Lent Day 29

The Apostle Paul says that the righteous will live by faith. To do something “by the book,” means you do it to the letter of the law or that you follow the instructions precisely. To live by faith has a similar connotation. We follow the faith precisely, which is our sure confidence in the Eternal Kingdom of God. We pursue faith as a virtue as a rule for how we live our lives, not by following the ways of this world, but by following the implications of the Eternal Kingdom of God for our lives–and all this according to the scriptures and the Holy Spirit in us. Therefore, we should be [1] people of prayer, seeking the fellowship and presence of Christ. We should be [2] people of the Word, continually reading, studying, and contemplating the scriptures and their application to our lives. And we should be [3] committed to the church as the body of Christ, serving in the church and through the church to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world. Through these three primary disciplines, we will live by faith.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, make us people who love righteousness and out of our desire to live righteous lives, live according to faith. Give us a heart for prayer that we would experience you, a heart for the scriptures that we might know you, and a heart for the church so that we might work for the prosperity of your Kingdom on earth. Amen.