Living a Lifestyle of Faith

Christianity and Faith in God

In September 2021 I wrote a post titled Christianity Is Not A Religion, It’s a Lifestyle of Faith.

In the Old Testament, Haggai … that in the midst of corruption …

Hebrews:1 is quoted in several other places in the New Testament. Obviously, as believers we are called to live a life of faith in God:

• Romans 1:17 – “For within is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith. As it is written, the just shall live by faith.”
• Galatians 3:11 – “But it is clear that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God. The just shall live by faith.”
• Hebrews 10:38 – “Now the just shall live by faith. If any man draws back, My soul shall have no pleasure in him.”

Christianity was never meant to be a religion. It is a lifestyle of faith in God, a way of life. Faith in the God who created heaven and earth, and all living creatures. You can’t see Him with your natural eyes. Still, you know He exists by the things He made. The truth is that we are surrounded by evidence of a Creator who is wise and powerful. He is also loving, kind, and faithful to fulfill His promises. The presence of God is obvious everywhere. It can be seen in the vastness of the creation. It is also at levels so small the human eye can’t see. What is this evidence, and how undeniable is it?

The creation story reveals how when the world was formless the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters (v. 1-2). God started to form the earth and said, “Let there be light”; and there was light” (v.3). Seeing that the light was good, God separated the light from the darkness. He called the light “day,” and the darkness He called “night.” And there was evening and there was morning, one day (v. 5) . He separates the waters of the earth from the waters of the heavens calling the space “sky” (v. 8-11). After creating the earth and heavens (v. 12-25), God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky. They will also reign over the livestock. They will rule all the wild animals on the earth. They will govern the small animals that scurry along the ground.” “So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them (v. 26-27). Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. He charged Adam to reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground” (v.28). After God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good! (v,31).

God’s qualities are seen “from the world’s creation. That evidence is all around us. It is not hidden in nature but is “clearly seen.” From the rising of the sun to the night sky we can see His invisible qualities. “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, being understood by what has been made, so that they are without excuse” (Rom. 1:20).

Faith is real. It is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. The things we expect to get from God
by faith. Faith is taking God at His Word. It is believing in God’s power, wisdom and goodness. It is believing that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him, “Without faith it is impossible to please God” (Heb. 11:6).

Faith doesn’t make sense in the natural realm. It can’t be seen or understood. In situations beyond our control, we must believe beyond what we can see with our natural eyes. The Amplified Version translates Hebrews 11:6 this way. “NOW FAITH is the assurance, the confirmation, and the title deed of the things [we] hope for. It is the proof of things [we] do not see. It is the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses].”

Faith is the proof of the things we are hoping for. It involves seeing as real what is not yet obvious in the natural realm. In Hebrews, the ancients noted that Abraham, Isaac, and Moses all had faith. Otherwise, they would not have seen the things God asked of them. They also would not have been capable of doing them.

Every believer is called to a life of faith. It is the substance of what we can’t see with our natural eyes. In this time of chaos, political upheaval, and a global pandemic, people face global climate change and environmental degradation. Inflation leads to rising prices, and there are attacks against U.S. democracy. The just will live by their faith (Hab. 2:4). No other text in the Old Testament plays a more significant role in the New Testament. This particular sentence from the prophet Habakkuk’s prophecy deeply impacts the life of the believer.

Our Heavenly Father desires His children to live by faith. In the gospel, the righteousness of God is revealed. This righteousness is by faith from first to last. Just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” (Rom. 1:17) The gospel or “good news” is the power of God. It can save everyone who believes. It reveals the righteousness of God.  The “good news” is that Jesus Christ died to pay the penalty for our sin. Through faith alone in Christ alone, we can become the children of God.

Life can be difficult! So where do we find the help we need in facing real-life challenges? One very important factor to be observed in a lifestyle of faith is having hope and patience. We do not want you to become lazy. We want you to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised. (Hebrews 6:12).

We are hard pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair, persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed (2 Cor. 4:8). “Those who wait upon the LORD will renew their strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint (Isa. 41:31).

Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ!!

Pray for spiritual awakening in America and abroad!  

Blessings,

Minister A. Francine Green

Notes: All scripture references are taken from the New American Standard Bible unless otherwise noted.