The spiritual hour is late and we cannot be moved by what we see with natural eyes. Your eyes can lie to you because they do not take into consideration the power of God that is available in the invisible realm. God wants you to be moved by the mountain-moving faith that He has deposited on the inside of every blood-bought believer in Jesus Christ.
1. FACTS ABOUT A MUSTARD SEED
Matthew 17:20 says, “So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.”
There are at least one million types of seeds but Jesus chose a mustard seed to compare your faith to. God made the mustard seed to prophetically parallel the characteristics of the faith that He has called you to walk in.
Consider the reality that man has discovered how to make hybrid vegetables. The way this works is by changing the DNA. For example, to get corn to be perfect corn that bugs won’t eat they have to cross the corn DNA with cucumber DNA. The only way they can get the corn DNA to accept the cucumber DNA is to introduce it through a virus. They make the corn “sick” and then it will accept the cucumber DNA and end up as hybrid corn. What science has discovered is that mustard seed cannot be hybridized. The mustard seed can never be anything other than a mustard seed. It refuses all viruses and there is no way to make it anything other than what it is. The prophetic picture of this characteristic of a mustard seed reveals that our faith must stand alone not mixed with doubt or unbelief.
Another thing that science has discovered about the mustard seed is that It grows best in the most contaminated and infested areas. This is interesting because your faith should grow when it is being tried and tested and you feel like your situation is contaminated and infested by the works of the enemy. Your faith may feel small but after being tried and tested it grows just like the small mustard seed grows into a massive tree.
James 1:2-4 says, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”
Matthew 13:31-32 says “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.”
2. MUSTARD SEED FAITH IS PERSUADED BY GOD
Mustard seed faith lives a life that is persuaded by God.
Romans 4:17-22 says, (as it is written, “I have made you a father of many
nations” ) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did; who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” And not being weak in faith, he did not
consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness.”
Notice that Abraham was persuaded that God could give life to the dead and call those things that do not exist as though they were. The mustard seed type faith is persuaded that God is able to do anything. The scripture says that Abraham was persuaded and not weak in his faith. He did not waiver from the promise of God through unbelief. Abraham was fully convinced that what God had promised he was able to perform. Mountain-moving faith means that you are persuaded that what you see is not the reality, but knowing what God is able to do in the situation is the reality.
3. MUSTARD SEED FAITH REST IN CONFIDENCE
Mustard seed faith trusts that you can rely on God and have complete confidence in Him.
Philippians 1:6 says, “being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.”
He started a work in you when he knitted you together in your mother’s womb and when you gave your life to Christ there is a completed work that awaits you. Mustard seed faith carries the confidence that God is going to complete the work in your life.
Jeremiah 29:11says. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
4. MUSTARD SEED FAITH IS THE SUBSTANCE OR CONVICTION OF WHAT YOU HOPE FOR
Mustard seed faith carries an authentic conviction about what they are believing for.
Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Do you have a deep conviction that what you are believe for is actually going to come to pass?”
When you have a faith that is marked by conviction then you have the confidence that the natural evidence that you can see can be moved by the spiritual evidence that you cannot see. What you are believing for becomes the final say in your mind and heart even when you have not seen it come to pass yet.
5. MUSTARD SEED FAITH FULLY DEPENDS ON GOD’S WORD
Mustard seed faith is fully dependent on God’s Word. It is not dependent upon your feelings, what you are thinking, or what someone told you. It is not dependent upon the warfare that you are facing.
Matthew 8:8-10 says, “The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! Verse Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” And his servant was healed that same hour.”
In these verses, you can clearly see that mustard seed faith understands that one spoken word from God can change anything.
6. MUSTARD SEED FAITH IS FULL OF OBEDIENCE
Mustard seed faith obeys God. Faith and obedience to God go hand and hand. 1 John 3:22 says, “And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep
His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. James 2:17-19 says, “Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. “
We cannot just run around saying we believe that God can do it without having a willingness to obey whatever God asks of us. Those that are believing God for great things will also obey God.
Mustard seed faith is persuaded by God, has confidence in God, is convicted by God, is dependent upon God, and is obedient to God.
Want to partner with Dr. Caleb Cooper? Learn more:
Looking for more? Shop books for spiritual growth:
