Common Sense + Faith = Success
Common Sense + Faith = Success
by Charles Capps
The message of faith and confession that I teach is based on true principles of the Bible. When these principles are misunderstood some people attempt to believe God for millions of dollars when they haven’t learned to believe God for the money to pay their light bill. Some have overloaded their faith. Some are operating on little faith and trying to believe for millions. To be successful in life we must all learn to operate on our own level of faith.
I think this is why some have caused problems in churches. They have gone to a seminar, where they heard someone teach, “You can have what you say.” But they only got a part of what was taught, and went home thinking they were a three-day wonder.
They did all kinds of foolish things and called it faith. Then their pastors had to sweep up the pieces and try to put them back together. They overloaded their faith and made a big splash, but they couldn’t walk on water.
Operate at Your Own Level
We all must learn to operate within our level of development, and we can grow from there. But you always have to start where you are. That may sound elementary, but many will be helped by understanding that. You can’t build a second story on a vacant lot.
Start where you are and add to your faith by confessing God’s Word. Jesus said that no man would start to build a tower without first counting the cost. This is good advice, but sometimes when people get turned on to faith, they fail to count the cost of what they are confessing.
I remember many years ago a certain individual heard some teaching on faith and confession and went whole hog (so to speak) when he was only half ready. He was a professional man who was just beginning in his profession. He found a house that he wanted that was very expensive. He started confessing that he was going to buy this house. He started believing for it and confessing the Word of God over it.
He eventually got his loan approved. The way it happened was almost supernatural, because he did not have the assets to qualify for the loan for the house. But by faith he pushed the deal through to completion.
That worked so well that he started confessing and believing for an airplane. He bought an airplane the same way. Then he discovered he didn’t have the income to maintain the things he had bought.
I am not saying this to belittle that individual, but as a matter of instruction to keep others from making the same mistake. Sometimes people throw away all common sense when they get turned on to faith. Don’t develop your faith only in the area of obtaining things. You may get so many things that you can’t pay the upkeep.
Some of these things concerning faith have been left unsaid. But they need to be said, for they will keep you from falling into the same trap. Always develop your faith to maintain the things you are believing for before you obtain them.
Yes, you can use your faith to get things that you cannot afford. So, first count the cost of maintaining the things you want. This is where some have missed it, then they turn thumbs down on the faith message and say, “Ah, this stuff doesn’t work.”
But it worked so well that it got them in trouble. They found a way to get things, but didn’t count the cost. Look before you leap, as the old saying goes.
Faith or Presumption
You must draw the line somewhere between faith and presumption. Don’t throw away all common sense and all good business practices just because you get turned on to faith.
A man came to me in a seminar where I was speaking. He said, “Several of us came over here because we heard you’re a farmer, and a faith man. We want to know if you use fertilizer on your farm?”
I replied yes, and asked if they used gas in their car.
Well, no question is stupid, if you don’t know the answer. Will Rogers once said, “Everybody is ignorant – just about different things.” I’m not making fun of the man; I’m just pointing out the way people think. They want to please God, but sometimes they have more zeal than knowledge. You don’t throw away all good business sense or common sense just because you get turned on to faith. Use your faith in good business practices. Your faith is giving substance to things you hope for, and it is the evidence of things you don’t yet see.
No Substitutes
When you substitute faith for good business practices, you are headed for trouble. Right on the other hand, don’t substitute good business practice for faith. They both have their place. You mix faith with good business practices. Every year people go bankrupt using good business sense with no faith. But they talk negative. They quote the 6 & 10 o’clock news. They are filled with negative things that produce fear.
You must mix faith with what you do. Exercise your faith in what you are doing. (Psalm 1:3) Many years ago a certain minister called who had been calling me regularly for some time. He said, “Now I’m doing what the Word said. I’m confessing God’s Word over my finances. Why isn’t it working?”
Well, the very fact that he had asked the question proved that he didn’t believe that it was working. He was not in faith. He was looking at circumstances. Faith would have meant holding fast to his confession knowing that it was working.
The man said, “I have done everything the Word says to do. What do I do now?” I said, “Just keep doing it! The ball game isn’t over. Just keep doing it. It doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time to change some things. You didn’t get that way overnight, and you can’t change it overnight.”
He called back in about a month and again said, “It isn’t working.” Finally, I told him, “The problem is about one inch below your nose – your mouth. God says it is working. You say it isn’t.”
Your Faith + God’s Word + Time = Changes
I saw the same man about a year later, and he said, “Glory to God! It’s working! The Word works.” It was working all the time, but it just took a while for the results to be manifested. You must hold fast to your confession of faith. (Hebrews 10:23)
Many people fail to realize that it takes time for things to develop and turn things around. If you have been negative for 15 years, you are not going to change it in four days.
First, you must set things in motion, even in the spiritual realm. Seven hundred fifty years before God sent Jesus into this earth, He spoke it through the prophet Isaiah saying, “A virgin will conceive and bear a child.” But so often we want things to happen overnight.
Lack of Knowledge
When I first heard the message of faith and confession, I said, “I didn’t know that was in the Bible.” I had never heard anyone preach on it. I didn’t know that Jesus said you could have what you say. I thought, “If that were true, they would have taught that in my church.” But they didn’t know anything about it in my church. When I heard the message, “you can have what you say,” I began to study the Word and checked it out. It was there. Jesus actually said it. “And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.” (Mark 11:22-24)
Saying + Believing = Results
Notice the above verses say, whosoever shall say. You can ask people, “Who will this work for?” Most will answer, “It will work for whosoever.” But only the whosoever that releases faith in every word they speak, and doubt not in their heart. In other words, we should release faith in every word we speak.
This is where I missed it. I had heard different people preach from Mark 11:23, but I was reading it one day, and these words just jumped out at me: “…those things which he saith…”
I realized it was more than just what you say about the circumstance or the mountain of problems. You must develop faith in your words so you can believe what you are saying day after day will come to pass.
The only way this can be done is by speaking only the things you desire to come to pass. When we speak things we don’t want to happen, it inhibits our ability to release faith in the words we speak.
For instance, if Jesus appeared in your church and walked down the aisle saying, “After I touch you, every word you say will happen just like you say it,” would that change your vocabulary?
In most churches, if Jesus were to do that, about half the congregation would say, “Wow! That tickles me to death!” You would be two weeks burying the dead!
We have developed our vocabulary saying negative things. Most of our common sayings are negative. Our everyday speech has been influenced by the enemy to keep us from releasing faith in our words. To apply the law of faith we must develop faith in the confession of God’s Word and this is a process that takes time but it pays big dividends.
Jesus said that whosoever shall say, believe, doubt not in his heart, but believe what he says will come to pass, he shall have whatsoever he says. There is more to it than just saying, but speaking the Word does three things – renews your mind, causes faith to come, and sets the law of faith in motion.
Jesus put it this way in Matthew 12:35: “A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things; and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.” What is abundantly in your heart will get in your mouth whether it is good seed from God’s Word or bad seed from the evil one. Jesus told us we could have what we say but so many are still saying what they have. I challenge you to begin to confess what God promised in His Word.
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