THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH
(First part)
Memory verse: (Romans 1:16-17) “ For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, The just shall live by faith ”
This week we’re going to learn the lifestyle of the new creation in Christ (2Cor5:17). When man fell, he stopped depending on God and began depend on his natural senses, this is called living by the flesh. But when we believed in Jesus Christ, we were born again, we became new creation, living in spirit beings, alive towards God, reconciled to God, sensitive to God, hearing God’s voice, sensing his presence and love, fellowshipping with the Spirit of God, the Spirit of God dwelling in our lives etc. The new creation is justified by God through the sacrifice of Jesus (Rom3:26). God has made us just through Jesus’ death on the cross. So, we are now called the just in Christ. We have been made righteous through Christ (2Cor5:21). In the above scripture, the just is the new creation, the believers. And this scripture teaches that the new creation lives by a new law. This law is called the law of faith. Our walk as new creation is dependent on faith. We depend on God again, we depend on the ability of God, without Him we can do nothing, our victory comes from Him, our new life in Christ depends on the finished work Jesus accomplished on the cross, in his resurrection and his position as Lord and the Christ seated at the right hand of God.
We have been restored to depend on God. Our life does not depend on what we do but what Christ did on the Cross. The epistles of Paul as he labored to explain and teach this mystery of the gospel of our salvation, he kept teaching to almost every church this spiritual law of faith. Let us see them: “ the just shall live by faith ” (Rom1:17) to the church of Romans, to the church of Corinthians he taught “ for we walk by faith not by sight ” (2Cor5:7), to the church of Galatians he wrote “ the just shall live by faith ” (Gal 3:11), to the Ephesians he said to them: For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast (Eph2:8-9). The writer of the book of Hebrews emphasizes the same law, “ the just shall live by faith ” (Heb10:38).
Tomorrow’s subject: ‘who has believed our report’
(Second part)
Memory verse: (Hebrews 4:2-3) “ For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said: “ So I swore in My wrath, ‘ They shall not enter My rest ’ although the works were finished from the foundation of the world ”
The gospel must be mixed with faith to produce results. The scripture is showing us that the gospel was preached to the house of Israel by Moses. God’s purposes and plans to bless us, to do us good were finished from the foundations of the earth, but we don’t see these blessings, joy, peace, success, victory etc not because we don’t hear them or read them but just because of lack of faith to believe what God’s word says. The old covenant had so many good promises, (Deut 28:1-14), the blessings of their father Abraham etc. God sent Moses many times to present to the house of Israel these wonderful promises of good things. But they did not believe them, instead they kept complaining about the things they lacked and lusted after many things and missed out on what God had prepared for them. They missed to enter the rest of God; they kept on struggling and toiling yet God’s plan for their blessing was complete.
So is with us, the redemption plan of God is complete, the covenant of God is already cut through the death of His son, Jesus Christ, the covenant has better promises. This new and everlasting covenant contains everything God could ever do for the redeemed and restored man, it contains everything we need for life and godliness (2Pet 1:3-6), eternal life, peace, forgiveness, joy, restoration, justification, sanctification, healing, deliverance (Col 1:13), the blessings of Abraham, the glory of God (Rom8:29-30), the Holy Spirit (Gal 3:13-14), doing the works of Christ (Jn14:12) etc, i.e. the list is endless. When Jesus was dying on the cross, he cried out, ‘IT IS FINISHED’. The heir does not enter into his inheritance until the father dies. When Jesus died, it was the time for us to enter into the fulfillment of the new covenant. There is no work we are to do except believing the work Jesus accomplished through his death on the cross and what he is doing as Lord at the right hand of the Father.
We will continue this subject tomorrow.
(Third part)
Memory verse: (Romans 10:13-16) “ For whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved. How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: ...But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, LORD, who has believed our report? ”
The gospel is being preached, its sound has gone to the end of the world. The work is complete. It’s our time to enter into the finished work and stop toiling. We can enjoy sweat less, stress less, painless, struggle less, fearless living in Christ. There’s one force from Satan that motivates men to do all they are doing, the force of fear. And fear is the opposite of faith. Fear to fail, fear of failing as a business man or woman, fear to fail as husband or wife, fear to fail as father or mother, fear to lose the job, fear to run bankrupt, fear to lose the success you have achieved, fear of disease, fear of death, fear of… there is fear because man chose to be independent of God. But those who trust in the Lord are like mountain Zion, they can’t be shaken because, God our rock of ages can’t be shaken (Ps 125:1), he doesn’t even change (Malachi3:6) . Those who believe in him will never be put to shame (Rom10:11), whosoever shall call upon him in faith shall be saved and faith comes by hearing the good news, gospel , the word of truth.
The church of our day had thought the good news is for the none believer; Yes we became believer by hearing the gospel, but , the same scripture says: the just, the believers shall live by faith, i.e. we live by the gospel. More than ever we need to hear the teaching, exposition, preaching, and any other biblical way of communicating the gospel because by the gospel all what God has for us are revealed unto us from faith to faith. When we keep on hearing the gospel, our faith keeps on growing from faith to faith. And as the faith keeps growing, we stop struggling in life and we begin walking in God’s complete plan for our lives. The gospel shows us all God’s blessings for us through Christ and faith rises as we see them, and when faith comes, we begin to receive all that God has given us with thanks and praise. Let your faith rise and receive everything the grace of God has given us in Christ.
Tomorrow’s subject: ‘A GREAT CLOUD OF WITNESSES’
(Fourth part)
Memory verse: (Hebrews12:1-2) " Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith "
Faith is so vital to all kingdom citizens, God’s children, and the new creation. There is no other way we can live as new creation, there is only one way to live, which is by faith i.e. Total dependence on God and the finished work of Jesus Christ. After a beautiful exposition of God’s new covenant through Christ in the book of Hebrews, the writer says in chapter 10:38, the just shall live by faith. Then chapter 11, he traversed through the whole bible to expose the men of faith and their exploits of faith. And finally in chapter 12, he brought the point home by saying: since we have such great cloud of witnesses, let us run our race. All these heroes of faith in chapter 11 are witnesses that prove to us that it is not in vain to believe God. They confirm the words of Jesus he spoke that to whom who believe all things are possible. They walked by faith, they believed what God said AND THEY DID GREAT EXPLOITS IN THEIR TIMES. Some by faith gave offerings that moved God’s heart, some divided the seas, others had their dead raised, other conquered kingdoms, others stopped the sun and the moon, other believed God and went where they did not know etc. By faith in God they lived a life of wonders, miracles etc. God is speaking to you and me. If they believed God and his promises and great things happened, let us believe God also.
It's your time to write a new history by believing God through Jesus Christ for his promises shall not fail. Jesus said, that who believe in him the works he did they will do, the moment he sits at the right hand of the Father. We are believers, i.e. the nature of the new creation. Believing should not be foreign to a new creation unless he /she walks in the flesh. Believing should be a natural phenomenon of a believer. Jesus said, these signs shall follow those who believe, they shall cast out devils in his name, they will speak in unknown tongues, they lay hands on the sick and they shall be healed, etc. Jesus is the Lord of lords, He is seated on the throne at the right hand of God. He is already gloried, just believe Him for any thing according to God’s will and it shall be possible.
Tomorrow’s subject: ‘THE LANGUAGE OF FAITH’
(Fifth part)
Memory verse: (Romans10:8-10) " But what does it say? The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation "
When the word of faith is preached, i.e. the gospel is the word of faith, the word of truth (Eph 1: 13), under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, this word produces faith in the heart of the believer. When faith is born, it must be expressed to produce results, i.e. faith is expressed or released through speaking, and when faith speaks out, results comes that change your situation depending on what area of life the gospel has touched. When we preach about healing through the stripes of Jesus, faith about healing comes and when confession is made, the people begin to be saved and delivered from diseases. When the gospel is preached about God’s plan to prosper us, faith comes about prosperity and when confession is made, people begin to be delivered from continuous lack and prosperity begin to flow into their lives. What you preach to your congregation, as a leader matters very much, because what you teach the church is what you see. It's amazing, Paul went to Galatia and preached the gospel of peace and people believed, people were filled with the Holy Spirit, miracles happened in peoples lives, but after he left, other preachers came and preached another gospel and people were bound again, (Gal3: 1-5)!!!
Twelve spies were sent by Moses in the promised land, ten said they were not able to possess the land but Caleb and Joshua said we are well able to and God said he will give to each party according to the words they said (Num 13: 26-33), (Num 14: 24-28). Faith has a language: Faith language is a language of possibility. Faith sees all things possible because faith does not focus on man‘s ability but God’s ability. Faith speaks just as fear does speak. When men/women are filled with faith, nothing can withhold them from speaking, likewise when people are gripped with fear they also speak. Faith comes from hearing God’s plans and promises for you through the preaching of the gospel. It's time we got filled with the knowledge of God’s will for our lives and begin to walk in faith.
Tomorrow’s subject: “we will continue this subject tomorrow”
(Sixth part)
Memory verse: (Numbers 14:26-28) " And the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying: How long shall I bear with this evil congregation who complain against Me? I have heard the complaints which the children of Israel make against Me. Say to them, As I live, says the LORD, just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will do to you "
What come out of our mouth determines our fate in life. God does not want us be controlled by circumstances of life but by what he said. Now we have been discovering what the gospel is, i.e. God plan for our lives by what he has done through Jesus. God wants us to live by the gospel. The gospel we are taught is the gospel that will create our destiny.
It's time we stop confessing what we see, what we hear from the world, what we feel and begin to confess what God has promised us to have and be in Christ. You don’t need to confess that you’re sick just because you don’t feel well, instead just say the opposite of what you feel, by his stripes we’re healed (Is 53:5). Because you lack a job and money does not mean you are poor, instead speak what the scripture says: my God will supply my needs according to his riches in heavenly places in Christ (Phil4: 19). The next time you fail and the devil begin to tell you, you are a failure, you will never make it in life, tell the devil, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phil4: 13).
" And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed and therefore I spoke, we also believe and therefore speak " (2cor4:13). The scripture says we have the spirit of faith and by this faith we speak. My brother my sister, it's time we express our faith by speaking God’s purposes, plans and promises upon our lives through Christ.
Every day, just wake up and proclaim: am what the bible says am, I can do what the bible says I ca do, I have what the bible says I have. I'm more than a conqueror in Christ Jesus, am prosperous, am victorious in Christ, am the righteousness of God in Christ, am blessed and not cursed because Jesus redeemed me from the curse of the law when he was hanged on the tree.
Enjoy the victorious life in Christ. Nice weekend
