In the Same Way
- Debbie Christopher
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
In the Same Way…by: Debbie Christopher
A common comment often made by friends and loved ones as we share God’s message of grace is, “There’s no way I can keep the 10 commandments and go to Heaven.”
We know to reassure them that they are absolutely correct and quickly add that we, too, were in that exact same position. We understand that salvation isn’t based on keeping the 10 commandments. The purpose of the 10 commandments is to show us that that is indeed the case. No one is capable of obtaining salvation by keeping the 10 commandments or living a perfect life. We trust in Him by faith for our salvation.
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
Ephesians 2:8-9 NKJV
But…have you ever stopped to think that although we, as followers of Christ, have by faith placed our trust in Him for our salvation, redemption, and eternal life, we often struggle to trust Him with our day to day lives and the circumstances we face along the way?
When we read verses and passages that encourage and/or command us to trust Him with our day to day lives and to behave and respond differently than we used to…we gulp and say, “but how in the world can I do that?!” Sound familiar to paragraph one?
Take heart… just as Scripture demonstrates that salvation is obtained by faith in Christ, scripture also reassures us that we can live our day to day lives by that same faith. We can, by faith, trust Him with our day to day bumps and difficulties.
We’ve probably memorized and pray Philippians 4:13 when those tough moments come into play along our journey—those bumpy roads of life, but still wonder ‘how in the world do I …’
I’d like to share a passage that helped me answer that, ”but how?” question. But first, allow me to share the first time that this clicked with me.
By faith, I trusted Christ as my Lord and Savior at age 10, but it wasn’t until I was 17 that I began to make the connection between salvation faith and the faith/trust mentioned in a passage from one of Paul’s letters—and even longer to actually make that connection.
As a senior trip gift from my parents…years ago! I flew from El Paso, TX to Louisville, KY to spend most of the summer with my dear grandparents. To save costs, they booked me on a red eye flight that involved a lengthy overnight layover at DFW—by myself!
I stepped unto the plane, filled with a ‘zillion’ complete strangers… I pretty much stopped breathing and wondered what in the world was I doing and how was I going to make it?!
I exhaled and walked to my seat… which ‘just happened’ to be next to a female—another exhale. As we greeted one another and engaged in conversation—here goes—she shared she was a teacher (my desired career) at a rival high school and—was going to Louisville! What! I had enough sense to know the chances that anyone else on that plane was going to the exact place as I was heading in the middle of the night was probably zero. It hit me for the first time in 7 years that God was responsible for much more than ‘just’ my salvation…He had my back for life.
That moment completely changed my understanding of what it meant to place one’s faith and trust in God. Without realizing it, it was at that moment, that Proverbs 3:5-6 began to sink in. There’s so much more to that awesome story in my life, but the point is made.
Fast forward several years into adulthood…
Then, there was the day I was reading through Colossians for an upcoming project when Colossians 2:6-7 ‘hit me hard’, and I remembered my thoughts from the lesson I learned at 17.
“Therefore, as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, overflowing with gratitude.”
Colossians 2:6-7 HCSB
The phrase, ‘…walk in Him’ stood out. My thought: ‘I’ve been saved by faith—by faith, I’ve trusted Jesus Christ to forgive my sins and to be my Lord and Savior—so, why do I struggle to trust Him to guide me through life and the bumpy circumstances I often encounter along the way? The realization that we can live our daily lives by that same faith changed my life.
Paul was reminding those new believers of that very thought. That same faith they proclaimed for their salvation is the same faith and trust that would get them through day to day life—since they had placed their faith in Christ (described in the previous verses), they COULD live life as a new person with new responses, new behaviors, new courage, new confidence…all those things they never dreamed they would be able to do on their own.
In the same way, by faith.
That clicked…and my faith to hold on to Philippians 4:13 and Proverbs 3:5-6 in difficult situations began to grow.
In the same way Christ brought redemption to our hearts through our faith and trust in Him, He gives us the ability to live life relying on God rather than our own understanding…by trusting in Him.
We can trust Him with life circumstances in the same way we can trust Him with our Salvation—because we have placed our faith totally in Him.
I can because—He did, He has, He does, and He will provide the strength to fulfill His plan for my life…
And, for you as well!
….and don’t forget, overflowing with gratitude!
~Debbie
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; think about Him in all your ways, and He will guide you on the right paths.“
Proverbs 3:5-6 HCSB
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