Living by Faith
Living by Faith
Memory Verse: I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless, I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me (Eph. 2:20)
Introduction:
Having come to know the Lord one key transformation that must occur is the ability to begin to live by faith in the Son of God, we no longer have our life to ourselves, we live only the life of Christ, and we no longer live by our intelligence, we no longer live by our affluence, but we live by faith, which can only be achieved through faith the faith of Christ. God was very clear that without faith it is impossible to please Him (Heb. 11: 6)
For this reason, Paul clearly differentiated his current life from his previous life, while the previous was lived by himself for himself, the current life is only lived by faith in the son of God because the life he is living is for Christ alone.
Today, if truly we have been saved, we no longer live for ourselves, our understanding of this concept mandatorily places us in a position whereby we must live by faith in the son of God who is now living in us, the life of whom we replicate.
All the patriarchs of faith that have lived have only been able to live out the life of Christ through faith. (Heb. 11: 13, 32-39), the key deciding factor about them was that they lived by faith and died in faith. But before they lived by faith, they were persuaded of the word of God and embraced it and confessed it (Heb. 11: 13), this is the process of faith. Faith is the evidence of things not seen but living by faith is about life, not just an item or things, that was why Paul talks about life, not just the thing. We live by faith, we don’t just eat by faith, our wholeness is by faith.
What does it mean to live by faith:
- It means to live by every word of God: (Matt 4: 4) Living by faith is not about quoting just a verse of the scripture to receive something from God, it is by living by every word of God. The word of God is the full spiritual diet, for you to live healthy in faith you must believe and live by every word of God. Jesus likened the word of God to bread, which must be taken wholly (2Tim 3: 16 -17). Today we have a situation whereby someone is believing God for something but after the wall do not accept the correction of God or instruction. Living by faith is living by all the word of God.
- It means living by the completed works of Christ: Col. 2: 10, to live by faith is to live by all the completed works of Christ on the Cross, to know that Jesus has completed everything as regards all that I need in life, that presently he has given me victory and I am seated together with Him in heavenly places and understanding all these completed work, embracing it and believing it is an expression of living by faith (1John 4:17, Col. 2: 14 -15, Eph. 2: 6). If the Patriarch of old who never got the promise could live by faith, how much more we that have obtained the promise today, have the clear cut and assurance of what it means to live by faith (Heb. 11:13). Christ has made it clear that we are only complete in Him, so once we are not in him, we cannot be complete, therefore there is no faith outside of him, that is why is funny today when you see several people that decides not to live in him but to take things from Him.
- Living by Faith Means Living for Him: One of the reasons why faith is difficult for many is that the essence of their need is for themselves and not Christ, the main purpose of their prayers is for themselves to become something to their own glory, therefore it becomes difficult for them to understand and walk with God through the path of faith. Paul said the life I now live, which was no longer his life, he is living it for Christ alone, if all you want to become is just for yourself you cannot live by faith. ( 5:15, Eph. 2:20).
- Living by faith is a path and marathon, not just an encounter: Abraham was called a father of faith, not just for believing God for Isaac, not just for leaving Chaldeans but rather for throwing his whole life on the path of faith, trusting God all the way for salvation, health, deliverance, etc. Living by faith is a marathon that we continue to hinge on our existence and being on God daily. It is not just believing God for something and not believing him for another thing, it is the totality of your life and existence as you progress in life, with no alternative, no option only him all the way (Heb. 11: 8-12), Paul also lived by faith all through the journey, the challenge is any aspect of your life that you take outside of God will sink you. Peter wanted to go fishing which would have sunk his faith.
The Children of Israel lived completely by faith for 40 years, with no food or preservation from Egypt, no weapons to fight, no country that can serve as ally, no land they can call their own, no medical doctor but God was there healer. Daily all through the journey and in all aspect of their life they lived by faith. Ex.16:35, Num. 11: 31-34,
The Tripod of Living by Faith:
Every man that has ever lived by faith always carries these three concepts of God, anytime one of them is absent such a man will lose his life of faith. Living by faith is not separated from God, it is the life of God lived by the children of God. We shall review these in the life of the saints
- A man of His word: (Rom. 10:17), The first leg that must be built when building faith life is to ensure faith is based on the word of God. There was nothing that compels God to act than his word more than His name (Psalm 132: 8). The word of God is the life of God passed to men in the form of spirit and life which when embraced, believe, and confessed it takes over the personality of a like a bread eaten it takes to decompose and become a nutrient for living, for the word is the bread of life (John 6:63). Faith must always stand on the word of God (1Cor. 2: 5), it must never stand on any other thing since only the word of God endured forever (Psalm 119:89).
The greatest hindrance to a life of faith is human wisdom and knowledge and you can only be transformed into a God-like man through the transformation by the word of God. The more you hear God the more you are transformed, and the level of your acceptance of the life and spirit of the word becomes easier (Rom. 12: 1-2).
One thing must happen to every word of God you read before it can become one of the tripods of faith that we can stand upon, you must be persuaded of it, embrace, believe, and confess it (Heb. 11:13). This is the process of the word transformation. Just the same way if food is not transformed through the digestive system, it cannot be absorbed by the body, the same way the world must go through the transformation process before we can utilize it (Heb. 4:2).
Beyond the written word is the voice of God you hear each time you fellowship or walk with him, the potency of His voice to you, is the same potency of the scripture as he that spoke then is the same that is speaking now (Rom. 8:14). Therefore, beyond what you read the voice of God must speak to you constantly in respect to his mind for you, anything he says to you in alignment with scripture is the fundamental word that you must stand upon as a tripod for living by faith.
The Patriarch has always stood by the word of God as a key tripod before they embark on the journey of faith. Abraham heard God who told him to leave Ur of Chaldea (Gen. 12:1) and he left, and, on that world, the whole generation stands today. Moses heard the voice of God in the burning bush (Ex. 3: 1-12), and he left based on that tripod, Peter heard the voice of Jesus and he left everything he was doing and ran after Christ (Matt. 4: 18-20), Paul heard the voice of God and then began his journey on the way to Damascus (Acts 9:3-6). Today on your journey of life in faith, how often do you hear him from the scripture and from your fellowship?
- A Man of His Presence: As great as the word of God is, it is not sufficient to deliver a constant life of faith as the word gives the vision but staying in His presence provides the stepwise actions and instructions for each step of the way (Psalm 119:105). Kindly note that it is the communion that brings His presence, just the same way His communion brought His presence to Adam and Even. The quest for fellowship with man brings God’s presence which executes the word of God.
While His word delivers the promise, his presence executes the victory, no matter the word you receive from God, if you do not maintain fellowship with him in deep communion you cannot sustain your faith in them, as the fellowship through prayers is what continues to make the word you have heard to become strengthened in you.
There would continue to be giants who will stand to challenge what God has told you, it is your continual staying at God’s presence that can ensure all these strongholds of the devil are destroyed (2Cor. 10: 4-6). There would always be strongholds that would come to challenge the word of God and you must fight them with the instrument of prayer by the world.
It is expedient for believers to know that our greatest enemy is not the demons or power of hell, but rather these strongholds that challenge our faith every time, these are the enemy of faith that sinks many people’s faith. The Children of Israel face many giants that make the word God looks as if it is not going to be accomplished but through their constant fellowship with God through Moses and Joshua it was in God’s presence that they keep giving them instruction.
Moses keeps getting instructions to fulfill the word of God in God’s presence, and what to do to overcome the challenges that comes were all gotten from God’s presence (Ex. 33: 14-16), Abraham continue to get instructions from His fellowship with God (Gen. 18: 21-22), Jesus keep getting instruction in the place of His fellowship with God (Matt. 4:11), Daniel got instructions for the fulfillment of the word of God in His presence (Daniel 9: 2-3), but when Peter left his presence he almost lost the word that was written for him.
- A Man of Absolute Obedience: When you hear the word of God, the greatest place of living by faith is absolute obedience to God. All the Patriarchs of old were able to live by faith based on absolute obedience, even if you have the word, and you have his presence, your final victory of living by faith lies in your absolute obedience to his instruction and leading. Obedience is better than sacrifice, meaning God cherishes a man that believes and stands by the word of God (1 Sam. 15: 22-23). Abraham obeyed what God said absolutely (Rom. 4:22) and inside the obedience lies all the victory of the world. Jesus was obedient even to the death of the cross (Phil. 2:8).
Conclusion:
Living by faith is not an option but a mandatory pre-requisite for every believer, if the devil is set on taking a child of God on a long route of the eternal pursuit of the world, he takes him outside of faith and makes him to pursue things outside of God. Faith is the faith of Christ and therefore believers must ensure they remain in Christ forever. Living by faith is doing everything by faith, trusting the Lord to lead in every aspect of our life without holding back
© God Seekers Renewal Centre, This is the Bible Study from the 2022 Solemn Assembly titled “Living by Faith”
