What Does It Mean to "LIVE BY FAITH"?
If you are not
living by faith, you are not a CHRISTIAN. Yet many who CALL
themselves Christian don't even know what it MEANS to live BY FAITH.
"Now the just shall live BY FAITH: but if any man draw back, my soul
shall have no pleasure in him" (Hebrews 10:38).
But what IS faith?
Many people, when they realize they must live by faith, make the mistake of confusing faith with EMOTION.
Other people think they are exercising faith by looking for a
sign. For example, some, even when praying to God, FEEL that God
hears them and is going to answer that prayer because they have some
emotional feeling or experience about it. They think this is a
sign that God will answer.
Other people try to "work up faith," which, to them, means an emotional
feeling. They become so sentimental about it that they are
convinced God will answer because of their human sanctimonious
inner-conviction.
Sentimentality, feelings and emotions ARE OF THE FLESH -- not of the
Spirit of God which is from ABOVE. These feelings of
sentimentality are not evidence on which to base your faith. They are
in the class of what can be seen, smelled, tasted or felt.
But "FAITH is the CONFIDENCE of things hoped for, the EVIDENCE of things NOT SEEN" (Heb. 11:1).
Then, To LIVE BY FAITH DOES NOT MEAN that you go around with some
sentimental FEELING, act in a sanctimonious manner which most people
call "spiritual," or follow after physical or mental signs.
Acting on What We Know
Living by faith does not mean reasoning and supposing what God would
have us do. It means we come to KNOW what God would have us
do. We come to know God's will by diligent SEARCHING and STUDY of
His Bible which instructs us in His WAY. Also through prayer to
God that He will reveal to us HIS WILL.
God
has not made every minute DECISION for us. In many instances He
has given us only the over-all principle. Through His Holy Spirit
He then gives us the SOUNDNESS of mind by which we MUST APPLY that
principle. After study and prayer, we step out in faith to make
our decision, based on God's instructions and the understanding He has
given us. We must TRUST Him IN FAITH not to hide, but to reveal
the one correct solution to us.
THIS IS ACTING ON FAITH. Faith is not merely what you need in
order to have God answer your prayers -- it is what you need in order
to obey God. Faith is a gift of God to enable you to obey Him.
How Faith Works
The
Holy Spirit comes into our minds to CLEAN US UP and replaces our human,
carnal-mindedness with sound spiritual-mindedness.
Jesus Christ actually comes into us and begins to live HIS LIFE in us
(John 14:23; Rom. 8:9-11; I Cor. 3:16). Not only did He GIVE HIS
LIFE in payment for the VILE SINS that you and I have committed,
thereby reconciling us to God, but He comes into these vile, carnal
minds and begins to CLEAN THEM UP of the FILTH that is there.
The extent and manner of His love for us is truly WONDERFUL!
Our
part is to REPENT, not just of our foul deeds which we have committed
in the past, but actually to repent of being the carnal, fleshly,
sensual beings that we are. We need to want to be as God is.
We
must want to be AS GOD IS and NOT AS MAN IS so badly that we are
willing to give up, to bury this old self, with all of its sensual
pleasure seeking, and to cling and strive to KEEP NEAR TO GOD so that
He will CONTINUE to come in and clean us up. He must renew our
minds daily, that day by day our action, behavior, and thoughts
parallel those thoughts and actions which are in the mind of Jesus
Christ.
This is, in fact, a marvelous spiritual CREATION which God IS
PERFORMING. BY FAITH God creates in us a holy, spiritual
character, which shall live for all eternity. BY FAITH WE must
INDEPENDENTLY make the decision to let God create His Character in
us. Our new mind must come to be COMPLETELY WITHIN THE LAW and
pattern of behavior of the HOLY GODHEAD.
The
person who fails to step out on faith DAILY and HOURLY is weak and
senseless. All that he is and all that he can ever be, is
DEPENDENT UPON GOD.
What Our Job Is
The
Church of God, which is the body of Jesus Christ, is given a
COMMISSION. This commission is a job or a work to be performed by
the Church as a whole. That commission is stated clearly in
Matthew 28:19-20: to carry this GOSPEL to the world during this end
time before the Kingdom of God shall be set up. And also, that
the Church does feed and nourish the individuals within that Church on
the Word of God (John 21:15-17, Acts 20:28).
We
are in the Church only if God the Father has GIVEN us of His Holy
Spirit and PLACED us within the body of Jesus Christ. Now this body has
many members as outlined in Romans 12:4-8. Not all of us have the
same job; not all of us do the same things. But ALL of those in whom
the Spirit of God resides ARE A PART OF THE BODY and all collectively
will be working toward the over-all COMMISSION OF THE CHURCH.
That member of the true Church who is living by faith will be active in
his part of the over-all work of God. He will be praying
diligently for the work as a whole, that the Gospel will go out in
accordance with God's will in all the power and authority that God will
allow. He will also be praying for the brethren's overcoming and
growing in grace and knowledge. Our prayers should include the
leaders whom God is using, that they might be inspired and rightly
guided.
Pray for the individuals within the Church, that they might be
performing their calling so that the WHOLE Church is nourished and
growing in every way of God. Christ's Message must go out to this
DARKENED WORLD BEFORE this age ends in cataclysmic horror. The Church
member who does not feel that calling and who is not actively doing his
part will certainly FAIL in HIS calling. He lacks true
purpose. He is without a goal. Those who are Co-Workers in
the work of God should not overlook the importance of THEIR calling
which is included in Romans 12 verse 8. God has actually called
many to contribute of the POWER of their financial earnings. It
takes much money to purchase radio time and equipment, and to sustain
the growing staff working full time to complete Christ's
commission! We can ALL take this admonition to heart and ACT on
it IN FAITH. We should all give liberally (see margin reference
verse 8) according to our ability. This also includes giving
liberally of our time in prayer which is powerful and effective toward
fulfilling our commission (Jas. 5:16).
Stepping Out
To
STEP OUT ON FAITH then, you must become aware of WHO God is. You
must also be aware that GOD HAS OPENED YOUR EYES and set you in the
Church, the body of Jesus Christ. That God is INTERESTED in you
PERSONALLY and individually. You must realize that it is God's
will to GIVE YOU HIS HOLY SPIRIT and to create in you PERFECT
CHARACTER. You must also be aware that if you FAIL to HEED and
OBEY properly, that you will have failed the TEST OF LIFE and shall DIE
for all eternity.
Through STUDY we KNOW what to HOPE for because God has revealed within
His BIBLE what things shall be. FAITH in God will assure us that
our hope shall certainly come to fruition and that the promises of God,
which are not yet seen, are as sure as if they were standing before us
right NOW. Then we will step out, guiding our actions according
to the Word of God.
As Solomon said in Eccles. 12:13, our duty is to fear God and keep His COMMANDMENTS -- by faith.
This is the kind of LIVING FAITH, which Paul wrote of in Hebrews 11,
that is REQUIRED for salvation. It is the faith PROVED by
WORKS. Works which involve STEPPING OUT, giving, helping, and
otherwise guiding our lives, not by sight, or feel, or taste, but by
the revealed laws of God. God's Word is SURE, and HE WILL NOT
FAIL TO PERFORM IT once we learn to trust God in absolute faith.
Good News July 1961 by Jack R. Elliott
