02/04/26 LIVING BY FAITH IS VICTORIOUS LIVING

02/04/26 LIVING BY FAITH IS VICTORIOUS LIVING

I unashamedly believe the Bible and accept the truth that God saves His people (those who trust Him fully for salvation) from all sin (action and attitude), in this present evil world, and He gives us grace to walk in His light and to resist all temptation and to keep His commandments and to do that which is pleasing in His sight.

I know that He transforms believers from sinners to saints (holy ones), and that He is the Giver of every good and perfect gift, and that He gives us everything that pertains to life and godliness, and that He enables all believers to resist every temptation, and that He cleanses believers from all sin, and that He causes His followers to always triumph in Christ, and that all things work together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His will, and it is the Father's good pleasure to give His children the kingdom, and to make His children to be more than conquerors. God wants the best for His children, but His children live in a wicked world. God's grace is greater than all our sin, but God does not force His redemptive will on anyone, any more than He forces reprobation on anyone. We live in a world of wickedness, where we are tested and tried. God would rather draw us to Himself through His goodness, but He will also use our trials to drive us to Him in faith. Still, it is our choice.

I understand that the Old Testament and the New Testament are two parts of the revelation of God and His plan of salvation, for the Old Testament Jew and the New Testament believer in Christ. I understand that Christians live under the same moral code of the unchanging God. I understand that we are not of this world, but we live in this world, and we need God's wisdom, grace, and power to live godly in this present evil world.

I know that there are directives and promises which are people and time specific, but I also know that there are principles of God's nature, will, provision and enablement which transcend time and nations.

I am not David of the Old Testament, but I serve the same God as David of the Old Testament. The Church is not the Nation of Israel, but we are God's spiritual kingdom living in an earthly environment.

The God of the Old Testament is the God of the New Testament. Though our specific circumstances are different, His nature is the same, His faithfulness is the same, His moral standards are the same. The promises sometimes apply to specific people or situations, but the unchanging principles are applicable to us today.

It takes knowledge and wisdom to understand God's call and provision for us individually. Don't discount His leading and His provision just because you don't live in the Old Testament. God's promises to Israel are not transferable to the Church, but neither are all of God's promises and provisions limited to Israel of the Old Testament. We find this principle addressed in 1 Corinthians 10:1-13.

The God of the Old Testament is just as active and present today as He was in the day of Adam, the day of Noah, the day of Moses, the day of Isaiah. We are not Adam or any other character from either the Old Testament or the New Testament, but God is as faithful today as He has ever been. We just need to know His word and His Spirit. If we have a solid understanding of the principles of God, we will understand what God has for us and what God wants from us.

I don't have to split the Red Sea or the Jordan River. I don't have to defeat Goliath; I don't have to walk on water or feed the thousands from a small lunch. However, I face issues that are just as real and just as challenging as those situations were. For those who follow fully by faith, He will never leave nor forsake them. He is the same, yesterday, today and forever.

We face our own giants, our own temptations, our own obstacles, but we don't face them alone. I know the basic meaning of Philippians 4:13, but I also know the broader principle. When God's word says that I can do all things through Christ, it means I can do all that Christ calls me to do, if I act in faith.

There are promises and principles in the Old Testament that are applicable and livable in the Christian life. Salvation is not simply something that was done for us, it is something that God does in us. If you are not overcoming your obstacles, defeating your enemies, claiming your mountains, obtaining your victories, then you are not living in the Spirit; you are not living by the word. You have a dead formalism rather than a living relationship, you have a form of godliness, but you are denying the power thereof, you have a head filled with religion, but a heart void of God.

Some people are filled with wildfire. Some people are without any fire. What everyone needs is Divine fire, Holy Spirit fire, purifying, enlightening, and empowering us in a life of victory.