I am fascinated with understanding what, exactly, the Christian life is supposed to look like. What should the daily existence of a follower of Christ entail? What does it mean that we are to live by faith and what are the implications of doing so? Is the average Christian life supposed to be more boring than exciting, more duty than delight, more hesitant than bold? I have to believe that Jesus desires something more for His followers than just surviving. I have to believe that He’s calling us to live the adventure of a lifetime . . . an adventure He directs and experience as we follow after Him and walk by faith and not by sight.
Not everyone is going too resonate with my belief that there is supposed to be more to the Christian life than just getting by and doing mundane things. Not everyone wants to live a grand adventure . . . some are content to stay close to home, find comfort in the predictable, and joy in the simplicity of a life without cares or concerns. There are many who are happy to live a routine of life that includes doing the daily chores, getting enough sleep, working a job that pays enough to cover the bills, and going to church once or twice a week to see and be seen (or, perhaps, check off their box of dutiful worship). I understand that some will not feel called to do anything adventurous, outside of the of box or bold. But, I want to believe those who feel that way only feel that way because they have lost sight of what it means to live by faith . . . and not because that’s the way it is supposed to be.
So, what is the Christian life supposed to look like? As you have probably already deduced, I believe and hope that there is supposed to be more to the Christian life than what most Christians are experiencing. I admit that some of that hope finds its roots in my own personality: I like to travel, I like to see and do and go and have stories to tell. I am not “wild and crazy” and the kind of person to take extreme risks (for example, I am not the skydiving type) but I am the kind of person who wants to look back on life from the vantage point of eternity and know that I did everything that I was called to do and experienced the life that Jesus wanted me to experience.
It is my job, of course, to find out what the Bible says about how we are to live our lives as Christians. It is not good enough to take what I hope is true and make that my standard. It is not good enough for me to look at many Christian’s lives and find them wanting for something more, if indeed that’s exactly the way Jesus wants a Christian to live. So, what does the Bible tell us about the way we are supposed to live? Here’s one verse that tells us something explicitly about the way we are to live and I believe that its truth opens up the doorway to understanding that this life is supposed to about more than just getting by: “Now the just shall live by faith” (Hebrews 10:38). What does that mean? What are the implications? Let’s unpack that and see where it leads . . .
Who are the just? This verse is applicable to “the just”. The Greek word translated “just” means “the righteous” or, more particularly, those who are justified in the eyes of God. The just are those who have right standing with God, those who are not longer living in rebellion against Him. How does one become just? Through the blood of Jesus Christ, the Savior. So, this verse applies to believers–followers of Christ–and tells us how the justified are to live.
What does it mean to “live”? This verse tells us that those in right standing with God are “to live” by faith. What does that mean? First, there is no hidden meaning to these words . . . the Greek word simply means to be alive. Second, living is what we do on a daily basis, so I believe it clearly means how we live our daily lives. Living is about how we conduct ourselves as we are alive. It is what we do with the time we have. It is how we order our priorities. Living is what we do while we breathe . . . the righteous are to live, not just exist, and not just await death. God Himself has invested in every living person the breath of life and as long as the breath of life remains in us, we are to live.
How does one live “by faith”? If we are the “just” and we are to “live”, how is that to occur? What is that supposed to look like? According to Hebrews 10:38, that living is to occur by faith. We are to live by faith. Our daily lives are to be characterized by faith. The Greek word translated “by” means “from” or “from out of,” suggesting that faith is to be the animating characteristic of our lives. Faith is to drive us, to the energy by which we go about our daily lives. Of course, this means that knowing what faith is becomes essential. If faith is to be the way we live our lives, then understanding the nature of faith is not only important but perhaps the most important thing to know about living this life as a Christian.
While this post cannot contemplate a full systematic theology of faith due to space (and the breadth of the topic of faith), there are some things about faith that we can generally know by simply reviewing Hebrews 11, known as the “faith hall of fame”. Hebrews 11 talks about the faith of Biblical characters going all the way back to the dawn of time. It describes people obeying God, walking with God, leaving behind homelands and journeying to new places. It contemplates boldness and having an eternal perspective. It shows us that faith allows for overcoming, for the defeat of enemies, for the falling of walls. The faith of Hebrews 11 is not sedate, not reticent, not boring or afraid; rather, it comes across as bold, adventurous, full of excitement, full of experiences that could only be had by walking with God!
One of my favorites passages that summarizes the kind of faith that Hebrews 11 contemplates is Hebrews 11:32-38:
“And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again. Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented—of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth” (emphasis mine).
My summary definition of faith is this: “Hearing, believing and obeying the word of God.” If you look at what faith is throughout the Scriptures and if you look closely at what is happening in all of the episodes mentioned in Hebrews 11, you find that God speaks His word to someone (tells them what He wants them to do), that person believes what God says and then acts accordingly. And if Hebrews 11:32-38 is any indication (indeed, all of Hebrews 11) the kind of things that God asks people to do are not mundane, dutiful and boring. Indeed, I believe that walking by faith is the greatest adventure that any person could ever live. There is nothing more exciting than being in on what God is doing and getting to see great miracles. Sure, I know that we are not all called to leave behind our homelands like Abraham; I know that we are not all called to lead nations out slavery, like Moses. I know that not everyone will get to see walls of great cities fall. But I do believe that these examples are in the Bible for reason: they give us an idea what faith is supposed to look like. It gives us an idea of what it means to live by faith.
Although this post is only scratching the surface of what faith is and what it means to live by faith in this fallen world, I believe we can walk away from reading these words (and more importantly, the words of Hebrews 10 and Hebrews 11) and know that we are to live a great adventure with God: hearing His voice, believing what He says, and then living in obedience to what He has called us to do. We are to live by faith; and I believe that means each and every day we are to get up and ask God, “What are you doing today that I get to be a part of?” and then go out do what He says. I can guarantee that will require boldness and even discomfort. I can guarantee that will put you in danger from time to time. I can assure you that it will not always be easy. But I can also assure that you if you live by faith you’ll one day have the opportunity to sit around the heroes of the faith–Abraham, Moses, Gideon, David, Samuel, etc.–and talk about the God who let you see Him do great and mighty things.
I believe faith is the adventure of a lifetime. And I believe we’re all supposed to live that adventure with Jesus. If you’re not comfortable with being on the ragged edge with God and see Him come through in miraculous ways, then perhaps you’re not yet “just.” Those who are saved have changed priorities and desire new and greater things. If you are one of His and you’re still hesitant, my encouragement to you is this: Go with Him where He leads and live by faith. Why? Because it is what you were created to do! And you’re missing out by hanging back and staying away from the dangers and excitements of the adventures He calls us to live.
Don’t miss out on all that He has for you to do. Don’t settle for less! Live the adventure of faith and walk with Him all the days of your life.