us don’t even use our spare tyre for long, because when your main tyres are working, why do you want to use the spare? Until the main tyres has issues, then you remember that there is a spare tyre. That is why many of us live, and that is why our faith don’t work. So, the woman heard something, there was no other alternative. She heard about Jesus, “I will go to this Jesus, whether it works or not, well, it must work.” And then she went with that mindset. And then she touched, and then healing took place instantly. In applying our faith, don’t let us wait for challenges to come before we apply faith.

 

One of the things we must understand is that faith is towards God. Faith is not towards anything, the moment faith is towards something else and not God, it is no longer faith. So, the true faith, as we express it as believers must be towards God. Looking unto Jesus.The moment our faith shifts away from Jesus, it is no longer faith, it means we are considering something else. If I'm looking straight ahead, and something shifts my attention towards other side, I cannot look into two places at the same time. It is either I look forward or I look towards the side. I cannot look at the two sides at the same time. Our faith should be laser focused. This is exactly what God wants. Like God, if you don't show up, you know I'm doomed.

 

May the Lord help us in Jesus’ name.

Thanks for the gift of your time, I am Obayomi Abiola Benjamin!

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