4 Key Principles to live by faith

How to live by faith is a question every believer needs to be able to answer.  Faith is such a powerful force. Without faith It’s impossible to please God. (Hebrews 11:6)   As believers we are are instructed to live by faith. In fact God tells us four times, in four different books of the Bible, in both the old and new testament that, “The just or righteous shall live by faith”. (Habakkuk 2:4, Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11, and Hebrews 10:38.) Obviously God wants to make sure we get this. Living by faith is an exciting and rewarding life, but what exactly does it mean and why is so important?

How to live by faith – What does it mean

Living by faith is not the same thing as being a person of faith or being faithful to a set of religious beliefs. It’s not a matter of just having faith. Every believer has faith. (Romans 12:3) To live life by faith is not about becoming a believer even though it does take faith to be saved. (Ephesians 2:8) There are many born again believers who are saved, love the Lord, and have faith, but they don’t live their lives by faith.

Faith is an action word. To live by faith you’re thinking, speaking, and taking action that corresponds to God’s Word. Believers who live by faith are willing to trust and obey God even when they don’t fully comprehend all of God’s ways. They’re not troubled by circumstances that seem to contradict the Word of God. They know God does all things right and will work everything together for good. (Romans 8:28) They are not ruled by popular opinion, feelings, or reason. They live everyday trusting the Lord. (click here to read my post on “Trust Jesus – Not Your Faith“) They know that God is working in them and through them and that living by faith is a process that one grows in every day.

4 Key Principles from the  4 Key Verses – “The just shall live by faith”

Habakkuk 2:4 introduces the concept of living by faith. It says, “Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith.” We see the contrast of the proud, those who live their life trusting in themselves, their abilities, wisdom, strength, and works, verses those who live their life trusting in the Lord.

Romans 1:17 stresses “the just”. It says, “For in it (the gospel) the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” In the book of Romans Paul focuses on righteousness, which means – to be right with God. He gives us the revelation that man is made right with God not by works, but by faith in Christ. Those who accept the gift of righteousness now are expected and empowered to live their life by faith and not by the flesh.

Galatians 3:11 stresses “faith”. It says, “But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for “the just shall live by faith” In Galatians Paul focuses on trusting God instead of trusting self. In the world we have learned to earn what we get – our grades in school, our paychecks, our positions, promotions, etc. However, we do not earn God’s acceptance or righteousness. We must never think that “God owes us something because we’re so good. We owe God everything because He is good. Faith fully realizes and accepts that trust and puts total trust in Him.

Hebrews 10:38 stresses “shall live”. It says, “Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.” The book of Hebrews focuses on the process or journey of faith. We have to walk out the life of faith. Faith is a marathon not a sprint. Faith is for the duration. Faith is not about one event or some experience or emotion. We must hold fast, not giving up or quitting. Faith requires perseverance. (10:23) We must run the race of faith with patient endurance (12:1-2).

Why is Living by Faith So Important?

Because faith is how you receive from God. The only way to consistently receive instruction, wisdom, favor, direction, provision, or anything else from God is to live by faith. Living by faith is the only way to please God. If you’re a true follower of Christ then you will want to live a life that pleases the Father. Hebrews 11:6 tells us “without faith it is impossible to please God”. Romans 14:23 says, “whatever is not from faith is sin” We may do a lot of good things in life, but if they are done with any other motive than faith it is viewed as sin. Living by faith is extremely important for a believer.

Today decide to put your full trust in the Lord and live your life by faith!