LIVING BY FAITH
By Pastor Chinedu Emmanuel
“Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.” Hebrew 10:38.
The life of a Christian has to be lived entirely by faith. The bible calls us only to believe, that’s the only requirement for salvation and also for the outworking of the new life we received in Christ Jesus. It is by grace through faith that we were saved. We only receive through faith in Jesus Christ. It is also the same grace that makes us what we are according to Paul, and if it is by grace, it still manifests by faith. That is why the just shall live by faith. Without faith it is impossible to please God. The bible shows us in several places the importance of having personalized faith.
Mark 5:34 “And he said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over”. Also, Luke 7:49-50 says, “The men at the table said among themselves, ‘Who is this man, that he goes around forgiving sins? And Jesus said to the woman, ‘Your faith has saved you; go in peace”. In these two bible verses, we see the emphasis Jesus makes in telling these people that it was their FAITH that healed them. Our faith has to be personal to us, not generic or lived through others. You have to own what is yours, act and say so then, it becomes yours. The woman with the issue of blood said ,”if I touch His cloth this healing is mine.” She did and it became hers immediately.
What is Faith? Hebrews 11:11 “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
- SUBSTANCE OF THINGS HOPED FOR
Our faith gives substance to our expectations. This means that faith calls what we expect by name and identifies its existence giving substance to what is hoped for. Let us go back to the woman with the issue of blood. Mark 5:27 “When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment.28 For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.” Her hope was to be made whole. That was her expectation. Her faith gave substance to that expectation. Her faith said specifically that if I may but touch his clothes, I shall be made whole. Her faith said yes, once you touch his clothes, your expectation becomes a reality, becomes a substance, something tangible. Her faith gave substance to her expectation. It was no more an open ended thing. It became definite. It was not who knows or may be or let me try. It was a very definite thing healing was hers if she touched his clothes. It was not left to imagination or doubt neither was it abstract. It was real…I SHALL BE MADE WHOLE!!There was no need to consult anybody on it, no need to ask if she will be made whole. No it was concluded and confirmed. I SHALL BE MADE WHOLE. That was her faith declaring it a reality that is a substance. What she expected was concrete , it could be defined and named as hers. If I touch his clothes, healing is mine. She touched his clothes and it was. IF SHE HAD NO CONCRETE EXPECTATION, THEN IT WILL REMAIN IN THE REALM OF DOUBT AND UNBELIEF. Just like a gamble or something up to chance. The Centurion said to the Lord speak the word only AND MY SERVANT SHALL BE MADE WHOLE. Another concrete expectation expressed. His faith described what he was laying claim of in his spoken word. The word was spoken and his claim manifested for him. His servant was made whole. He did not say I hope or maybe or let’s see if it happens.
- 2. EVIDENCE OF THINGS NOT SEEN BY THE NATURAL EYE.
- Faith is the evidence of things not seen(revealed to the physical eye). Evidence in this context is proof that you believe in the existence or reality of what is not seen, that is something that proves that you truly believe that what is not seen is real. When you say you have faith, check if your actions prove it.
EXAMPLE: Acts 14:6 “They were ware of it, and fled unto Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and unto the region that lieth round about:7 And there they preached the gospel.8 And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother’s womb, who never had walked:9 The same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed,10 Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked.” In the above bible verse, Paul beheld him and perceived that he had faith to be healed. He had faith to be healed means that although he had faith, healing had not manifested in the physical. Sometimes people think I have faith so why am I not healed? This man also had faith but was still crippled. This is because faith needs to be revealed in action for it to work. There needs to be evidence that you truly believe for your faith to work. This man had faith to be healed and yet he was not healed until this moment. Then Paul helped him out. Paul said “STAND UPRIGHT ON THY FEET”. One might even have questions like on what feet Paul? These feet have never walked Paul, why should I disgrace myself in public? I am not standing up until it is healed. That is how many people approach faith and fail. They have no evidence that they believe. They are walking by sight, not by faith. They don’t act like they are healed. They don’t act like their prayers have been answered. They don’t act like they have received what they prayer for and therefore, they see nothing happen! They murmur and complain that faith does not work. But they never had faith to begin with!!!They had no evidence of faith. This man SHOWED HIS EVIDENCE…..HE LEAPED AND WALKED BECAUSE HEALED PEOPLE WALK! He did not hesitate or try to see if he could walk. He jumped and walked!!!He truly believed he was healed. He truly believed he was now able to walk. He showed his evidence by jumping and walking.
2.1 “When He saw their faith” God wants to see your faith in action. He wants to see the evidence of our faith by your actions. Faith with no action or works is dead. Luke 5:19 “And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop, and let him down through the tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus.20 And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee…….24 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house.” JESUS SAW THEIR FAITH BY THEIR ACTION AND HEALED THE MAN.
3. FAITH IS NOT HOPE AND HOPE IS NOT FAITH
As Christians, we tend to confuse faith with hope. We cannot receive by hope, only by faith. Hope is about something we don’t have yet; faith is about something we have right now. Hope is future ownership, faith is present ownership. The dictionary defines hope as an anticipation that something will happen, an expectation for something to happen, a desire for something to happen. Faith is also an anticipation for something to manifest but it is something that is a substance; that exists and is yours already. That man had faith to be healed. He knew he was already healed and then leaped up and walked. He anticipated to be able to walk. That is faith! ANTICIPATION OF WHAT GOD HAS ALREADY DONE TO MANIFEST IN REALITY. HOPE SAYS “I AM TRUSTING THAT GOD WILL DO IT.” FAITH SAYS ” I AM THANKING GOD THAT HE HAS DONE IT ALREADY.” FAITH ACTS BECAUSE IT IS YOURS. HOPE WAITS FOR IT TO HAPPEN. Faith isn’t abstract. Faith has a physical and concrete existence in the spirit realm. Just because we cannot see the physical manifestation of something doesn’t mean it hasn’t been done yet. We just have to wait to see it physically. That is why we have to have faith and patience, which is believing without seeing. Our words have to match our actions. If we say we have faith, we have to live a faith filled life. Faith without works is dead.
4. HOW DOES FAITH COME?
Romans 10:16 “But not everyone welcomes the Good News, for Isaiah the prophet said, “Lord, who has believed our message?” 17 So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.” Faith comes by hearing the gospel about Jesus and what He did for us on the cross. He is the author and finisher of our faith. This means He is the first and last and everything in between for our faith. Jesus is the object of our faith. The foundation of our faith and life. Hebrews 12:2 “We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.” In the above verse, they heard about Jesus first, then what they heard produced the faith in Jesus which resulted in their healing. One heard Paul preach the gospel of our Lord Jesus and was healed of lameness.
4. 1 Faith cannot come through our natural reasoning, senses or understanding. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths”. By our own wisdom we can’t have faith. The things of God are spiritually understood, so we cannot understand them with our own mentality. We need the Holy Spirit to open our inner eyes to see and understand what the word of God is saying for faith to truly come. I pray that God continues to reveal to us the things we need to know so our faith will continue to grow! Amen!
Pastor Chinedu Emmanuel is the Senior Pastor at Fountain Of The Living Word Church, New Jersey.