Life in Christ Jesus is a Life of Faith …Publication of New Book


We announce the publication of the book “Life in Christ Jesus is a Life of Faith”


It is a study material presented with the purpose of showing us that being ‘Christian’ does not necessarily mean living a life of faith; the reader will be confronted in his knowledge of the faith and will see how much religious philosophy has been injected into the contemporary proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus.


Life in Christ Jesus is the result of faith, of believing that Jesus of Nazareth is God incarnate and manifested to humanity, to the Jewish people in principle, in order to by his teaching and example, reveal the way of reconciliation with the Creator.

Life in Christ Jesus is a life of faith, it consists in living on earth observing the principles of life in heaven; it consists in learning not to depend on the resources that derive from self-sufficiency and denial of God, nor to live under the fear originated by the powerlessness of not knowing how to handle adverse circumstances; life in Christ Jesus is a life of rest based on the Word of Salvation that He sends to free us from that which threatens our faith.


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Also available in digital format

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What is living by faith?


I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20

Have you ever thought about living by faith? What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you believe that someday you will live by faith?

The idea that many have of living by faith is that of a person who does not have a job, and who lives depending on offerings and donations from the parishioners of some congregation. Living by faith is not a way of life proper to those who exercise a ministry; although all of us at some point have to face them, living by faith is not, nor does it mean, a life of deprivation, needs, crises, ups and downs.

To live by faith means to live in direct dependence upon the Lord; it is the confidence developed by the Holy Spirit that all the things, thoughts, decisions, and actions which we produce daily are subject to the Lordship of Christ and that for nothing shall we be confused as to what we expect of Him.

according to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. Philippians 1:20

Living by faith is the prize of the Supreme calling by which we have all been reached by Jesus Christ,

I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:14

To live by faith is to persevere in our efforts and convictions, without wavering, as if it were a race in which we will receive an award at the end.

17 For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me…   24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. 1st. Corinthians 9:17-24

To live by faith is to understand that we are pilgrims and strangers on this earth, that our dwelling place is heavenly, that therefore we cannot love material things or trust them as the resource of our existence,

Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; 1st. Peter 2:11

To live by faith is to understand that our life is sustained by what God says about us, not by what the world pretends to establish about our existence,

6Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (for we walk by faith, not by sight) 2nd. Corinthians 5:6-7

To live by faith is to decide that we will not live because of the demands that the world presents to us as demands of life, even though this means being at a disadvantage in front of others,

Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 1st. John 3:1-2

To live by faith is to be led by the Holy Spirit,

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. Romans 8:14

To live by faith is to judge all things spiritually, not by the flesh, that is, not on the basis of human reasoning pre-established by the societies in which we live,

14But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. 16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. 1st. Corinthians 2:14-16

To live by faith is to ask the Father about how we will deal with conflict,

10But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. 1st. Corinthians 2:10-11

We have presented several definitions that broaden the spiritual picture of what it means to live by faith; however, is there any specific instruction that we should take care of in order to learn to live by faith?

Yes, there are. The Bible highlights among its pages several instructions that promote among those who follow them, who can develop the spiritual capacity to live by faith. We will point out the main instructions.


  • LEARNING TO HOPE AND PERSEVERE IN THE LORD

The main resource for developing a life of faith is learning to hope and persevere in the Lord. It means not only waiting, that is, letting time pass, but above all, persevering in the Word that we have received from the Lord, the Word that has become the promise of life.

18Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy;…  22 Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as we hope in thee. Psalm 33:18-22


3Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed…   Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.…      Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass…   9For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth…   34 Wait on the Lord, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it….    40 And the Lord shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him. Psalm 37:3-40

We have in Saul a good example of what happens when a person cannot wait on the Lord; Saul was rejected so as not to continue being king,

8And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed: but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him…    13 And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the Lord thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the Lord have established thy kingdom upon Israel forever. 1 Samuel 13:8-13


  • LEARN NOT TO RESORT TO EXTERNAL RESOURCES

The only recourse of one who has willing to live by faith is the Lord. We cannot turn to sources external to Him for this brings a curse,

Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord. Jeremiah 17:5

We have in Abraham a good example of someone who discarded every external option and arranged to trust only the Lord,

that I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich: Genesis 14:23


 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together…    14 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen. Genesis 22:8-14

This is the counsel of God given by the Holy Spirit to everyone who wants to learn to live by faith,

But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19

Turning to external resources rather than to God is equivalent to a decision to turn away from God,

For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water. Jeremiah 2:13


  • LEARN TO DEVELOP A GIVING AND GENEROUS ATTITUDE TOWARDS OTHERS, ESPECIALLY THOSE IN NEED

Seen from this perspective, Jesus’ demand to the rich young man to sell all he had and give to the poor[1] was not a capricious and unjustified demand, but rather part of God’s divine protocol for the man and woman of faith to learn to develop a generous and giving spirit. Clearly we read in the account that Jesus told him that he would have treasures in heaven, so it is not a matter of glorifying a state of poverty but of the person learning to properly value those on this earth who are helpless of resources to survive.

This spiritual principle, which we shall henceforth call the protocol of life by faith, is contained in all the apostolic writings. We read, for example, the words of the apostle Paul which refer to the teaching of Jesus concerning the beatitude of the person learning to give to those in need,

I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive. Acts 20:35

The apostle Paul also writes to the faith community of Ephesus and exhorts them to learn to be benign and merciful,

and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. Ephesians 4:32

In his epistle to the community of faith in Philippi, he emphasizes that all that man sows is what man harvests; therefore, no prosperity arises by itself, arises from the cultivation of a life detached from material goods, learning to be generous with those who need it, mainly by those who work to preach the Word,

15 Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only…    19But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:15-19

Finally, in his second epistle to the Corinthians Paul states that God loves the cheerful giver,

7Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:   2nd. Corinthians 9:7-8

You cannot learn to live by faith if there is no commitment before the Lord. So, in reality, before any other action, the first instruction we must follow is to decide before the Lord that we are willing to live by faith.

Commitment before the Lord is the basis for building a life of faith. Jesus had already established it when He laid the foundation of discipleship.

And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. Luke 9:62


Are you willing to live by faith?

 

 



 

All biblical quotations are taken from the King James Version.

 

 



Pastor Pedro Montoya

Twitter: @pastormontoya

https://earthenwarevessels.com


[1] Mark 10:21; Luke 18:22

Living by Faith

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. Galatians 2:20

Have you ever thought about living by faith? What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you think that someday you will live by faith?

The idea that many have of living by faith is the one of a person who does not have a job, and who lives depending on offerings and donatives coming from the parishioners of some congregation. Living by faith is not a lifestyle proper to those who exercise a ministry; although all of us at some point have to face them, living by faith is not, nor does it mean, a life of deprivation, shortages, crises, highs and lows.

To live by faith means to live in direct dependence upon the Lord; it is the confidence developed by the Holy Spirit that all the things, thoughts, decisions, and actions which we produce daily are subject to the Lordship of Christ and that for nothing shall we be confused as to what we expect of Him.

according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. Philippians 1:20

Living by faith is the prize of the Supreme calling by which all of us have been reached by Jesus Christ,

I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:14

Living by faith is to persevere without wavering in our efforts and convictions as if it were a race that will receive an award at the end.

For if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have been entrusted with a stewardship. …  24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.  1st. Corinthians 9:17-24

Living by faith is to understand that we are pilgrims and strangers on this earth, that our abode is heavenly, that therefore we cannot love material things or trust them as the resource of our existence,

Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, 1st. Peter 2:11

Living by faith is to understand that our life is sustained by what God says about us, not by what the world pretends to establish about our existence,

So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. 7For we walk by faith, not by sight. 2nd. Corinthians 5:6-7

Living by faith is deciding that we will not live by the demands that the world presents to us as requirements of life, even though this means being at a disadvantage about what we develop before the others,

Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. 2Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. 1st. John 3:1-2

Living by faith is being led by the Holy Spirit,

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. Romans 8:14

Living by faith is judging all things spiritually, not by the flesh, that is, not on the basis of the human establishing preset by the societies in which we live,

But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. 16For “who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ. 1st. Corinthians 2:14-16

Living by faith is asking the Father about how we will deal with conflicts,

But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 11For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 1st. Corinthians 2:10-11

We have presented several definitions that broaden the spiritual understanding of what it means to live by faith; however, are there any specific instructions that we should take care of to learn to live by faith?

Yes, there are. The Bible stresses among its pages several instructions that promote among those who follow them that they can develop the spiritual capacity to live by faith. We will point out the two main instructions.

  • Learn to await and persevere in the Lord

The main resource for developing a life of faith is to await and persevere in the Lord. It means not only waiting, that is, letting time pass, but above all, persevering in the Word we have received from the Lord, the Word that has become the promise of life.

Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His mercy,  …  22Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us, Just as we hope in You. Psalm 33:18-22


Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.  …   5Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.  …  7Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.  …  9For evildoers shall be cut off; But those who wait on the Lord, They shall inherit the earth.  …  34Wait on the Lord, And keep His way, And He shall exalt you to inherit the land; When the wicked are cut off, you shall see it.  …  40And the Lord shall help them and deliver them; He shall deliver them from the wicked, And save them, Because they trust in Him. Psalm 37:3-40

We have in Saul a good example of what happens when a person cannot wait on the Lord; Saul was rejected so as not to continue being king,

Then he waited seven days, according to the time set by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him.  13And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God, which He commanded you. For now the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. I Samuel 13:8-13

  • Learn not to resort to external resources

The Lord is the only recourse of one who has willing to live by faith. We cannot resort to external sources to Him because this brings a curse,

Thus says the Lord: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man And makes flesh his strength, Whose heart departs from the Lord. Jeremiah 17:5

We have the example of Abraham,

that I will take nothing, from a thread to a sandal strap, and that I will not take anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich’—Genesis 14:23


And Abraham said, “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.” So the two of them went together.  …   14And Abraham called the name of the place, The-Lord-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided.” Genesis 22:8-14

It is God’s counsel given by the Holy Spirit,

And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19

External resources are tantamount to a decision to turn away from God,

“For My people have committed two evils:
They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, And hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water. Jeremiah 2:13

You cannot learn to live by faith if there is no commitment before the Lord. So, in reality, before any other action, the first instruction we must follow is to decide in the presence of the Lord that we are willing to live by faith.

Commitment before the Lord is the basis for building a life of faith. Jesus had already established it when He laid the foundation of discipleship.

But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:62


Are you willing to live by faith?

 

 

Scripture taken from the New King James Version (NKJV)

Tag: Living by faith, awaiting in God, depending on God, trusting in God, God supplies,

 

Pastor Montoya

Twitter: @pastormontoya