Living IN & OUT Our Faith
Living Faith: From Head Knowledge to Heart Obedience
Faith is one of those words we throw around in Christian circles without always stopping to consider what it truly means. We say we have faith. We sing about faith. We encourage others to have faith. But when it comes to actually living by faith—well, that's where things get complicated.
The question isn't whether we believe in faith, but rather: How do we practically live it out? How does faith move from being a theological concept to a daily reality that shapes our decisions, attitudes, and relationships?
The Communication of Faith
The apostle Paul wrote to his friend Philemon about "the communication of thy faith" becoming effectual through acknowledging every good thing that is in us through Christ Jesus. This phrase—"communication of faith"—is fascinating. It suggests that faith isn't meant to be a private, internal experience. Faith communicates. It speaks through our lifestyle, our choices, and our responses to life's challenges.
People should be able to look at our lives and see faith in action. Not because we're perfect, but because we're yielded to something—Someone—greater than ourselves. Our motives, practices, and actions should be rooted in God's Word rather than our own wisdom or desires.
Here's the uncomfortable truth: living by faith doesn't come naturally. We're creatures who want certainty. We want to know where our foot will land before we take the step. We want guarantees before we make commitments. We want to see the parachute work before we jump. But faith, by its very nature, requires trust in the unseen.
Dying to Self
Romans 7:18 contains a sobering declaration: "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing." This isn't false humility or self-deprecation. It's biblical reality. When someone says, "I'm a good person," they're measuring themselves by their own standard, not God's.
The path to living faith begins with death—death to self. Romans 12:1-2 calls us to present our bodies as living sacrifices and to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. In other words, we need a complete mental overhaul. We need to be "brainwashed" by the Word of God.
Our natural thinking is corrupted. Our hearts are, as Jeremiah tells us, deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. The only way to live by faith is to crucify our flesh—our natural desires, affections, and thought patterns—and allow Christ to live through us.
Galatians 2:20 captures this beautifully: "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."
Setting Our Affections
If we're going to live by faith, we must intentionally set our affections and our minds on things above. Colossians 3 instructs us to seek those things which are above, where Christ sits at the right hand of God. This isn't passive. The word "seek" implies effort, intentionality, and discipline.
We must purposefully place our love on Christ. The things we naturally love—comfort, control, recognition, security—must be set aside so we can love Jesus supremely.
Philippians 4:8 gives us a filter: "whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."
Where do we find all these qualities? In God's Word. Scripture is true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, and worthy of praise because Jesus is the Word made flesh.
The Battle for Our Minds
There's a reason this mental and affectional discipline is so crucial: we're in a spiritual battle for our minds. Second Corinthians 10:3-5 reminds us that though we walk in the flesh, we don't war according to the flesh. The weapons of our warfare aren't carnal but mighty through God for pulling down strongholds, casting down imaginations, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.
The devil isn't primarily our enemy—he's God's enemy. And here's the critical point: we cannot defeat the devil on our own. He will win every single time if we try to fight him with our own strength, wisdom, or strategies. This isn't our fight; it's God's fight. And it's God's victory.
Our job is simply to put on the whole armor of God and stand. To pray. To ask God to help us stand today—not tomorrow, not next week, but today. Sometimes it's as simple as praying, "Lord, help me get through the next five minutes."
The Test of Forgiveness
Living by faith isn't just about spiritual disciplines or theological understanding. It gets intensely practical when it comes to relationships. The letter to Philemon illustrates this perfectly. Paul wrote to a church leader about receiving back Onesimus, a man who had wronged Philemon in some way. The church was living out faith in many areas, but there was a blind spot: resentment.
We cannot claim to live by faith while harboring bitterness toward anyone. Real faith leads to obedience, and we've been commanded to forgive others as we have been forgiven. Matthew 6:12 ties our forgiveness directly to our willingness to forgive: "And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors."
How many sins does God hold against us once we're forgiven? None. How many sins should we hold against others if we're living in obedience? The same—none.
Forgiveness isn't about feelings. It's about obedience. We often think forgiveness is something we have to work up to emotionally, something we'll eventually feel ready to do. But forgiveness is an act of obedience, not an emotional state. We forgive because God commands it, not because we feel like it.
Consider this scenario: What if God tested your forgiveness by putting you in a position where you had to serve the very person who hurt you? What if that person called you for help when they were stranded? Would you go? That's where faith becomes real. That's where obedience costs us something.
Faith as Practice
Faith isn't merely something we possess; it's something we practice. We've been given faith as a gift, but now we must exercise it. Living by faith means striving to move past our old life and into the life we have in Christ.
When we live by faith, we become hospitals for the hurting and homes for the healed. We meet needs without being asked—at least not by people, but by God. We love without conditions. We forgive without limits. We serve without resentment.
This kind of faith refreshes others. When people see authentic faith lived out, it encourages them. It gives them hope that maybe, just maybe, they can live this way too.
The Journey Forward
The journey of faith never ends in this life. We don't "arrive." There's no graduation ceremony where we receive our certificate of spiritual perfection. The goal is simply to be more like Christ today than we were yesterday. And when we conquer one area, God will lovingly reveal another area that needs growth.
Living by faith means dying to self daily. It means renewing our minds continually. It means setting our affections intentionally. It means fighting spiritual battles with spiritual weapons. And it means forgiving others completely.
It's not easy. It's not natural. But it's the abundant life Jesus promised—a life where He lives through us, where His power is made perfect in our weakness, and where His glory is displayed through our obedience.
The question remains: Will we live by faith or by fear? Will we trust Him or trust ourselves? Will we obey or rationalize? The choice, moment by moment, is ours.
Faith is one of those words we throw around in Christian circles without always stopping to consider what it truly means. We say we have faith. We sing about faith. We encourage others to have faith. But when it comes to actually living by faith—well, that's where things get complicated.
The question isn't whether we believe in faith, but rather: How do we practically live it out? How does faith move from being a theological concept to a daily reality that shapes our decisions, attitudes, and relationships?
The Communication of Faith
The apostle Paul wrote to his friend Philemon about "the communication of thy faith" becoming effectual through acknowledging every good thing that is in us through Christ Jesus. This phrase—"communication of faith"—is fascinating. It suggests that faith isn't meant to be a private, internal experience. Faith communicates. It speaks through our lifestyle, our choices, and our responses to life's challenges.
People should be able to look at our lives and see faith in action. Not because we're perfect, but because we're yielded to something—Someone—greater than ourselves. Our motives, practices, and actions should be rooted in God's Word rather than our own wisdom or desires.
Here's the uncomfortable truth: living by faith doesn't come naturally. We're creatures who want certainty. We want to know where our foot will land before we take the step. We want guarantees before we make commitments. We want to see the parachute work before we jump. But faith, by its very nature, requires trust in the unseen.
Dying to Self
Romans 7:18 contains a sobering declaration: "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing." This isn't false humility or self-deprecation. It's biblical reality. When someone says, "I'm a good person," they're measuring themselves by their own standard, not God's.
The path to living faith begins with death—death to self. Romans 12:1-2 calls us to present our bodies as living sacrifices and to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. In other words, we need a complete mental overhaul. We need to be "brainwashed" by the Word of God.
Our natural thinking is corrupted. Our hearts are, as Jeremiah tells us, deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. The only way to live by faith is to crucify our flesh—our natural desires, affections, and thought patterns—and allow Christ to live through us.
Galatians 2:20 captures this beautifully: "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."
Setting Our Affections
If we're going to live by faith, we must intentionally set our affections and our minds on things above. Colossians 3 instructs us to seek those things which are above, where Christ sits at the right hand of God. This isn't passive. The word "seek" implies effort, intentionality, and discipline.
We must purposefully place our love on Christ. The things we naturally love—comfort, control, recognition, security—must be set aside so we can love Jesus supremely.
Philippians 4:8 gives us a filter: "whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."
Where do we find all these qualities? In God's Word. Scripture is true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, and worthy of praise because Jesus is the Word made flesh.
The Battle for Our Minds
There's a reason this mental and affectional discipline is so crucial: we're in a spiritual battle for our minds. Second Corinthians 10:3-5 reminds us that though we walk in the flesh, we don't war according to the flesh. The weapons of our warfare aren't carnal but mighty through God for pulling down strongholds, casting down imaginations, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.
The devil isn't primarily our enemy—he's God's enemy. And here's the critical point: we cannot defeat the devil on our own. He will win every single time if we try to fight him with our own strength, wisdom, or strategies. This isn't our fight; it's God's fight. And it's God's victory.
Our job is simply to put on the whole armor of God and stand. To pray. To ask God to help us stand today—not tomorrow, not next week, but today. Sometimes it's as simple as praying, "Lord, help me get through the next five minutes."
The Test of Forgiveness
Living by faith isn't just about spiritual disciplines or theological understanding. It gets intensely practical when it comes to relationships. The letter to Philemon illustrates this perfectly. Paul wrote to a church leader about receiving back Onesimus, a man who had wronged Philemon in some way. The church was living out faith in many areas, but there was a blind spot: resentment.
We cannot claim to live by faith while harboring bitterness toward anyone. Real faith leads to obedience, and we've been commanded to forgive others as we have been forgiven. Matthew 6:12 ties our forgiveness directly to our willingness to forgive: "And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors."
How many sins does God hold against us once we're forgiven? None. How many sins should we hold against others if we're living in obedience? The same—none.
Forgiveness isn't about feelings. It's about obedience. We often think forgiveness is something we have to work up to emotionally, something we'll eventually feel ready to do. But forgiveness is an act of obedience, not an emotional state. We forgive because God commands it, not because we feel like it.
Consider this scenario: What if God tested your forgiveness by putting you in a position where you had to serve the very person who hurt you? What if that person called you for help when they were stranded? Would you go? That's where faith becomes real. That's where obedience costs us something.
Faith as Practice
Faith isn't merely something we possess; it's something we practice. We've been given faith as a gift, but now we must exercise it. Living by faith means striving to move past our old life and into the life we have in Christ.
When we live by faith, we become hospitals for the hurting and homes for the healed. We meet needs without being asked—at least not by people, but by God. We love without conditions. We forgive without limits. We serve without resentment.
This kind of faith refreshes others. When people see authentic faith lived out, it encourages them. It gives them hope that maybe, just maybe, they can live this way too.
The Journey Forward
The journey of faith never ends in this life. We don't "arrive." There's no graduation ceremony where we receive our certificate of spiritual perfection. The goal is simply to be more like Christ today than we were yesterday. And when we conquer one area, God will lovingly reveal another area that needs growth.
Living by faith means dying to self daily. It means renewing our minds continually. It means setting our affections intentionally. It means fighting spiritual battles with spiritual weapons. And it means forgiving others completely.
It's not easy. It's not natural. But it's the abundant life Jesus promised—a life where He lives through us, where His power is made perfect in our weakness, and where His glory is displayed through our obedience.
The question remains: Will we live by faith or by fear? Will we trust Him or trust ourselves? Will we obey or rationalize? The choice, moment by moment, is ours.
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