Fly Nose Up: Why the Just Shall Live by Faith
Dr RJ Sing, 23 min, Part 1 of Faith Toward God
Originally preached as “Faith Toward God, Part 1”
Sermon outline
The believer is already justified and already has a measure of faith, so stop begging and trying to qualify, and put your faith to work as a way of life.
Main text
- Habakkuk 2:4
- Romans 1:17
- Galatians 3:11
Opening
The recording begins mid-flow with his warning that a Christian who cannot walk by faith and declare God's promises is doomed, because this walk is a fight of faith. Begging, crying and a pity party will not overcome a bad doctor's report or a bill you cannot pay, and he says that is why he decided to share on faith.
The walk of faith is a fight of faith
A natural man understands natural things, but the spiritual man sees what cannot yet be seen. A doctor's report may be accurate, but if you make it your final word you are doomed. Like a pilot flying through storms on his instruments, the believer keeps a 'nose up' attitude by speaking what God says instead of worrying over what has gone wrong.
Illustration: A pilot in bad weather relies only on his instruments. A 'nose up' attitude means the plane is flying well; 'nose down' means trouble. Nose up is confessing 'I can do all things through Christ'; nose down is 'I don't know what's going to happen'.
“Any fool can tell you what you see. It takes a spirit-filled man or woman to tell you what you do not see.”
- 1 Timothy 6:12
- Philippians 4:13
- 1 John 4:4
Faith is a tool: make it your servant
He reads Habakkuk 2:4 and tells the church to underline it and never forget it, then turns to Romans 1:16: the Word in your hand is the power of God. God has given every man a measure of faith, so nobody can say you have none; the question is whether you exercise it. Faith grows step by step, like moving from grade one to university, and it works for anyone who works the principles.
Illustration: If you cannot trust God for 10,000, trust Him for 100, then 1,000, then 10,000, and very soon you will be trusting Him for a million.
“Faith is a tool. Faith is your servant. Make it work for you.”
- Habakkuk 2:4
- Romans 1:16
- Psalm 119:130
- Romans 12:3
- Acts 10:34
You are the just: stop trying to qualify
Habakkuk 2:4 and Romans 1:17 are two witnesses saying the same thing: the just shall live by faith. If you are justified and already have faith, you do not need to qualify for it. Your background no longer matters; you are a new creature, grafted into Abraham's family, and God wants you sharp and effective, willing to take the plunge and learn from failure. Justified means just as if you had never sinned, and you are rich in heavenly places in Christ.
Illustration: The devil tries to make Christians fish in the sea of forgetfulness: you ask God to forgive something from long ago and He says He cannot remember it. He also jokes that the church needs to be 'brainwashed' in the right things, the Word of God, and that no bank can hold the riches kept for you in the spirit.
“If you are justified and if you have faith, a measure of faith, why are you trying to qualify for it?”
- Deuteronomy 19:15
- Habakkuk 2:4
- Romans 1:17
- 2 Corinthians 5:17
- Romans 11:17
- Matthew 25:14-30
- Matthew 4:4
- Ephesians 1:3
Believers believe: find out for yourself who you are
Galatians 3:11 says again that the just shall live by faith, and the opposite of faith is fear and unbelief. Believers should believe everything the Word says about them and discover their own identity, potential and destiny in God. Trials, slander and name-calling will come, but what matters is what the Word says about you, and the gospel is still the power of God to change things when you speak to your mountain.
Illustration: People will call you a Jesus freak and say you are crazy; if they spoke evil of Jesus, they will speak it of you too.
“Don't let others tell you who you are. Find out for yourself who you are.”
- Galatians 3:11
- Matthew 5:11
- Romans 1:16
- Mark 11:23-24
Faith is a lifestyle, not a movement
Faith, prayer, worship and loving God are lifestyles. The world teaches you to count your pennies before you trade, but the Bible says you can buy without money and call those things that be not as though they were. The heroes of Hebrews 11 were justified by faith and did not wait until they had the money.
Illustration: Rahab was a harlot, yet she believed God, it pleased Him, and she is recorded in the Bible, just like Abraham whose faith was counted as righteousness.
“Faith is not a movement. Faith is a lifestyle.”
- Isaiah 55:1
- Romans 4:17
- Hebrews 11:31
- Romans 4:3
Faith is a spirit
He tells the church to underline 2 Corinthians 4:13 and make it part of their personality before Sunday. Just as fear is a spirit, faith is a spirit, and God has not given us the spirit of fear. The recording ends here, and Part 2 continues from this verse.
“God has given us a spirit of faith.”
- 2 Corinthians 4:13
- 2 Timothy 1:7
Putting it into practice
- Stop begging and crying over a bad report and fight the good fight of faith.
- Keep a 'nose up' attitude by speaking what God's Word says about you.
- Exercise your measure of faith, starting small and growing it step by step.
- Stop trying to qualify: you are already justified in Christ.
- Underline these scriptures and meditate on them all week.
Closing
The recording closes while he is still teaching, on 2 Corinthians 4:13: fear is a spirit, but God has given us a spirit of faith. No prayer or ministry time is captured, and Part 2 picks up at this exact point.
Declarations he led
- The walk of faith.
- The just shall live by faith.
- You've got to put your faith to work.
- Take the plunge.
- I'm rich in Christ Jesus.
- I'm a millionaire.
- Stop qualifying for life.
In his words
- “Any fool can tell you what you see. It takes a spirit-filled man or woman to tell you what you do not see.”
- “Success is not a secret. Success is a system.”
- “God is not a respecter of persons. He's a respecter of principles.”
- “It's good to be brainwashed in the right things, in the word of God.”
- “Faith is not a movement. Faith is a lifestyle.”
Every scripture in this message
- 1 Timothy 6:12
- Philippians 4:13
- 1 John 4:4
- Habakkuk 2:4
- Romans 1:16
- Psalm 119:130
- Romans 12:3
- Acts 10:34
- Deuteronomy 19:15
- Romans 1:17
- 2 Corinthians 5:17
- Romans 11:17
- Matthew 25:14-30
- Matthew 4:4
- Ephesians 1:3
- Galatians 3:11
- Matthew 5:11
- Mark 11:23-24
- Isaiah 55:1
- Romans 4:17
- Hebrews 11:31
- Romans 4:3
- 2 Corinthians 4:13
- 2 Timothy 1:7
