Walking the Walk - Living by FaitH “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” Romans 1:16-17 Live by faith. It sounds so easy. At least it’s easy to say. But what does it really look like to truly live by faith?
Does it mean not doing anything and let God take care of everything? How else can we show we trust God? If we try to do things on our own doesn’t it mean, we are not trusting God? St. Paul was not a believer in Jesus at first. In fact, he was a devout Jewish man who was determined to single-handedly put a stop to “those people called Christians”. He believed that they were actually hurting Israel. This is who he was until God met him along the road and Paul was transformed. To read this story, check out Acts 9:1-19. From that day on he was a fully devoted follower of Jesus Christ. He spent the rest of his life sharing and living out his faith. He wrote approximately 2/3 of the New Testament and led several missionary journeys establishing churches all over Asia and into Europe. In the first chapter of his letter to the Romans, Paul shares his qualifications as a teacher of faith. In the verses above he teaches us that in the Gospel we are saved and live by faith. We are transformed by the Gospel to share it with others. Paul lived by faith all the remainder of his life. He did not sit back. He went out in humility to share why he loves Jesus to all he met. He models for us how to live by faith. He trusted God in all circumstances. His life was not exactly easy. He was imprisoned several times, shipwrecked, ridiculed, arrested. Yet, through it all he knew God was in control and trusted Him. In our lives we do not always know what is right around the corner. But we do know that God is with us as He was always with Paul. We need not sit in fear and not act. Nor do we ignore things and act as if everything is completely normal. We are to take life day by day for what it is. We are to sit in God’s Hands assured that He is in control. We are to act in faith, trusting and listening to the Holy Spirit. We are to continue to pursue humility as we seek to do God’s Will. We are to lay aside our personal agendas to be obedient to God alone. So do not fear if you are not sure you have this “live by faith” thing all down perfectly. Be assured that Jesus is right beside you teaching you each day to trust Him. With humility learn from Him each day how to live by faith. For those times you need encouragement, read some of Paul’s writings in the Bible and see how he kept trusting God in all circumstances. Paul was not ashamed of the Gospel. He lived it out in his life. He was so in love with God that he could not help but share his story with others. Follow his example, share why you love Jesus with someone. Before you know it, you will see how you are walking the walk and living by faith. `~Pastor Vicki Epper
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As we begin to navigate a more distanced society and find new ways to connect virtually, it is our hope as a staff that one way we can bless our community is through a Discover Church blog filled with encouragement and ways to reflect on His goodness and faithfulness as we all walk this path into the unknown. Categories
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