We have been learning specifically about faith – having an understanding of the working knowledge of faith so we can live and walk by faith effectively. You will find all faith lessons in the ‘Faith School’ section of this website.
Bible Faith is acknowledging and responding to the New Covenant Realities.
The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ has ushered us into the new covenant. We are living in the new covenant – a covenant that has been made between Jesus and the Father God. The Old Covenant saints were aware of their covenant privileges and lived accordingly. How much more should we be aware of the realities of this glorious New Covenant that has been ratified in the blood of Jesus Christ.
There is a different between New Covenant reality and a New Covenant promise.
A reality is something that already exists and that is, whereas a promise is something that will be in the future. According to the Bible, you are a child of the Almighty God – this statement is a reality, it’s not a promise. You are going to be a child of God. You became a child of God the moment you received Jesus as your Lord. Look at this statement, Jesus will catch away His church in the rapture and we will be with Him forever and ever – Now this statement is a promise for it is yet to happen in the near future.
Bible Faith is acknowledging and responding to the New Covenant realities.
There a lot of blessed realities in the New Covenant. A believer must be aware of these blessed realities otherwise He will hindered from living the best life that Jesus has for him. As you behold the written word of God, you will know who you really are in Christ.
“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.”
James 1:22-25
The Word of God is a mirror and it reveals to a believer his new covenant realities. As you study the Word, you will begin to see the realities. Once you see it, acknowledge it as the reality of your life so you can live according to it. The Word will show you who you are in Christ and what you have in Christ. Accept it as the truth of your life and respond to it by living accordingly. This is what faith is!
Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame.”
I Corinthians 15:34
The Apostle Paul is directing these verses towards those believers who are not responding to their new covenant reality. The Apostle Paul through the Holy Spirit tells them to awake to righteousness. Now remember He is not talking to unbelievers, He is talking to the believers at the Corinth church. Look at this verse,
“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
II Corinthians 5:21
This verse reveals to the believers their true identity in Christ. Every believer is the righteousness of God in Christ. A believer needs to acknowledge this reality and respond to this reality by living accordingly. However, the believers at Corinth were not responding appropriately to this new covenant reality. The Apostle Paul tells them to awake to righteousness and to stop sinning. Their response – in simple words their behaviour was not in line with the new covenant reality. Had they acknowledged the new covenant reality, they would have responded appropriately by living righteously.
Bible Faith is acknowledging and responding to the New Covenant realities.
Let me share with a few realities of the New Covenant!
1. You have eternal life in you.
“He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.”
John 5:12-13
2. You have Christ in you.
“To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”
Colossians 1:27
“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”
Galatians 2:20
Here I have shared two of the many realities of the New Covenant. It is not a promise, these are realities – present day reality. You have eternal life in you and Christ lives in you. Acknowledge these realities and respond to it by living accordingly. In order to respond to it effectively, you must not only acknowledge but also understand what this reality means.
“I pray for you that the faith we share may effectively deepen your understanding of every good thing that belongs to you in Christ.”
Philemon 1:6 TPT
Let’s look at the same verse in The Amplified Bible,
“[And I pray] that the participation in and sharing of your faith may produce and promote full recognition and appreciation and understanding and precise knowledge of every good [thing] that is ours in [our identification with] Christ Jesus [and unto His glory].”
Philemon 1:6
Therefore in order to respond effectively to the new covenant reality, you and I must fully recognise, appreciate, understand and have a precise knowledge of every reality of the new covenant. Take a single new covenant reality and have a deep appreciation for it and make an effort to have a better understanding of that reality. Do this with all the realities of the new covenant.
Why are we doing this? In order to acknowledge and respond to it effectively. Remember the definition of faith I gave you.
Bible Faith is acknowledging and responding to the New Covenant realities.
Take the time and make an effort to know the new covenant realities. Once you know who you are, become established in it. Let those realities affect the way you think, the way you talk and the way you live. Never stop beholding yourself at the mirror of God’s word.
You are victorious in Christ!
Your Victorious Life 