Live by Faith Because of the Cross

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jews first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith.’” (Romans 1:16-17) 

When we look to the cross and place our trust in Jesus, we are called righteous, and the righteous live by faith. God makes us into new creations, and we are called to a new standard of living that honours God, not ourselves. 

Jesus tells us in John 14:15, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” Living a life of faith requires knowing God’s Word and acting on it; it requires good works. And while these good works please God, they are not what brings about our salvation. 

There is a tension we often face in living a life of faith. Because of God’s great mercy and love, he has saved us. When we consider the suffering of Christ on the cross on our behalf and what it cost God the Father to save us, we should be moved with gratitude and our response should be to say, “Yes, Lord. Whatever you say, I will do!” But it is not because of our response that we are saved. We have already been saved! The work of salvation has been completed on the cross. 

We are freed from our life of sin to live a life that pleases God. We obey out of praise, not out of obligation or to earn salvation. Our obedience is a means of saying ‘thank you.’ 

When we look to the cross and place our faith in Jesus, let us then go forth and respond to God’s great mercy and love through obedience to his Word. Let us live by faith and thank God for what he has done for us.