By Pastor Chinedu Emmanuel

^{Hebrews 10:38 “Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.”}

Faith plays a central role in our Christian journey, serving as the foundation for all our actions, which are conducted in partnership with God through Christ Jesus. Without faith in God’s word and in Christ, we would be left with no choice but to place our trust in something other than God, which would lead us away from Christ.

When we trust in the Lord, He empowers us to achieve our goals, and we experience His blessings. Conversely, relying solely on our human abilities will lead to defeat because human strength is unreliable.

Scripture reinforces the importance of faith in various ways:

• We are saved by God’s grace through our personal faith in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:8-9).
• We live the new life in Christ through our faith in the truth that we have a new life in Him (1 John 5:11-12).
• Christianity is often referred to as a life of faith (Hebrews 12:1).
• Everything we receive comes through faith (James 1:6-7).
• Our foundation is faith, and compromising it leads to a fall (2 Corinthians 1:24).
• Faith is the source of our victory; losing faith means losing our victory (1 John 5:4).
• The shield of faith is a powerful weapon against all of Satan’s attacks (Ephesians 6:16).
• It is impossible to please God without faith in Christ Jesus (Hebrews 11:6).

Receiving God’s blessings, from salvation to healing and answers to prayers, is dependent on our personal faith, not just generic belief. Generic faith is mere mental assent, while genuine faith involves heartfelt belief and corresponding actions.

For instance, the woman with the issue of blood believed that touching the hem of Jesus’ garment would heal her, and her faith led to an instant healing (Mark 5:25-34). Another woman believed that even a crumb from Jesus could heal her daughter, and her faith led to her daughter’s healing (Mark 7:25-30). The centurion believed that Jesus’ spoken word alone could heal his servant, and his faith led to an immediate healing (Matthew 8:5-13). The fight of faith involves resisting doubt and fear, as the enemy often tries to steal our faith through discouraging circumstances and negative thoughts. We must stand firm in faith, holding fast to what we have received and not waver (Revelation 2:25; Hebrews 10:23).

To live by faith daily, we need to deepen our understanding of Christ and trust that Christ is all that matters in our lives. We are called to let Christ live through us, just as Paul emphasized in Galatians 2:20. Our faith in Christ empowers us to overcome the desires of the flesh and live according to the Spirit. In essence, living by faith means trusting that Christ’s presence and power are at work within us, leading to the manifestation of spiritual realities in our lives. This kind of faith is not merely mental assent but strong conviction and belief backed up by corresponding actions and real-life experiences of God’s truth.

In 2 Corinthians 5:14-18, Paul explains that the love of Christ guides their actions and beliefs. Believers, through their faith in Christ’s death and resurrection, undergo a transformation, leaving behind their old lives and embracing a new life centered on Christ. This change also alters their perspective on others, moving away from a human viewpoint to one rooted in Christ’s love. Paul sees this transformation as a gift from God, who reconciles them through Christ and assigns them the task of reconciling others to God.

Paul encouraged believers to deeply study these Scriptures until they become a living truth within them. This  will naturally elevate their faith and allow them to witness spiritual realities, such as the new life in Christ, His presence within them, and His healing power at work, becoming a part of their everyday experience. May we seek to deepen our faith and trust in Christ, allowing His presence and power to transform our lives as we walk in faith. 

Pastor Chinedu Emmanuel is the Senior Pastor at Fountain of  The Living Word Church, New Jersey.