To some people, faith can seem like a work, one which causes
us to become introspective.
"Do I have enough faith?" Some people ask.
Yet Jesus trumped such nonsense very simply:
"If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you." (Matthew 17: 20)
Yet Jesus trumped such nonsense very simply:
"If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you." (Matthew 17: 20)
If you have faith of a mustard seed, you could say to that
mountain --- it's not the size of our faith. but the object of our faith: God and His promises.
We do not presume to do things that we want to, in large
part because God does for us beyond what we can ask or think (Ephesians 3:
20-21)
So, what does it mean to live by faith?
We stand on God’s Word, and move in accordance with His
promises to live out what He is working into us:
"And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers:" (Acts 26: 6)
and
"According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
"Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust." (2 Peter 1: 3-4)
We live by God's Word:
"Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." (Matthew 4: 4)
"And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers:" (Acts 26: 6)
and
"According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
"Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust." (2 Peter 1: 3-4)
We live by God's Word:
"Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." (Matthew 4: 4)
We do not budge from God's Word when times get tough, or when we get afraid, but rather we stand on God's Word:
"Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away." (Matthew 24: 35)
As Christ is the Word made flesh (John 1: 1, 5), and He now dwells in us (Colossians 1: 27), we are called to let him settle completely within us, a life-process of unfolding victory:
"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord."
(Colossians 3: 16)
and
"Therefore now, LORD, let the thing that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant and concerning his house be established for ever, and do as thou hast said." (1 Chronicles 17: 23)
"Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away." (Matthew 24: 35)
As Christ is the Word made flesh (John 1: 1, 5), and He now dwells in us (Colossians 1: 27), we are called to let him settle completely within us, a life-process of unfolding victory:
"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord."
(Colossians 3: 16)
and
"Therefore now, LORD, let the thing that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant and concerning his house be established for ever, and do as thou hast said." (1 Chronicles 17: 23)
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