Living by the Faith of Jesus Christ

Chapter One LIVING BY THE FAITH OF JESUS CHRIST

God’s plan for man included sending His Word to dwell in human flesh for thirty-three and a half years. Jesus Christ became the first begotten of the Father and His ministry lasted three and a half years. His mission was that of reconciliation, as God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself. Jesus promised to send those who believed on Him a Comforter, before He returned to the Father. This Comforter we know to be the Holy Ghost. He is the Spirit of God, the Life of Christ, and the substance of our faith, nevertheless, it is the life of Christ that I want you to see today. You must understand that the life of Jesus Christ lives in you. That life is the same today as it was 2000 years ago.

Romans 12:3

For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

The scripture declares that God has dealt to every one of us the measure of Faith; we must consider that the only thing we have received from God is the Holy Ghost. Everything He has dispensed is in the Spirit He has given to us. It follows therefore, that the faith He gave us is in the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost being the life of Jesus is His faith that we have received. This is important because it takes the stress out of trying to walk in faith. All we have to do is believe in the Christ within, and walk in His Spirit. His faith has already been tried and tested and has never failed.

While Christ was here on earth everything that He did or said was in accordance to, reliant on, and of complete trust in what the Father said. His life was completely sold out to doing the will of the Father. There was never an issue with Him as to whether or not He was going to obey God. The Bible says that Christ was obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Christ knew that His life was in God’s hand. He knew that His body would not see corruption (decay), and that He would be raised from the dead. He believed it because God said it. He knew that the Father was faithful and could not lie.

This same Faith (adhering to, relying on, and completely trusting God) is in each and every one of us who have accepted Christ. Let me spell out right here your responsibility in this equation. You must supply faith in the Christ that is in you. You must believe on Him the way the scripture has said. The Father does not expect this to be hard considering that you have already experienced the power of that Christ. Your faith in Him is manifested in your obedience. To obey is to walk in the Spirit of Christ. Accepting this premise we must look into that which hinders the church from walking in that faith.

Galatians 2:20

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

This scripture forces you to examine the true operation of your salvation. The old man of sin is dead, He is crucified with Christ. The source of life for your body now, is the Spirit of Christ Jesus, (the Holy Ghost). Because the old man of sin died in Christ, it is lawful for him to be raised in Christ. These are the facts and this is the good news, the report that was not believed. We, the Sons of God live by the power of the indwelling Christ; He is our source of life. The Father has not given us the spirit of the world to fear but that of Jesus Christ, the conqueror of death. In Him we live, walk, and overcome the temptations of this world.

Philippians 2:5

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

According to the above passage, it is your responsibility to allow the mind of Christ to be in you. It follows therefore that you can deny that mind. You have the ability to refuse to be led by the Spirit; you can choose your own path. The bottom line is, you can refuse to obey God. Christ also had the same choice. In making your decision though, consider this:

1 John 5:12

He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

1 John 1:2-3

2(For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)

3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

1 John 1:5-7

5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:

7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

If you choose not to walk in the life of Christ, then you choose to walk in darkness and death. As I stated earlier Christ is the same today as He was yesterday and the scriptures clearly define our relationship to Him.

1 John 4:17

Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

To walk in the Spirit is to be as Christ is. He came to reconcile men to God, now we have been given the ministry of reconciliation. To walk in the Spirit allows us to experience the same passion for our brothers in the world as Christ has. Furthermore, His Spirit being the source of our lives, genders Godly character and emotion. Christ is continuing His mission in our bodies. He remains focused on the will of the Father, willing to obey at any cost. This is the mind of Christ today as He lives in you. You must take on or allow this mind to operate by not quenching or grieving the Holy Ghost. Obedience to the mind of Christ is your salvation; to do otherwise is death, hell and destruction.

WALLS OF IMPASSE

Let us continue to investigate why the Faith of Christ has not been consistent in our lives.

A. Wantonness: unlawful desires, lust and consideration of self; SIN.

One of the major oppositions in the Body of Christ generally, and even more specifically for men, has been wantonness. Wantonness is desires or even mindsets for which you are willing to break the laws of God to fulfill. Wantonness has kept men from walking in the power, authority and faith of Christ; it has been a crippler in the Body of Christ. It is in the hearts of men that desires, emotions, affections and appetites exist. Your strong desires and mindsets have persisted in your heart because you have protected and shielded them from the influence of the Word of God. Pride is the mechanism used to shield the areas of the heart that house your most protected wants and private beliefs.

James 5:5

Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter.

As a result of wantonness the world will not see men functioning and operating in the totality of Faith, (the operation of the Holy Ghost). It will only see men who have a form of Godliness, but denying the power thereof. Jesus prayed for the Father to make us one with them and each other, but want, greed and lust forbid this. So the question before you today is, “What is it that you want so much that you are not willing to do without it? What is it that is hindering the life of Christ from being manifested?” Could it be sex, a car, a house, a job, or money? Or could it just be your way of thinking? Whatever that thing is, it must be eradicated from our being. Be honest with God and yourself, you know the answers to these questions. You are not in the dark concerning the desires that hold your mind captive remember, the truth shall make you free.

B. Iniquity: Lawlessness, that which stops the flow of love.

Another reason the Faith of Christ has not been consistent in the lives of men is iniquity. When it comes to obeying the Word, the Laws of God, men have been lawless. The source of much of the iniquity in the Body of Christ is offenses. When offenses come there is rarely an application of the Word as such an application would force the continued flow of love and unity. Once the Word is rejected, offenses reign. It becomes more appealing to retaliate, or just give the offender a piece of your mind. In some instances you may have withheld your affections as a means of punishing your offender. The Word of God is constantly set aside time after time. To forgive and to recompense no man evil for evil, but overcome evil for good have been mere quotations. The focus has left pleasing the Father and high-mindedness and retribution are now the order of the day.

HIGH-MINDEDNESS

Many in the Body have thought too much of themselves. They are standing on pedestals demanding submission, obedience and in some cases worship.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5

3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:

4(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

Authority has been given to the leadership in your life to cast down every high thing that exalts itself above the knowledge of God. It is my responsibility to tell you the truth about you. Sometimes that truth is cruel and cold, but then sin of any kind is cruel and cold. Examine yourself to see if you are in the faith; you know the drill. Document the place where you stand in the Word, what is the nature of your fruit? What is the image you have of you? If it is not the image of Christ, then it needs to be destroyed.

2. RETRIBUTION: payback; a passion for emotional or physical satisfaction, vengeance

Love never needs to be avenged; it bears the infirmities of others. It is hard for some to allow themselves to forgive without a penalty. Men especially see this as a sign of weakness. Their ego gets in the way; when will you ever turn the other cheek?

1 Peter 2:21-23

21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:

23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:

It is imperative that we no longer respond to the dictates of our flesh. Pleasing the flesh brings no pleasure to God. We must do that which is acceptable unto Him and that is to walk in the Faith of Christ. Remember, it is not about the other person, or the situation itself but it is about your submission to God.

C. PRIDE: SELF EXALTATION; UNNATURAL LOVE FOR SELF

Another wall of impasse for men has been pride. A major component of pride is self-exaltation. Given any relationship whether friendship, marriage or blood relations, if there is any contention, then pride is manifest.

Proverb 13:10

Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom.

There could be no contention without pride. You should be able to disagree without becoming contentious. God hates pride (Proverbs 8:13), “and the end of pride is destruction”

Proverb 16:18

Pride goeth before destruction and an haughty spirit before a fall.

Pride and wantonness go hand and hand. Pride will keep a man in lust and wantonness and the male ego will do the rest. PRIDE IS NOT YOUR FRIEND!

D. REBELLION AND STUBBORNNESS

We have seen over the years how rebellion and stubbornness can wreak havoc in a home, church or community. The major attributes of rebellion are: To go against or oppose that which you have been a part of; To go against established order; Rejection of known truth. There have been situations in ministry where rebellion has been prevalent. It has manifested itself through offenses, wantonness and a lust for ministry. Many leave the church to go on a path to live out the lusts of their heart or mind.

Rebellion and stubbornness can also manifest itself in those who sit in church week after week, singing in the choir or working on the deacon board or some other activity in the house of Faith. These individuals either directly or indirectly oppose established authority. They do not respect the government of God, nor do they regard the casualties that result from their disrespect of God’s people or His Word. If you walk in rebellion or stubbornness then the only thing that matters is what you want at that time. No amount of truth can persuade you; in fact, truth becomes an offense to you. Until you begin to see rebellion and stubbornness the way God sees it, you will continue to walk in it.

1 Samuel 15:23

For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.

The Lord puts rebellion in the same category as witchcraft. He places stubbornness in the same category as idolatry. This is how serious this matter is. When you operate in rebellion it is the same as witchcraft. Look at the latter part of 1 Samuel 15:23,

Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king. If you reject God or His Word, He will reject you. Men so often do not see their actions as rebellious. But even as God sent instructions to Saul by Samuel (religious leader) He also instructs us through our leaders. As with Saul, men today still decide what they will and will not obey of the Lord. As long as it is something that is pleasing to the flesh or something you can agree with or understand you may follow instructions to the letter. But if God’s instructions become unpleasant to the flesh or something you do not agree with or understand, then pride will dictate your response. Do not forget that because Saul chose not to obey, God rejected him.

When you are rebellious you say to God, “I am an idol worshipper and the image that I worship is myself.” Stubbornness can be very costly. It can rob you of peace and contentment. A man can know for example that his wife is the better person to handle the finances, but because he is a male and his father may have said you must control your house that man will never allow his wife to do those things that she does best in the management of the home. This is because of his stubbornness. His way, his stubbornness is more important than having a sound financial statement.

Jesus did not attach Himself to things on planet Earth, but He set His affections on things above. He was a pilgrim passing through. He knew His purpose was to do the will of the Father. If Christ is living through us, then we should not attach ourselves to things of this world. One of the major attributes of Faith is spiritual alienation from the world (We are in the world, but not of this world). When your character and personality interfere with the life of Christ, lust and wantonness for the things of this world still lives within you. The lust of the mind stimulates your members and creates desire for the things of this world. That is why you must be steadfast in renewing your mind. You must allow (let) this mind that was in Christ Jesus to be in you. Every aspect of your life should be according to the Faith of Christ.

Hebrews 10:38

Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.

Let us not draw back but let us go on and live by the Faith of Christ. You can do it. It will bring perfect peace in your life.