Living by Faith: Embracing Life

How do you live if you are not afraid of dying?

In Hebrews 10:38, the author quotes a line from Habakkuk 2:4, “The just shall live by faith.” We have heard that verse before, probably quoted it many times. We flick it off our tongue from memory while continuing to carry around the cares of this life.

Beginning in that verse, we see an interesting sequence in the book of Hebrews. First, the statement in chapter ten. Then, chapter eleven follows with example after example of people who actually lived by faith, not by sight. People who took God at His word and moved forward.

Many are familiar to us. Abram, who left his home without knowing the end of his journey. Noah, who worked on an ark for 120 years when he had never seen a drop of rain. Sarah, who birthed a child when she was ninety years old. Joshua, who marched thousands of Israelites around Jericho for seven days knowing the people inside the city were waiting to kill them. We have heard their stories, but have we really thought about what they went through as they lived by faith and recklessly followed God in obedience?

My favorite verses in this chapter are verses 32 – 38:

^“32 And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gideon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: ³³ Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions. ³⁴ Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.

³⁵ Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: ³⁶ And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: ³⁷ They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; ³⁸ (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.”

These were real people, people who lived. Flawed people for sure, but people who dared to trust God and stake their lives on His word.

But the story doesn’t stop there.

Chapter 12 brings living by faith all the way to us. These people who followed God, who lived by faith, who gave their lives, were and are examples for us today. Hebrews 12:1 puts it this way:

“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,”

Their examples are included in scripture as an encouragement for us to run our race, to keep going, to live by faith. To trust what God tells us over what the world dangles in front of us. Their lives don’t promise an easy road, but they give evidence of the success of living by faith.

And we have an example and a relationship that they did not. They were still waiting on the promise, as Hebrews 10:39 – 40 tells us. We have Jesus.

“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³ For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds” (Hebrews 12:2 – 3).

Living by faith means living beyond the fear of death, because Christ has conquered death for us. It calls us to live unencumbered by the things and strings of this world, empowered by our Lord and following the examples the saints have set before us.

This life of faith isn’t without difficulty – few things worth doing ever are. Living by faith goes against our need for control and our human nature. It wasn’t easy for Jesus, and we haven’t endured a smidgen of what He did. But He saw the end goal – the joy – and we can, too.

Christ knew that whatever He suffered here was worth the prize. It still is.

Today, when your faith is challenged and God calls you trust Him, look up and remember,

the Father is waiting.

The crowd of witnesses is cheering us on.

We can’t stop now. It’s the end stretch of the race, and we are almost home!

Father, help me to live by faith, not by sight, today. Help me to see beyond this world to the reality of all that You have in store for Your children. Let me discern Truth from the voices of evil around me, and let me follow Your voice. You alone are my Shepherd. In the name of my Savior Jesus I pray.

How will living by faith impact your life today?