Whatever Is Not of Faith Is Sin

I had a dream last night in which the devil was making fun of my faith. There were people in the dream mocking and maligning me and my faith, but I woke up to tell you today that whatever is not of faith is sin.

So in this article, we’re doing to discuss what it means to maintain your faith–and how it will impact your life to learn that whatever is not of faith is sin.

First, you need to understand that your highest and worst spiritual warfare will always be over your highest spiritual gift.

Do you have the spiritual gift of administration?

If so, you’re going to have to fight through some things the enemy sends against you in order to come up higher in your level of administering things.

Do you have the spiritual gift of speaking in diverse tongues?

If so, you’re going to have to fight some things to keep yourself speaking in tongues. The gifts and the call of God are irrevocable and without repentance (Romans 11:29), so God will never take your gift away and neither can anyone else.

However, the enemy will do his level best to send as many distractions your way as he can, all in an effort to derail you from speaking in tongues.

Do you have the gifts of faith, giving, and miracles?

You’re going to have to fight through some things. Read on for more.

Spiritual gifts work together.

Each one of the gifts has a “buddy” that empowers it or compels it–a partner gift that pushes it or pulls it; enables it or inspires it.

For example:

• The spiritual gift of healings works in tandem with the gift of words of knowledge.
• The spiritual gift of miracles works in tandem with words of wisdom.
• The spiritual gift of tongues works with interpretation of tongues.
• The spiritual gift of giving works with the gift of supernatural faith.
• I believe the spiritual gift of discernment of spirits works in tandem with the gift of prophecy.

The gifts nest together. God never does anything alone; He doesn’t even give gifts alone. He gives gifts in sets and pairs, and it’s up to us to study how the gifts work based on His Word. As we learn, we have to develop the gifts and learn how to use them.

Spiritual gifts work like the gift of a child’s first bicycle.

A father may give his child a bicycle, but that child is still going to have to learn how to ride it. Spiritual gifts work the same way. Holy Spirit will give you spiritual gifts, but it’s up to you to study them, learn how they work, practice them, and develop your skills when it comes to using them–all based on God’s Word.

With all that said, again I repeat: Your highest level of warfare will always be over your highest gifts.

For me, my highest spiritual gift is giving. After that, I walk in discernment of spirits, administration, faith, miracles, and prophecy as my strongest gifts (in no particular order).

Well, with the gift of giving comes a supernatural ability to manage money, earn money, invest money, steward money, and of course give money and other things away. All of those precursors are a necessary part of the gift, for we wouldn’t have anything to give away if we didn’t first tithe, work, earn, invest, make a profit, steward things well, et cetera.

(This spiritual gift of giving is called the “Zebulun anointing” in the Old Testament and the “gift of giving” in the New Testament; read more about that here.)

Well, last year, the Lord made it my assignment to read the book of Proverbs ten times.

As I read it in-depth and in great detail, very carefully, I was shocked to see how much of the book of Proverbs teaches people how to make money, earn money, invest money, steward money, and so on. I highlight things in my Bible that talk about money with a green highlighter, and the book of Proverbs drips green!

After I studied Proverbs so much and learned dozens of wisdom keys and wealth keys from that book, we held a conference in Denver, Colorado and taught through those keys to wisdom and wealth.

And you know what? The devil has been mad ever since. He’s been mad because now I’m hot on the trail of teaching God’s people how to make, earn, invest, and manage money to make a profit and be well-off financially.

The devil hates it when God’s people have money. He wants to keep you poor, both so that you will be miserable AND also so he can keep you from being effective in helping get the Gospel out. (The Gospel is free, but the communication of it is not.)

As Jesus told us in John 10:10:

“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10 NKJV).

The spiritual warfare has been intense since I started teaching intensely on wealth.

You guessed it: the enemy has attacked my faith and our finances. Why? Again, because those things pertain to my highest spiritual gifts. And your highest spiritual gifts are your tools you will use to be the biggest asset to the Kingdom of God you can be–AND the biggest detriment to the kingdom of darkness that you can be.

So back to the dream, and then I’ll tell you what this all means to you in YOUR area of spiritual warfare.

In this dream, people were mocking me and maligning me for my faith when it comes to finances. They were saying they didn’t think I was a good steward for believing God BOTH to provide ministry expenses like payroll, PLUS things like chairs so people can sit down in our offices :), PLUS continuing to do things like organize conferences and host events.

In the dream, their mocking and maligning hurt … because all I could think was, “Whatever is not of faith is sin.”

That phrase, “Whatever is not of faith is sin,” isn’t something I made up.

It comes from Romans 14:22-23. Romans 14:22-23 says this:

“Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin” (Romans 14:22-23 NKJV).

In this passage, we have a startling truth: that if you back down from your faith and slide into doubt and unbelief, then suddenly you’re in sin. You’re sinning against God if you stand down from your faith.

Personally, I’ve come too far with God to doubt who He is.

I know Him; and even though I still struggle sometimes with things like worry or discouragement, I know that I know that I know that I know who He is.

It’s in His Word:

• He is Faithful and True.
• He can be depended upon.
• He is all-powerful.
• He is ABUNDANT.
• He owns everything.
• He is not a man, that He should lie. Everything He says is true, and everything He promises will happen. He will do everything He said He will do!
• He is kind.
• He is good.
• He is generous!
• He is loving.
• He cares about what you care about. If it matters to you, it matters to God.
• He is a God who loves to surprise you.
• He is a good, good Father!

The list goes on and on. But my point is, the nature of God is clear in His Word. It cannot be diminished or changed. God is who He is, both today and for all eternity.

As it says in 2 Timothy 2:11-13:

“This is a faithful saying:

For if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him.
If we endure, we shall also reign with Him.
If we deny Him, He also will deny us.
If we are faithless, He remains faithful;
He cannot deny Himself” (2 Timothy 2:11-13 NKJV).

God is who He is, and that cannot change.

When you put your faith in who God is, the devil will tempt you to back down–but you can’t back down.

Your trust has to be in who God is. You have to believe in Him and hope in His Word, for He is faithful. And even though the devil will invite you to his party of doubt and unbelief–often under the guise of the wisdom of the world (which is false wisdom) and caution–don’t go. Never go to the devil’s party.

Because whatever is not of faith is sin.

So in the dream I mentioned above, people were mocking me and maligning me. They were mocking my faith and telling me I was unreasonable.

But you know what? I did what anyone should do after having a bad dream: I verbally rejected those things as soon as I woke up.

Why? Why didn’t I consider that these things might have been a warning from the Lord?

Because they didn’t match His Word.

Here’s what God’s Word says:

“To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them” (Isaiah 8:20 NKJV).

God’s Word also says that our God will supply ALL our need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19).

His Word says that He will do exceedingly abundantly above all we could ask or think (Ephesians 3:20).

His Word says we should ask, and we will receive, that our joy may be full (John 16:24).

And His Word says that if we ask anything in Jesus’ name, He will do it (John 14:14).

And God’s Word is true. God is not a man, that He should lie. Everything He has spoken is true, and everything He has promised, He will bring to pass.

And whatever is not of faith is sin.

See, I’ve come so far with God and studied His Word so much that I know He can provide both my staff’s payroll and chairs for our office visitors (some of whom are elderly!) to sit in.

I’ve studied His Word enough and know Him well enough to know that, somehow, He will supply all we need both to continue teaching His Word and empowering you AND enough to move into a bigger office space, so our employees can be safe at work.

And I’ve studied His nature enough to know that, even when I ask our Father for personal things like my dream car or anything else I need help with, even though I have no fleshly ability to do these things for myself, His Word is true.

And even if it takes time, effort, and following His strategy, He will give me whatever I ask for.

I can’t back down from believing Him, for whatever is not of faith is sin.

I can’t hunker down in fear of a recession, for God’s ability to provide is not dictated by the stock market. I can’t stop doing Kingdom work because the price of fuel has skyrocketed; God’s nature is not compromised by whomever He permits to sit in secular power in the land, nor by the laws they make.

And I cannot stop discipling people just because people tell me to; God requires us to be faithful like He is faithful.

(Yes, we get nasty emails sometimes, even lately, basically saying how dare we do this or that to expand the Kingdom or reach people “when people are struggling.” And to that I say: take it up with God. He’s the One who told me to do it.)

Beloved, here’s how this applies to you:

God remains faithful, no matter what the external circumstances. He will give you what you ask for, and He will always provide your needs.

He will give you what you need–and then some. Our God will do for you exceedingly abundantly ABOVE all you could dare to ask, hope, or think. Don’t back down from faith.

See, if you believe God for something, but then you say, “Nah, I probably shouldn’t believe for that because ____ (insert any external circumstance here),” then you’ve suddenly fallen into doubt and unbelief.

And whatever is not of faith is sin.

For me, if I stop believing God for chairs for our guests and intercessors to sit in, I would be saying, “God isn’t big enough or faithful enough to do that. He doesn’t have enough money; or if He does, His Word to give me what I ask for isn’t true. He is limited; this is too big a request for Him; He is too weak and powerless to answer my needs.”

UGH!

Do you see how insidious that is? Do you see what we’re really saying about God when we back down from our position of faith?

Instead, we need to say this:

“I know this is a big ask. I’m right there on the edge of faith. I’ve had to sow seed to convince myself that I believe!

But, God can do this. Nothing is impossible for God. He promised in John 14:14 that Jesus will do anything we ask in His name.

All the cattle on a thousand hills belong to my Father. God owns everything. He is my Provider and my Source.

People may not be able to help me with this, but God is my good, good Father and I know He will take care of me. And my Daddy God will give me what I ask for, just to bring me joy, JUST BECAUSE HE SAID HE WOULD and He obligates Himself by His Own Word.

THANK YOU, Father; thank You, Jesus, my Lord and King! Thank You, Holy Ghost, for transmitting these things to me! Hallelujah! Thank You for loving me and taking care of me, Lord God, Maker of Heaven and earth!”

That is what we should say. Anything less than that is not faith …

… And whatever is not of faith is sin.

Beloved, are you convinced yet? God is your Source. He is your Provider.

And if you need something, want something, or desire something–even if it’s only something that will bring you joy and has no practical purpose–then ask Him for it.

He is good, and nothing is too difficult for Him.

He is Faithful, and His Word is true.

He is your good, good Father.

Believe Him.

Monitor your faith carefully, because whatever is not of faith is sin. And refuse to stand down or back down from what you are believing God for.

Is the Lord speaking to your heart today through this word? Do you need to repent for some doubt and unbelief and stand up again in your position of faith? If so, pray this short prayer with me:

“Father God, Your Word says that whatever is not of faith is sin. I thank You and praise You for being faithful and true.

I confess that I have slid down into doubt and unbelief regarding ____. My unbelief and doubt are sin, Father; please forgive me. Cover me with the blood of Jesus; wash me clean; and fill me with Your Holy Spirit where those things were.

Father, because You promised in Your Word that I can have whatever I ask You for in Jesus’ name, I renew my request today for ____. Please give it to me, Father, and do these things for me.

Thank You that You will. Help me to stand firm in faith in You, and to stand firm on Your promises in Your Word.

Thank You, Abba Father. In Jesus’ holy name I pray. Amen.”

Beloved, did you pray that prayer? Are you choosing to embrace God’s Word that whatever is not of faith is sin, and to stand firm in faith by the power of Jesus Christ within you? If so, leave a comment below and tell us what the Lord just did in your heart!