Living By Faith

# Lesson 65 Living by Faith

"The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to turn one away from the snares of death." – Proverbs 14:27

On February 4, 2014, CNN published an article about a man who survived after drifting at sea for 13 months. The title of the article was: "Faith and Fish: Man Adrift Tells How He Survived 13 Months Drifting on the Pacific Ocean." The article reported, "Jose Salvador Alvarenga drifted onto a remote coral island in the Marshall Islands last week in a severely damaged boat. He said that he survived by eating fish and sea turtles he caught at sea, and by relying on rainwater, and sometimes his own urine, to drink." When a news correspondent asked him what reason he could give for still being alive after more than a year, he simply pointed to the sky and said, "God... faith in God."

Indeed, it is faith that brings life to people, and that is eternal spiritual life in Jesus Christ our Lord! In John 11:25, "Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live, even if he dies.'" Here Jesus expressed that He is the resurrection and the life. When we believe in Him, we will live eternally with Him – this is spiritual life. Though our bodies will eventually die, our souls will live forever in Christ! Jesus said, "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water'" (John 7:38). His Word, the Scripture itself, has told us about life through faith in Jesus, the only eternal Being in all the universe. Eternal life can only be given by the Eternal One; therefore, apart from God, we cannot find eternal life in anyone else. The Lord spoke through the prophet Habakkuk, saying, "Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright within him; but the righteous will live by his faith" (Habakkuk 2:4). God knows that the proud think they can do everything; therefore, they will walk in error and lack uprightness, and they will not obtain eternal life in God. Only the righteous – those who love and fear God, obey Him, and humble themselves before Him – will live by their faith in God. The world will pass away, and our human bodies will decay, but with firm faith in the Eternal One, we will receive eternal spiritual life in Him, as it says in Proverbs 14:27, "The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to turn one away from the snares of death." May the Lord help us to always remain steadfast in faith and follow His Word, so that our joyful lives may bear witness to those around us that He alone is the Eternal One and will grant eternal life to all who believe in and receive Him as their Savior! Amen!

The proud heart goes astray, Without fear of God, lacking what is right, Their lives will fade away, Like water's vapor, nothing left in sight! But those who fear God more, Their souls will live, with blessings overflowing, Through faith in Him, day after day, Jesus eternal, forever unchanging!

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