Exercise is good for the physical, but the spiritual exercise of faith profits much more than that which is perishing. As I started in on faith in my last article, I want to continue off of that and speak to how we are to exercise the faith that God has graciously given us. As discussed previously, faith is a gift from God. That being said, we don’t sit on the couch (metaphorically speaking) as we wait for this gift, neither do we upon receiving this gift. The faith that God graciously gives to us by necessity will work itself out in works. However, do we lean on those works as some sort of merit for God’s favor or salvation? No! A faith without works is dead, just as much as works apart from faith is dead. Neither of those profit you anything apart from each other, and ultimately, you’re the one left deceived about your own state. “What use is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or a sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,’ and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead by itself. But someone will say, ‘You have faith; and I have works. Show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.’ You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected. And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, ‘AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS COUNTED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS,’ and he was called the friend of God. You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. And in the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.” (James 2:14-26)
So how is it that we exercise our faith? What does exercising our faith mean? I would simply describe it as the act of putting our faith into action; more precisely it is accepting what God says as absolute truth and living in accordance with His will. This exercise should look like this:
– Accepting God’s word, believing what God says is true, and that, that which has not come to pass will come to pass, that it all will become a reality.
– Repenting and obeying, living in accordance with God’s commands.
– Trusting in God; having faith not in the faith you were given, not in your works or your standing with Him, nor in your repentance; but in God’s faithfulness and thereby leaving all outcomes to Him.
– Sharing the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ; if we have been brought from death to life and recognize the magnitude of this, we will be longing for others to be saved from themselves and the wrath of God that abides on them for their sinful rebellion.
– Reading the word of God, not only reading but studying it, meditating on it, and sharing these truths with others.
– Praying; this is vital for the child of God; praying is our means of communicating to God. It has often been said, reading the Scriptures is hearing from God, that which He has spoken and is still speaking, while prayer is our way of talking to God. We always ought to be quick to listen and slow to speak.
– Serving, this one goes far, not only does it benefit us spiritually, but it is also beneficial for Christ’s bride and is, in and of itself, a source of witness to the unbelieving.
– Attending church, not forsaking the gathering of the saints, making sure we are doing our due diligence to attend as much as we can within the church, including, but not limited to: the preaching and teaching of the word, Bible study, the ordinances of the church such as baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
Those are but a few of the ways we can exercise our faith, there are still more ways we can do so that I’ve not listed here. Think of someone who is into exercising and maybe weightlifting, they are doing so daily, seeking to get in shape and build muscle while (hopefully) aiming to be healthier. This requires discipline, there will be days when that person wakes up and doesn’t feel like going to the gym or working out. But if they are true to their cause, they will discipline themselves to carry on even when not feeling it. This is no different than those who have been given the gift of faith, we can’t sit idle when we have been called to exercise this amazing gift. Do you think that even the seemingly most faithful men of God always feel like getting up from bed and jumping right in the word, studies, and meditation; that they always desire to pray and serve; or that they are always excited to go out and witness to this lost and dying world? Not always, as we still reside in the fallen flesh that seeks to wage war against the Spirit. But those who are seeking to obey God, will discipline themselves to do what they know they ought to do, what God has commanded us to do, and that which pleases Him; that which He does work through. See, let me explain something here, the moment you were granted the faith to believe, you were saved. There is nothing and no one that can separate you from God. “Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will affliction, or turmoil, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, ‘FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE COUNTED AS SHEEP FOR THE SLAUGHTER.’ But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:35-39)
So, we must look to Christ Jesus, study Him, behold Him more and more if we are seeking to grow in our faith. We must plead with God that by His Holy Spirit we would be strengthened in our faith. Another way to exercise this faith and grow in it, is through fellowship with the saints. It is the world that saps our faith from us, and Satan continually attempts to assault it, seeking to divert us from Christ, distracting us from truth, and demanding attention be placed upon other things. We can counteract this through fellowship, through time spent with God’s people, speaking of the things of God, about Christ, and also about their personal walks. “Then those who feared Yahweh spoke to one another, and Yahweh gave heed and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear Yahweh and who think upon His name. ‘And they will be mine,’ says Yahweh of hosts, ‘on the day that I prepare My own treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him.’ So you will return and see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him.” (Malachi 3:16-18) It is through communion with the bride of Christ that our sense of heavenly things are restored, our comforts are refreshed and communicated, and our eyes are fixed back upon the Lord. “Therefore comfort one another with these words.” (1 Thessalonians 4:18) “Therefore, comfort one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:11)
Scripture reading is important, and I cannot stress that enough. For it is in God’s word that we see how the faith of God’s people increases through trials. “yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God,” (Romans 4:20) Through a reflection of God’s past works we can be strengthened and grow in faith. And really, this doesn’t just apply to our own lives, but listening to and reading of other believer’s lives, both past and present, and how God sustained them and helped them, this too encourages us and strengthens us. Every wave we face in this tempestuous world that does not sink us, proves the solidity of the Rock on whom we stand, the Lord Jesus Christ. We must exercise caution though; we don’t want to fall prey into thinking it is our faith that saves us. Remember faith is the hand that reaches out to receive the salvation that Christ Jesus has secured. In this symbolism, our hand didn’t save us, but it is what Christ has done that saves us, we merely receive it through faith. It’s often been said that it is not our hold on Christ, but rather His hold on us that keeps us. It is He who saves; it is He to whom our faith is attached, it is He whom we trust. As we look to Him, and we should always seek to keep our eyes fixed upon Him, but as we look to Him, our faith must increase. Let me quote the late Isaac Watts who said, “Should all the hosts of death, and powers of hell unknown, put their most dreadful forms of rage and malice on, I shall be safe, for Christ displays superior power and guardian grace.”
As I quoted from James earlier, there is no faith that doesn’t have works. However, we must exercise caution and realize that it is not our works that earn us salvation nor merit God’s favor. We mentioned that not only is faith without works a dead faith but works apart from faith is dead as well. The unregenerate heart can do nothing to appease God or work their way toward His favor. Quite frankly, the unregenerate hate God, they couldn’t care less about good works, at least in the sense of seeking to please God. They’re enemies of God, unaware of their spiritually dead state and blinded to their sin that they are held in bondage to. They forsake God and want nothing to do with Him. Now let me say, being that I agree with reformed theology, I believe that salvation comes by grace alone (Sola Gratia), through faith alone (Sola Fide), in Christ alone (Solus Christus), according to Scripture alone (Sola Scriptura), all to the glory of God alone (Soli Deo Gloria). However, true saving faith, the faith that God alone grants us will always be manifested through good works; or we can say the fruit of saving faith. “And you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience, among whom we all also formerly conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, doing the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ – by grace you have been saved – and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace have you been saved through faith, and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:1-10)
God has prepared beforehand that those whom He has chosen and called, these would not only come to the Lord in faith, but that, that faith would manifest itself in good works, which as we have already said, was prepared beforehand. As we read through God’s word and study it closely and honestly; comparing and interpreting Scripture with Scripture, we see that all those who have been called by God, these men and women of the faith have always manifested their faith through works. Can you think of some of these prominent figures in Holy Scripture that manifested their faith through works? “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the men of old gained approval. By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible. By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he was approved as being righteous – God approving his gifts – and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks. By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death, he still speaks. By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; AND HE WAS NOT FOUND BECAUSE GOD TOOK HIM UP; for prior to being taken up, he was approved as being pleasing to God. And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who draws near to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. By faith Noah, being warned about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith. By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise, for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. By faith even Sarah received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she regarded Him faithful who had promised. Therefore there were born even of one man, and him as good as dead at that, as many AS THE STARS OF HEAVEN IN NUMBER, AND INNUMERABLE AS THE SAND WHICH IS BY THE SEASHORE. All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. And indeed if they had been remembering that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. But now, they aspire to a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He prepared a city for them. By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up his only son, to whom it was said, ‘In Isaac your seed shall be called.’ He considered that God is able to raise people even from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he also received him back. By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even regarding things to come. By faith Jacob, as he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff. By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the exodus of the sons of Israel, and gave commands concerning his bones. By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin,regarding the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward. By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the rage of the king; for he endured, as seeing Him who is unseen. By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that he who destroyed the firstborn would not touch them. By faith they passed through the Red Sea as though they were passing through dry land, and the Egyptians, when they attempted it, were drowned. By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days. By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after welcoming the spies in peace.And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I recount Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, as well as David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, performed righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong from weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection; and others experienced mockings and floggings, yes, also chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword. They went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, mistreated (of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in desolate places and mountains and caves and holes in the ground. And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive [z]what was promised, because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect. (Hebrews 11)
What a wonderful and encouraging chapter. It’s like the hall of fame for men of the faith, but in all actuality, it more so displays the glory of God, as He was the one at work in the lives of all these people we just read about. We know this, as it was God that prepares the good works in the lives of His own, that we would walk in them. We can’t credit these men with what they did, nor can we take credit for the works that God has prepared for us, for it is Him at work in us both to will and to do for His good pleasure. “Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, fulfill my joy, that you think the same way, by maintaining the same love, being united in spirit, thinking on one purpose, doing nothing from selfish ambition or vain glory, but with humility of mind regarding one another as more important than yourselves, not merely looking out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this way of thinking in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although existing in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a slave, by being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore, God also highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:1-13)
We have been called to examine ourselves to see if we are indeed in the faith, and how do we do this? We can do so by evaluating how our attitude is toward suffering or hardships, our obedience unto God, our commitment to be servants (or if you want to word it differently, our commitment to serve and be generous), and also how we view ourselves, both our strengths and weaknesses? We really should check ourselves for evidence of the Holy Spirit’s work in our life. Are we bearing the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control? I’m not asking do we do those things perfectly, or at all times, after all, we reside in the flesh and struggle with sin still. But are we growing in those areas? Let us all cry out to the Lord like David. “O Yahweh, Youhave searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar.You scrutinize my path and my lying down, and are intimately acquainted with all my ways. Even before there is a word on my tongue, behold, O Yahweh, You know it all. You have enclosed me behind and before, and You have put Your hand upon me.Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is too high, I cannot attain to it. Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I lift up the wings of the dawn, if I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, even there Your hand will lead me, and Your right hand will lay hold of me. If I say, ‘Surely the darkness will bruise me, and the light around me will be night’, even the darkness is not too dark for You, and the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to You. For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and intricately woven in the depths of the earth; Your eyes have seen my unshaped substance; and in Your book all of them were written the days that were formed for me,when as yet there was not one of them. How precious are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand. When I awake, I am still with You. Oh that You would slay the wicked, O God! O men of bloodshed, depart from me. For they speakagainst You wickedly, and Your enemies take Your name in vain. Do I not hate those who hate You, O Yahweh? And do I not revile those who rise up against You? I hate them with the utmost hatred; they have become my enemies. Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.” (Psalm 139)
Let me say it again, saving faith is always a living and active faith, it produces good works as the fruit of it. So, the faith that merely acknowledges or assents to the truth of God is not enough for salvation. As we ready previously, even the demons believe, and yet they tremble. How much worse is man, who acknowledged and doesn’t even tremble. Saving faith trusts God for redemption and reconciliation, this trust is made manifest to ourselves and others as we obey the Lord through good works. Saving faith’s purpose is transformation, not information. Not to knock the study of theology, doctrine, and academic studies pertaining to God’s word, they are all useful in their own sense. However, if all we have is a head knowledge, no amount of information about God will save. Only that faith which God alone grants to those whom He desires will save. And this inherently will work itself out through good works as mentioned, because it is God at work in us to will and to do unto His good pleasure. When we embrace our faith, and exercise that faith, God will graciously transform us into someone entirely different than we once were. We could say we go from a corpse to a living body; from a wilted, crisp, dead lily to a living, blossoming rose; from a thorn bush into a cypress tree.As I draw this to a close, let me encourage you with this: please be dissatisfied with your faith. Now that is not a call to be dissatisfied with the Lord; rather a call to seek a healthy state of spiritual dissatisfaction, knowing where you are right now and what’s possible for you by faith. Keep finding yourself over the next few days, weeks, months, and even years returning to Hebrews 11. Use it to reflect upon, hunger for the faith that is described in that marvelous chapter. Lastly, let me remind you; God loves us, accepts us, and forgives us when we have weak faith. That alone is such grace from God. However, He never stops inviting us to experience and grow into a stronger faith that will radically transform our lives.