A Living Faith

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6)

Faith!  It brings to mind images of fiery prophets, dynamic apostles, brave martyrs, and exceptional followers of Christ across the ages.  Great people of God, powerful and effective.  You could never have faith like that, could you?

I have little doubt that the single greatest obstacle to the impact of the Gospel has not been its inability to provide answers, but the failure on the part of Christians to live it out.  Let’s take a look at what I consider to be the attributes of a person who lives by faith.

People of Faith believe.  In Romans 4:3, we are told, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."  Abraham believed God’s call, God’s promise, and God’s plan. Like many of us today, I’m sure he had his doubts, but he did not act on them.  Although we may not see the whole picture, faith is believing in what God says, and believing based on what we know of God, not what we know of ourselves.   

Next, people of faith are obedient.  There cannot be faith in God without obedience. And there cannot be faith unless that belief is followed with action.  Would we have known Abraham if he had believed in God’s promises, but had stayed with his family in Ur with the Chaldeans?  If you say you believe in God then you must obey Him in living a life according to His will.  Belief alone does not fulfill the requirement for living a life of faith.  The Bible says that even the demons believe in God. (See James 2:19)  But you cannot believe in God without obeying Him.

And finally, people of faith are known by their works.  Am I saying that people are saved by works?  No! There has been some misunderstanding as to what faith is about.  Some have read Romans 4:1-4 to mean that faith and works cannot coexist.  I do believe this passage clearly states is that if you plan to convince God that you are good enough to be forgiven because of the good works you do, forget it.  It is not acceptable to God.  But once you have obtained salvation by faith, you are then obligated to live a life of obedience, which will then lead you to work for the Lord. (See James 4:14-22) 

The Bible tells us that we must live by faith.  It doesn’t mean that we must separate ourselves from the real world, from time and space, to live a life in a state of happiness and harmony apart from the events that shape our lives.  Jesus came that we should have life and life abundant. (John 10:10)  A life worth living, although not separated from the world, but together with the presence of the Holy Spirit while we are in the world. 

We can live by faith if we believe, if we obey, and if we act.  How are you living your life?

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