Applying Faith to Life

Applying Faith to Life

Hebrews 11:1; James 1:2-4; 2 Corinthians 5:7

 

Theme: Biblical faith applies to daily life turning confident trust in God into practical actions, purposeful choices, and steady peace during hard times.

Relevance: Faith enables us to turn ordinary moments into conscious acts of prayer, kindness, and trust; we can apply our faith in everyday life. Our faith was meant to be practical, functional, useful, and constructive!

Lesson:

         I.             Consider what we are Dealing with—Biblical Faith!

1. Confident trust: Faith is not a blind guess nor merely something we crave deeply; it is an assurance, confidence, or guarantee rooted in God’s character and promises as revealed in His Word (Hebrews 11:1).
2. Active response: True faith requires action, practice, application, integration, and moving past mere ideas to living out what God teaches before seeing the final outcomes.  

        II.         Apply Faith in Everyday Areas of your Existence

1. Stay Aware of your mindset and emotions: Shift focus from worry to prayer, replacing fear with courage and complaints with gratitude.
2. Cherish your relationships: Practice humility, show mercy to others, and rely on community rather than trying to walk through life completely alone.
3. Manage wisely personal finances and work: Make career and financial choices based on generosity, honesty, and divine guidance rather than pure self-reliance.
4. Build faith and character by handling your trials: Treat hardships and pain as opportunities to build patience, character, and deeper hope (James 1:2–4). Scripture refines our character in hard times.   

        III.     Make Faith a Practical Daily Habits 

         A. Read scripture: Read the Bible daily to learn what God says and to see the example of Jesus firsthand.

1.    2 Corinthians 5:7, For we walk by faith, not by sight.

2.   Hebrews 11:1, Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

3.   Proverbs 3:5-6, Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

4.    Romans 10:17, So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

     B.  Pray consistently: Use prayer as a continuous connection to God to acknowledge your dependence on Him.

1.    Prayer for Strength

                                             i.          Mark 11:24 — Tells us that whatever is desired in prayer will be received upon believing it is already received.

                                          ii.          Matthew 21:22 — Affirms that whatever is asked in prayer with belief will be received.

2.   Prayer for Wisdom and Guidance! Ask God for wisdom and guidance by praying honestly, reading scripture, and surrendering your own plans. Approaching God with a sincere and humble heart fulfills the biblical promise to receive generous answers.

                                             i.          Pray directly: Tell God you need Him and His help. You can use a simple prayer like, “Dear, Father God, I need and want You; please give me wisdom and show me the right path, your way, today. Grant me courage to pursue your will.”

                                          ii.          Read the Bible: Go to books like Proverbs for daily choices or Psalms for comfort and direction.

                                        iii.          Be humble: Admit that you do not know everything and are willing to listen to the Lord and those He leads you to.

                                         iv.          Listen in silence: Quiet your mind so you can recognize inner peace or direction. Wait with patience: trust that answers come in God’s timing, not yours. Remember God’s guidance will always agree with the Word and rival the devil, flesh, and the world.

     C.  Engage in church fellowship: Join with other believers to serve, share, and support each other through life’s ups and downs. Put your faith into action—active service is one way! Stay connected by joining that church, participating in holy worship, reflecting on God’s truth through preaching, and introducing others to the life of faith in the living God.

      D. Pursue Other Activities that Integrate Faith Daily

1.    Devotion: Start your morning with a few quiet minutes of prayer, meditation, or reading scripture to center your mind.

2.   Prayer: Talk to God throughout the day by sharing quick, spontaneous thoughts or worries as they happen.

3.   Gratitude: Practice gratitude by pausing to thank God for small blessings like a good parking spot, a meal, or pleasant weather. –Focus on the Family 

4.   Worry: Another example of faith in daily life is turning a moment of intense worry or anxiety into a quiet prayer for guidance. 

                                             i.          Prayer and Reflection: Starting each day by thanking God or pausing during a stressful moment at work to ask for peace and wisdom. 

                                          ii.          Acts of Kindness: Helping a neighbor, feeding someone who is hungry, or giving to charity because you believe it is what God calls you to do. 

                                        iii.          Forgiveness: Choosing to let go of an insult or showing grace to a difficult person instead of reacting with anger.—Family Christian

                                         iv.          Trusting Decisions: Making major life choices—like a career change or financial decision—by seeking God’s direction and turning more frequently to the Word instead of relying solely on your own anxiety or control. 

   E. Trust God for Daily Guidance as an Act of Faith!

1.    Proverbs 3:5-6 — Encourages us to trust the Lord completely rather than rely on our own understanding, acknowledging Him in all ways for direct guidance.

2.   Hebrews 11:6 — States that pleasing God requires faith and belief in His existence and His reward for those who seek Him.

3.   Lamentations 3:22-23 — Speaks of the Lord’s unfailing mercies and compassions that are renewed every morning, highlighting His great faithfulness.

         IV.       Abide in Christ using Your Faith

Abiding in Christ is maintaining a continuous, trusting connection to Jesus as the source of spiritual life, much like a branch stays attached to a vine (John 15:1-8).

     A.  Consider What It Means to Abide

1.    Rooted in Faith: Abiding begins by believing in Jesus for salvation and trusting His grace rather than relying solely on human effort.

2.   Actively Remaining: The Greek word for abide (meno) means to stay, dwell, or persist firmly in a relationship.

3.   Bearing Fruit: Natural spiritual results—like love, joy, and Christ-like character—flow from staying close to Him.—Desiring God.  

     B.  Follow Proven Practical Steps to Abide Daily

1.    Read and Meditate on Scripture: Let God’s words dwell inside your mind and shape your daily choices. We are supposed to think about the Bible’s teachings. This requires reading the text carefully, understanding its historical context, and applying its core principles to daily life. It is correct to view scripture as the supreme guide for determining truth and right behavior. Regular reading and reflection help build resilience, provide guidance, and shape personal character.

2.   Pray Continually; Treasure Time with the Lord: Talk to God honestly and turn Bible verses into conversational prayers.

3.   Obey His Commands from the Heart: Show your love for Christ by following His teachings and loving others.

4.   Rely on the Holy Spirit to be Fruitful: Trust the Spirit to work inside you, especially during difficult or dry seasons. 

         V.           Continue Deeper to Explore Further the Subject of Faith and the many Practical Applications! 

           A. Read about how faith transforms historical and biblical figures in tough situations. 

            B. Explore practical ways to integrate biblical habits into your daily routines.  

Conclusion: We can learn even more ways to build consistent habits of faith. Focus on living by faith each day! Remember, biblical faith becomes a daily experience as we purposely turn confident trust in God into practical actions, focused choices, and steady peace while enduring tough stints. By turning ordinary moments into conscious acts of prayer, kindness, and trust, we are applying our faith to everyday life.

Is Our ‘Faith’ Creative?

Is Our ‘Faith’ Creative?

Romans 4:17

Theme: God operates in our lives through real faith in Him, but He does not grant us creative or positive confession abilities!

Relevance:  Positive confession is the belief that speaking specific words can force God to grant health or wealth. This is unholy magic, a misleading human invention, and NOT biblical faith rooted in submission to God’s sovereign will. Such ‘creative powers’ do not belong to believers.  

Introduction:

When thinking on Romans 4:17, it is vital we remember God has the utmost power to give life to the dead and treat future or unfulfilled promises as absolute certainties. Clearly God makes dead things alive. He “quickeneth the dead” drawing attention to His power over physically death and His ability to refresh the elderly, “dead” bodies of Abraham and Sarah so they could have a child. Summarily, GOD “calleth those things which be not as though they were” indicating He speaks of future events or unseen realities as if they are already done because He cannot lie and His word never fails. In addition, we must avoid misusing this passage and other similar ones, because it points out that God is faithful. It is NOT a mere human “name-it-and-claim-it” formula where people can speak physical objects or wealth into existence through positive confessions.

Entirely Romans 4:16-21, reads, “Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all, ¹⁷ (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. ¹⁸ Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. ¹⁹ And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb: ²⁰ He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; ²¹ And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.”

Romans 4:16-21, shows God’s promises are received through faith and grace rather than human law or effort, the ultimate example is Abraham’s unwavering trust in God against impossible likelihood. Unfortunately, this passage has been misused to teach ‘believers’ a form of position confession coupled with the use of ‘abracadabra.’ God never intended this passage be used in this way!

Message:

Please fasten onto God’s implication from this important passage:

1. Grace Should be Matched with Certainty (Rom. 4:16). God’s promise depends on real faith so it can rest entirely on God’s unearned favor (grace). Such faith guarantees the promise to all of Abraham’s spiritual descendants—both Jews under the law and Gentiles who share his faith.

Paul pointed to Abraham along with the subject of circumcision to convey the fact that rites of religion cannot make one righteous before God. He does this by carefully noting when and why Abraham was circumcised.   Accordingly, Romans 4:9-10, Abraham received the rite of circumcision some fourteen years after he was justified by faith. Obviously, the rite had nothing to do with his salvation (Gen. 15:6; 17:10).  Paul also showed why Abraham was given the rite of circumcision. It was not to confer righteousness upon him, but to confirm the righteousness he already had.  It was an outward symbol of an inward reality.  Abraham became the father of all who are counted righteous by faith alone regardless of circumcision or not. 

We are afforded a description of two things that faith does for us in relation to God and the biblical definition of faith as found in Hebrews 11.  Faith can bring us into God’s favor and family as taught in Romans 4:16. It is through faith we are linked to the unmerited favor of God. Resultantly all believers, whether Jew or Gentile, are the spiritual children of Abraham and members of the family of God. Faith can also be described as a kind of sixth sense which functions to make tangible and real the unvarnished truths of the unseen world.  The writer of Hebrews defined faith in Hebrews 11:1 saying, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”  It enables believers to fully recognize and appreciate the blessings of God. 

2. The Power of God is Key to Understanding this Passage (Rom. 4:17): Abraham believed in a God who “quickenedeth the dead” (brings life to the dead) and calls things that do not exist as though they already did. Faith focuses on God’s creative power, not physical limitations. It is imperative we note God never shared this creative power with mere people!

The faith of Abraham was an intelligent faith according to Romans 4:17-18; it was focused on the omnipotence of Almighty God and not on the deadness of his body. Truly it is intelligent to place our faith in a God who can raise the dead and create a mighty universe. Before God gave Abraham the promise “so shall thy seed be” he directed his attention to the stars and thus His vast creative power as strong support to Abraham’s faith.  Beloved, it is simply smart to believe a faithful and powerful God.

• God … gives life to the dead and calls things that are not (lit., “the nonexisting things”) as though they were (lit., “as existing”).
• Identifying God in this way obviously refers to God’s promise in Genesis 17 following the statement quoted above that Abraham and Sarah would have a son of promise when Abraham was 100 and Sarah was 90 (Gen. 17:17, 19; 18:10; 21:5; cf. Rom. 4:19). That he would be the ancestor of many nations seemed impossible in his and Sarah’s childless old age.^[1]
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        3. Hoping Against Hope is a Conscientious Choice to Believe God (Rom. 4:18): Abraham had no natural reason to expect a child, yet he              chose to believe God’s word that his descendants would be as numerous               as the stars.

• Abraham is the father of us all in the sight of Him (God) whom he (Abraham) believed, even God who gives life to the dead and speaks of things that do not yet exist as already existing. To understand this description of God, we have only to look at the verses that follow. God gives life to the dead—that is, to Abraham and Sarah, for although they were not dead physically, they were childless and beyond the age when they could have children (see 4:19). God calls those things which do not yet exist as already existing—that is, a numberless posterity involving many nations (see 4:18).^[2]
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    4. Facing Reality Without Weakening Stemmed from A Trust in Truth (Rom. 4:19): Abraham did not ignore the facts—he knew his own   body and Sarah’s womb were past the age of childbearing—but he did not let those physical deadness obstacles override his trust in God.

He trusted God’s promise of descendants despite his own advanced age of nearly 100 and the lifelessness of Sarah’s reproductive capacity. He did not weaken in his faith or waver through unbelief though most people would have understood perfectly because he would have been justified in doing so. Instead, he remained fully persuaded, supremely convinced that God had the power to do what He promised! Beloved, it was this very thing that God credited to him as righteousness.

5. Unwavering Conviction Is How Abraham Demonstrated Real Faith (Rom. 4:20-21): He did not stagger or doubt God’s promise through unbelief. Instead, he grew strong in faith, giving glory to God because he was fully persuaded that God had the power to perform what He promised.

Salvation by grace and through faith is to be experienced by us all in the same manner as Abraham. Note at least three aspects covered under this section in Romans 4:23-25. First, salvation by faith is to be experienced by us for the same purpose according to verses 23 and 24. Secondly, it is to be practiced according to the very same process as demonstrated by verse 24b.  Lastly, it is to be practiced on the same principle as stated in verse 25.  Thus, as God counted Abraham as ‘righteous’, he does the same for us who believe.  Like Abraham had to trust God for the impossible regarding children at his old age and despite his dead body, we too must believe an impossibility—the resurrection of Christ. Something many still view as unbelievable and impossible.  Then lastly, salvation is the same in the Old Testament and the New.  It is based on the principle of the saving grace of God made available to us by faith.  In many respects, we enjoy the very same type of salvation as Abraham.

o   The apparent impossibility that the promise would ever be fulfilled didn’t stagger him. God had said it; Abraham believed it; that settled it. As far as the patriarch was concerned there was only one impossibility, and that was for God to lie. Abraham’s faith was strong and vibrant. He gave glory to God, honoring Him as the One who could be depended on to fulfill His promise in defiance of all the laws of chance or probability.

o   4:21 Abraham did not know how God would fulfill His word, but that was incidental. He knew God and had every confidence that God was fully able to do what He had promised. In one way it was wonderful faith, but in another way it was the most reasonable thing to do, because God’s word is the surest thing in the universe, and for Abraham there was no risk in believing it!^[3]

Conclusion:

After thinking through these observations, we can safely conclude God operates in our lives through real faith in Him. This is the basis of His extraordinary salvation! He is supremely willing and able to still do just this in the life of every repentant sinner! Can He the great Creator-Redeemer work in your experiences? However, God does not grant us creative or positive confession abilities! This passage nor any other teaches this radical idea of ‘speaking something we want badly into existence’.  Putting the title ‘faith’ on such practices or ‘claiming it in Jesus’ name’ does not justify this behavior, it only multiplies the confusion. The entire notation is sensual, ignorant of scripture, carnal, and rooted in works of the flesh! Giving it a spiritual name does not in any dimension sanitize this wrong behavior!

Finally, there are three preliminary remarks concerning the principles of eternal security that account for the disapproval of this teaching to many sincere people.  The first thing to note is there are several warning passages in the Bible which seem to imply losing our salvation in the book of Hebrews. In some cases, these passages address those who only profess to be saved but really are not. Secondly, some believe that the doctrine of eternal security is dangerous because it promotes loose living. However, believers have no license to sin and our union with Christ gives us the power to break away from sinful practices.  The third important observation is the difference between a believer’s standing and state. Our standing is always perfect and static, but our state is always changing and progressive.  These three considerations and brief explanations should subdue any reservations to honestly consider the Bible on eternal security. 

Again, positive confession or speaking specific words like ‘abracadabra’ cannot force God to grant health, wealth or any other desirable! This is a mere human invention and is NOT biblical faith anchored in submission to Almighty God’s sovereign will.

 

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^[1] John A. Witmer, “Romans,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 454.

^[2] William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments, ed. Arthur Farstad (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995), 1694.

^[3] William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments, ed. Arthur Farstad (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995), 1695.

Foundation of Reality

 

 Foundation of Reality

John 8:32; 14:6; 17:17; 2 Cor. 5:7; Hebrews 11:1

Theme: Authentic facts point to God’s truth; we must live by God’s truth and not mere facts…by faith and not by sight.

Relevance:

John 8:32, says, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” Accepting and actively living by Christ’s teachings breaks the heavy chains of sin, fear, and spiritual blindness. God also delivers us from spiritual confusion when we believe Him instead of our circumstances. Facts are subject to misleading, but embracing God’s truth is freeing, liberating, and life transforming!  

Hebrews 11:1 states: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Rather than relying strictly on physical observation or human scientific measurement, biblical faith treats God, His word, and unseen spiritual truths as the ultimate foundation of reality.

Introduction:

God’s spiritual truth (His word and promises) supersedes temporary earthly facts (physical or biological realities or human observations). Again, selecting God’s reality over our mere visible or empirical world perceptions is the very meaning of living by faith (Heb. 11:1-6). While the exact phrase “truth over facts” is rather modern, the King James Bible explains that God’s eternal word overrides human circumstances, obstacles, and observations always. God’s statements in the Bible are not dismissed merely because some misguided soul says so. Bible teachings are not relegated to sheer superstition or nonsense just because some supposedly ‘intellectual,’ ‘highly educated’ person, or ‘vastly esteemed group’ demotes it to such status. I do not apologize for valuing God’s revelation over human education! 

Message:

Secondly, Truth Must Override Facts as a Standard!

Once more, God’s truth does not change with time, culture, or personal feelings, nor is it diminished in its real significance by an elite group of esteemed individuals. Truth always remains constant for all people, and abiding within truth (embracing complete reality) is the power of authentic spiritual freedom! Truth provides a correct foundation for reality. 

This Tendency to Select God’s Truth is a Recurring Thesis in the Word:

• John 17:17: “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” — God’s standard as always is absolute truth. Jesus in His ‘High Priestly Prayer’ is asking the Father to cleanse the disciples and separate them from worldly corruption so they can serve Him.
• “Truth” (the content and occurrence points to ‘what happened’ or ‘whole truth’) constitutes the environment God uses to make us holy—His word. His message and standards do not change. In a confusing world, His word is the ultimate, absolute stable reality.
• Now His second petition for them was for their sanctification. Sanctify means “set apart for special use.” A believer is to be distinct from the world’s sin, its values, and its goals.
• The means of this sanctifying work is God’s truth. The truth is communicated in the Word, which is both personal and propositional. As the message about Jesus was heard, believed, and understood, the disciples’ hearts and minds were captured. This change in their thinking resulted in changes in their living. The same is true of believers today. As they appropriate God’s Word to their lives, they are sanctified—set apart for God and changed in their living in order to honor God (cf. 15:3). God’s message set the apostles apart from the world so that they would do His will, not Satan’s.^[1]
• John 14:6: “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life...” Truth is a person, Jesus Christ, —a divine reality, not just data points, a collection of metrics, or a clear pattern for making informed decisions. Jesus during the Last Supper is telling His disciple Thomas that He is the sole path, ultimate truth, and source of eternal life required to reach God the Father.
• Beloved, Jesus literally embodies divine reality; He is God’s absolute standard. He represents the final, complete, and most accurate revelation of God to the world. God does not simply consider some data pipeline that directly drives operational performance and strategic growth. He relies on Jesus, the TRUTH and so should we!
• As the Father is Truth and Life, Jesus is the embodiment of God so people can come to the Father (cf. 1:4, 14, 18; 11:25). By His words, No one comes to the Father except through Me, Jesus stressed that salvation, contrary to what many people think, is not obtainable through many ways. Only one Way exists (cf. Acts 4:12; 1 Tim. 2:5). Jesus is the only access to the Father because He is the only One from the Father (cf. John 1:1–2, 51; 3:13).^[2]
• 2 Corinthians 5:7: “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” — This may be taxing for some individuals, but Believers are instructed to live by spiritual reality rather than physical evidence or observations.
• The word [faith] is not used actively in the sense of vision. Faith is contrasted with the actual appearance of heavenly things.^[3]
• To “walk” in the Bible indicates our daily life, habits, and the way we conduct our journey through life.
• “By faith” is literally trusting the truth of God and His eternal promises even without physical/material proof or verification.
• “Not by sight” is refusing to let temporary physical data, struggles, fears, or worldly-wise emergences control our hope or decisions.
• Beloved, by this strategy we can overcome difficulties by permitting this ‘truth’ when facing intense suffering remind us that earthly life is brief but rather hard at times. We MUST remember our eternal hope constantly! We are to look ahead to an eternal, perfect home with God after physical death, which cannot be seen now but is gripped by our faith.
• The fact that we walk by faith, not by sight is abundant proof that we are absent from the Lord. We have never gazed upon the Lord with our physical eyes. Only through faith have we ever seen Him. As long as we are at home in the body, we have a life that is less close and intimate than the life of actual sight.^[4]
• What sustained Paul was the realization that this was a temporary and transitory state (2 Cor. 4:18). He focused not on present but on future conditions, not on the seen but the unseen. To live this way is to live by faith, not by sight. It is to live in light of ultimate rather than immediate realities (cf. Rom. 8:24–25), to be obedient to God’s commands despite the hardships that obedience produces (e.g., 2 Cor. 11:23–29). Such was Paul’s life. If the choice were his, he would have seized the opportunity to depart this pilgrimage life and take up residence (be at home) with the Lord (Phil. 1:21–23). But the constraints of his commission caused him to press on (cf. Phil. 1:24; Eph. 3:1–13).^[5]
• Child of God, genuine believers are instructed to live according to spiritual reality rather than physical evidence. It is not that we forsake our ability to think, we conscientiously choose to ‘see’ things God’s way! We make daily choices by trusting God’s unseen promises instead of relying only on physical circumstances, the perceptions of human logic, or what our eyes can see…what seems extremely real. Remember, you must exercise your faith; your ability to reason will not give you all the information…only what’s tangible. We are called to steadily trust in the Lord Jesus always and especially during difficult times.

Truth always remains constant for all people and cultures, and abiding within truth (embracing complete reality) is the indisputable power of authentic spiritual freedom! Truth provides the only correct foundation for all reality. 

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^[1] Edwin A. Blum, “John,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 333.

^[2] Edwin A. Blum, “John,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 322.

^[3] Marvin Richardson Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament, vol. 3 (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1887), 319.

^[4] William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments, ed. Arthur Farstad (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995), 1838.

^[5] David K. Lowery, “2 Corinthians,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 566.