Live by Faith

"For when I tried to keep the law,

it condemned me.

So I died to the law

--I stopped trying to meet all its requirements--

so that I might live for God.

My old self has been crucified with Christ.

It is no longer I who live,

but Christ lives in me.

So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God,

who loved me and gave himself for me.

I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. 

For if keeping the law could make us right with God,

then there was no need for Christ to die."

Galatians 2:19-21 NLT

I put in all the work, doing all the right things; fertilizing, watering and mowing, being careful not to trample on the tender blades of grass.  Still, my lawn did not fill out with the lush, luxuriance I dreamed about.

Doing all the right things is not enough in life or in gardening.  Without the blessing of God, nothing will flourish.  I can plant the seed and take all the steps necessary to make sure it has a good chance, but only God can make that seed sprout and grow into a plant, or a beautiful yard.

This is like my walk with Jesus:  It is not a religion in which I perform certain rituals, jump through certain hoops and live a certain way, resulting in God's favor.  No.  My walk with Jesus is just that:  A walk.  It is a relationship with a real Savior who lives and breathes life into me.  

It is not possible for me to please God through my efforts in following His law.  Instead, I must realize that Jesus died so that I could live for Him by faith, not by works.

I've been Crucified

He faltered again under the heavy burden of the cross, stumbling as He labored up the hill toward the place called, 'Golgotha."  It wasn't the physical weight that hampered his climb, though.  Instead, it was the heaviness of my sin He bore upon Himself that mostly weighed Jesus down.  (1 Peter 2:24)

My old, sinful self died on the cross with Jesus.(v 20) In my old way of living, I had no choice but to do what came naturally in following the desires of my flesh.  I lied, cheated, stole, hated, doubted, disrespected life, showed no regard for God and basically lived for my own comfort and well-being because it was my nature to sin.

Now, however, I have another choice.  Jesus Christ has rescued me from that body of death and provided the option of following Him, allowing His nature to rule in place of mine. (Romans 7:24-25)

To live by faith I must first remember that my sinful nature has been crucified on the cross with Jesus.

Christ can Live

The vine creeps up the arbor, growing longer and longer until the entire archway is covered with the purplish-green leaves, casting a refreshing bit of shade in the midst of a hot summer day.  As I stand underneath the mass of greenery, I marvel at the fact that all of this foliage came from one plant.  When I water, I need only soak the ground around the roots and the branches will benefit from the refreshment.

It is the same with me and Jesus.  Once my own flesh is out of the way, He is free to live through me.  Jesus said that He is the vine and I am the branch.  As long as I stay connected to Him, I will bear His fruit. (Galatians 5:22-23)  Apart from Him, I can do nothing that matters in His kingdom.  (John 15:5)

To live by faith I must stay connected to the Source of all good things: Jesus.

Don't set aside Grace

The store was filled with books written to help me succeed in life, live a more meaningful life, and to learn how to fulfill every dream of my heart.  While these self-help books promise great things, there is only One who can truly bring about healing (Psalm 147:3), holds the blueprint for my life (Jeremiah 29:11) and gives me desires that match up with His (Psalm 37:4).

As I have been freed from the inevitability of sin and given the opportunity to live in tandem with Jesus Christ, the temptation is there to fall back into my old ways.  Sin creeps in so naturally, guiding me down a path away from Jesus.  Before I know it, I am back to trying to be good enough to earn God's favor, turning to common-sense answers, and utilizing behavioral modification instead of letting the power of God change me from the inside out.

To live by faith I must never forget the grace of God that makes my relationship with Him possible.

It's hard for me not to work at doing all the right things as a way of growing closer to Jesus.  He, however, is not impressed with my efforts, but only desires a relationship with me.  In order for me to draw closer to Him, I must remember that my old, sinful self has already been crucified on the cross and need not hold power over me, leaving room for Christ to live within me.  Finally, I must be careful to remember to treasure the grace I've been given that allows me to enjoy a relationship with Jesus, and to make this relationship the most important thing in my life.  In these ways, I will live today by faith instead of by works.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can remember that I can't please God just by working hard.

How do I try to work my way to Jesus instead of taking the gift of redemption He freely offers me?

When am I most tempted to try to fix myself instead of placing my sin back on the cross, letting Him fill the resulting void?