This reminder works in us every day. It governs the way we live our lives. Knowing that God forgives us, loves us, is concerned about us, and helps us, gives us the confidence we need to make proper decisions and to take right actions. The apostle Paul was a Pharisee (a very strict Jewish sect) before He came to Christ. Not knowing Christ, he persecuted Christians on a regular basis. After his conversion to Christianity, he was a pioneer in sharing the Word about Jesus Christ to surrounding areas. He realized the perfection and power of God’s Word in peoples’ lives, because that is what he experienced. He wrote to the Galatians these words, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). Our faith in Christ governs our decisions and daily actions. With all that God offers, how can we pass up an opportunity to be on His side daily?

Our faith does govern how we think and act, but it also gives us a new identification. Up until we came to Jesus Christ out of repentance, we had no one in this world who we could trust completely. Now, our faith firmly identifies us with Jesus Christ. That is the basic definition of a Christian – one who places their faith and trust in Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul described this so eloquently to the Galatians:

So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise (Galatians 3:26-29).

What Paul is saying here is that we have a new perception based on our faith in Jesus Christ. We no longer operate on the perceptions and norms of this world. In God’s Kingdom (the kingdom of believers on this earth and in heaven), all souls are treated equally and are not distinguishable by nationality, color, or sex. The characteristics that are noticeable in the secular world are not noticeable in God’s Kingdom. This is because all Christians identify or belong to Jesus Christ. We are His, and no one can separate us from Him – never! Faith appears as something we must ascribe to, something that we have to do in order to have a relationship with Jesus Christ. It is true, that a relationship requires the participation of both people. We do make a conscious decision to trust Jesus Christ and His Word. However, God is working His power in our relationship as well. The apostle Paul encouraged the Ephesians with these words, “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith” (Ephesians 3:16-17; see also Galatians 3:14, 22). The goal here is that “Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.” But to attain that goal, “he [God] may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being.” God the Father strengthens us by His power through God the Holy Spirit. It is clear that our faith depends on God’s power working through the Holy Spirit that resides in us. Without God’s power, we could not possibly have faith in Jesus Christ. The good news is that God wants to empower us in our faith. He is willing that all will come to Him. Notice also in the first verse where Paul said, “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you . . .” (italics mine). This shows the intercessory nature of believers. Paul, like us, prayed for the faith of others. We can pray not only that others will put their trust in Jesus Christ and His Word, but that God also will strengthen them in faith with His power through the Holy Spirit.