According to Your Faith
A Call to a Deeper Walk with Christ
My heart goes out to the believer who truly longs for a deeper walk with the Lord Jesus Christ. Many sincere Christians want to know the abundant life the Lord speaks of, yet they keep searching here and there for some hidden secret. They listen to one preacher after another, read one more book, and hope that somehow the next voice will unlock the mystery. But God has not hidden the way of spiritual growth from us. The Lord has already told us where the deeper life is found: Let it be done for you according to your faith (Matthew 9:29). The abundant Christian life is not found in a religious thrill, but in trusting Christ. For we walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).
The True Measure of the Christian Life
Our Lord did not say, “According to your fate.” “What will be will be” is not biblical faith at all. It is fatalism dressed up to sound spiritual. Scripture teaches divine providence, yes—but never in a way that excuses spiritual laziness. If we will not trust God, obey God, and step out expecting great things from God, we should not blame our shallow Christian living on providence. Faith obeys. Faith moves. Faith leans on the promises of God. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding (Proverbs 3:5).
He did not say, “According to your wealth.” Many people think life becomes full when their possessions become many. But our Lord warned us plainly that one’s life is not in the abundance of his possessions (Luke 12:15). You may have an abundance of things and still have a starving soul. Money cannot produce peace with God. Possessions cannot give the joy of the Holy Spirit. The abundant life is not found in what we hold in our hands, but in the Christ we hold by faith.
He did not say, “According to your fame.” The world admires the spectacular. It praises the headline, the platform, the public victory. But God looks deeper. Scripture says, Patience is better than power, and controlling one’s emotions, than capturing a city (Proverbs 16:32). The truly victorious Christian life is not always loud, public, or celebrated by men. Sometimes real faithfulness is found in quiet obedience, hidden prayer, steadfast holiness, and a humble life lived before God. The faithful may be unknown on earth and yet well known in heaven.
He did not say, “According to your friends.” Human companionship is a gift from God, but it is not the foundation of the victorious Christian life. Friends are limited. People disappoint us. Even those closest to us can fail us. The Psalmist knew that pain when he said, Even my friend in whom I trusted, one who ate my bread, has raised his heel against me. But you, Lord, be gracious to me and raise me up; then I will repay them.(Psalm 41:9, 10). That is the language of faith. When people fail, the Lord remains. Christ is the same yesterday, and today, and forever.
Faith Is Not the Same as Feelings
He did not say, “According to your feelings.” This is where many believers stumble. We think that if we are walking closely with God, we must always feel uplifted, strong, and full of spiritual emotion. But feelings rise and fall. Faith rests on something far stronger than emotion. Faith stands on the character of God and the sure Word of God. Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen (Hebrews 11:1). The righteous do not live by feelings. The righteous will live by faith (Roman 1:17).
Living on the Promises of God
It is according to your faith. In that sense, you set the bounds of your experience by the measure in which you trust the Lord. If you trust Him little, you will know little of His fullness. If you trust Him much, you will prove much of His faithfulness. The resources of grace are not small. The problem is not that Heaven’s bank is empty, but that we draw so little upon it. Scripture says, because the same Lord of all richly blesses all who call on him (Romans 10:12), and again, for everything is yours(1 Corinthians 3:21). The believer does not honor God by timid unbelief. We honor Him when we take Him at His Word. And my God will supply all your needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19).
So then, what is faith? Faith is not a passing sensation. It is not a mystical mood. It is not a rare moment of religious excitement. Faith is a settled confidence that God tells the truth and keeps His promises. Faith believes enough to obey. Faith steps out on the Word of God and stands there. It does not wait for the ground to feel solid before obeying; it obeys because God has spoken. For every one of God’s promises is “Yes” in him. Therefore, through him we also say “Amen” to the glory of God (2 Corinthians 1:20). This is biblical faith—personal trust in the living God, grounded in divine revelation, producing obedience.
A Closing Appeal
Do not spend your life chasing spiritual shortcuts, religious formulas, or emotional highs. If you would know the joy of the Lord, the strength of grace, and the reality of the abundant life, then trust Christ. Take Him at His Word. Believe His promises. Walk in obedience. Rest in His providence. Whether your path is bright or dark, whether your heart feels strong or weak, His Word is still true. And if you have never truly come to Him, come now in repentance and faith. Look to the crucified and risen Christ, who saves all who believe. And if you are His already, then stop living beneath your privileges in grace. Trust Him more. Follow Him fully. For truly, as you have faith, so will you fare.
Copyright © 2006–2026 by Miguel J. Gonzalez Th.D.
Dr. Miguel J. Gonzalez is the Founder and President of Reasons for Faith International Ministries. He served as a pastor for ten years in Charlotte, NC and has taught in churches and conferences throughout the United States. He currently hosts the Time in the Word and Truth To Live By podcasts and writes at KnowingChristianity.blogspot.com.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved
