Neville Goddard Lectures: “The Power of Faith”

01 Jan Neville Goddard Lectures: “The Power of Faith”

2/13/64

Tonight’s subject is “The Power of Faith.” The most important Hebrew term for the word faith is “Amen,” which signifies firmness, stability; but its precise meaning is “hold God trustworthy,” to hold God trustworthy. And tonight I hope to be able to share with you what I have discovered about this fabulous power that is faith.

First, let us define faith as defined for us in the Book of Hebrews. This unknown author—-some claim that Paul wrote it, but the majority of the scholars are not convinced; they feel it is not quite his terminology, unless he radically changed when he wrote this book—so it’s an unknown author, one of the most profound books in the Bible. In the 11th chapter it is stated: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. By it men of old received divine approval. We understand that by faith the world was created by the word of God, so that things that are seen were made out of things which do not appear” (verses1-3). Then comes the assemblage of witnesses. He first assembles seven, beginning with Abel, and then he summarizes this compound witness, and then he mentions another eleven. Then he summarizes it again.

But here in this statement speaking now of God—-for when we speak of faith it’s simply to hold God trustworthy—God becomes the object of one’s faith. So here, “Without faith it is impossible to please him. Anyone who would draw near to God must believe that he exists and rewards those who seek him.” Now, the best way to understand this is through a little story. A minister was calling at a home to make arrangements for the funeral of an elderly man. Although he was not a professing Christian he was highly regarded in his community. His widow, trying to persuade the clergyman of her husband’s goodness, said to him, “Henry was a believer. He believed that God is. He’s a believer; he believed that there is a God.” Now she herself would never accept this definition of faith if it was applied by Henry to her. Suppose, for instance, during their married life she had asked Henry, “Henry, do you believe in me?” and suppose he answered, “Yes, Mary, I believe that you exist,” would she be satisfied with that? So it’s more than believing that God exists. So listen to the sentence carefully. People read just a little portion of it and they cut off the important part of that verse. This is the 11th chapter, the 6th verse of Hebrews: “You not only must believe that God exists, but that he rewards those who seek him.” The existence in itself is not enough; there must be an activity. How could I know? I believe this exists [table] but I expect nothing more from it than to hold paper and pencils and anything I should put on it. That’s not what I expect of God.

So I believe that God exists, but I must also believe that he rewards me if I seek him. So God acts; I must react. God speaks and I must say “Amen” to that. Well now, tonight I want something for myself or for a friend, how would I go about seeking God, having God act and I react? So I think of my friend and I see on my friend’s face an expression which implies that they have what I want them to have. I see it right on their face. I listen as though we spoke to each other, and he or she, they are telling me what I want to hear. You may say, “Well, that’s not God acting, that’s Neville acting.” I say to you, “I am doing it” and you will say, “Yes, I know you were doing it.” I say, “No, I am doing it.” What is his name?—-I AM. Has he any other name? Oh, many names, his name is Father, call him Lord, call him God, call him by every name; but the name he revealed to man which must be a name forever and forever for all generations is I AM (Ex. 3:14). So I am bringing before my mind’s eye the face of a friend, and I put on that face an expression implying the fulfillment of my desire for them. And so God is acting. I’m not separating God from myself, for his name is I AM. And so I bring it so.