Living Out Your Faith

It is more important than ever that we, as believers, live out our faith. God needs His people to stand out and be visible, to step forward and shine for others to see. He wants you to be loud about what you believe, your love for Jesus, and the principles of God. God did not call you to fade away into the background but to be front and center so the people around you can see Christ in you. He wants you to live out your faith so that others can see it in how you live and your testimony and receive His gift of salvation through Jesus.

You are not perfect, I am not perfect, but it does not prevent us from helping somebody that needs Jesus. The world is full of people trying to escape their pain, and you know the solution. You know the true path to healing and wholeness. Jesus.

You don’t need to know the entire Bible or give an elaborate sermon to give your testimony on what God, through Jesus, has done for you. God has placed you where you are for a reason. He knows what He is doing and what He wants to do with you, through you, and for you. Allow Him to be Himself in you, and you will see His best come from you.

What does it mean to live by faith?

How you live your life should be a demonstration of what you believe. For us as believers, that means we walk by faith and live by the word of God, surrendering our will for His. When you’re living out your faith, you live your life consistent with your confidence in God’s promises.

“for we walk by faith, not by sight [living our lives in a manner consistent with our confident belief in God’s promises]—” – 2 Corinthians 5:7 (AMP)

The word “walk” means live. Living out your faith is to base your decisions and actions on your conviction and belief in God’s word. Trusting in his promises and guidance, even if it goes against what we may think, see, and feel. It requires a mindset that says you will trust in God and His promises even when, to your natural eyes, it looks like there is no hope.

Walking by faith is not always easy, especially in a world that opposes God’s word, principles, and values. Do not let adversity and changing futures change your opinion of God and His word. Do not let anything around you lead you to lose faith and trust in His promises. Rely on God’s wisdom and strength to guide you daily. Trust in His timing and plan for your life even when you don’t understand or see Him at work.

Our help comes from the Lord (Psalm 121:2). Allowing that truth to become a personal conviction will help you remain steadfast despite adversity. It will enable you to rely on God’s promises even in times of difficulty and draw strength from His presence.

Why is it so important to live by faith?

Faith is the most essential part of a relationship with God. It is the key to living a happy, successful, and victorious life (1 John 5:4). We can’t walk or live with God without faith.

“But without faith it is impossible to [walk with God and] please Him, for whoever comes [near] to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He rewards those who [earnestly and diligently] seek Him.” – Hebrews 11:6(AMP)

Scripture tells us that without faith, we can’t please God, and if we can’t please God, we cannot have a relationship with Him. Faith is the prerequisite for a relationship with God and salvation through Jesus. If you don’t have a relationship with God, you are not living the life God has designed you for. We are designed to relate with and have a personal relationship with God.

Without faith, we will not trust God or His promises and ignore God’s tools to operate victoriously, leaving us open to attacks.

Attacks and Tests

Every battle, problem, or issue you have is a faith fight. Satan knows your faith’s importance and seeks to attack and diminish it. If he can kill your faith, it will lead to helplessness, hopelessness, and destruction of your relationship with God. Your faith is the key to everything, so he (Satan) wants you to stop believing. To stop living your life with confidence and trust in God’s Word.

Satan cannot defeat you without first eliminating your faith. He will try to get you to do something contrary to the Word of God or persuade you to settle for something outside of it. Although it may seem like things are out of your control, he CANNOT make you do anything, only present an opportunity and get you to partner with him.

Satan is trying to get you to disqualify yourself and keep you in a sin loop until you lose hope. Many do not live faith-filled lives because they feel unworthy when they fall short and step back into the background. God wants you and me to understand that when he looks at us, He sees the finished work of Christ. Part of living out your faith is recognizing that you need His grace. You must stand firm in your conviction and seek God in faith even when you stumble and fall.

Some things you do and say give Satan legal access to you. Sometimes God wants to promote you, so He allows the test (attack). We find one example of this in scripture in Luke 22:31-32 (NKJV)

“And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.” – Luke 22:31-32 (NKJV)

Satan requests permission to test the faith of Peter. The test is an attack on his faith. Jesus told Peter exactly what the devil would do, but He did not speak against the devil. Nor did he pray that Peter wouldn’t fail. Instead, Jesus prayed for Peter’s faith. Why? Because your faith is the most important key to your relationship with God.

If you have faith, it can help you recover from failure, and you will have failure, but faith will help you recover. Just as Jesus prayed for Peter, He is now in heaven praying for us. He is at the right hand of God, interceding(praying) for us (Romans 8:34 NIV). He is not asking for us not to fail or for God to bless, heal, and deliver us. Those are the things God has given us the power to receive and do through faith. No, Jesus is praying that our faith doesn’t fail.

When your faith fails, you stop expecting and give up on receiving. Jesus is praying that our faith doesn’t fail in Him as Lord and Savior or the word of God that the Father has given Him for you and me.

He did not come to testify of himself but the Father in heaven, but to reveal God’s love, will, and purpose for our lives. God’s purpose did not begin with your birth. Your birth is the beginning of God’s purpose for you. He chose for you to be here, now, where you are. You must learn to have faith in God’s word. Nothing will deter you from pursuing Him if you have faith in his word.

Respond with the word and secure it in your heart

You must secure the word of God in your heart because if it gets in your heart and you release it with your mouth, it will empower you. You will see success and victory in every good thing you put your hand to do. That is why Satan comes immediately to take the word from your heart if it is not secured(Mark 4:15). He knows you can defeat him with the word once it takes root in your heart. Your life should be based on and lived by the word of God. You need to know what the word of God says about, to, and for you.

When the attacks of Satan come or your flesh, which is often a more difficult enemy to deal with, seeks for you to do something you shouldn’t, refer to the word of God. You can win the battle by using the word just as Jesus did. When Satan came to test Jesus, He responded with the word of God.

“But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” – Matthew 4:4 (NKJV)

God’s word is active and alive. It is waiting on you to believe and receive it by faith and live by it. Place yourself under the authority of the word. Using the word of God will only work if you have faith in it. Choose not to believe anything different than what the word of God says. Stop listening to what “they” say and focus on what God says. If the word of God says no, GO WITH GOD and not the world.

You are not on your own. Don’t allow what you’re going through to take your thoughts off of God and what He says. God is in your future and will keep you. God has given us His word through Jesus, and He will watch over it to see that it performs as promised (Isaiah 55:11 AMP). The word that God sent you is what you should be living by. If you believe God in what you’re going through and start believing God for what you believe to happen according to His word, He will restore, save, deliver, and heal you.

Seek God’s wisdom and allow Him to lead you to a filling and purposeful life. You are on a faith journey that is teaching you to trust God. Your faith experience builds trust and is not a one-time event but a daily pursuit. Practice and speak what you know (the word). Be committed to the word of God.

Let negative thoughts and behaviors die and do it consistently. It must be a lifestyle to live out your faith. To think faith-filled thoughts and not fear and sin-filled thoughts. Change what you take in through reading, watching, listening to, and thinking. Consume the word, and it will change your mindset. Your thoughts can be a heavy load on you, so take on the word of God instead. Give God praise and glory for what you believe, and watch your faith grow.

 

Writing this article has helped me reflect on my relationship with God. Am I really living out my faith and trusting in God’s promises, or am I trusting in myself and my feelings? I pray that it also helped to encourage you. Watch for my next article, where I go over “Embracing the ways of the kingdom.”

The information expressed above is excerpted from the sermon ”Living Out Your Faith” preached by Dr. Lee A. Simpson. You can listen to the complete sermon on our YouTube channel.