5Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— 6just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”? 7Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. 8And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” 9So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

Galatians 3:5-9

 

 

Start by faith.

Live by faith.

Finish by faith.

 

Faith is the means by which we enter into God’s blessings.

Its the way Abraham entered in.

Its the way we enter in.

 

So we enter into friendship with God just as Abraham did, on the basis of what God has done, is doing, and says He will do.

 

Faith is active trust.

 

The object of our faith is personal and real, most dramatically revealed to us in the person of Jesus Christ. He gives us HIs Spirit when we enter in “by faith” in the Gospel we have heard.

 

We can say with Paul, “…the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Galatians 2:20

 

Joy is ours in this grace by faith in the finished work of Jesus at the Cross. Peter notes that faith does not require “seeing as believing.” He writes,

 

8Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.  1 Peter 1:8-9

 

John describes this faith as a reliance on the love of God shown to us through Jesus Christ. So our faith has its reasons.

 

15Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.  1 John 4:15-16

 

The writer of Hebrews notes that “without faith, its impossible to please God.” Hebrews 11:6

 

By faith. This is the way God has called you to live.