-Transcript-
00:35 Amen. Glory to God. Welcome to the program.
00:38 Welcome to the cafe. Hope you’re having a great day today. Hopefully all is well with you.
00:42 If it’s not, it will be soon, I believe, because we are about to dive into God’s Word. Get into the book. Amen.
00:49 It never hurts to get into the book. It only helps. God’s Word never returns void.
00:54 Amen. And today we are speaking about living by faith. Living by faith is what God calls us to do.
01:01 Living by faith. So we have faith in God. We imagine it.
01:05 We think it. We believe it in our heart. And then living by faith means that we act that out.
01:11 Romans 1:16- 17. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation, to everyone that believeth, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed, from faith to faith, as it is written, the just shall live by faith.
01:30 Well let’s unpack this a little bit. Romans 1:16-17. You know, Paul’s telling us he’s not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
01:40 It is the power of God unto salvation, to everyone that believeth. Everyone. The Jew first and also the Greek.
01:46 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed, from faith to faith. So the righteousness of God, the goodness of God, the love of God, the mercy of God. It’s all revealed in the gospel account found in 1 Corinthians 15:1- 4 and many other places in the Bible.
02:02 We read about the gospel especially here in Paul’s letter in Romans. And we see that for therein is the righteousness of God revealed, from faith to faith, as it is written, the just shall live by faith. So we want to be just.
02:20 We want to be right with God. We want to be just before God. We want to live for God as best we can.
02:27 And we are called to live by faith. This is a command from God. This is not optional.
02:33 The idea is that the Christian that does not live by faith is living carnal, is living in the world, is living in sin, because they don’t trust in God. You know, we all face situations where we have to say, do we trust in man or God? And we must put God first, Amen, and say that we trust in Him, that we believe in Him and His ways, because His ways are higher than our ways. And if they’re higher than our ways, the ones that are saved, they’re certainly higher than the ways of the world, Amen.
03:00 This is a command from God. A walk is something that involves movement. A walk is something that is not automatic.
03:08 If I told you I wanted to go for a walk outside, and I continued to sit in my easy chair, in my recliner, and I said, oh but I really believe in that, and I want to do that, and I believe in that, and I sat in that chair, you would look at me and say, you are talking about walking, but you are not actually walking. And many people will talk about having great faith and not exhibit great faith. Now I believe God gives everyone a different measure of faith.
03:34 The Bible teaches that. I believe some literally have been given more faith than others, but we all have faith, Amen, and we are all to utilize that faith. And what does that mean? That means a walk.
03:45 That means trusting God. And you say, Brother Clark, how can I walk in faith? Well, you can walk in faith by saying that God’s Word will do something for you, and you’re gonna study it every day. You’re gonna have faith that if you devote the time, that if you make the discipline to studying His Word, you will have a benefit from that, that God will bless for you doing that.
04:08 You can walk in faith by saying, I’m gonna go soul winning on Saturday instead of to the lake. That’s a walk by faith saying, I believe it’s better to go serve God than to go and do something fun. Now there’s nothing wrong with doing fun things, but those that go and serve the Lord and are kind of taking up their cross, so to speak, they’re living for God instead of themselves.
04:36 They’re having faith that a better reward awaits them. That’s biblical. You know, the Scripture talks about how Moses esteemed the riches of God greater than the riches of Egypt, which at that time, Egypt was very powerful and rich.
04:47 So this is a command we have. This is a walk we have to make. The idea is, I’m gonna go to Sunday morning service and Sunday night service.
04:53 I’m gonna live by faith, and that’s what God wants me to do. And not just these Christian type things. I’m gonna read the Bible and go to service and go soul winning.
05:02 But walking by faith, believing God’s gonna help you when you’re sick. Walking by faith, believing that God is gonna guide you in the right direction when you pray. Walking by faith, believing that God calls you to love your enemies and then actually loving them, right? Rather than saying that but doing another thing.
05:17 That’s what it means to walk by faith. And it’s a struggle, is it not? It’s a push and it’s a pull. It’s a difficulty to walk by faith in this wicked world.
05:26 It keeps telling us that man can do anything and that we should just trust ourselves and lift each other up. And trust the books and the academics and all these things. It’s very difficult to say, no I’m gonna live by faith.
05:40 I’m gonna walk by faith. This is a struggle. We have to daily take up our cross.
05:44 And that means that we have to have faith that God is calling us to something. And live that out. And walk that out.
05:52 And live that command out. And not be frivolous or just be blown with the wind here there and everywhere as the scripture talks about. But be rooted in that sound doctrine that is in the Bible.
06:01 Secondly here, we should not look back. If we are to live by faith, that means we’re not gonna look back. Hebrews10:38, now the just shall live by faith but if any man draw back my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
06:17 So we understand the just shall live by faith as was mentioned there in Romans 1:17. And then we see the root of this scripture here in Habakkuk 2 verse 4. Behold his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him but the just shall live by his faith. In Habakkuk 2:4, behold his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him.
06:41 When we lift ourselves up, when we decide that we know better than God, we are acting vain. And vanity means more than just someone that likes to look at themselves. Vanity in the biblical term, as I understand it, means improper use.
06:55 The vain person walks backward against God’s ways. They are acting improper. Have you ever seen a swimmer try to fly? You know, have you ever seen a, I’m trying to think of an example, an airplane go underwater? Have you ever seen a tennis player play football? It’s improper use, Amen.
07:15 The vain person walks backward against God’s ways. And what we need to do is walk forward in faith and not backward. Scripture warns us of the trouble in this.
07:26 We’re warned by this. And so how people, how man, how woman goes and backslides? Oftentimes it’s because they’re not in God’s Word. They’re not in his house.
07:34 They’re not in his Word. They’re not in prayer. And now they’re praying for the devil.
07:39 Think about it. The Bible calls us to be of a sober mind. And oftentimes people in this world, they want to be drunk.
07:44 They want to be numbed up on drugs or drunk. And not just in the medical sense, but also too on social media or escapism and movies or having cultural idols. Maybe it’s a sports team.
07:58 Maybe it’s a celebrity, maybe it’s anime or some other thing that people follow that they fall in love with. And they say, I’m going to focus tunnel vision on this, and I’m going to get my pleasure out of this. And then they expect that dumb idol to deliver them from God’s wrath and from God’s judgment.
08:15 And that dumb idol can do nothing of the sort. The vain person walks backwards. The vain person doesn’t understand that God calls us to live for him.
08:29 And so we need to be humble. We need to fear God. We need to have that humility and meekness that Jesus displayed when he was obedient, obedient unto death.
08:38 Amen. Think of Lot’s wife. We see them as being judged as an example for their gross immorality, their homosexuality, that absolutely was and is an abomination to God.
08:52 My God doesn’t change. It’s an abomination to him then. It’s an abomination to him now.
08:54 He’s perfect. He doesn’t change. He didn’t just change his mind, okay? This is a sin, alright? As all other sins are, it’s grievous to God.
09:05 And here we see Lot fleeing the city, and we imagine the city to be full of dainties, full of trappings, full of friends and fun and all of these things. And I believe it grieved Lot. I believe the Bible explains that that city grieved Lot.
09:17 But Lot’s wife, she looked back. And the angels told Lot and his wife and their daughters, don’t look back. And she looked back because I believe she was remorseful.
09:28 She was upset. She wanted to know what was gonna happen to that city she cared so much about. And she turned into a pillar of salt.
09:35 And we understand the whole incident around Sodom and Gomorrah is God’s example, okay? God isn’t wiping out every wicked place. If he would, there’d be not much left of the world, okay? He’s not doing that. He did that there for us to understand his power and his fury and his abhorrence to sin and his plea to people to get right with him and to repent.
09:58 And so we see that when we walk by faith and we live by faith, we should never look back. And I believe the backslider is vain. They don’t fear God.
10:08 And they’re looking back. They’re looking at what could be and what went on. And they reflect on some of those fleshly, sinful pleasures they would engage in.
10:19 And they just say, oh, I can’t wait to do that again. And God knows that in their heart. That’s why the Lord will give them over to that reprobate mind.
10:24 And so they just go about their business and they look back. And you know what? Eventually you look back enough, you end up moving back. And you end up moving away from the things of God.
10:33 And if you say, I’m too busy to get into God’s Word, to serve the Lord, to live for him, to pray, to do anything for God. If you’re too busy to do that, then expect to backslide. Because the rock-solid Christian is spending a ton of time with the Lord Jesus Christ.
10:50 And you say, well Brother Clark, I’ve got a job and I’ve got kids. I’m in school and I’ve got responsibilities. I work two jobs and I’m in this club and that club.
10:58 Look, it doesn’t matter. God has given you enough time to worship him where you’re at. And if you don’t have enough time where you’re at, or you can’t find peace to worship Him, then you need to modify that schedule.
11:11 Amen Because God didn’t make you to go afar off. God made you to be close to him. Think about that.
11:17 Why would God make you to go afar off? He didn’t. That’s lust of the flesh. That’s sinful desire.
11:23 Finally, living by faith showcases our trust in God through action. Faith without works is dead. James 2:26.
11:29 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. We understand we’re born to a dead body. We don’t have a spirit living within us.
11:38 We don’t have the Holy Spirit living within us until we’re saved. Until we’re born again. That’s why it’s called being born again.
11:43 We have new life. We are born again in Christ. Amen? We’re no longer the old person.
11:50 And the old person should be put away. And faith without works is the idea of, if you say you believe and you never do anything for God, then you’re just like that old person. You’re not new.
11:58 You’re not living for God. Amen The Bible here in James gives a great example. I believe it’s the same chapter.
12:06 James 2:14-17. What doth it profit my brethren though a man say he hath faith and have not works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled, notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body, what doth it profit? Even so, faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. And that example really should cut you.
12:31 If you say, oh I’ve got faith and you never do anything, you’re as productive as the person saying, oh be warm and be filled to the person that has nothing. That’s not going to help them. Amen Faith without works is dead.
12:42 We are not saved by our works. I’ve made that clear many times. We’re saved by grace alone, through faith alone, and Jesus Christ alone.
12:50 But when we get that Holy Spirit living within us, we aren’t to grieve the Holy Spirit. We’re to enrich that Holy Spirit. How do we do that? We be about our Father’s business.
12:57 And we live as God’s called us to live. We’re productive for Him. We are bearing fruit for Him.
13:04 There’s a lot of examples of the fruit tree bearing fruit. We are to bear fruit for God. If you are living for God, you’re going to be bearing fruit for God.
13:10 If you’re not living for God, then that’s a problem. You’re not bearing fruit. And so that’s a way, a barometer, to see where you’re at.
13:18 Are you bearing fruit for God? Are you doing something for the Lord? If not, let’s make time for God. No man is good enough to live without faith. Finally here, no man is good enough to live without faith.
13:28 You may say that you’re a good person. You’ve given to organizations. You help someone cross the street.
13:33 You love your neighbor. It’s not good enough. You have to have faith.
13:35 You have to believe in God and trust God. Your good works are, your righteousness is as filthy rags to God. Our righteousness should be found in Jesus Christ alone, and that comes from believing God, from trusting God, from seeking God, and serving God.
13:53 And that is how we exhibit our faith, and that is how we walk by faith, and that, by the way, is how we are blessed by walking by faith and living by faith. And we have a closeness with God that’s without compare. I thank you for listening.
14:07 Take care. God bless and Amen.