Our obedience to the Word releases the power within the Word. You have to act on the Word in order to release the healing power that's in it. Now, James 1 tells us to be doers of the Word or else we deceive ourselves. You can come to the place where you think you are "all that," spiritually speaking.
Perhaps you've stood on the Word in the past. You learned the Word. You heard the Word and have had manifestations of healing and other blessings in your life before. But something happens to us that we don't recognize. Over time we come to a place where we're really off our past triumphs, teaching, and revelation, when we're having to deal with a current problem.
You have to have current faith, current Word, current revelation to deal with the current problem. If you don't, you'll wind up trying to catch up. Yet, mentally you'll think, "Well, I don't understand. I know this situation. I understand this, I've been taught this..." But you aren't current.
Operating in the things of the spirit is, "What have you done lately?"
What have you done lately to build yourself up in faith? What are you doing right now? In spiritual things, you are either getting stronger all the time, or you are getting weaker. Yet, mentally, you're thinking, "I'm all right."
But you are not all right. You are self-deceived. And you don't find out that you are self-deceived until you get up and attempt to shake it off, and it doesn't shake off. It's like Sampson. He got up one day, tried to shake himself loose and had no power.
But the power comes when you continue to look in the Word of God. James 1:25 says, "But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed."
The Word "looketh" implies constantly looking into something. I'm still looking into this. Looking into what? The "perfect" law. That means there is no flaw in it. There's no lack of power where healing is concerned.
And there is no lack of power where the Word of God is concerned. It is the perfect law of liberty. It will always set you free when you continue to apply it—every day—of your life.
Scripture references: Judges 16:20-21; John 8:31-32
Keith Butler has been an ordained minister since 1974. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan and holds diplomas from Canada Christian College and Rhema Bible Training Center.
He serves in ministry with the support of his lovely wife, Pastor Deborah L. Butler, and their children: Pastor Andre Butler (granddaughters Alexis, Angela, and April), Pastor MiChelle Ferguson and husband Pastor Lee (grandson Lucas), and Minister Kristina Jenkins and husband Pastor Joel (grandsons Andrew and Austin, and granddaughter Alyssa).
