Day 6: Choose Faith or the Law

Welcome to Day 6 of 21 Days to Strengthen Your Faith! Today, we are talking about how you have to choose either faith or the Law. In other words, you have to choose to live either by faith or by works–but if you make the wrong choice, you will NOT be successful!

In this series, we will examine one short Scripture passage each day.

Then, we will pray through it with a brief series of bullet-point prayers. Each day, our goal is to strengthen our faith by gaining greater revelation about the importance of faith in our lives, and how faith WORKS.

As you strengthen your faith each day, your confidence in God will grow–and you will also begin feeling more brave and willing to go on the great adventures God has for you!

Click here for the series table of contents, in which you can find all the articles in 21 Days to Strengthen Your Faith.

We have also recorded a short video devotional to go with each day’s Scripture verse. Please be sure to watch these videos for extra encouragement and inspiration in your faith journey!

Our key Scripture of the day is Galatians 3:12.

But, I am going to include Galatians 3:11-12 here, so we can see the full train of thought:

“But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for ‘the just shall live by faith.’ Yet the law is not of faith, but ‘the man who does them shall live by them’” (Galatians 3:11-12 NKJV).

This Scripture shows us that God gives us a choice:

• We can either try to live by the law (works of the flesh, striving to be good enough); OR
• We can live by faith, acknowledging that no one is good enough to reach right standing with God by fleshly works.

The problem is that no one is able to keep the Law perfectly. No one is able to be good enough by works to be in right standing with God. As it says in Romans:

“… for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:23-24 NKJV).

So the one and only way we can exist is through faith, not works.

This applies to everything in life:

• We can and should work diligently as unto the Lord in our jobs, but ultimately we have to depend solely upon the Lord as our Provider. The onus to obey Him and work diligently is on us, but the onus to provide is on Him.
• We can plan ahead for transitional seasons, but only God can catch us when we take a risk (a leap of faith).
• We can take steps that we think God is directing us to take, but we can’t make those steps turn out well. Only God can, through our faith in Him, as we follow Him (also by faith).

And the Bible says that if you want to try to survive by the Law (works), God will let you try. You won’t be successful, but He’ll let you try … until you come to the saving revelation that even the practical, daily tasks of life can only be accomplished through faith and total dependence on Him.

So what are you trying too hard to work and earn today? Where do you need to throw some dynamite in your logjam of works, and purposefully decide to REST …

… even if REST looks like an absolutely impossible and unwise thing to do?

I can tell you from experience that God has moved most in my life, and even in this ministry, when I have taken the illogical step to rest. But sometimes I forget this lesson, and find myself having to learn it again and again. (Can you identify?)

God, help us all!

Do you choose to live by faith and not by works today?

If so, pray this with me:

• Tell the Father that you come to Him in Jesus’ name.
• Thank Him for letting you be honest and transparent with Him.
• Thank Him for understanding your weaknesses, and for being mindful that you are but dust.
• Ask Him to show you any ways in which you have been trying to work hard enough to make it, instead of depending on Him. (Pause awhile here and listen to the conviction of the Lord. I recommend that you even right the things down that He shows you.)
• Acknowledge that trying to survive by depending on your works is sin, for He said that the just shall live by faith. Confess your sin to Him.
• Repent to Him for these sins. Tell Him you’re sorry and ask Him to help you change and live by faith, in obedience to Him.
• Ask Him to forgive you your sins, according to 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
• Ask the Father to keep you on a short leash, continuing to convict you if you forget to have faith and you start striving by works again.
• Tell the Father that you choose not to live by the Law, but by faith instead.
• Thank Him for making the way to Himself by faith through the blood of Jesus.
• Give Him all the praise!

Beloved, if we try to live by works, we will fail every time.

The path to God is the path of faith in Jesus Christ our Lord. The path to victory, blessing, and all the success God promises is also the path of faith in Jesus. The path to answered prayers, rewards, and breakthroughs is only found on that road called “faith.”

Will you let Holy Spirit convict you, cut you with His Word, and do surgery on your heart today? Will you let Him reveal to you any ways in which you have been driving and striving, trying to exist by works, instead of by faith?

Leave a comment below if you will!