Living by Faith

 “But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  

1Corinthians 15:57 (NIV)

by Alexandra Copeland

In His Word, God has given us certain practices that should develop into habit patterns. They should be so deeply engrained within our makeup that they become a part of our nature. In other words, these Godly habit patterns can and should become so natural to the way that we interact and react, that we seem to operate in them very organically, as if we’ve been this way all our lives. The truth is that God has empowered us to masterfully build our lives through His Word. In 1Corinthians 3:10 (NKJV), the Apostle Paul said, “According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it.” You and I can be wise master builders as well. This is an amazing truth that will break down many of the paralyzing beliefs that are holding so many of us back. 

If you coax yourself into believing that someone has the power to stand in your way and block you from getting what you desire most out of life, then you are giving them power that you could and should be utilizing for the benefit of your own well-being. You are putting yourself at the mercy of others, rather than using your every available resource to give God the glory He desires. God informs us in Ephesians 6:12 (NIV), “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”  Our struggles are not against flesh and blood individuals; they are spiritual in nature, and God has given us a way through His Word to be victorious over them!

1Corinthians 15:57 (NIV) tells us, “But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” It is a victory that our beloved and powerful Lord has won over satan, and this victory gives us the legal right to walk in all that Christ has made available to us. The cooperation of our minds, hearts, and wills is absolutely necessary to appropriate this victory. God will not overstep our free-will choice. So our challenge is to live in such a way that we do not limit the power of God from operating in our lives. 

The only way that we can ensure that we are not limiting the power of God in our lives is to live by faith. Heavenly Father used faith to create everything that we see. In Genesis 1, He commanded, “Let there be light…” and light was. Things came into existence because faith had no other choice but to obey the authority of God’s righteousness and omnipotence, and to produce the results that God intended. The extraordinarily wonderful thing is that He has given us the ability to exercise faith as well. We have the great privilege to utilize the faith of Jesus Christ to get things done within this earth realm. But we must remember, faith was not designed by Heavenly Father to obey our whims. It is created to obey the authority of right believing through Jesus Christ. 

Our believing is comprised of our thoughts and feelings. So when our thoughts and feelings are not in alignment with the authority of God’s Word, we are not able to utilize faith to get the results we desire. We can correct this and exercise faith masterfully, because we’re kids of the Most High. We are to be holy as He is holy. Jesus Christ said in John 5:19 (NLT), “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does.” Jesus Christ told us that he did on earth what he saw his Father doing. This should be our modus operandi as well.

Jesus Christ also said something else really foundational in John 5:19. He declared that he could do nothing apart from Heavenly Father. If God’s only begotten son could do nothing on his own, then surely we must know that it is the same for us. We can’t do anything without God. We need Him so desperately, and we need to walk by faith, because this is what pleases God. Hebrews 11:6 tells us that it is impossible to please God without faith. 

Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. It is the work-horse of our thoughts and feelings when our thoughts and feelings are in alignment with God’s Word and Will. You and I are not making faith work. Faith responds to the laws that God has ordained, and when we align our thoughts, feelings, and actions with these laws, positive results are eminent and often miraculous. Faith is how we bring the culture of heaven into the earth’s realm according to God’s plan and purposes.

Fear works much the same way as faith does with respect to our minds and hearts. Philippians 4:6(NKJV) tells us, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;” This is a direct command from heaven. It is non-negotiable. We cannot allow fear to creep in and rock our confidence in God’s love for us. He is our sufficiency, and He will take care of us, but when we allow fear to overrule our mind-and-heart-set of faith, we begin to make poor judgements and decisions. This causes us to head down the wrong path, and we begin to lose stamina and momentum on this Christian journey. 

Belief systems of faith or fear have no other choice but to produce the results of what we believe at the most fundamental level. The things that we believe will shape and mold our reality. This is one of the reasons why Proverbs 3:5(NLT) directs us to “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.” We must take control of our thoughts and think with the same mind as Jesus Christ, and he always trusted in the Father’s love, care, and provision. 

Colossians 3:2-4(NLT) gives us the most wonderful piece of practical knowledge. It says, “2 Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. 3 For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.” This is beyond extraordinary! The message is clear. We need to consciously put away thoughts and feelings of fear, along with all of its compadres. We cannot allow it to govern our lives any longer. As children of God, it is our great joy and privilege to renew our minds and to be transformed from the inside out. So let’s not give in to worldly influences, but trust God with every fiber of our beings, so that our belief and faith in Him becomes the foundation-building material of our lives. ■

 

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. 

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.