Living By Faith

“For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.” (Ro 1:17 AV)

 Some verses are so familiar, that over time, they often lose the full potential of their application.  Such is the verse above.  We know that the context is salvation.  We understand Paul is making a distinction between salvation by faith and salvation by any other means.  We also understand the living above is spiritual life; or eternal life.  However, when compared with verses like Hebrews 11:6, we can also see another application.  That being, our spiritual life in the here and now is also supposed to be by faith.  In fact, living by faith is the only way to truly live.  In the above verse, righteousness comes by faith.  We must believe the righteousness of Christ is imputed to our sin account.  If we trust Him to be our payment for sin and believe with all our heart that God the Father sees us in the righteousness of His Son, then we are saved.  We live.  Faith, however, does not stop with accepting God’s gracious gift of righteousness through Christ.  Faith starts there but continues throughout the saint’s life.  We are supposed to grow in faith.  We are supposed to live by faith.  It is by faith that we please God.  Faith is the only answer to things that are out of our control.  Whether we realize it or not, we live by faith all the time.  We trust our employer is going to pay us on time.  We believe our car is going to get us from point A to point B.  We believe all our electronics will work, our doctor has our best interests at heart, and our children will grow up to love us.  We live by faith every day.

Some thrive on living by faith.  Some cannot deal with risk.  Regardless of our predisposition to live, or not live, by faith, we are encouraged and required to live accordingly.  In some areas, I happen to be the former.  In other areas, the latter.  It all depends on the nature of the risk.  Usually, our reluctance to take risks corresponds with deeply held fears.  I do not like heights.  So, if the LORD were to ask me to trust Him and take flying lessons, there would be a struggle.  If He asked me to trust Him and learn to parachute, I think we would have a problem.  I also have a fear of being crushed.  Caves are not my favorite place in the world.  If I don’t think about it, I am fine.  However, the moment I understand there is a mountain above and with a mere shaking of the earth I could be trapped or crushed, out I go.  However, other fears bother me not.  I know one bearly fella who could bend a pipe but is terrified of needles.  Me?  Take all the blood you want and shoot me up with every safe inoculation mankind has ever invented.  Some are terrified of the dark.  I have a grandchild who is like that.  Me?  Take a flashlight and be done with it.  Others fear water.  I have a friend who will not go near Niagara Falls.  I learned to swim and skate.  No matter the form, water is ok with me.  We all have fears.  They are different.  No one is immune.  And, there is no silly fear as opposed to a justified fear.  They are all alike.  Faith is the key to overcoming fear.  We must believe in something greater than the fear itself.  I have to trust the laws of aerodynamics to fly.  I have to trust in the principles of structural integrity to enter a cave.  Fear is overcome by trusting in something greater than that which we fear.  If we do not, we cease to live and cower in fear, never exploring and always trapped in that fear.

I think this is another application of the verse above.  We will never truly learn to live until we learn to trust.  Whether it is a relationship beginning at an altar, a career move, a financial transaction, or any other host of choices that involve risk, faith is that which enables us to take that leap, accept our circumstances, or conquer our fears.  This faith is placed on the person of God.  I love what Peter has to say.  “Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.” (1Pe 4:19 AV)  God is a faithful and able Creator.  He controls all things.  He knows what will happen and has decreed it to be so.  He is the master planner and all things work to His glory.  He has this.  Really!  We need to learn that God is far greater than anything we will ever face and surrender to the circumstances.  He has us.  Like a parachute jumper who is jumping in tandem with his instructor, we need to be tethered close to our God and let Him be our strength and our guide.