Text: Gal 3:11b,
Heb 11:1-39, Rom 1:17, Hab 2:4
The just is the righteous, the upright, the blameless, the
faithful, the pure. The just is one who loves righteousness and he lives by
faith. His trust is in the Lord and he lives by the power of GOD. He believes the
word and what he hears from God and holds on to it. He is the redeemed of the
Lord and is always wearing the garment of praise. Heb 11:1 -2 define faith as belief or trust in
God, “Being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see, this is what the ancients were commended for.” That is; they lived by faith.
So the just or righteous shall live by believing in God and be hopeful and be certain
of what is yet to be seen.
Genuine faith is marked by choosing to trust God even when
you know the outcome may be different from what you had ever imagined. You let
go of your preconceived notions of how things ought to be. Jesus expects you to have faith and also to live by it. Jesus
said in Matt 17:20b to His disciples; “Because you have so little faith, I tell
you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to
this mountain, move from here to there and it will move.” When the apostles said
Jesus should increase their faith, Jesus said in Luke 17:6 “If you have faith
as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, be uprooted and
be planted in the sea, and it will obey you.”
Jesus said in Luke 8:48 “Daughter your faith has healed you.
Go in peace.” And in Mark 11:22 Jesus said, “Have faith in God.” All these are
evidence that you should have faith and live by it. Have faith and exercise it.
The outcome is always in line with God’s purpose. Heb 11:6 says “And without
faith, it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must
believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.” It is
profitable to have faith and live by it so as to be able to please God. Any just
person will strife to live by faith so as to please God.
And again Heb 10:38 says; “But my righteous one will live by
faith.” May you be among the righteous who will live by faith. Even when
additional hands were needed to assist the twelve disciples, Stephen was among those chosen
because he was full of faith and of the Holy Spirit (Act 6:5)
Let us consider some characters who lived by faith in the scriptures.
ABRAHAM
Abraham the man of faith , so was he called because he
believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness. Gal 3:9. By faith
Abraham was called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance,
obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going, but by faith
he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country and
lived in tents. He was looking forward to the city with foundations whose architect
and builder is God. By faith Abraham lifted his knife to plunge unto Isaac to
offer him as a sacrifice at mount Moriah believing that he would still be father
of nation as God promised.
NOAH
It is by faith that Noah built an ark in the middle of dry
land; Heb 11:7. He built an ark when he was warned about things not yet seen. It
was this ark that eventually saved him, his family and some livestock he took
along during the greatest flood.
Brethren it is profitable to live by faith. If Noah did not
build the ark then, he with the others saved would have perished with the
flood.
MOSES’ PARENT
It is by faith that Moses’ parents hid him for three months after
he was born and they were not afraid of the king’s verdict; Heb 11:23. Despite the
situation and circumstances around the period Moses was born and hostility by
Pharaoh against male children born, his parents kept faith and this enabled
Moses’ destiny to be fulfilled.
Learn to live by faith. Never allow situations and
circumstances dominate your life and existence.
MOSES
When the Israelites told Moses he should have allowed them
to remain in Egypt, serve the Egyptians and even die there instead of bringing
them to the desert. Moses, with absolute trust and confidence in God demonstrated
his faith by saying as in Exo.14:13; “Do not be afraid, stand firm and you will
see deliverance the Lord will bring you today”. The Egyptians you see today,
you will never see again. V14 “The lord
will fight for you, you need only to be still.” This is an act of faith. You should
learn to put your trust in the Lord always and act on faith.
GIDEON
When Gideon was called to lead the battle for Israel against
Midianites he gathered thirty two thousand men but by faith he reduced them to
three hundred when God said; “you had too many men for me to deliver Midianites
into their hands” Judges 7:3. He believed the word he heard from God Judges 6:16
and went to war with only three hundred Men and God delivered the Midianites
into Gideon’s hands. Believe whatever the Lord has spoken concerning your case
or situation and faithfully hold on to it.
RUTH
Despite the bleak future confronting Ruth, having lost her
husband, faced with famine, with no hope for the future and despite her
mother-in-law’s insistence that she should go back to her parents, by faith
Ruth refused to go back but clung to Naomi. Ruth 1:16-17. She demonstrated great
faith, love for her departed husband and Naomi. And the future became bright,
hope was restored and she became part of Jesus’ lineage. How great is your faith?
THE CENTURION
The centurion’s servant was sick and he informed Jesus,
Jesus promised to follow him home to come and heal his servant. By faith the
centurion told Jesus; “Speak the word only and my servant shall be healed.” The
centurion acted on faith, he believed Jesus need not be present physically before
his servant could be healed. He believed so much in the word Jesus would speak.
Jesus acknowledged this in Matt. 8:10b by saying “verily I say unto you, I have
not found so great faith, no not in Israel.” And Jesus said unto the centurion,
go thy way, and as thou has believed, so be it done unto thee.” And his servant
was healed in the same hour. This is the kind of faith the Just must exhibit.
What are you trusting God for? Exercise your faith and it
shall be well with you.
Advantages of living by faith
1.
You will be among the righteous. Heb 10:38.
2.
You will be able to please God Heb 11:6.
3.
You shall be among the chosen. Act 6:5
4.
You will stand out among others. Heb 11:7
5.
Your destiny shall be fulfilled. Heb 11:28
6.
You shall be saved. Lk. 7:50
Prayer
Father in heaven, I want to
please you in all ways and to be among the righteous.
Help me Lord to have
faith and to live by it. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen
No comments:
Post a Comment