34 for you had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven. 35 Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. 36 For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise:

 

37 “For yet a little while, and He who is coming will come and will not tarry.

38 Now the just shall live by faith; but if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.”

 

Romans 12:3 - “According as God has dealt to every man the measure of faith.”

 

Let's consider the following rhetorical questions:

1. Do you see ourselves as justified?

2. If the only thing the just can live by is faith, are we then living?

3. Are you living by human intelligence, popular opinion, or social constructs?

4. Do you believe the justified believer can live by faith?

5. What is the purpose of living by faith?

6. Are you aware of the consequences of not living by faith? 

7. If the only thing to live by is faith, how many people will be alive tomorrow?

 

“The measure of faith we’ve received can be increased by doing two things: by feeding it on God’s Word and by putting it into practice (or exercising it) in everyday living.” - Kenneth E. Hagin

 

Declaration of faith

Father, I believe you raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. I declare I am justified by faith and hence have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. I have access by faith into Your grace wherein I stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

 

Traps we need to avoid as we endeavour to live and walk by faith:

1. Failure to consider ourselves as students of faith.

2. What we do with anxiety is crucial! Do we entertain and embrace anxiety, or do we cast it upon the Lord?

3. Carelessness in our relationship with and in our handling of the word of God.

 

Romans 10:17 - "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."

 

If faith comes, then it can stay, or leave, or be obstructed, or be blocked.

 

Hebrews 11:1 - Faith is the assurance of things hoped for; the conviction of things not seen.
 

Lakers, why are you making such a big deal of faith?

a. Ephesians 2:8-9: You are made right with God through faith in Jesus Christ. ("For by grace you have been saved through faith, and not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.")


b. Hebrews 10:38: We live by it. (Now the just shall live by faith; but if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.”)


c. Hebrews 11:6: Without it, it is impossible to please God.


d. Hebrews 11:3: By faith our worlds are framed by the word of God, so that we understand that the things we see are not made of things that are visible.


e. Matthew 15:28: Great faith has a direct link to the realisation of your desire in God.

("Then Jesus answered and said to her, O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.' And her daughter was healed from that very hour.").


f. Matthew 14:31: Little faith can cost you a great deal. ("And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, 'O you of little faith, why did you doubt?")


g. Mark 2:4-5, 12: Jesus Christ is touched by the feeling of your infirmities, but He is moved by faith - not your need, doubt or fear. ("And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, 'Son your sins are forgiven you.' ...Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, "We never saw anything like this!"). 

 

Your faith can be seen based on what you do or attempt in God.

 

h. Ephesians 6:16: Faith helps us to remain strong during hard times. (“Above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.")

 

4. We are ambivalent about the will of God. We have mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about God or HIs will.

 

5. Rather than walk by faith, we choose to walk by sight.

 

 

Father, I submit myself to Your incorruptible word that I shall not only be a hearer but a doer of Your word (one who understands divine instructions and puts the concept to test). As I listen to You, let faith arise in me to build capacity for great exploits in You.