Text- James 5:16 – “Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith”
Living by faith is not an option for a child of God, it is a necessity. There is in fact no other alternative to living for a believer, except by faith.
Hebrews 11:1 gives us the classic definition of faith – “Faith is the substance of things hoped for; the evidence of things not seen”. Think about it, and you’ll realize that virtually everyone on earth lives by faith. The question is what they have faith in.
A woman wakes up in the morning, goes to market, purchases large quantities of various food stuffs, cooks a big pot of food, and sits down at her restaurant waiting for people to come and buy food. Isn’t that faith? Or did people inform her beforehand that they would be coming to eat at her store?
Same applies to a driver that fuels his bus, and goes to the park waiting for passengers to arrive. A patient that takes drugs from his Doctor, without asking for the pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics is also exercising faith.
I gave all those examples to show you that faith is not a strange concept to mankind. By default, we do a lot of things by faith. However, when it comes to faith in God (by which the just should live), a lot of people are found wanting.
While most people’s faith is directed inwards (to themselves) or outwards (to other people, or to natural processes), the faith of the just man is directed upwards (to God). The just man goes successfully through life by trusting, not in himself or in any other, but in God.
Why does the just live by faith? Jesus said in John 16:33, “These things I have spoken to you, that ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world”. John later reminds us in 1John 4:5 that the victory that overcomes the world is our faith.
When a man lives by faith, he is not perplexed by the enigmas of life. Even when he does not fully comprehend al of God’s ways, the just man chooses to trust, obey and remain faithful to God.
I must mention that living by faith involves a fight – The fight of faith. That is the only kind of fight that a believer is authorized to fight. Paul said to his son, Timothy, “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life for which you are also called, and has professed a good profession before many witnesses”
In essence, living by faith also entails a fight against temptations and afflictions. A Christian who refuses to fight this good fight will end up lesser than God has ordained for him, or lose out completely in life and in eternity.
I have made up my mind to live by faith. How have you chosen to live?
PRAYER
Lord, I choose to live by faith; I will trust, obey and remain faithful to you all the days of my life. Please train my hands lord to fight the good fight of faith that I may lay hold on eternal life in Jesus Name.
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