The Faith of Moses, Part 2

Faith in Jesus Christ is the means by which we are saved by the grace of God. But as Moses exemplifies, faith can be exercised beyond conversion to enable us to live in such a way that would otherwise be impossible to man. Moses was a man who had it all. Adopted by the daughter of Pharaoh, he had the opportunity to live the rest of his life in prestige and power. But by faith, he denied himself, refusing the treasures of the world to seek after the kingdom of God. What can we learn from Moses’ faith? How can we live by faith like Moses? We will consider the answers to these questions as we delve deeper into God’s Word.

Faith has three elements- knowledge, trust, and obedience. You must first have a biblical knowledge of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit to have faith. You must know the gospel. Second, you must trust what you know. Or in other words, you must consider Jesus as trustworthy and therefore depend on Him alone. Lastly, faith is completed by obedience. True faith involves absolute commitment, and it bears fruit as you obey God out of love and gratitude for Christ.

Moses’ act of faith described in Hebrews 11:24 is not an easy thing to do. While most of us are reluctant to give up any worldly comfort in our lives, Moses forsook his entire future and security to live by faith in God. Faith is more powerful that anything in, and it is practical through the practice of self-denial and the lordship of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the object of our faith, and He is able to transform us, just as He transformed Moses. How is faith able to change us? Faith is sight. It assures us, convicts us, and makes us steadfast. Those who have faith are convinced of the Word of God. They believe what God says despite the lack of any physical evidence. This is why meditating and memorizing Scripture is so important to our faith. By faith, we are able to see reality as we believe and hold fast to God’s Word.

Moses’ faith produced in him the ability to deny himself. What is self-denial? Self-denial is to renounce oneself as the center of existence, and acknowledge Jesus as Lord. It is not asceticism, but it is to know and see Christ before all things. Apostle Paul describes self-denial in Galatians 2:20-

I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life that I live in the flesh, I now live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself up for me.

To be crucified with Jesus is a metaphor of our conversion. Our self-denial begins at conversion as we understand our depravity and look to Christ alone for salvation. This is the essence of self-denial- not I, but Christ in me. Paul gladly took up his cross to follow Jesus, and in the same way, every disciple of Christ is likewise called to deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Him. The gospel was real to Paul- he knew Jesus loved him, and gave Himself up for him. This encouraged Paul to deny himself in all circumstances, just as it enabled Moses to deny himself and forsake the world. You must always hear and remember that the gospel is for you, not others. By the gospel, we can deny ourselves, pick up our cross, and follow Jesus.