Today's "Faith Food" by Kenneth E. Hagin gives a great example of the difference between 'head knowledge' and heart faith!
Head Faith
"The other disciples therefore said unto him (Thomas), We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.
"And after eight days...came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and BE NOT FAITHLESS, BUT BELIEVING.
"And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: BLESSED ARE THEY THAT HAVE NOT SEEN, AND YET HAVE BELIEVED" (John 20:25-29).
Thomas' faith was head faith. And Jesus did not commend Thomas for it. Jesus said, "You have believed because you have seen." Anyone can have that kind of faith, whether he be saint or sinner. That's head faith. Head faith is believing what your physical senses tell you.
Jesus commended heart faith. He said, "...blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed" (v.29). To believe with the heart means to believe apart from what your physical body or physical senses may indicate.
The physical man believes what he sees with his physical eyes, hears with his physical ears, or feels with his physical senses. But the heart, on the other hand, believes in the Word of God regardless of what the physical senses say.
Confession: I am not faithless; I am believing. I believe according to what God's Word says, regardless of what I see, hear, or feel.
The Word of God tells us that true FAITH comes by continually hearing the Word of God! (Romans 10:17) Thomas did not believe what he was told, he believed what he could see, which is not faith at all! What most people miss here, though, is that none of the disciples believed until they saw! They did not believe Mary when she told them. They believed when JESUS walked in to the room. Thomas was not present at that time. We should never point at 'doubting Thomas' without pointing at the 'doubting disciples'! But the really powerful TRUTH is that none of us has to keep doubting! We can choose to believe what the Word of God tells us, and reinforce that faith that comes by continuing to hear it! OUr faith will be just as strong as WE choose to make it! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Kids with "My Best Friend":"And after eight days...came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and BE NOT FAITHLESS, BUT BELIEVING.
"And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: BLESSED ARE THEY THAT HAVE NOT SEEN, AND YET HAVE BELIEVED" (John 20:25-29).
Thomas' faith was head faith. And Jesus did not commend Thomas for it. Jesus said, "You have believed because you have seen." Anyone can have that kind of faith, whether he be saint or sinner. That's head faith. Head faith is believing what your physical senses tell you.
Jesus commended heart faith. He said, "...blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed" (v.29). To believe with the heart means to believe apart from what your physical body or physical senses may indicate.
The physical man believes what he sees with his physical eyes, hears with his physical ears, or feels with his physical senses. But the heart, on the other hand, believes in the Word of God regardless of what the physical senses say.
Confession: I am not faithless; I am believing. I believe according to what God's Word says, regardless of what I see, hear, or feel.
Shalom in Him!
