(Hebrews 11:8-10) By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. 9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: 10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
To live by faith? The bible says (Hebrews 10:38) Now the just shall live by faith… What does it mean to live by faith. Paul said, (Galatians 2:20) I live by the faith of the Son of God… I remember Lester Roloff had said that there came a day in his life that he got serious with God and said he wanted live by faith. It was a turning point in his life and his ministry. That’s when things really took off and God allowed him to start all those homes for the wayward and be a help to so many people. To live by faith? I look at these few verses and it’s striking to me the simplicity of faith as demonstrated by Abraham.
He obeyed…
(Hebrews 11:8) By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. He obeyed. He simply did what God had called him to do. If I may borrow a phrase from Nike, Just Do It. Now in the workplace, when a person is starting out, his aptitude is going to be determined by one thing. Does he do what he’s told to do. Does he obey. You’ll be surprised how so many people have a problem with that. People are just programmed to not obey; not pay attention and do their own thing.
I know it’s difficult to know God’s will at times. What exactly does God want us to do? It’s difficult to distinguish between your imagination and God’s impressions, or even if we should. I’ll say this. Do what you know to do. There’s things that we just know to do that there are no questions about. Pray. Read that Bible. Go to church. Seriously, God will accomplish in you most, if not all, what he desires if you’d just do what we know to do. If you would just obey in those simple things, it’s amazing what God would reveal to you.
I remember I heard an evangelist say “It’s not hard to know what to preach at a meeting. Preach on praying, reading your bible, and witnessing; because nobody is doing those things.” I think maybe as a rule of thumb, God’s is not going ask more complex things out of us until we get some basics down. (Luke 16:10) He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much… Abraham, by faith, obeyed. Do what you know God has asked you to do.
He sojourned…
(Hebrews 11:9) By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: This speaks to us about our attitude. He sojourned. A sojourn is just a temporary situation. It means that you are in a state of journeying. You are not setting down roots. You are not looking to stay long. To live by faith is to sojourn. (Matthew 6:21) For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Faith affects the heart. Our hearts are just not here; they’re elsewhere. Living by faith is a desire for the heavenly, not the earthly. Jesus said (Matthew 6:33) But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
We are so worried and preoccupied with the things of this earth. What about the things of God? The things of the Spirit of God? The heavenly spiritual gifts of God? If you look at Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians:
(Ephesians 3:14-21) For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; 17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. 20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, 21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
Don’t just skip over it. Read it. His glory. His Spirit. The inner man. In your hearts. In love. The love of Christ. The fullness of God. The power that worketh in us. Glory. There is not one mention of earthly things. No mention of food. No mention of a job. No mention of sickness. There is no mention of anything physical. Paul said, (1 Corinthians 2:2) For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. It’s all spiritual. Yet what do we pray for? Faith places our hearts in a far country and things of that country. Jesus said (John 18:36) My kingdom is not of this world… We’re just not citizens of any kingdoms of this world. But our citizenship is in heaven. Heaven has captured our hearts.
He looked…
And our eyes. (Hebrews 11:10) For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. To live by faith is to live on the lookout. Now Abraham did not know how all this was going to work out. The bible says and he went out, not knowing whither he went. He didn’t know that Jesus would one day come. He didn’t know that Jesus would die, resurrect, and ascend into heaven. But he knows now. The bible says (John 8:56) Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. Abraham know nows that Jesus is building and making that city. Jesus said (John 14:2) I go to prepare a place for you. And boy does it have foundations.
(Revelation 21:19-20) And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; 20 The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.
So we know now that the city is not in Canaan, so we’re not looking for it there. And we’re not like Thomas, saying (John 14:5) Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? We know where it is. And we know the way. What we’re looking for is the one that is going to take us there. (John 14:3) And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. So we’re not looking for a city. We’re looking for the Savior. (Titus 2:13) Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.
To live by faith is to look; to be constantly on the lookout. Jesus said for us to (Luke 21:28) Look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. We’re going to look and Christ is going to come in the clouds and we’re going to be airlifted into his presence. (1 Thessalonians 4:17) Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. This speaks to us about our altitude.
Living by faith is a life of looking. There’s faith in salvation. It’s look and be saved. (Isaiah 45:22) Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. There’s faith in sanctification. It’s look and be changed. (2 Corinthians 3:18) But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. And there’s faith in the resurrection. It’s look and be translated. (Titus 2:13) Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Conclusion
Faith will affect our aptitude. Do we obey what God has asked us to do? Faith affects our attitude, Are we sojourning or are we getting too comfortable in this world? Faith will affect our altitude. Are we looking; watching and waiting for the those chariots to swing low? It’s by faith! (Hebrews 10:38) Now the just shall live by faith… (Hebrews 11:6) But without faith it is impossible to please him..
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