#118 A LIVING FAITH 9-11-26
A living faith is not merely believing that God exists. It is a faith that reaches into our everyday lives. It is real. It is reliable. And it is relational. James says that “faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead” (James 2:17). Genuine faith is alive because it changes the way we live.
REAL. Our faith is real because Jesus Christ is real. He came into this world, lived among us, died for our sins, and rose again from the dead. “For we did not follow cunningly devised fables” (2 Peter 1:16). Christianity is not built upon wishful thinking. We trust in a risen Savior who entered human history. Our faith has substance because Christ has substance.
RELIABLE. We can build our lives upon God because God can be trusted. People change. Circumstances change. Feelings change. But “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). When everything around us is uncertain, the promises of God remain certain. We may not know what tomorrow holds, but we know who holds us. “He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it” (1 Thessalonians 5:24).
RELATIONAL. Faith is not simply believing facts about Jesus; it is knowing Jesus. “Abide in Me, and I in you” (John 15:4). The Christian life is a relationship of trust, obedience, prayer, love, and fellowship with Christ. We do not merely know about Him. We walk with Him. We listen to His word. We depend upon His grace. We seek to please Him because we love Him.
That is why a living faith continues. It trusts when the answer has not come. It obeys when obedience is difficult. It keeps walking when the road is dark. “For we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). A living faith does not mean we never struggle. It means that even in the struggle, we continue to trust the One who is real, reliable, and near.
So let your faith be more than something you profess with your lips. Let it become something you live with your life. Real enough to stand upon. Reliable enough to trust. Relational enough to walk with every day. “The just shall live by faith” (Romans 1:17).
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Lord Jesus, help me to have a living faith, not merely a faith I profess, but a faith I practice. Help me to trust You when I cannot see the way, to rely upon Your promises when life is uncertain, and to walk closely with You each day. Make my faith real, reliable, and relational. May my life demonstrate that I truly believe You, love You, and belong to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
BDD
