“Now the just shall live by faith…”
Hebrews 10:38 (NKJV)
Hebrews 10:38 (NKJV)
“You can never please God without faith, without depending on him. Anyone who wants to come to God must believe that there is a God and that he rewards those who sincerely look for him.”
Hebrews 11:6 (TLB)
“I mean that [or For; Because] you have been saved by grace through believing [faith]. You did not save yourselves; it was a gift from God.”
Ephesians 2:8 (EXB)
“And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”
Matthew 21:22 (NKJV)
The Christian life is a life of faith. We have relationship with God by faith. Salvation is a gift from God (grace), but we receive it by faith. In fact, everything that we receive from God is by faith. But faith isn’t something complicated and it isn’t something that you need to try and get a hold of. As a Christian you have all the faith you need in you; you just need to start exercising it or releasing it.
“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.”
Galatians 2:20 (KJV) – emphasis mine
Would you rather have wealth in a bank, or the wealth of a bank? Wealth of a bank is far greater than wealth in a bank. When you received Jesus and became a Christian, you received the faith of Christ. This means that you have all the faith that you need! The faith that you possess is equal to Christ’s quantity and quality of faith. This is why we can do the same works that Jesus did, and even greater works (John 14:12). A natural by-product (fruit) of having the Spirit in you is faith (Galatians 5:22). The only difference (with regard to faith) between us and Jesus is that many of us are not exercising the faith that we have; we’re not living by faith, we’re merely visiting there from time to time.
Sadly, many of us approach faith with a works or performance mentality, when New Testament faith is a rest, not a work. You cannot strive your way into faith – there is no place for striving in the Christian life (Hebrews 4 speaks about “the rest of faith”). Faith is actually a natural response to knowing God, His love and grace. Faith works by love (Galatians 5:6) and so as we focus on God’s amazing love for us, faith will begin to operate in our lives because we are confident in His love and therefore trust in Him and His Word.
“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith…”
Hebrews 12:1-2 (NKJV)
Jesus is the author and finisher of your faith. Another translation says that He is the “perfector” of our faith. What this means is that when we focus on Jesus and His grace (His finished work on our behalf), then faith will naturally rise up in our lives to receive what He has for us.
Thought for the day:
If you want to be strong in faith, then keep focused on Jesus and what He has done for you. Be strong in His grace and stay focused on His love for you. Don’t focus on faith, or trying to get more faith – you have all the faith you need. Stay focused on Jesus and His love for you.