Scripture shows only two ways to live: from faith or from sin, for 2 Corinthians 5:6-8; Galatians 2:20, and Romans 14:23 tells us until we are at home with the Lord, we can only walk by faith and not by sight, although as Christians, we were crucified with Christ, and He now lives through us, because anything that is not from faith is sin; therefore, we either live a life of faith or a life of sin.
First John 5:18-21 commands everyone, especially Christians, to keep ourselves from idols, so Satan, the devil, the wicked one and his demonic spirits cannot touch us, because, as Christians, Jesus Christ is in us and us in Him, and we know eternal life is in Jesus Christ, in whom we are.
Romans 5:1-5 reveals how, as Christians, we are justified (as if we had never sinned) by faith in Jesus Christ, who Ephesians 2:13-14 says is our Peace, through whom we also have access (entrance into) His grace (John 1:17), to stand unchangeable in the hope of His glory, so we rejoice in tribulations that builds perseverance, character, hope, and hope is the prelude to God’s love in us, by the Holy Spirit.
All this was written to reveal how a life of faith is strict obedience to God and His word, meaning we must always think, speak, and perform from a life of faith in believing and obeying God and His word.
In John 7:37-39 there is the adverbial phrase (in which a group of words act as an adverb), in verse 38 saying, “as the Scripture has said”, proving what the Holy Spirit speaks through us will always be “as the Scripture has said”, or what we read in the Bible, the Scriptures, for the Holy Spirit only speaks through Christians what is already written in God’s word, the Scriptures.
To illustrate what has been said, we will use healing and health; something we all need.
In Exodus 15:22-26 our Lord promised the Israelites if they listened to Him, believed Him, and obeyed Him, they would be free of diseases and sickness, for He is the Lord that heals us, and Isaiah 53:4-6, 1 Peter 2:21-25, and 3 John 1:2 reveal all infections, disease, sickness, weakness, and mental health, Jesus Christ has already taken the stripes for our heling and health for He is our healer and health, but we must “from words of faith” constantly claim these biblical truths, until we ask our Lord Jesus to remove from us all idols and replace them with healing and health.
This statement may shock our reader, but it is what Scripture says: “Whatever is not from faith is sin, but there is no sin in Christ Jesus, the Head of His body, the worldwide church, of which all genuinely righteous Christians are members”.
For Romans 14:23 says “whatever is not from faith is sin” and 1 John 3:4-9 tells us, “4 Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. 5 And you know He (Jesus Christ) was manifested (revealed) to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. 6 Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him. 7 Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He (Jesus Christ) is righteous. 8 He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose, the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.
The only way I know to “practice righteousness”, so we are as righteous (as right with God) as Christ, is to constantly claim by faith 1 Corinthians 1:30-31, that says God placed Christians in Christ, who became for us “wisdom from God, righteousness, sanctification (holiness), and redemption; thus, by knowing Christ is our righteousness (fully right with God), we become what He is, just as 1 John 4:17 says.
We only claim the Scriptures we believe God will allow us to receive, but we know Jesus, in Mark 11:24 promises, “Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them”. And Romans 4:17-18 says, 17 (as it is written,” I have made you [Abraham] a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did; 18 who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” If though, we do not immediately receive what we need and ask of Him, then we STOP believing God’s promises and STOP thanking Him for us receiving all “His exceedingly great and precious promises (2 Peter 1:4), and that is sin and not faith, for Jesus commands us in Luke 18:1 to pray in faith and never give up until we receive from God what He promised in His word, and then Jesus illustrated His command in verses 2-8, by the parable of the “persistent widow” that cried to God day and night until God caused the unjust judge’s mind to totally focus on her needs, so he did what she asked. Believe God’s word, and praise, thank, and worship Him for receiving them.
Tim, Kim, and Jim Nabors
