Faith Brings Us into Agreement with God

Matthew 16: 15 - 18, He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. NKJV

Did you know the very moment that you confessed Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord you were given a new identity? Paul teaches on this principle in 2 Corinthians 5. He said, "If One died for all, then all have died. Jesus died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and rose again. Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Paul goes on to teach us in this chapter on spiritual transformation that old things have passed away, and all things have become new in Christ. This occurs when we place our faith in Christ."

People know you according to your earthly name and identity; however, when you believe in Christ, you're given a new beginning and a new identity in the spirit. We can see how this transpires in today's scripture from the gospel of Matthew. Jesus asked his disciples a question about His own spiritual identity; and even before Simon had the time to think what the answer should be, God revealed it to him by the Holy Spirit. Now here is where the transformation begins to take place.

Jesus declared that the Father had revealed a particular truth to Simon by the Holy Spirit, which means that this was spoken into Simon's spiritual ears. At this point, Simon could have dismissed it as a "bad or wrong" thought. He could have ignored it and kept his mouth closed, but he didn't. What caused Simon to proclaim what was revealed to his heart? It was his faith. When he heard or realized the truth that the Holy Spirit had told him, Simon not only believed it in his heart, but he also confessed it with his mouth. In other words, he agreed with God through faith. Instantaneously, Simon was given a new name and a new identity. His old life, in the sight of God, was dead. At that very moment, he was a new creation.  

When God reveals a spiritual truth to us like he did with Simon, we have the option of denying it or keeping it to ourselves. However, if we will confess the truth, subsequently our confession of faith will bring us agreement with what God has revealed to our spirit. When God sees that there is agreement, He can perform His Word in our lives, just as He did in Simon's that day.

I'm not teaching about the power of positive confession; I want you to understand the importance of speaking out of your mouth the things that God has revealed to you so that He can perform His Word in your heart and life. Just as Simon declared Jesus' hidden identity through his faith and was transformed, God will do the same work in your life as you declare His written and revealed Word out of your mouth by faith. 

Speaking the Word through Faith,
Pastor Asa Dockery