Faith comes from Jesus, the author of it. It helps the mankind to obtain salvation. Whatever was foretold about Jesus Christ has been fulfilled by Jesus’ death on the cross and His resurrection on the third day. If one believes this, as a child the faith increases. This pleases God.

Paul reminds this in his letter to Ephesians (2:8-10) – ‘For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.’

Paul brings forth the role of faith as a mere identification of God’s grace and it is a pure gift from God that no man can ever claim because of his own work. So faith is a simple belief. The great assurance is that God has made our future beforehand with perfection. Through Calvary already a road is laid down over the valley of death and because of this no one needs to fear about the valley of death.

‘Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.’ – Hebrews 2:14-15 

That is why Paul writes in Philippians 4:13 ‘I can do all things through him who strengthens me.’ 

In spite of this,  most of the people believe on their own deeds or some one’s instruction to obtain salvation. Adam and Eve sinned against God. ‘ ….therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken.’ – Genesis 3:23. Since then man has to toil his life to earn his livelihood. This tendency of man does not allow him to believe that he is saved without any deed of his own. To entangle this further, James writes in the book of James 2:20 ‘ ………………that faith apart from works is useless?’  and justifies his stand by quoting the obedience of Abraham in scarifying Isaac.

Abraham did not obtain faith through this deed but this he did out of his faith. Here James tells us to stand affirm in faith to obtain the fruit of it.  The origin of Abraham’s faith is well explained in Romans 4:16-17

‘That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.’

How far have we applied this faith in our life? Do we really believe that “He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.” – (Matthew 8: 17 ).  Mathew records this as the fulfillment of the Isaiah’s prophecy. Does it fulfill our requirement?  Manifesting this living word in our personal lives does not mean that you should not take any medicine or treatment for your ailment. At the same time one should not under estimate the healing power of Jesus without any medicine or treatment. More important is that we should believe that the healing reaches us through various means, according to the decree of one’s faith, from the stripes of our Master Jesus. Romans 5:20-21 gives an answer to the decree of our faith. The wages of sin is death.  Where sin increases it blinds the eyes of people not to see the light of the Gospel to accomplish faith. But God’s grace hovered around them in the form of medicines, doctors and hospital. His grace is for all human beings in various forms. Please do not restrict God’s grace placing a barrier like religion as a mechanism of faith.

‘Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.’

May His grace flow abundantly.  Let every one be saved by His grace through faith, breaking the barriers. Faith is not a religion but a way to obtain salvation. Religions speak about atonement but Jesus is atoned for our sins. Jesus is the way. The only way.

“For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” -Romans 10:13