Let us finish Step 3, as we look into the 12 Steps with God
Step 3 – Faith – Through God’s mercy and grace, we recognized our lost condition, repented of our sin, and believed in the Lord Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior to receive the gift of eternal life. Moment by moment we reaffirm that decision by turning our will and lives over to the care of God.
Tonight, we will explore the moment by moment…turning our wills and lives over to the care of God – this is where the rubber meets the road. This is when we put our faith into action and begin walking closer and closer to Christ each day.
We have discussed faith as a step in justification – coming to know Christ as our Lord and Savior. How does faith function in sanctification? Faith is our lifestyle, a journey of walking and growing in Christ. So, let us examine our faith by our lifestyle.
Several scriptures encourage believers to live in faith, the first one is…
Hebrews 12:1-2, “Therefore, since we also have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let’s rid ourselves of every obstacle and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let’s run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking only at Jesus, the originator and perfecter of the faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
These two verses are rich in encouraging the Christian to walk in faith. It reminds us that as believers we do not run alone serving Christ, but that we are in the best of company as we live in faith. These verses are clear – sin draws us away from a faith in God. Rather than focusing on eliminating sin, we need to focus our attention on Jesus himself because He is at the heart of our faith. And just in case we needed some motivation at this point, the last part of verse two reminds us of how committed He was to us. How can we do any less for Him?
A second passage to help challenge us with the need to live in faith is…
Romans 12:1-2, “Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”
You may have never thought of a day’s work as a form of worship, or offense, but these verses establish that thought very clearly. Our bodies, with which we live these lives, are vessels to be presented to God as worthy elements to be used for His exaltation. In this we are to “renew” our minds to pursue His desires for our lives. Our lives must be lived for His purposes to be achieved, in accordance with His principles as our guide, and with His Spirit as our strength. This is the least we can do. When we live for ourselves, we sin by refusing God His due.
In Romans, Paul makes the point well as he strictly commands His own…
Romans 6:13, “and do not go on presenting the parts of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those who are alive from the dead, and your body’s parts as instruments of righteousness for God.”
The word present refers to a decision of the will – a decision of our will to be an instrument of sin or God’s glory. The question comes down to a minute by minute decision to implement God’s will or our own.
The last passage to discuss here is…
1 John 1:5-10, “This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; 7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.”
Notice the humanity of these verses. How often do we stretch the truth to sound better to someone? When we live in sin, but say our lives are good with God, we are lying. Walking in darkness is not a part of a living faith and should not be tolerated. When we walk in darkness and know we should be in the light, we make untrue claims. But when we walk in the light, we do not need to make any claims at all because everything is as it should be. Walking in the light is a place of fellowship with God and with one another. If you are living in sin, but want to come back to righteousness, living with a clear conscience, it is an easy transition. Verse 9 gives the prescription for restored fellowship and righteousness: confession. When we acknowledge our sin to God, and own it, He is able to then forgive and restore us. However, it is difficult in pride to confess your sin, and admit your wrongdoing. In case you feel tempted to make excuses for your sin, the final verse makes it clear that our denial of sin is a huge insult to Him.
To live in righteousness is to be honest. Committing to righteousness is what living in faith is all about. We want to be a people who are always trusting God, and always striving to live for Him in holiness.
Consider and Confess:
Looking Forward:
At this point, the major sins of your life have been prominent in your thinking, but what about sin that you do not think about as much? What about sin you have not recognized yet? Wouldn’t it be good to deal with it too?
Are you committed to your new life in Christ or not? If so, then you must be willing to do the tough work of self-examination? Are you ready for that?