There are three necessary tools for improving you that every believer has available to them. Believers are only effective when they are equipped.
We must to be properly equipped to do our jobs in the natural, likewise, we need to be properly equipped to accomplish our spiritual tasks. A carpenter can’t do their job when equipped with mechanic’s tools. A police officer can’t effectively do their job if someone equipped them with a surgeon’s tools.
There are Three Necessary Tools for Improving You
My youngest son recently started to buy his own tools. He wants to be prepared to work on his own vehicle and also to learn how to work around the house. We have been talking about the basic tools he needs and he is slowly putting together a good basic tool set.
We have also talked about using the right tool for the job. Over the years I have seen people ruin projects and tools by not using the right tool for the job. As a carpenter’s son, I am very familiar with the different types of saws needed for particular jobs. A miter saw can not service as a table saw. Jigsaws are not used to rip long planks of wood.
God’s Word, Faith, and The Anointing
The spiritual world requires us to have particular tools too. A believer can step boldly into any circumstance or situation when they are properly equipped. There are three things every believer must have. You will find that these three things are so intertwined it is impossible to have one without the others.
The three things every believe needs for a bold life view is God’s Word, Faith, and the Anointing. You can’t have faith or the anointing without God’s Word. God’s Word won’t work unless it is mixed with faith (see Hebrews 4:2) and anointed by the Holy Spirit. The anointing isn’t present without God’s Word and faith.
I know you are thinking there are more tools for the believer than these three. I agree. There are more, but everything else is dependent upon these three tools to be present first. Prayer is ineffective without the Word and faith. Our spiritual armor is dependent on being held together by the belt of truth. The spiritual gifts require all three for them to be in operation.
Yes, I believe these must be present first: God’s Word, faith, and the anointing.
Our First Tool
Our first tool is the Word of God. God’s Word must be present from the beginning. Without the Word of God, nothing else happens. We couldn’t even be born again without hearing the Word. The entire process starts with it.
Paul wrote to the Roman Christians, “But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? How can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go to tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!” (Romans 10:14-15 NLT)
You can’t believe unless you first hear the Gospel. That is how simple it is. Hear and believe; hear and believe; hear and believe. Why did I repeat it three times? To impress on you God’s simple process. You have to hear the Gospel before you can believe.
For more about reading your Bible see my post: The First Bold Step
Proclaim the Gospel
Usually, someone is born again by the preaching of the Gospel. Don’t think preaching is only what preachers do. To preach is to proclaim.
When we share our testimony, we are proclaiming the Gospel. Telling someone why we don’t fear the future is proclaiming the Gospel. When we talk to others about a blessing, we are proclaiming the Gospel.
Our job as ambassadors for Christ is to proclaim the Gospel. But we can’t pigeonhole the Gospel into leading someone to faith in Jesus. That is the Gospel, but only a small portion. The word Gospel simply means “Good News”.
Learn more about the transforming power of the Gospel HERE.
What is the Good News We Proclaim?
The Good News we proclaim is the Good News about Jesus and Good News about the Kingdom of God. This isn’t found only in the first four books of our New Testament or even just in the New Testament. We find Jesus in every book of the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. The Good News is found from Genesis to Revelation.
“The Bible is the cradle wherein Christ is laid.” Martin Luther
The Word of God must be present first. It is the Word that produces faith for us to believe. Romans 10:17 tells us, “So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.” (NLT) This is the only way faith comes. The Bible doesn’t tell us to pray for faith. It doesn’t say to see miracles and you will have faith. Faith comes only through the Word of God.
The Word First, Then Faith
Therefore, the Word of God is our first tool. It has to be present first. Without the Word of God, we can’t have the armor of God. The belt of truth is God’s Word. The belt holds all the armor together. No truth, no armor.
No Word of God, then we have no sword. “…and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (Ephesians 6:17 NLT) Without the sword, we have lost our major offensive weapon. So, without the Word of God, we are helpless.
The last reason I will give for the importance of God’s Word (There are many more.) is found in Paul’s second letter to Timothy. “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NLT)
Put the Word of God into your life daily. Just a chapter a day. Our spirit will become emaciated without the Word of God. The Word of God is the only spiritual food we have. (see: Matthew 4:4; 1 Peter 2:2; Hebrews 5:12-14)
Our Second Tool
The next tool we need is faith. We have seen faith comes from the Word of God. Why is faith so important? In the letter to the Hebrew Christians the Holy Spirit tells us: “And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6 NLT)
IT IS IMPOSSIBLE…
That is strong and definitive wording. There is no possibility of pleasing God without faith. Not even the slimmest of chances. We must have faith to please God.
Our walk with God started by faith. Ephesians 2:8 tells us, “For by grace you are saved through faith…” (HCSB) It was through our faith that we are saved. We had to believe in our heart first. Faith came into our heart when we heard someone preach the Word concerning salvation. We released our faith when we confessed Jesus as Lord and we were born again. (see Romans 10:9-10)
The just shall live by faith
Scripture tells us four times “The just shall live by faith.” (Habakkuk 2:4; Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11, Hebrews 10:38) Four times by four different writers tells me God is making a point. The just or justified are the believers. The way we are to live is by faith. Living by faith means placing our complete trust, reliance, and confidence on God and His Word.
Faith is the lifestyle of the believer. Every promise of God has to be obtained through faith. Even our righteousness comes by faith. “We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ.” (Romans 3:22 NLT)
Faith is not belief without proof but trust without reservation. Elton Trueblood
(from 1001 Quotes, Illustrations, and Humorous Stories for Preachers, Teachers, and Writers, 2008 by Christianity Today Intl. All rights reserved.)
We can’t separate faith from our Christian walk. Without faith, there is no Christian walk. Faith is believing without seeing. Faith is based solely on God’s Word. It is absolute trust and confidence that God will do what He has promised.
Faith is how we live, operate, and minister. Even our prayer must by faith. Jesus said in Mark 11:24, “I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours.” (NLT) Faith is the key to accomplishing everything in our Christian walk.
Do you need more info about Faith? Here are some articles that will help you know what faith is, how it works, and it is vital for pleasing God:
Faith as a Way of Life – Daily Living in God’s Grace
The Law of Faith Boldly Allows You to live in the Fast Lane
Faith Begins Where the Will of God is Known
Our Third Tool
Our third tool is the anointing. There different beliefs concerning the anointing, and this causes confusion. They anointed priests and kings under the old covenant with a mixture of oil and perfumes. The purpose of the anointing was to enable them to do their job.
A prominent example of this is when the prophet Samuel anointed David. “So Jesse sent for him. He was dark and handsome, with beautiful eyes. And the Lord said, “This is the one; anoint him.” So as David stood there among his brothers, Samuel took the flask of olive oil he had brought and anointed David with the oil. And the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David from that day on. Then Samuel returned to Ramah.” (1 Samuel 16:12-13 NLT)
Notice the Holy Spirit came upon David from that moment and stayed for the rest of his life. This anointing of priests and kings was to empower them. This has always been the Holy Spirit’s job. Jesus told the disciples the same thing. Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (NLT)
Jesus told them to wait in Jerusalem until they received the Promise of the Father – the baptism or infilling of the Holy Spirit. Once they received this power, they would become witnesses. This empowerment took 120 believers out of hiding and into bold preaching about Jesus.
Jesus is Anointed
Jesus, while on earth, had to have the same anointing. Luke 4:18-21 tells us, “The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, 19 and that the time of the LORD’s favor has come.” He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant, and sat down. All eyes in the synagogue looked at him intently. Then he began to speak to them. “The Scripture you’ve just heard has been fulfilled this very day!” (NLT)
You may ask, “If Jesus is God, why did He have to be anointed by God’s Spirit?” Because, while on earth, Jesus laid down all of His God powers and operated as a man filled with the Holy Spirit and power. That is exactly what Luke wrote in Acts 10:38.
“And you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.” (NLT) Jesus didn’t do any miracle as God. He did all His miracles as an anointed man. He did this to show us what we can do as anointed men and women.
I know that most of the emphasis on Jesus concerns Him as Lord or God. Too often, we miss Jesus as an anointed man on earth. When was He anointed? At His baptism by John the Baptist. God declares this in John 1:32-34. “Then John testified, “I saw the Holy Spirit descending like a dove from heaven and resting upon him. I didn’t know he was the one, but when God sent me to baptize with water, he told me, ‘The one on whom you see the Spirit descend and rest is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ I saw this happen to Jesus, so I testify that he is the Chosen One of God.” (NLT)
We are anointed, just like Jesus. Paul told the church at Corinth, “Now it is God who strengthens us together with you in Christ, and who has anointed us. He has also put his seal on us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a down payment.” (2 Corinthians 1:21-22 CSB)
The anointing we have is one of power, just like Jesus. We have the power of the Holy Spirit living in us. We can go about doing good, just like Jesus. What does doing good mean to us? We can do what Jesus did. Give to the poor, pray for the sick, feed the hungry, give encouragement to the discouraged, and much more. Good works do not save us; good works result from us living a life pleasing to God.
Our Three Necessary Tools:
- God’s Word
- Faith
- The Anointing
They are available all the time and at our disposal whenever we need them. Use all three and experience a bolder life in Christ.
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