Creflo Dollar Ministries

Understanding and Living the Life of Faith: What is Faith? The Faith-Love Connection

Author: Creflo Dollar

 

Summary:

Real Bible faith is faith in the love of God. In order to believe God’s Word, we must first believe God loves us. If we do not believe God loves us, we will have difficulty believing His promises to us. Faith grows from the Word of God and cannot work without love.

 

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1. If we do not love others, we do not know God, because He is love (1 John 4:8).
1. We must have confidence in love (God).
1. Ask yourself, “What is it that causes me to question God’s love?”
2. Jesus said if we love Him, we will keep His commandments (John 14:15-21).
1. Jesus was referring specifically to His commandments, not the commandments of Moses.
1. The Ten Commandments were headings for the commandments; there are actually about 600 commandments.
2. If we keep Jesus’ commandments, we show our love for Him, and are loved by the Father.
3. He will manifest Himself to us.
3. What are Jesus’ commandments? (Matthew 22:37-40).
1. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.
1. This is the first and great commandment.
2. The second commandment is to love your neighbor as you love yourself.
1. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
1. In other words, if we keep Jesus’ commandments, we keep all the others.
2. This includes the law of faith (Romans 3:27).
3. Faith works by love; it cannot operate without it (Galatians 5:6).
1. Love is like a curtain rod on which faith and all the promises of God hang.
4. We should live our lives from the perspective of unconditional love; then we will make the right choices.
4. We must examine our love for others; to be sure our rod of love has not fallen down.
1. Without love, we cannot expect our prayers of faith to work.
1. Therefore we should set our will to forgive anyone for anything, no matter what.
2. Let us always continue to deal with any bitterness that develops in our hearts.
5. What causes people to rebel against God? (Deuteronomy 1:26, 27)
1. People rebel when they feel they have been rejected.
1. Like the complaining Israelites, rebellious people will murmur and complain.
2. We may hear or see things that cause us to question whether God loves us.
3. Ask yourself, “What have I heard, seen, or believed that has caused me to question God’s love for me?”
6. How do we test our belief in the love of God?
   1. Let us not love merely in theory or speech, but in deed and in truth; in practice and sincerity (1 John 3:18-22, AMP).
      1. In other words, our love must be backed by our actions.
      2. When we live with guilt, shame, and condemnation, we are demonstrating disbelief in the love of God.
      3. When we believe the love God has for us, when we miss the mark and ask for forgiveness, we will know He forgives us.
      4. Satan attacks our confidence; and we need confidence to be successful.
      5. When we become confident in God’s love for us, we will, in turn, believe His Word.

Scripture References:

• 1 John 4:8
• John 14:15-21
• Matthew 22:37-40
• Romans 3:27
• Galatians 5:6
• Deuteronomy 1:26, 27
• 1 John 3:18-22, AMP