How much do we really live by faith? When you believe something to be true, you live accordingly. For example, if I believed that my bank was giving a charity $100,000.00 at 9 am to the first 3 customers in line, then I would camp out the night before, sleep in a tent, and wait outside until 9 am until the bank opened. I might even have to wait for several weeks outside, but if I BELIEVED it was going to happen, my actions would follow my beliefs.
So, what do “believers” believe about Christ? If we really believe that He is the Son of God, then we would DO what He said to do in His Word of truth – the Bible.
Why don’t we DO what the Bible says? There are many reasons:
1. James 1:22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. Most of us deceive ourselves by listening to the Word and not doing it. We have a great time of worship at church services on Sundays and then we go home. When do we pour out and share our faith with others?
2. Ephesians 4:15 …Speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ… Many people “listen to the truth in love” but most do not “speak the truth in love” to themselves and others. This verse emphasizes the importance of “speaking the truth in love” for spiritual growth! Don’t speak your own thoughts and ideas but speak God’s Word – His divine thoughts! Speak those to others! It’s time for opinions to cease.
3. Heb. 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Most of us really do not live by faith in Christ. Instead, we trust ourselves (Prov. 3:5-8). We trust our abilities, our reasoning, and our own intellect but not God’s Word because He requires us to do faith-filled things that are difficult and might even look impossible. We like the “sure thing” but must trust God.
4. Heb. 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. It’s not a “blind faith” that the Bible teaches but a faith in the God Who can be known through Jesus Christ and the Word illuminated by the Holy Spirit. Too many people say, “The Lord told me…” and they then state something CONTRARY to the Word of God! Believers have GOT to stop doing that because it is sinful and dishonoring to Christ. When people say that, they are often doing what they want to do and what they think God is ok with but it is akin to trusting in oneself.
5. Heb. 11:35-40 Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life.36 Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated— 38 of whom the world was not worthy— wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. 39 And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, 40 since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect. Living by faith is HARD. This entire chapter 11 of Hebrews is about walking out one’s faith and the first portion of the chapter deals with the triumphs of living by faith. However, these last verses in that chapter cited above, deal with the tragedies in THIS life of living by faith. Bottom line: we must set our minds on things above and not on things of this earth which are temporal. We must have an eternal mindset to be believers because our surrounding circumstances and situations are fallen, sin-cursed, and do not always look very promising. Our hope is eternal.
-Mark (challenging myself to live by faith and to really be a “believer” in my own actions)
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Hi Mark,
Love your article. PS how was your coference?
I am reading a life changing book called “dressed to kill’ by Rick Renner and this book is incredible. It talks about the whole armor of God. Piece by piece of our weapons told by paul. To truly now understand this is been a life-changing revelation for me and applying it to my life. Why isnt this taught more in detail to Christians? With the whole armor and the Holy Spirit to live in victory and know what you need to know about the enemy. I will Mark walk in victory and i will know what to do and how to handle attacks, which will come through walking in victory. I know too now that the enemy can make suggestions but if i give in i participated in my own destruction. (my old addictions? I have to guard my mind and my heart period. I feel very good and very I cannot even express with words how i feel right now and for the first time in a very very long time I am prepared.
I was really disappointed when i went online to northland here in orlando and saw that celebrate recovery took an actual mission trip to spread demonic 12 steps twisted scriptures by rick warren to scotland. I feel hurt deeply for those people who take hurting people away from the only book that wil ever get true freedom and healing through is through the true Word of God and that is the Holy Bible. The thing is I know where those 12 steps orginate from and ist from spiritualism. How can spirtualism be in a christian church? How do they justify this? How can people who are supposelfy christian not take those twisted 12 steps and test it through scripture? A true bible believing Christian knows false doctrine when they see or hear it. Why are churchs allowing this to come into the church? I would love still to find a bible based church without any 12 step anything, I am still searching for such a church. What wil happen to these pastors and elders in the church when Christ returns on trying to lead people away from the bible and deceiving and pulling believers away from Gods Word?
People dont do as the bible says because that would mean that they would have to get out of self. I speak from experince. People are addicted to there story of woes is me and what about me and all my difficults and my issues. Rewrite your stroy and read and study the Word until it becomes who you are and to rid yourself of you. Faith is the word of God. That is why i know now that is very important for me to companionship with people who are walking in the Lord. Doing the work the studying really immersed in the word. I myself taking a christian approach to habitual sinning . on setting captives free. its all based on the teaching in the bible. chandeged beliefs is another course and these are all free. But the bottom line is you have to want to be free more than you want to be stuck in all you own issues. No program 12 steps will ever ever ever deliver you. You will remain in bondage and suffer. Because it is not a formula or a method. It is sin and when youtruly confess then repent and guess what no dwelling and living and giving CPR to a past you cannot do anything about it.
Believe me the enemy would be more than happy to keep you in endless rehasing and anything to keep you away from the healing that only comes through our Jesus Christ.
Do yourself a favor and check out what ever celebrate recovery or 12 step against the true word of God in scripture and see for yourself. dont be deceievd. God wants you to know His whole truth and that is in “living” in His Word and that will be the most incredible peace you have ever experinced in your life. Dont allow anyone to lead you away from the Holy Living Bible
God bless you all
In His Light
Dana