There are two kinds of faith revealed in the above scriptures. The book of Romans captures a general faith that applies to everybody and can be exercised by anybody who believes, while Habakkuk talks about personal faith that can only be appropriated by an individual. In other words, the latter is narrower than the former in application (Habakkuk 2:4).
What then is faith? Faith is the only currency that is legally acceptable in Heaven. It is what gives a believer confidence in God’s presence to access what belongs to him. Such faith is undeniable and can ‘purchase’ anything from God without hesitation. However, faith cannot function alone; it must have its own work because faith without work is in vain. This form of faith that moves the Hands of God to action is exclusively reserved for the just “…the just shall live by faith”(Romans 1:17). Obviously, a sinner cannot exercise or operate with this currency called faith, except for salvation. A sinner does not have faith to exercise before God because he is a stranger to the ‘commonwealth of God.’ He is hopeless and destitute of the truth of God’s Word, until he turns to Christ in repentance.
No Christian can live joyfully without faith. It is faith that gives real meaning to a believer’s life. Conversely, any Christian that is bereft of this currency of faith will remain poor in all areas of life. This is one of the reasons the church of the living God has become a dumping ground of the wretched. It is sad to see Christians wallow in afflictions, sicknesses and diseases and even die in the process because of lack of faith.
In order to have this uncommon faith that moves God’s Hands, a sinner MUST be born again. A sinner cannot have free access to the throne of grace and use the heavenly ‘currency’ of faith without totally submitting to the Lordship of Christ. The fact still remains that a stranger cannot have free entry and exit to a home that does not belong to him!
Faith uplifts a man to a height of impossibility, where ordinarily his strength cannot carry him through. Faith must be tested in all facets. This is predicated on the fact that a man of faith does not compromise standards. He holds his integrity firmly and rigidly. Nothing moves a man of faith. He stands tall in the midst of turbulence and mighty gale of life. His feet are solidly rooted in God’s immoveable Word. Faith gives access to all that belongs to a believer. He ruggedly enters the warehouse of heaven with this heavenly ‘legal tender’ and takes his possession.
It is instructive to note that the righteous shall live by faith. The implication is that a child of God shall believe and live by every word that proceeds out of God. Our fathers of faith obtained a good report, because they believed and held the Word of God tenaciously, until it was fulfilled in their lives (Heb. 11:2).
Faith accelerates more than speed of light and can transcend beyond human imaginations. Evidence is the end product of faith. The product of faith is the testimony it produced.
To operate in faith, a believer must work side-by-side with God in faithfulness and righteousness. Everything about a Christian’s life is faith. No man can please God without faith and anything done outside faith is sin (Romans 14:23).
Take your faith and confidence from men and look up to God and His word and all things shall be possible for you.
For further reading: References: Heb.10: 38; Eph.2:12; John 3:7; Mark 11: 23; 4:39; 14:23.
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Source: https://guardian.ng/sunday-magazine/the-power-of-faith/