Faith Is a Lifestyle
Apostle Danny Blanotn
Most Christians are familiar with Hebrews 11:1 which reads, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (NKJV) When reading or quoting from this passage, most then fail to identify with verses two though the end of the chapter. There is a blatant failure in the faith walk of many American Christians who take faith for personal things rather than hearing the full story of YAHveh’s expectations of faith as a lifestyle.
In those verses following verse one is the real substance of faith and the evidence of things hoped for. It is true that YAHveh is concerned with the well being and personal success of His followers. As He speaks to His people in the Exodus He tells them in Deuteronomy 28 of the consequences of their obedience (verses 1-14) and then of the consequences of their disobedience (verses 15-68.) Let it be noted here this event was no major convention on faith hosted by noted preachers of that hour seeking to sell their books and tapes on how to get your needs met. YAHveh is instructing those of the Exodus from Egypt that success with Him is founded in their obedience to Him and His Word. The Word He refers to is now known as the Torah (the first five books of the Bible) which outlines those things required to fulfill a faithful lifestyle with Him. New Testament Christians are empowered in their obedience by their faithful acceptance of Christ as their Savior and then by receiving the Holy Spirit as their guide into His teachings. As mentioned above, Deuteronomy 28 describes the consequences of obedience or its lack. YAHveh expects His followers to live according to His commands, statues, and instructions which will produce a life pleasing to Him. Hebrews 11:6 states, “Without faith it is impossible to please God.” Simply stated, it is impossible to please YAHveh if His commandments are not obeyed. The required obedience is intended to enhance individual and corporate relationships with the Lord. Not only does He require such, He also tells us how to do so.
When YAHveh spoke to those individuals listed in Hebrews 11: 4-29 each responded in kind to successfully complete the task He assigned to them. Noah’s lifestyle changed from what it had been to become totally immersed in the task to build an ark. He worked for one hundred and twenty years to see it finished. Moses dedicated his life’s purpose to the leading’s of YAHveh. Those leadings first transformed his life and then the lives of those he led towards the Promised Land. I make the point here that once Moses and the people of the Exodus heard the Lord’s direction for them; they did begin in great hope and anticipation. They got themselves in trouble when their subsequent lifestyle did not correspond with their initial confession towards obedience and submission required to please the Father. Abraham dedicated his life to the purpose described to him by YAHveh. He was to leave his familiar surroundings “to go to the place which he would afterward receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.” These three are perfect examples of men who entered into faith as a lifestyle to find “the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.”
Noah, Moses, Abraham and others listed in Hebrews 11 had their yearly feasts ordained by God to remind mankind “I AM” which was intended to wash the spirit and conscience of those walking to fulfill faith in their life span. Note these were times to remember the words of the Lord who says, “I am the Lord, I do not change…” (Malachi 3:6.) These feasts were not times to seek a new direction with or from the Lord. Rather they were times to remember, to bring to mind, the Words already received as a check and balance procedure insuring one’s course was still in line with the Word previously received. Too often “modern” Christians use faith as a personal check book thinking to cash in on the wealth of heaven to make their life easier. There was nothing easy about Noah’s life in building an ark, or Moses’ life in leading thousands of people, or in Abraham’s journey towards the unknown all of which were experienced in the face of tremendous opposition. Others of Hebrews Eleven who are recorded as having received a good testimony because of their faith were sawn in two, were in constant warfare, under some sort of continual threat, were beaten and imprisoned because of their belief in the One True God, lived in caves and endured unspeakable hardships – all as a lifestyle to live in obedience and submission to One who had spoken to their spirit of a better life to come. To them, this Word became “the substance of things hoped for, the evidenced of things not seen.”
It must be seen here in the example given by those of the first Exodus that their deliverance from Egypt and subsequent wanderings were those times given by YAHveh for them to “…work out your salvation with fear and trembling… for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” Those seemingly impossible circumstances and harassing oppositions in life beyond one’s deliverance are allowed by God to remold us towards the fulfillment of our confession in YAHshua. YAHveh’s abrasive measures are very unpleasant to man but a delight to our heavenly Father who desires all Believers to come to the image of the Second Adam. The opposition and all that goes with it are to be constant reminders of our decision to not live as the world does but rather to seek “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
No wonder America and even the world are in the trouble we witness today. Rising food and fuel prices, a devastated housing market, corporate fraud, broken promises, rising flood waters, earthquakes, wars and their rumors, the death of innocent unborn children, divorce, so called faith and prosperity conferences which prey on the carnal hunger of men to have “things” without allowing God to direct their life, and much more are indicators of YAHveh’s Word being ignored. Many are the lives who continue to seek the “things” of faith by following their own personal interpretation of what faith is rather than seeing faith as a lifestyle.
Faith will never meet its spiritual intention until its followers put the giver of “every good and every perfect gift” above the sought after gift. Surely YAHveh knows what you have need of before you ever ask. Many are the spirits who are wounded because they “put their faith on the line, or they put out a fleece” to receive something man, not God, told them they could receive if they would only do “so and so.” I beseech each who read this article to return to the faith of Abraham who tithed from his heart and served the Lord with His lifestyle. In this hour of economic challenge a Believer can do no less.