“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)
There is a life of faith to live by. Such a life depends on Christ living in us. Apart from Him we can do nothing. But even for the believer there is the real possibility of presumption masquerading as faith. Presumption mistakes our will for God’s will. It declares, “Thus saith the Lord,” when the Lord has not spoken. It moves in the zeal of its own spirit instead of the leading of God’s Spirit.
We are God’s workmanship – created in Christ for good works. But good works are those done according to God’s good pleasure. We are to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. We should fear to take God’s name in vain. We should tremble to act independently of Him. We can only work out what God works in us. We dare not work out what He is not working in us, willing and doing of our good pleasure.
The hyper-faith message that calls for the utilization of what’s been given us breeds presumption. But the words of Habakkuk still hold true: “Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.” (Hab. 2:4) Beware of a lifted up soul. Doing whatever comes into our mind, or whatever we think would be good or even God-glorifying is not walking in faith. Whatever is for God must also be of and by God. Jesus did nothing of Himself. This is the faith we must live by and walk in – the faith of the Son of God, who loved us and gave Himself for us. He wore a yoke, we must wear one too. We have been made partakers of the divine nature, but we are not God. He still calls the shots.