I Live By Faith

I LIVE BY FAITH IN THE SON OF GOD, WHO LOVED ME AND GAVE HIMSELF FOR ME. Galatians 2.20

When the going is good, we trust in ourselves and do whatever we can to get along in life. And all of us do rather well, most of the time! Few are those who deliberately take the time to thank God for His grace and providence. But when trials come the story is different. We find that we cannot handle things by ourselves anymore, by our own wisdom and skill. It is then that most people turn to God and cry out, “O Lord, save me!”

But it would be wonderful if you and I could live our lives daily like the apostle Paul. His life was quite different from ours. From the time He met the risen Lord Jesus Christ who appeared to him in a vision, he fully trusted in Him. He committed his life totally to Him. He forsook his illustrious past – education and achievements and seat of power among the religious rulers. It was not because Paul could not trust himself and accomplish things on his own! If any one could live by faith in himself, it was Paul.

All that had passed away! Now things were altogether different in Paul’s life. He considered himself dead to self on the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. He was fully convinced that Jesus loved him and gave Himself for him! It was a personal revelation and relationship. Nothing could shake his faith in Jesus any more. He threw off everything of his past and held on to Christ alone. He kept proclaiming to himself and others, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me”. It is a good spiritual exercise for us too!

Paul felt a ‘oneness’ with Christ so complete that he did not consider that he had any existence separate from Him! Such must be the true life in Christ which you and I should develop and possess. Only such an attitude will let us give our life fully to Him. Only then will we enjoy the freedom which Paul had. Freedom from sin and anxiety. Freedom from self, selfish interests and self-dependency. Freedom from bad habits and sinful addictions!

To declare like Paul, “The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me”, is to live in the true liberty of the Holy Spirit. No matter what happens in life, good or bad, happy or sad, health or sickness, wealth or poverty, it will not upset you. If you no longer live but Christ lives in you, whatever your lot becomes His lot too. He will take care of your todays and tomorrows. He will sustain and lead you.

A true understanding of such a life of total faith in Christ will transform your life. Our spiritual life in Him will thrive. Our physical life will be without its heartaches. We will know what the Scripture says, “The righteous shall live by his faith” (Hab 2.4). It is that kind of faith that will make you triumphantly shout like the prophet, “Even if the fig tree does not bloom and the vines have no grapes, even if the olive tree fails to produce and the fields yield no food, even if the sheep pen is empty and the stalls have no cattle- even then, I will be happy with the LORD. I will truly find joy in God, who saves me. The LORD Almighty is my strength. He makes my feet like those of a deer. He makes me walk on the mountains” (Hab 3.17-19).

Pray and practise with me: Dear Lord, help me to always consider that I have been crucified with You and I no longer live, but You live in me. The life I live in the body, help me to live by faith in You, the Son of God, Amen.