I recently met with a group of guys to discuss some sermons on growth and sanctification in the Christian life. You can read those sermons here. The goal of our discussion was to get into some of the nitty-gritty practical details of how to live by faith every day. It's easy to sort of float along and not make intentional progress in our fight against sin and for holiness. We wanted to get serious about this lifelong endeavor.
One of the key helps that came out of those discussions was the idea to make a list of promises to memorize and use when tempted to sin or when fighting for faith. In the second sermon Piper set the table for this list this way: Living by faith means overcoming obstacles to obedience by trusting promises of help and future happiness.
We broke this helpful sentence down to make sense of it practically. First, an obstacle to obedience is a temptation to sin or a lie that sin tells us to keep us from obedience (Hebrews 3:12-14) How do we overcome these obstacles? By trusting promises that offer us help and future happiness. The promises of God are intended to assure us that God is working and keeping us moment by moment. They are also meant to open our eyes to the true happiness found in obedience to God's Word. Sin promises pleasure, joy, and happiness, but of course, sin's promises are always lies. God promises true and lasting joy and he never lies. The heart of the struggle to live by faith is to believe God's promises are true and sins are not.
How do we strengthen our faith so that when confronted with the lies of sin and the promises of God we automatically trust God's Words? Piper recommends gathering an "arsenal of promises" to have ready for the moment when our faith wavers. I'd encourage you to work on a list like this for yourself. Here's a few to get you started.
- Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God - Matthew 5:8. The promise to believe here is that purity of heart will enable us to behold God's character and beauty with clarity and joy. Impurity will hamper our vision.
- For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace - Romans 8:6. Keeping our thoughts on the things of the Spirit will bring life and peace. Rest comes from a mind set on God whereas cultivating earthly and fleshly thoughts will tear down and destroy.
- Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words - Romans 8:26. I am not alone in this fight for faith. The Spirit is praying for me and working in me right now as I fight to believe God's Words.
- For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them - Ephesians 2:10. God gave us new life so that we would walk in good works. In fact, He has specific good works prepared for me today. All I have to do is walk in them by His sustaining power.
- So that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life - Titus 3:7. I have been declared righteous because of God's grace. This has made me a part of God's family and I now live in the hope of eternal life. This hope is sure and steadfast because it was given because of grace and not through my own works. I stand righteous in God's eyes today and don't have to do anything to earn that status.
I've tried to list promises from different books in the NT, but I would encourage you to start with one book. Since we just studied through Colossians begin there. Slowly read through the letter and write down each and every promise of God made toward you. In other words, what's a result of Christ's work or a benefit you receive. Memorize those promises and call them to mind throughout the day. Even if you don't immediately see how they connect to the fight against a specific sin they will strengthen your faith and adjust your baseline perspective.
This is where the fight of faith takes place and it can be won consistently by God's promises and grace!