Faith is the Key to Heaven

Theme: James 2:17

    There is a gospel group that has been around for a long time. The group is called “Hovie Lister and the Statesmen”. They have a song called “Faith Unlocks The Door”. The song sounds good, but if you listen to the words of that song, you will find the words are backwards. The words prayer and faith are in the wrong order, and they say “words are mare expressions of thought, and nothing more”, which is wrong. Rom. 14:23“And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin”. All through the new testament, faith is the main key word. Everything evolves around faith in Jesus Christ. I John 5:4“For whatsoever is born of God over cometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith”.

     So faith is the key to heaven, being the main ingredient to the answer. Prayer (works) is what turns the key (faith), to open the door. Prayer activates faith. John 5:6“When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole”? Jesus was making sure the man had faith to be healed, because it goes in that order. Healing does not come before faith and works. John 5:8“Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk”. In this verse, Jesus is giving the man a command to perform works, to go along with the faith, the man already had, so the man could receive his healing. Verse 9 tells us, the man was immediately made whole (received his miracle of healing), when he took up his bed and walked. So that man had faith and NO works. Jesus showed the impotent man and us Christians, no matter what we are looking for from God, first faith (key) then prayer (works) equals miracle or healing, as this next verse tells us. James 2:18“ Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my FAITH  BY  MY  WORKS”. 

    Next issue, “words are mare expressions of thought, and nothing more”. I don’t know what doctrine Hovie Lister and the Statesmen were, but it sure does sound like the confusing heresy doctrine of my Baptist friend’s. Matt. 8:16“When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits WITH HIS WORD, and healed all that were sick”: In Gen. chp. I, every time God SAID (spoke the word), whatever He SAID, came into existence, His answer. Every time God SAID, it was so (materialized). Jesus Christ has made things so easy for us to have, by simply asking Jesus for what we want.

     In Matt. 8:2, the leper asked Jesus to make him clean. In verse 3, Jesus made the leper clean. In verse 8, the centurion asked the Lord to speak the word only, and his servant would be made whole (healed). In verse 13, the Lord healed the centurion’s servant. See how easy it is? Now you can see that prayer is NOT the key to heaven. Faith is the key to heaven, and prayer unlocks the door, for our answer to materialize in the physical realm. We also learned that, just as our power is in our mouth (tongue), to curse others, as Rom. 3:14 tells us, power is in our mouth as being victorious over Satan and his devils, as Luke 9:1 tells us. I speak my authority over Satan and his devils every day, which is power. So that makes words more than mare expressions. My Catholic and Baptist friend’s believe in works ONLY, but as we have found out, faith without works, or works without faith, IS DEAD, NO power, being alone. 

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QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

(1) What unlocks the doors of heaven?

(A) Answer

(B) Faith

(C) Prayer

(2) What is the key to heaven?

(A) Answer

(B) Faith

(C) Prayer

(3) How did the centurion ask the Lord to heal his servant?

(A) Speak the word only

(B) Come to his house

(C) Brought his servant to the Lord

(4) How do my Catholic and Baptist friend’s believe answers to prayer comes?

(A) Works only

(B) Faith only

(C) Faith and works

(5) In Gen. chp. One  what happened each time, when God said?

(A) Nothing happened

(B) It was so

(C) The world stopped

(6) What scripture tells us about the centurion that asked the Lord to speak the word only?

(A) Phil.2:9-11

(B) I Cor. 12:8-10

(C) Matt. 16:18

(D) Matt. 8:8

(7) What scripture did the leper ask Jesus, to make him clean?

(A) Luke 9:1

(B) Matt. 10:1

(C) Matt. 8:2

(D) Luke 10:1

     

(8) What scripture tells us, power is in our mouth?

(A) Acts 2:38

(B) Matt. 18:14

(C) II Cor. 3:5

(D) Rom. 3:14

3-26-06