Wearing Your Faith

Turn to Habakkuk 2:4. We will get there in a moment. Over the years I have heard countless sermons and teachings on faith – and that is a good thing. A person cannot be a Christian and not live by faith. The truth that a Christian must live by faith is found in both the Old and New Testaments.

Let's look at the Old Testament passage in Habakkuk 2:4. I'm going to read it from the Amplified Bible. "Look at the proud: his soul is not straight or right within him, but the [rigidly] just and the [uncompromisingly] righteous man shall live by his faith and to his faithfulness."

Now turn to the first New Testament passage, Romans 1:17. It says, "For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith."

Now turn to Galatians 3:11. "But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith."

And finally, Hebrews 10:38. "Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him."

The JUST, the person who has been made righteous by accepting Jesus’ gift of salvation, SHALL live by faith. Ladies and gentlemen, this is an instruction, a commandment. It is not optional.

Why is this so important? Turn to Hebrews 11:6. "But without faith it is impossible to please Him (to please whom? to please God): for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him."

What is it that God rewards? He rewards our faith. And how do we diligently seek Him? We diligently seek Him with our faith.

Faith, and only faith, pleases God.

We're going to answer two questions today. First, how does a Christian obtain faith? And second, what will we see in the person that tells us he is “wearing his faith” on his sleeves?

How does a person obtain faith?

Turn to Romans chapter 10. We're going to begin reading at verse 13.

(13) For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

(14( How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?

(15) And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!

(16) But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?

(17) So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:13-17)

The words REPORT in verse 16 and HEARING in verse 17 are the same Greek word, akoe. One of its meanings is “the thing heard, an instruction, namely oral; the preaching of the gospel.” In the context of this passage, verse 17 could be rendered “So then faith comes when the gospel message is heard and the report of that message is believed.”

We are going to see two examples of how this passage can play out in a person's life.

Do you remember the story of the man with palsy who couldn’t get to Jesus because of the crowd? The record is found in Mark 2:1-5. Remember, faith comes by hearing the report of the gospel message and believing it.

Mark 2:1 says, “And again He (Jesus) entered into Capernaum after some days, and it was noised that he was in the house.” Sometimes I find scripture humorous. "Jesus was in the house!" :-) The man had heard the “report” of Jesus healing the man with leprosy (Mark 1:40-45) and when word spread that Jesus was in a local man’s house preaching, his friends helped him get to Jesus despite the crowd.

Now, the second example is one that I would be surprised if you have not heard about. It's the woman with the issue of blood that Jesus healed. The record is found in Mark 5:25-34. Remember, faith comes by hearing the report of the gospel message and believing it.

The first part of Mark 5:27 says, “When she had heard of Jesus …”

What was the “report” of Jesus that she heard? Earlier in the chapter, Jesus had cast a demon out of a man. After doing so, He tells the man to go home and share the good news with his friends. Now look at verse 20. “And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel.”

The woman with the issue of blood lived in Decapolis, a region of 10 cities, and that’s how she heard the “report” of the healing power of Jesus.