Living Faith

For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. - Romans 1:17

    There is no way the importance of the Gospel and the preaching of it can be emphasized enough. Everything concerning the glory of God in the redemption of chosen sinners, by the person and work of Christ our Lord, is revealed therein. The faith of God’s elect comes to us by his omnipotent Spirit in God’s appointed means of preaching the Word. He imparts spiritual life and thereby gives them living faith in Christ. Those whom he has justified now live by faith in Christ Jesus, not trusting in their own works of righteousness, but rather in him. The Gospel is the life of the child of God, because it is the revelation of Christ and his righteousness, the means of faith. So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Rom 10:17).

    The center of the believer’s life in this world is comprised of, taken up with, involved with, and committed to Christ and his Gospel. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me (Gal 2:20). The Gospel is the heartbeat and pulse of the believer’s life. There is no life where there is no Christ. There is no Christ where there is no Gospel. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life (1 Jn 5:12).

    A nominal professor of Christianity has no love for, no heart for, no commitment to the Gospel, and therefore no faith or life in Christ. Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you (Jn 6:53). We live upon Christ by faith as he is revealed in the Gospel. One can no more live spiritually without the Gospel than he can live physically without natural food. The just shall live by faith.