“For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.” (1 John 5:4 NIV)

Faith – Bible Dictionary definition:

“Belief, trust, and loyalty to a person or thing. Christians find their security and hope in God as revealed in Jesus Christ, and say "amen" to that unique relationship to God in the Holy Spirit through love and obedience as expressed in lives of discipleship and service.” – Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary

Faith - Bible’s definition:

The most definitive definition of faith in the Bible is, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” (Heb. 11:1 NIV)

It’s impossible to please God without faith

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (Heb. 11:6 NIV)

The above verse explains that faith comes by doing  two “musts”

1. You must believe that He is.

2. You must believe that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.

Faith is asking and believing without doubt

“But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.” (James 1:6 NIV)

Examples of faith in action

An old woman has a child: “And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise.” (Heb. 11:11 NIV)

A blind man is healed: “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.” (Mark 10:52 NIV)

Therefore…

“Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” (1 Peter 1:8-9 NIV)

“For we live by faith, not by sight.” (2 Cor. 5:7 NIV)

 “Though your beginning was insignificant, Yet your end will increase greatly.” (Job 8:7 NASB)

“Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, 'My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure'” (Isa. 46:10 NASB)

Jesus is the first and the last

“Then He said to me, ‘It is done I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost’l (Rev. 21:6 NASB)

“When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man And He placed His right hand on me, saying, "Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last.” (Rev. 1:17 NASB)

God has done from the beginning to the end

“He has made everything appropriate in its time He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end.” (Eccles.  3:11 NASB)

“Addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart.” (Eph. 5:19 ESV)

Songs stuck in your head

Have you ever had a song stuck in your head with the same lines of the song repeating over and over? I have, many times. Some who have studied this phenomenon call it a “brain itch”, and similar to a mosquito bite, the more you scratch it the more it itches. They say when you listen to a song, it triggers a part of the brain called the auditory cortex. Researchers at Dartmouth University found that when they played part of a familiar song to research subjects, the participants' auditory cortex automatically filled in the rest -- in other words, their brains kept “singing” long after the song had ended [source: Prokhorov]. I personally believe God has given us this ability for a very good reason, so that we can “make melody in our hearts to the Lord” so that we can worship and praise Him (Eph. 5:19). We are the ones who choose which songs get stuck in our heads by what songs we listen to. Our brains are similar to computers and are programmed by what we put in to them. Whatever we put in though our ear gates, that’s what our brains play back to us.

Sing with your mind

“What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also.” (1 Cor. 14:15 ESV)

Singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” (Col. 3:16 ESV)

Singing praises with your soul

“My lips will shout for joy, when I sing praises to you; my soul also, which you have redeemed.” (Psalm. 71:23 ESV)

God is seeking such people to worship Him

“But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.” (John 4:23 ESV)

“We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves.” (Rom. 15:1 ESV)

Follow Christ’s great example

The Scripture passage, Rom. 15:1-11, (written out above and below) is the example of Christ that we must follow as His followers.

Please your neighbor

“Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” (Rom. 15:2-3 ESV)

To give hope and encouragement

“For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” (Rom. 15:4 ESV)

Live in harmony with one another

“May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus,” (Rom. 15:5 ESV)

So that you may glorify God

“…that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Rom. 15:6 ESV)

As Christ welcomed you, welcome one another

“Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.” (Rom. 15:1-11 ESV)

“So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.” (Rom. 14:19 ESV)

Encourage and build one another up

“Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” (2 Thess. 5:11 ESV)

Consider how to stir one another up to love and good works

“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” (Heb. 10:24-25 ESV)

Build each other up with what you say

“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” (Eph. 4:29 ESV)

Therefore…

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” (Col. 3:16 ESV)

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” (Lam. 3:22-24 ESV)

The above passage contain multiple promises

• God’s love is steadfast
• God’s Love never ceases
• God’s mercies never come to an end
• God’s mercies are new every morning
• God’s faithfulness is great
• He is your soul’s portion
• Therefore, you have hope in Him

And, we can proclaim with confidence…

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” (1 Peter 1:3 ESV)

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2 Cor. 5:17 ESV)

Put on the new self, created in the likeness of God

“To put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Eph. 4:22-24 ESV)

God is doing a new thing

“Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert..” (Isa. 43:19 ESV)

God’s plan for you

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jer. 29:11 ESV)

 “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom. 6:23 ESV)

Gift of love to you is Jesus

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16 ESV)

Gift of the Holy Spirit

“And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38 ESV)

Thank God for His inexpressible gift to you

“Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!” (2 Cor. 9:15 ESV)

Therefore…

“Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.” (Rom. 12:11 ESV)

“‘My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,’ says the Lord. ‘And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts’” (Isa. 55:8-9 NLT).

Do not lean on your own understanding

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.” (Prov. 3:5 ESV)

Set your mind on things that are above

“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” (Col. 3:1-2 ESV)

The Spirit of God gives understanding

“For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.” (1 Cor. 2:11-16 ESV)