Why We Should Walk In Faith
1Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.
There are many teachings about faith that inform us that believing and hoping for God's merciful intervention in our lives is the foundation of our new life. Faith requires action, as you may know. Every now and then, we come across two paths toward our envisioned goals. One path is the earthly way, which might not be wrong—you toil much and reap as much. The other is God's way, which is the way of righteousness, where you invest in obeying God and reap the supernatural. In God's kingdom, we focus on two things at the same time: pleasing God and pursuing our goals. It is right to have a dream and purpose in life and to work hard to achieve it. In fact, if you are a pursuer of God, you should possess a great vision for your life because it can be achieved. Pleasing God might not seem directly related to your success, but it is the key to receiving God's help and miracles for the visions at hand. That is why it is called faith—because we prioritize God's will over our personal ambitions. By doing so, we make God a participator and worker in our life's projects, whatever they may be—career, relationships, or anything else. As Isaiah 26:12 says: "LORD, you establish peace for us; all that we have accomplished you have done for us." So from here on, do not be afraid about tomorrow if you have chosen God. Investing your time in God's will is, in itself, assured success, because God has testified about Himself that He remains faithful to His promises. So do the will of God with joy and without grumbling, because you will eventually reap success.
One of God's works in our lives is the continuous revelation of the codes of life (i.e., His will) to our conscious mind—similar to how software engineers build computer or mobile applications using numerous lines of code. Each line of code is prepared carefully without error so that the final collection of codes might perform the desired function. In the same way, our lives are called for a specific purpose here on earth, and that purpose is fulfilled through the transformed version of our personality, which must be regularly informed by God on how we should live. After we are converted to Christianity, a new person emerges within us—one that had been dead before being born again. This new person is like a new creature in the physical universe, with a nature and abilities unlike anything the world has seen or heard.
Those who have nurtured this inner person with great diligence—by receiving the protocols of life from God, as Moses did—have been recorded in history as world changers. There is a theory that many of the world's greatest developments and civilizations are attributed to revivalists who drew close to God and, in doing so, brought forth great changes. These revivalists may or may not be widely known. We have heard of some influential servants of God who became public figures through their well-known ministries. However, there have likely been many more giants in faith who remain unrecorded—'hidden children of God' who served with great and powerful anointing.
This still holds true: one can be so spiritually powerful that their works are visible and impactful, even without being recognized as the source of those changes. In such servants of God, the world can see the fruit, glory, and beauty of the Lord, revealed through their transfigured personalities.
Faith is expecting and trusting in God's merciful kindness in our lives. We must be fully aware that God works in people’s lives according to His principles. The Scripture is given to us to guide and connect us to the goodness of God. I’m sure you have seen—whether through the media or directly—people going through great miseries and suffering. These occurrences have been happening to the human race since ancient times. Even today, we can witness starvation, killings, and many atrocities occurring in different parts of the world. This leads us to the question: Why doesn’t God interfere, since He is the Almighty? I don’t think we can give a fully reasonable answer to this. But one thing we can deduce is this: we are no different from those who are suffering, and therefore, we must remain under the umbrella of God’s mercy through the WAY.
Besides abiding in Jesus, this WAY is what I would like to call the code or the protocol—because God has His own specific will for every part of our lives. And it is not optional to figure it out, because only those who seem to follow these divine protocols—intentionally or not—appear to be safe and prosperous.
Depending on how your parents and your environment raised you, you can become a virtuous person who walks on the path of secured success. That is why a righteous generation—one that builds its foundation on the spiritual rock through revivals—can become a source of blessings for many future generations. The same is true for an unrighteous generation, until a breakthrough occurs and alters their fate. All these ideas point to one truth: obtaining and living in God's goodness is something we must diligently build by receiving God's oracles, which are divine enlightenments on how to live.
This is no new theory. We can see that Moses himself received a multitude of protocols by which the people had to live. God, who made a covenant with these people—whom He chose out of all others—told them plainly that things are black and white: live by these codes and live a prosperous life, or reject these codes and face a cursed life. What happened then? We saw their victories, and we saw their downfall. In fact, these people experienced some of the worst suffering on earth due to their deviation from the protocols God commanded.
Hence, a true life is all about living according to the will of God and stepping up to the heights where His glory can shine through us.
Faith is one of the most important requirements to open a channel to heaven through which one can receive nurturing oracles from God. Faith means believing in something and then directing our actions toward the subject of that belief. So, what should we believe in this context? God has placed things and people around you so that He may accomplish His purpose in you. And the only way He accomplishes that purpose is if you can listen to Him, recognize His will, and live by it. As 1 John 2:17 says, "The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever."
The will of God is revealed to us through our spirit, and it is not a one-time revelation. Rather, it is a continual flow of discrete wisdoms that apply to all areas of our lives. Faith helps us maintain a purposeful disposition aimed at growing into the image of Christ through God’s oracles. Once we shape our perspective in this way, we begin to exercise patience, longsuffering, kindness, self-control, and mercy—because we believe that God transmits His life-transforming codes to such a virtuous soul.
The spirit requires a suitable medium to connect the mind with God. For this reason, we exercise our will to become virtuous, because we believe and expect God's regular visitations in our lives. Being virtuous toward difficult people is something we choose only if we have a God-centered, grand plan. Otherwise, the natural response to annoying people is anger. And most often, those who stir our temper are the ones closest to us.
In such moments, we exercise our faith to please God so that we may hear Him more clearly. And to hear God speaking through our spirit is all we truly need—because once we begin to hear Him, everything changes.
The second of the two great commandments is about loving your neighbor. That is why a virtuous life is essential to move forward with God into a higher life—one that is built upon the oracles of God. We love by faith because we expect to align with God, who in turn speaks to us and imparts His wisdom into our minds. Hearing God is not something reserved for ministers only. It is also not necessarily an inner-audible voice—though that is one of the common ways believers hear from Him. Enlightenment, understanding, and revelation are all signs of receiving His voice, which brings light into our minds.
Once our minds become aware of the will of God, we step closer to our greatness and our success. Moses spent time in prayer and fasting on the mountain to receive those oracles from God. This signifies that hearing God’s specific codes for life comes through spending time with Him—alongside pleasing Him through objective virtues. This also requires faith, because we seek Him only if we believe in Him.
Therefore, exercise your faith to control your ego and to give time to prayer—because God will speak to you and guide you toward the promised life here on earth.
