Page 3 - Living Epistles

Living Epistles - Introduction
Joseph Herrin (08-09-09)

This compilation of testimonies derived from my own reading of the lives of
men and women who have manifested faith, casting themselves wholly over
into the hands of Yahweh, when He led them to such acts of obedience. An
introduction is required lest some should have a wrong understanding of what
true faith is. Let me introduce this select list of testimonies, this hall of fame
of modern men and women of faith, by providing a discourse on faith
excerpted from the article "Faith and Healing."

[Begin Excerpts]
Faith always has two parts. Faith consists of revelation that originates with
God and a response of trust and obedience. In order for the saint of God to
walk in faith, he must first have received a revelation from God that requires
a response of obedience. There is no such thing as a general principle of faith,
or faith being applied in a general sense. Faith is always a trusting response
to a specific revelation of God.

It is at this point that many saints find themselves in desperate situations.
Many saints have been taught that no specific word or revelation from God
must precede an act of trust or obedience. Many have been taught principles
such as the one which states that God wants everyone to be healed. This is
often based upon Scripture verses such as “by His stripes we are healed”
(Isaiah 53:5). Christians try to stand upon such Scriptures, claiming the
healing of God without God having given them a specific word for their
situation. This often ends in tragedy, and many have even abandoned the faith
as they have met with severe disappointment when they trusted and stood and
claimed with all of the conviction that was within them according to the
manner in which they were instructed...

The tragic thing is that many saints have taken such verses and attempted to
stand upon them. God never intended this verse, or others, to be used in such
a manner. This verse doesn’t even speak to the issue of physical healing. It is
speaking of reconciliation between man and God through the sacrifice of
Yahshua the Messiah. By misapplying Scriptures such as this, many saints
have endured tremendous heartache and disappointment, for their actions
and beliefs were based upon error.

Although such teachings on faith are widely believed and accepted,