Rules of Faith

Without faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). Faith is central to a successful Christian life, and it’s essential for believers to understand the rules of faith.

Paul likens the Christian life to the experience of an athlete, saying,“If anyone competes as an athlete, he does not win the prize unless he competes according to the rules” (2 Timothy 2:5 NASB). For every sporting event on earth, there are rules to follow, and if you violate those rules, you’ll be disqualified. We too are in a competition, but “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood” (Ephesians 6:12). We’re competing in the spiritual realm, not the natural realm.

The Bible says, “This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith” (1 John 5:4). That means if we’re going to be victorious in this earthly realm, we have to walk by faith. And that requires that we understand the “rules” of how faith works.

Rule #1:

You must stay connected to the Source.

Hebrews 12:2 says Jesus is the author and perfecter of our faith. If faith is going to work for you, you must stay connected to Him as the source of faith. If you become disconnected from your intimacy with Jesus, your faith will begin to wane. Remember that Jesus is the vine and we are the branches (John 15:1-5). You must continually abide and draw your life from Him in order to experience a fruitful and satisfying Christian life.

Rule #2:

Your faith cannot work if you see God as small.

How big is God in your life today? Do you recognize that He’s infinitely bigger than the problems you face?

You see, faith cannot work where God is small. When Goliath taunted the Israelite army, God was small in their eyes. But David had spent time with the Lord, and He knew God was far bigger than the Philistine giant.

The more time you spend with God—studying His Word,worshiping, meditating, and praying—the more you’ll see God as bigger than every sickness, cancer, disease, family conflict, and financial issue. When you recognize the bigness of your God, your doubts and fears will melt away.

Rule #3:

For faith to work, you must be established in a promise from God.

It’s one thing to know a Scripture; it’s another thing to be established in that Scripture. The Bible says all the promises of God are yes and amen in Christ (2 Corinthians 1:20). God watches over His Word to perform it (Jeremiah 1:12), and His Word never comes back void (Isaiah 55:11).

It’s crucial that you have confidence in God’s promises. As John wrote, “This is the confidence which we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us” (1 John 5:14). From
God’s Word, you can know what His will is. And when you align your prayers with His will, He will hear and answer you.

Rule #4:

You must harness your tongue.

Remember that your words are powerful, and they often determine the outcomes in your future. James points out that a horse is controlled by the bit in its mouth, and the direction of a ship is determined by its rudder (James 3:2-10). In the same way, your tongue shapes your destiny.

God has ordained victory for you, my friend! And that victory will come as you understand and implement the rules of faith.