Faith to Live By!
By James W.Goll
Faith is a constant, abiding trust in something. In Hebrews 6:1-3, it is called faithtowards God, not faith in feelings, circumstances, or even people. Truefaith is in the present tense as distinguished from hope, which isfuture-oriented. Faith comes after repentance and is of the heart, not ofthe mind.
Faith in God gives us the ability to believe His Word andappropriate it in our lives. The importance of faith can be seen in thefact that it is impossible to please God without it. “And withoutfaith, it is impossible to please Him; for he who comes to God must believethat He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him”(Hebrews 11:6).
We can believe and have faith in God because of who He is.Not only is God’s Word true, but God Himself is trustworthy andcannot lie. Therefore, put your whole trust in Him and you will notbe disappointed
Faith is a Present Reality!
Faith means belief, faithfulness, reliability, trust,confidence, firm persuasion, assurance, or firm conviction.“Assurance” in the Greek is the word used for“reality” or “actual being” (as opposed to whatmerely seems to be), or the “realization” of something such asthe realization of a plan. Faith is the “title deed” to thepromises of God.
Faith as Contrasted with Hope
Hope is not a present reality, but a desire orexpectation of something in the future. “But by faith we eagerlyawait through the Spirit of righteousness that for which we hope”(Galatians 5:5). Hope has to do with waitingfor something, while faith does not.
Derek Prince defined hope as the “Confidentexpectation of good – a steady and persistent optimism.” To bea pessimist is to deny our faith, for “we know in all things Godworks for the good of those who love him, who have been called according toHis purpose” (Romans 8:28).
Without Christ we can have no such hope (Ephesians 2:12, IThessalonians 4:13), for hope is rooted in saving faith (Romans 5:1-5).Both faith and hope deal with the realm of things unseen (Romans 8:24, II Corinthians 5:7) and are foundedupon God’s Word (Romans 10:17, 15:4).
Faith is a Certainty!
“Conviction” means proof of evidence andinvolves a similar idea to the present reality of faith. How can we havesuch certainty? It is because it is based upon the Word of God.“Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and themessage is heard through the Word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). Nothing is more certainthan the Word of God!
Faith is Contrasted with Sight
Faith sees into the realm of the unseen and calls it forthas a present reality. “We live by faith not by sight”(II Corinthians 5:7).
WHAT CAUSES FAITH TO ARISE?
Faith is produced in our hearts as we follow Jesus,whereas hope is simply the mental expectation of good (compare I Thessalonians 5:8 with Romans10:8-10). There are several ways then that we cause faith toarise in our hearts as we receive the Word of God.
Preaching of the GospelTitus1:3
Romans10:8
I Thessalonians 2:13
John1:1
Through the Written WordLuke24:44
Psalm 119:105
Acts17:13
In Times of PrayerII Corinthians 12:8–9
Isaiah 65:24
Jeremiah 33:3
Romans 10:17
A Word of Testimony or ExhortationJohn4:29
Colossians 3:16
Hebrews 4:7
Hebrews 10:23-25
Dreams, Visions and SupernaturalExperiencesActs2:17
Acts9:3-6
Acts27:22-25
Audible Voice of GodMatthew 3:16-17
Acts9:4-6, 10
Revelation 1:8
Revelation 22:7, 12-13
ADDING FAITH TO THE WORD
We not only receive faith from the Word of God but we alsobase our faith totally on it. We treat God’s Word as fact and trustcircumstances to align themselves with it.
Sick Woman and Jesus’ MinistryMatthew 9:20-22
Numbers 15:38-41
From the Life of Abraham and IsaacHebrews 11:8-12
Genesis 15:1-6
Romans4:3
Hebrews 11:17-19
Genesis 21:12 and 22:1-2
THE IMPORTANCE OF FAITH
We Are Saved by FaithEphesians 2:8
Romans5:1
The Just Shall Live by FaithRomans1:17
Hebrews 10:38
We Are Kept by FaithIPeter 1:5
I John5:4
We Are Healed by FaithJames5:15
Acts3:16
Mark5:21-24
It Takes Faith to Please GodHebrews 11:5-6
Luke1:31, 35
LIVING BY FAITH
Faith is not only the way to enter a life in Christ, butis the only way we can continue. Living by faith affects our wholelifestyle, even the food we eat (Romans14). Everything we do must issue forth from faith in God, for“everything that does not come from faith is sin”(Romans 14:23).
The person who lives by faith has unlimited potential.“All things are possible with God” (Matthew 19:26), and so Jesus hasaffirmed all things are possible to the one who believes (Mark 9:23). This potential is not todo whatever we please, but to live for God and to seek both His will andHis ways.
KEEP THE ISSUE OF FAITH SIMPLE
Culminating Principle – Mark11:22-24
Here is a little principle taken from Mark 11:22-24 thatis easy to remember: Pray until the promise; praise until the provision.Step one in exercising faith is to pray until a promise from God’sWord is spoken (rhema) to you by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit maylead you to a certain verse of scripture, or speak to you by a spiritualgift (I Corinthians 12:8-10), or simplylead you to trust in the Living Word Himself.
Step two in exercising faith is to enter intothanksgiving. Thank the Lord that He has heard you and that your answer ison the way!
Summary Verse – Luke8:50
Do not fear! Don’t be afraid, only believe!!!
Let’s contend for fresh faith for today - not justfaith in what God did yesterday.
Because, FAITH IS NOW…..
Fighting the goodfight of faith!
Dr. James W.Goll
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