Witness in the Word · Module 4 — The Anchor: What God’s Word Actually Does
Class 17 – Faith
Source: It Is Written, Chapter Eight
The subject of faith cannot be thoroughly addressed without speaking of Abraham. His account is found in the book of Genesis, where we read that God spoke to him and instructed him to leave his own country, his family, and his father’s house, and to go to a land that God would later show him. Scripture does not tell us how many times God had spoken to Abraham prior to this command, but even so, the instruction itself would have seemed unreasonable by natural standards.
If such a command were given today, the immediate question would be, “Where are you going?” The only honest answer would be, “I do not know yet. God will show me.” Most people would conclude that such a response lacked sound reasoning. Yet Abraham trusted God and obeyed, even though the only detail provided was to leave.
Scripture then records that God spoke again, declaring that Abraham would become the father of many nations. From a natural perspective, this promise appeared impossible. Abraham had no children, and by this time, he was an older man. Despite these facts, Scripture states plainly that Abraham believed God.
Throughout this writing, two central themes have been consistent: the role of God’s Word in everyday life and the importance of speaking in agreement with that Word. When God said to Abraham, “I have made you a father of many nations,” the statement was spoken in the past tense. Yet Abraham still had no offspring. God was speaking of a reality that had not yet appeared.
This is the nature of divine speech. God speaks of things that do not yet exist as though they already do. He declared Abraham to be a father before any children were born. The promise preceded the evidence.
Scripture presents Abraham as a deliberate example of faith that speaks before it sees. God did not wait for circumstances to change before defining Abraham’s identity. He spoke the promise first, then required Abraham to agree with what had been spoken.
This principle is explained clearly in Scripture:
“God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did.” — Romans 4:17
This was not an instruction to deny reality. It was a call to align with the promise. Abraham’s speech was brought into agreement with what God had declared, not with what was visible.
When this concept is applied to everyday life, it often meets resistance. If outward circumstances differ from what is being spoken, many assume that such speech is dishonest or unrealistic. In reality, speaking in agreement with Scripture is not deception. It is faith. Faith becomes necessary only when dealing with what is unseen or not yet realized. Where something is already visible, faith is no longer required.
Each time Abraham was addressed by his new name, the promise was reinforced. He spoke it, and others spoke it as well. His identity was shaped by what God had said, not by what could be observed. Faith was developed through repeated agreement with the Word of God over time.
“Abraham did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God.” — Romans 4:20
His faith was strengthened not by physical evidence, but by continued alignment with God’s promise. What God had spoken became the reference point for his belief, expectation, and speech.
The more consistently we are able to say, “It is written,” the more authority we exercise over every area of life. Abraham did not deny weakness or natural limitation. Scripture openly acknowledges the condition of his body. Yet he refused to allow those limitations to cancel what God had spoken.
This pattern is essential to understand. Faith does not ignore reality; it submits reality to the authority of God’s Word. Scripture shows that faith speaks according to promise before fulfillment appears. Abraham’s example establishes that speaking in agreement with God is not presumption. It is obedience. Faith speaks because God has spoken first.
What sustains our confession of faith during the period between promise and fulfillment is hope. Hope is what causes us to rise each day with expectation. It serves as the connection between faith, which operates in the unseen, and the eventual manifestation in the natural world. Faith speaks, but hope maintains what faith has spoken. Without hope, faith weakens under delay.
“Now hope does not disappoint.” — Romans 5:5
This does not mean waiting is effortless or that fulfillment is immediate. It means that hope anchored in God’s Word does not collapse with time. Hope holds the promise steady while faith continues to agree with what God has said.
Faith and hope work together. Faith responds to what God has said. Hope continues to expect that Word to come to pass. When hope is absent, faith becomes vulnerable to frustration and silence. When hope is present, faith remains steady even when circumstances resist change.
Delay often tests hope more than faith. Many believers begin well, speaking in agreement with Scripture, but grow weary when results are slow. Scripture does not treat delay as failure. It treats endurance as necessary.
“But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.” — Romans 8:25
Hope guards the heart during waiting. It prevents disappointment from turning into resignation. When hope is maintained, speech remains consistent. Words continue to align with promise rather than shifting with emotion or circumstance.
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” — Hebrews 11:1
Scripture defines faith not as an emotion or attitude, but as something substantial. Faith is called a substance because it gives form, stability, and present reality to promises that have not yet appeared in the natural realm. Faith is not an imaginary support for hope. It is the underlying reality that holds hope in place.
The word translated “substance” comes from the Greek term hupostasis, which carries the meaning of something that stands underneath or supports. In biblical usage, this word conveys the idea of a firm foundation. Just as a structure rests upon what cannot be seen below ground, hope rests upon faith, even when no outward evidence exists.
This term was also used in the ancient world to describe legal documentation, particularly records that confirmed ownership. In this sense, faith functions as proof of what has been promised but not yet received. Faith does not create the promise. It confirms that the promise already belongs to the believer because God has spoken it.
“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” — Hebrews 11:6
“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” — Romans 10:17
Faith does not originate in human reasoning or positive thinking. It is produced by exposure to God’s Word. Where the Word is absent, faith cannot grow.
“This is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.” — 1 John 5:4
Faith overcomes because it refuses to submit to circumstances as final authority. It submits instead to what God has spoken.
True faith is always accompanied by action. Hebrews chapter eleven records individuals who acted on God’s Word before they saw the outcome. Noah built. Abraham left. Moses chose obedience. Their faith was demonstrated through obedience, not explanation. Action did not create faith; it revealed it.
When Faith Is Tested by Delay and Resistance
Scripture does not present faith as unchallenged. Faith is tested, not because God is uncertain, but because circumstances resist what God has promised. Delay and resistance are common between promise and fulfillment. Scripture records this pattern repeatedly, so believers are not surprised by it.
Delay does not mean denial. Resistance does not mean failure. These conditions test whether faith will remain aligned with what God has spoken or retreat into silence, complaint, or contradiction. Faith is not proven by how it speaks when circumstances agree, but by how it responds when they do not.
Many believers struggle in this stage. They begin by speaking in agreement with Scripture, but over time, pressure weakens consistency. Words spoken in faith are slowly replaced by words shaped by frustration or disappointment. Scripture warns against this shift because it undermines stability.
Scripture records long intervals between promise and fulfillment. Abraham waited years. Joseph endured imprisonment. Israel wandered before entering the land. Delay was not evidence of abandonment. It was the space in which faith was refined.
Resistance often invites emotional speech. Fear, weariness, and doubt seek expression when waiting feels long. Scripture does not forbid acknowledging difficulty, but it does forbid surrendering authority to it. Faith must continue to speak according to promise, even while acknowledging pressure.
“Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.” — 1 Corinthians 15:58
Faith Requires Consistency
Words spoken in agreement with God’s Word lose strength when they are repeatedly contradicted. Scripture describes this condition as instability.
“He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” — James 1:8
This instability is often revealed through inconsistent speech. Many believers speak faith when circumstances are calm, but speak fear when pressure arises. This pattern weakens confidence, not because God’s Word has changed, but because the heart is being trained in two directions at once.
Contradictory speech does not usually begin as intentional unbelief. It often begins as a reaction. A person responds emotionally to difficulty without considering what has already been confessed in faith. Over time, these reactions form habits, and habits shape outlook.
Scripture warns against allowing momentary emotion to govern speech. Words spoken in frustration or fear carry weight, even when dismissed as temporary. Faith-filled speech must be guarded, especially under pressure. This does not mean denying hardship or refusing to acknowledge difficulty. It means refusing to allow hardship to redefine what God has spoken.
Consistency does not require perfection. It requires awareness and correction. When contradictory words are spoken, they must be addressed and replaced with truth. Faith is strengthened when speech remains aligned. It is weakened when speech becomes divided.
Faith and Submission to God’s Will
Faith that speaks must remain submitted to God’s will. Scripture never presents faith as a tool to override God’s authority or to demand outcomes according to human desire. Faith does not command God; it agrees with Him. Speaking in faith is not asserting control but expressing trust.
This distinction is essential. When speech is separated from submission, it becomes presumption. Presumption speaks without listening. Faith listens first. It waits for God’s Word and then aligns with it. True faith never places human will above divine will.
Jesus provided the clearest example of this balance. In the garden of Gethsemane, He spoke honestly about the weight before Him. He did not deny suffering or suppress emotion. Yet His words remained submitted.
“Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done.” — Luke 22:42
Jesus did not abandon faith in that moment. He expressed it. His submission did not weaken His authority; it confirmed it. Faith does not insist on outcomes. It trusts God’s wisdom even when obedience is costly.
This protects believers from misunderstanding faith-filled speech. Speaking Scripture is not about forcing results or avoiding hardship. It is about remaining aligned with what God has spoken, even when the path includes difficulty.
Practical Boundaries for Faith-Filled Speech
Faith-filled speech must remain within the boundaries established by Scripture. Faith does not speak recklessly, nor does it move beyond what God has revealed. Scripture never encourages exaggeration, presumption, or careless declaration. Faith speaks truthfully, deliberately, and under authority.
One such boundary is humility. Faith does not elevate the speaker; it elevates the Word of God. When speech begins to draw attention to the individual rather than to Scripture, alignment has already shifted.
Another boundary is accuracy. Faith does not improve upon Scripture or expand beyond what is written. Speaking beyond biblical authority introduces error. Scripture warns against adding to what God has spoken.
Faith-filled speech also avoids manipulation. Scripture is not used to pressure God, force outcomes, or influence others for personal benefit. When words are spoken primarily to produce results rather than to align with truth, the motive has changed. Faith remains submitted even when it speaks boldly.
Timing is also a boundary. Scripture teaches that words have proper seasons. Truth spoken without wisdom or discernment can cause harm rather than clarity. Faith listens before it speaks. It recognizes that both silence and speech are acts of obedience when governed by God.
Finally, faith refuses casual contradiction. Even careless or lighthearted words can weaken alignment when they oppose what God has spoken. Faith guards everyday language, not only words spoken in prayer. Ordinary speech trains expectation just as surely as deliberate confession.
These boundaries do not weaken faith. They preserve it. Faith that remains governed by Scripture speaks with clarity, restraint, and confidence—without excess and without retreat.
Faith Does Not Operate in Isolation
Faith does not operate independently of the condition of the heart. Scripture never presents faith as a detached force that functions regardless of internal alignment. What is believed, spoken, and expected is shaped by what is held within.
Jesus consistently connected the effectiveness of faith to the state of the heart. He did not separate prayer from forgiveness, nor confession from obedience. Scripture treats the heart as the control center from which belief, thought, and speech flow.
Faith that speaks must also remain obedient in every area of life. Speech cannot be separated from heart condition, behavior, or relationship with others. Scripture consistently connects faith with obedience, not with isolated declarations. Words spoken in agreement with God must be supported by a life that seeks alignment with His will.
Unresolved issues in the heart weaken confidence in prayer. Scripture teaches that forgiveness, humility, and obedience affect how faith is exercised. Faith does not operate independently of character. Words spoken in faith lose strength when the heart resists correction or harbors offense.
For Reflection
Read: Hebrews 11:1; Mark 11:24–25
1. The chapter says faith does not operate in isolation from the condition of the heart. Where might unresolved bitterness or disobedience be weakening your own confidence in prayer?
2. Jesus tied forgiveness directly to effective prayer. Is there someone you need to forgive before you can pray this next request in faith?
3. What is one prayer you have stopped believing for, and why?
This Week: Deal with the one unresolved heart issue you named in question 2, specifically, before praying for anything else this week.