For the past few weeks, we have enjoyed the wonders of the New Covenant. Under the Old Covenant between God and the children of Israel, the covenant became void because man proved he could not keep the Holy laws of God in his strength without sinning. Then God established the New Covenant to restore fellowship with Him before man’s disobedience in the Garden of Eden. He accomplished all that His heart intended. First, God forgave and eradicated our sins so He could live within us. Second, we received a New Heart that is tender and sensitive to His desires. Third, He gave us a New Spirit so His Life can flow through us. Fourth, our Father took us out of the kingdom of darkness and placed us in the Kingdom of God, also called, In Christ and In Him. Finally, within us dwells the Kingdom of God, where Our Father, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit are united with our human spirits. It is a heavenly place only experienced and enjoyed by faith alone. 

 

Man cannot please God in his strength. God fulfills ALL His desires in Christ,
carrying out God’s purposes through us. 

Knowing all this, how does the Lord make Himself and the Kingdom of God real to us? The answer is by faith.

 

Romans 1:17 (Amplified) – For in the gospel, the righteousness of God is revealed, both springing from faith and leading to faith [disclosed in a way that awakens more faith]. As it is written and forever remains written, “The just and upright shall live by faith.”

 

The phrase “by faith” is used throughout the Bible. “By” is a preposition that means, with the help or agency of another. The word “faith” means an assurance of, belief in, firm persuasion, and relationship with God. Faith also means to adhere to, cling to, rely on, and trust in someone. In other words, to enjoy all that is ours in the Kingdom of God within us, we must be willing to believe, receive, and trust all that our Father has said and written to us. 

 

Experiencing the fullness of God’s Kingdom within us is not about how much “faith” we have but placing our “faith” in Christ to accomplish the Father’s plans and purposes in our lives. 

 

Hebrews 12:2 (Amplified) – Looking away from all that will distract us and focusing our eyes on Jesus, who is the Author and Perfecter of faith [the first incentive for our belief and the One who brings our faith to maturity], who for the joy [of accomplishing the goal] set before Him endured the cross, disregarding the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God [revealing His deity, His authority, and the completion of His work].

 

If we could fulfill the divine plans of God on our own, why did Jesus come in the first place?

Our brother Paul reminds us.

 

Galatian 2:20 (Amplified) – I have been crucified with Christ [that is, in Him, I have shared His crucifixion]; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body I LIVE BY FAITH [by adhering to, relying on, and completely trusting] IN THE SON OF GOD, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

 

Did Jesus Live by Faith?

 

Jesus was 100% God and 100% man, yet He chose not to rely on His deity to accomplish God’s purposes. He demonstrated to us how “faith” works. Jesus put His “faith” in His Father by adhering to, relying on, and trusting Him. Jesus constantly prayed to inquire into the heart and mind of His Father to fulfill His purposes and plans. Here are a few examples.

 

 

John 5:19 (Amplified) – So Jesus answered them by saying, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself [of His own accord] unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever things, the Father does, the Son [in His turn] also does in the same way.”

 

John 5:30 (Amplified) – “I can do nothing on my own initiative or authority. Just as I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just (fair, righteous, unbiased), because I do not seek My own will, but only the will of Him who sent Me.”

 

John 6:38 (Amplified) – “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but to do the will of Him who sent Me.”

 

John 14:8-11 (Amplified) – Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and then we will be satisfied.”

 

 ⁹Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time, and you do not know Me yet, Philip, nor recognize clearly who I am? Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father?’ 

 

¹⁰Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words I say to you I do not say on My own initiative or authority, but the Father, abiding continually in Me, does His works [His attesting miracles and acts of power]. 

 

¹¹Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe [Me] because of the [very] works themselves [which you have witnessed].”

 

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Our Lord Jesus Christ lived“by faith” depending on another. Jesus did not live His life from His deity but chose to live as a man dependent on His Father living within Him. As we continue to adhere to, rely on, and completely trust in the Lord with all our heart and soul, we will enjoy all the wonders of God’s love and grace hidden in Christ.

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Enjoy Christ, Enjoy (ZOE) Our Life!