Live by Faith

Live By Faith Though we are accustom to living by sight, we are instructed by our Lord to live by faith instead (James 2:14-26). The fact is more can be grasped, experienced, and accomplished by faith than by any other means. You see, when we live by faith in the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we embrace a Reality and Relationship that is absolutely without parallel in the entire universe. This opens the way to wonderful realizations for the child of God immersed in fellowship with God through faith in Jesus Christ. Truly, what is more exciting than being hooked up with the Creator Himself! Since this relationship is with God, we need not fear living by faith. He is totally trustworthy (Heb. 6:16-20)! Faith encompasses the means of entering a relationship with God, how we grow to genuine maturity in Christ, and how we deal with the challenges of living out the plan of God for our lives. Before going any further, it is helpful to focus briefly on what faith is. Faith is trusting God and His Word. This excludes a certain feeling things will work out or mere optimism. Faith always has a biblical basis; it is never whimsical or merely imagined. God has spoken in His Word and we can believe Him. Faith must have God and His Word as its object. Faith is only as good as the object it is trusting in. If we are trust in the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, then we are focus on the only truly deserving object of faith. While people may believe in anything or anyone they choose, faith in any other object besides God in Christ is essentially a waste. Faith is placing confidence in an honest God who revealed Himself in history, the Scriptures, through Jesus Christ, and creation (Heb. 1:1, 2). He is the correct object of faith because of His faithful character. He can be trusted in every scenario. All that He has communicated to us can be taken to heart and believed with every fiber of our being. Faith also involves acting on what God said; it is characterized by obedience. The test of genuine faith is activities and efforts that evidence that faith. Faith without works is actually dead, illegitimate, and disingenuous (James 2:14-26). Real faith manifests itself in a lifestyle of cooperating and obeying God’s commands. Dr. Wiersbe brilliantly summarizes faith saying, Faith is a key doctrine in the Christian life. The sinner is saved by faith (Eph 2:8 9), and the believer must walk by faith (2 Cor 5:7). Without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb 11:6); and whatever we do apart from faith is sin (Rom 14:23). Someone has said that faith is not "believing in spite of evidence, but obeying in spite of consequence." When you read Hebrews 11, you meet men and women who acted on God's Word, no matter what price they had to pay. Faith is not some kind of nebulous feeling that we work up; faith is confidence that God's Word is true, and conviction that acting on that Word will bring His blessing. We are challenged repeatedly in the Scriptures to live by faith as Believers in Christ Jesus, our Lord (Rom. 1:17; Gal. 3:11; Heb. 10:38). God expects every Believer to function in relationship with Him, the World, and the unseen realities on a basis of full confidence in Him and His Word (Heb. 11 & 12). Always remember, faith is at the very foundation of a genuine relationship with God (John 3:16; 1 John 5:1-5). We must believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sin. Christ died in our place taking responsibility for our sins, was buried and rose again the third day (1 Cor. 15: 1-5; 2 Cor. 5:17-21). Our trust in His work initiates a faith-relationship with the Most High God. Trusting Jesus Christ is paramount (John 1:10-14). Since our Christian journey begins with believing God, we can only grow and flourish on the same principle of faith in God (Heb. 6). Thus, faith is mandatory for authentic Christian maturation and development in the energy of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 3). So, we are converted through faith and we must continue in faith. Living for the Lord in the power of our old fallen nature is utterly impossible, though many Believers attempt this form of hypocrisy (Rom. 7). Authentic spiritual formation transpires under the influence of the Holy Spirit producing Christ-likeness in the yielded Believer. It is imperative that we conscientiously trust the Spirit of grace to produce Christ in us and project Christ through us. It is the Spirit who makes Believers spiritual (Gal. 5:22-26). Finally, faith is the strategy we employ to handle all the challenges we will encounter while living for the glory of God (Heb. 11 & 12). So far we have observed that we are saved, and sanctified as we believe God. Now, we note that we can be strengthened by faith as well. To endure the challenges, persecutions, and hardness that often accompany discipleship will require a steadfast confidence in God. If we are to appropriate the grace, power, wisdom, and divine provisions into our personal experience, we must exercise faith in God's promises (2 Pet. 1:3, 4) There you have it; by faith we are saved, sanctified, and strengthened. Again, faith is foundational to our relationship with God, and it is required for living and growing as a genuine believer. We also observed how faith is our strategy for handling all the challenges that accompany living for God in a wicked world. So, how shall we live now that we are saved? Let us live by faith. Really "life" begins when we do so.

The Just Shall Live by Faith

                                   

How does faith relate to Christian living? In four different locations, the Bible says, “the just shall live by faith” (Hab. 2:4; Rom. 1:17; Gal. 3:11; Heb. 10:38). God calls upon His people to live with complete confidence in Him regardless of circumstances and consequences. Accordingly, the faith life is foundational to a right relationship with God, mandatory for all believers to realize genuine Christian expression, and strategic for handling well all the challenges related to trusting God. 

Christians are to progressively realize what it means to actually be in a relationship with God—that is, trusting His Word and responding to it in daily interaction with Him. Obviously, this excludes behaving as if God is not involved in our lives. When we are living in fear, doubt, worry, and apprehension, we are simultaneously expressing that God is not actually real to us or He is too impotent to impact our situation. If we resort to inactive service, manipulations, frustration, discouragement, and self-confidence, it is clear we are not walking with God by faith. In such instances, we are unwittingly displaying that God’s love has no tangible meaning in our daily experience. These developments are grossly incompatible with a life of utter dependence upon God and His Word.

Clearly, Christians are to live out each day with a biblically informed awareness of God’s Presence and plans by faith (Heb. 10:38). God unreservedly requires us to navigate our opportunities, aspirations, and actions with total faith in Him (Heb. 11:6). This is not like some egotistical tyrant greedily demanding absolute loyalty, but as the Creator God who knows better than any other what is best for us. Thus, He generously and graciously offers Himself to us! He desires that we know Him and thereby life at its best and fullest. This can only be realized with Him at the center of our very existence. He created us ultimately for Himself; therefore, it is impossible to be complete without Him. So, it is excellent counsel to live by faith in Him.

In addition, salvation is the entryway into a relationship with God. The faith life begins when we acknowledge our offensive sinfulness to God in repentance, and trust Christ, who died and rose again, for the forgiveness of our sins. Entrance into a relationship with God is through faith in Jesus Christ (John 3; 14:6). After the new birth, there must be growth and progress as disciples of our Lord (1 Pet. 2:1-3). This growth must be realized in the power the Spirit of God supplies and not in the energy or determination of the old fallen nature (Gal. 5; Rom. 8). Fallen humanity can do nothing to live up to God’s expectations without the empowering presence of the Spirit of grace. As we pursue positive growth, we will certainly face trials, oppositions, battles, persecutions, failures, confusion, chastening, and pain. Still faith enables us to face these challenges triumphantly (Heb. 11 & 12). So, in all 360 degrees of the Christian experience, faith is vitally essential.

So, are you saved through faith in Christ’s cross and resurrection? Are we Spirit-controlled Christians? Are we living like the awesome Almighty God is real in our lives? Are we living by faith or are we practical atheist? These questions highlight the natural implications of any serious attempts to live by faith. There can be no interactivity with the true and invisible God unless there is absolute confidence in His existence. This is clearly what the Scriptures, the source of faith, lay out for us (Rom. 10:8-17). Faith is the key! We must believe in Him as Ultimate Reality, even though He is unseen by natural eyes (Heb. 11:1-6).

Faith affords us a kind of sixth sense, but it is not employed like our five natural senses. Faith allows believers to see, experience, explain, and know realities that others simply do not and cannot comprehend (Heb. 11:1-6). Therefore, we can explore, envision, endure, and execute on a scale no human dexterity, agility, or prowess can even begin to approach. Through faith we lay hold onto the strength, power, ability, and grace of Almighty God! Yes, the life of faith for each believer is potentially extraordinary! With this in mind, live by faith as a believer in Christ Jesus. Always remember, faith is foundational to a relationship with God, mandatory for genuine Christian growth and development, and strategic for handling all facets of Christian living.