” and everything that does not come from faith is sin. ” (Romans 14:23, NIV) This is a strong word from Paul if we think about it. Paul is saying that anything we do during the day that does not have faith flowing through it, is sin. There are several questions that must be answered here, if we are to live a life of faith.
How do we know that faith is involved in what we are doing? Paul illustrated this principle with matters of food. The one who eats food with faith that it is good does well. The one who eats the same food but doubts that he should eat, sins. The one who believes he should not eat and doesn’t also does not sin. It is not the food that is important. What is important is the heart towards that activity. The one who ate with faith is the one who had studied God’s Word, understood what God wanted and to the best of his knowledge was living according to God’s Word. The who abstained from eating was one who also had studied and was trying to live according to his understanding. The one who sinned then, was the one who in his heart compromised what he believed that God expected of him.
What is faith? It seems from this passage that faith means we are living with integrity of heart before God. To the best of our ability, we are living in obedience and submission to the revelation God has given us. Therefore, the one who has greater revelation should not condemn those who have not yet received the same revelation. Once we receive revelation, we must walk according to the revelation. All else is hypocrisy and sin.
What has God spoken to you? Is your life focused on pursuing the things God has spoken? When your life mission is to obey God in all things, to know God in all his fullness, to share God with others, then no matter what you are doing, your life is a life of faith.
How does faith affect our lives? When we live by faith, we are agreeing with God and His words to us. When we come into agreement with God, all the power of God is available to us to help overcome all that comes our way. We are empowered to succeed. Faith brings the supernatural power of God into our everyday circumstances. Faith transforms our natural lives into supernatural successes.
I think of some of my own challenges. God has asked me to write this year. Sometimes I want to write from what I already learned two years ago. But God asks me to search for the Life in each day, he asks me to write by faith. So I read, I study, I pray, and I meditate until I find the Life. Then I am released to write. Today, I wrote by faith.
