The Righteous Live By Faith

The Righteous Live By Faith

By Apostle Felix

17  This gospel unveils a continual revelation of God’s righteousness—a perfect righteousness given to us when we believe. And it moves us from receiving life through faith, to the power of living by faith. This is what the Scripture means when it says: “We are right with God through life-giving faith!”

Romans 1: 17

Faith is pivotal to our christian living. It will be practically impossible to live a christian life without it. Faith has been a subject matter in the church and had helped the church to accomplish incredible feats. However, it is of necessity that we take a look at what faith is again. Is faith positivism? If the emphasis leans heavily on positivism then we might missing the bigger picture of faith. Is faith having positive thoughts and making positive confessions? What really is faith?

16  we know full well that we don’t receive God’s perfect righteousness as a reward for keeping the law, but by the faith of Jesus, the Messiah! His faithfulness, not ours, has saved us, and we have received God’s perfect righteousness. Now we know that God accepts no one by the keeping of religious laws!

Galatians 2: 16

There can be many faiths in this world, but there is only one faith that stands out above them all, and that is the faith of Jesus. The Buddhists have faith in Buddha, and all the religions have their faith expressions in some deity or personality. And oftentimes, their faith is work based in order to appease their deities. A Hindu’s faith is based on religious works in order to attain a liberation from the cycle of birth, death and rebirth, which they call reincarnation. The Hindu’s acceptance by the gods is based on acts of piety.

On the other hand, faith can be expressed in positivism. I call this kind of faith as, ‘Oprah’s faith.’ This is the kind of faith that encourages one to believe in oneself and maintain a positive mindset. It is a good thing to be positive in life, however it is not the faith of the church. Before Christ came, they were individuals who were extremely positive about life in general. They had positive thoughts about themselves and made positive confessions. We cannot relate with God on the basis of been positive. Oprah cannot be declared righteous based on her positive mind and confessions.

16  But not everyone welcomes the good news, as Isaiah said: Lord, is there anyone who hears and believes our message?
17  Faith, then, is birthed in a heart that responds to God’s anointed utterance of the Anointed One. 

Romans 10: 16, 17

Christian faith is a product of the message of Christ believed. Faith is birthed in our hearts by hearing Christ. It is not merely scripture reading that produces faith but the unveiling of Christ in the scriptures is what imparts faith.

39  “You are busy analyzing the Scriptures, frantically poring over them in hopes of gaining eternal life. Everything you read points to me,
40  yet you still refuse to come to me so I can give you the life you’re looking for—eternal life! 

John 5: 39, 40

If the reading or preaching from the scriptures is not pointing to Christ, them most likely the preaching is void of the faith of Christ. The message is not lacking faith, but may lack the faith of Christ. The faith of Christ is only made manifest when Christ is revealed.

27  And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. 

30  And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. 
31  And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.

Luke 24: 27, 30, 31

The two disciples, despite been with Jesus did not know Christ because they lacked the knowledge of Christ in the scriptures. He expounded to them, or rather open the scriptures to them concerning Himself. And while at the table, Jesus broke the bread and their eyes opened. It was not their physical eyes that opened but it was the faith of Jesus that was imparted in them as the result of the words of Jesus. Once they believed, they went ahead to preach the resurrection of the Lord.

33  And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them,
34  Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon.
35  And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread. 

Luke 24: 33 – 35