The faith walk

We have already seen in previous posts that faith is an essential to the Christian life. We simply cannot do this at all without believing. It’s both the starting point and the way forward, always.

God said several times in the Word that the just–those who have been made right with Him through accepting Jesus as Lord–shall live by faith (Rom.1:17). This tells us that faith is a lifestyle. It’s a walk. It’s a journey.

We are going somewhere by faith. It’s who we are and what we do. It’s part of our very being.

The Way of faith

We came into this Way–the Way of God–through faith, we live by faith and we will end this life on earth in faith. Our faith projects and prospects never end as long as we are alive in this earth. Consider the faith of Abraham, who ‘died in faith,’ having not seen some of the things he was journeying towards (Heb.11:13). Other generations would see them, but he instigated them and moved towards them.

We should always be engaged in some level of faith including ongoing godly assignments that propel us forward in Him. As Jesus said of Himself when He returns, “when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth (Luke 18:8b)?”

Christians should never be empty of faith. When we are saved God gives us the measure of faith that helps get us started in the gifts and grace with which He endows us as His children, and as saints of the Most High God.

For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.

Romans 12:3

Paul, speaking through the grace that God has given him, essentially tells us to walk in humility according the measure of faith given us. The point being made in this article is that God has given each of His children a measure of faith, which comes along with grace.

This includes certain gifts that are part of who we have become since we were born-again, having received Jesus as Lord. We’ll talk about these gifts in a subsequent post.

We don’t have to pray or ask for faith. We have been given faith. Faith is a gift of God (Eph.2:8). It comes to us through hearing, and hearing comes through the good news of Jesus Christ (Rom.10:17). That hearing is a supernatural dynamic the comes through the Word of God as it is preached by people of faith. By faith they minister the Word of faith.

More than sonics

It’s another level of hearing. It’s not merely sonic. It’s not just the wavelength of sound that comes into our ears when we hear a message. It’s more than understanding. It creates understanding spiritually, but it’s more than this.

It’s a spiritual wavelength, if you like, that penetrates our very heart, the centre of our being, the core of who we are in the inner person, and enlivens our previously dead spirit (Eph.2:4-5). It is a true awakening.

Faith enters our being and we come alive to God. We are born again, the Bible tells us (John 3:3). The Holy Spirit rebirths our dead spirit that had been mortified by sin. It’s faith that brings that powerful charge of new life, and we are revived.

This is just the beginning. We are then people of faith. We are now to walk by faith. That means we continually live by faith in God, in His Word, in His name. The principle is the same. He gives us the measure of faith with certain abilities and gifts as a starting point, but we can build on this by hearing and hearing the Word of God, and then doing what we know to be true from hearing.

Build faith

Reading, studying, meditating on, hearing, talking and living by faith in the Word of God builds stronger faith into our lives. We need the Word and the Spirit. Both.

It’s just like our human body. We have everything we need in this package from birth, but we have to exercise it, nurture it, feed it, and activate it for our body to develop into a balanced vehicle for action in our world. The Word is our faith food. The Spirit leads us forward in Jesus.

Faith without works is dead, we are told (James 2:26). We are not saved by works, but we are saved onto good works (Eph.2:10). God has prepared us for these works, for these actions, for this momentum that He has for us in our lives. We can impact our world through these actions, and they help confirm and strengthen our faith.

The key is to maintain that journey, that walk, and to remain focused on God’s purposes and not to be distracted by what the world throws at us–to walk by faith.