When Kenneth Copeland was a young man, his parents surprised him with a Triumph Thunderbird one Christmas. It was a British-made motorcycle, and for a typical teen who loved anything fast, it was the perfect gift. Kenneth’s family traditionally opened gifts on Christmas Eve, so when it was time to open each other’s gifts, his appeared to be a really big box tucked under the tree. When Kenneth’s dad handed it to him, it was awkward to manage, and as he tells it, he couldn’t help but wonder, What in the world is in this?
When everyone began opening their gifts, he discovered why it was so heavy. It was full of old magazines! But with the magazines came a clue, a note that read, “I’m on the front porch.”
With that, he walked to the front door, opened it and stepped outside onto the front porch. He could barely contain himself as he laid eyes on his beautiful new bike. It was super cold that night, but the cold couldn’t stop a young man in love with motorcycles from taking a ride.
Can you imagine all the plotting and planning his parents must have done to decide how to give him such a big gift? Maybe your parents did that when you got your first bicycle or car. Or maybe you have been that parent creatively sending your kids on a scavenger hunt to find a gift too big to wrap, and too perfect not to savor.
Maybe you’ve bought your husband or wife the best gift ever this year, and you’re already thinking how you’re going to present it to him or her. Taking that kind of thought is much like what God did when He began devising a plan to give us Jesus. He is the greatest gift of all, isn’t He?
The Greatest Gift of All
From what we read in Scripture, from Genesis to the Gospels, God planned the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ down to the last detail. In the historical accounts and the prophetic books, He kept foreshadowing the promise that was to come. Why would our heavenly Father spend hundreds and hundreds of years unfolding a plan? Why would He put such effort into the presentation of His Son? Why would He plan each detail down to the time in history, such as where He would be born, the family He would be born into, and the provision of safety and material needs?
He did so because He knew that Jesus would be the greatest gift of all. He knew that Jesus would change everything for everyone. He knew that Jesus’ future sacrifice would allow Him to give even more gifts to His children. What’s more, when we accept the gift of Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we receive not only the forgiveness of our sins, but we also enter into a covenant relationship filled with covenant blessings.
That’s right—when we receive the gift of Christ, we receive so much more than just our salvation. We receive all the blessings that bring freedom outlined throughout the Bible. If the Word of God says something belongs to the believer, then it belongs to the believer. The Word is the final authority in our lives. The promises of God are yes and amen (2 Corinthians 1:20).
Practicing the Six I’s of Faith
How do we appropriate the blessings we see in the Word of God? How do we get them unwrapped and into our lives? How do we see a particular blessing like healing, for instance, manifest in our life? The answer is simple: by faith. When we receive the gift of Jesus—when we enter into a covenant relationship with God and gain access to all His blessings—here’s still one more step we have to take to receive those blessings. We have to learn how to receive them by faith. We have to learn how to put our faith to work—to get it operational—and then practice using our faith consistently.
Kenneth Copeland often shares the six I’s of faith to help us remember how to put our faith to work. Study them below and start practicing your faith this Christmas.
1. I BELIEVE: We believe from our spirit man. That is the part of us connected to the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit speaks to us through our spirit. “The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly” Proverbs 20:27 (KJV).
2. I WILL: That’s your will. Your will is your mind or the intellectual part of you. This is where you decide to follow what you believe from God's Word. “Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” Romans 12:2 (KJV).
3. I TAKE IT: Once you have believed and willed, you take whatever promise you see in the Word of God. “All the promises of God in Him are yea and in Him Amen, unto the glory of God by us” 2 Corinthians 1:20 (KJV).
4. I HAVE IT: Once you have taken it, whether you see it in the physical realm or not is of no consequence. The Word of God is the final authority. It is more powerful than anything, so determine in your mind and heart that you have it. “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth” John 17:17 (KJV).
5. I PRAISE YOU AND THANK YOU FOR IT: Once you have believed, willed, taken and determined, the promise is yours, so give God glory for the promise and for giving you the revelation that the promise belongs to you. “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” Ephesians 5:20 (KJV).
6. I FORGIVE IF I HAVE AUGHT AGAINST ANY: Walking in love is the key to remaining open to all the Lord has for us, but we cannot operate in THE BLESSING when we are harboring any unforgiveness in our hearts. So always be forgiving. “And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour” Ephesians 5:2 (KJV).
When you begin practicing these 6 I’s of faith this Christmas, you’ll keep unwrapping all that God has given you through the gift of Jesus! As you make ready your gift-giving plans, know that you possess the greatest gift that the world needs. No gift will ever surpass the gift of a relationship with the King of kings and Lord of lords. After all, “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” John 3:16 (KJV).