Did Jesus walk by faith

[freeatlast]

This came up passingly in another thread and I thought it would be interested to hear what some think. We know that our Lord was God and man and He emptied Himself to be as man. So in being man did He have to walk by faith? He says He could do nothing except he see the Father do it. Is that not a description of having faith? So then faith [cometh] by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
What are your thoughts?

 

[mandym]

It is a given. Not sure why it has to be asked.

 

[Tom Butler]

It is a given. Not sure why it has to be asked.

I'm assuming that the "given" is a yes answer to the OP.

My answer is no. Jesus did not walk by faith. He is God.

One's definition of "emptying himself" will drive his answer.

 

[preacher4truth]

This came up passingly in another thread and I thought it would be interested to hear what some think. We know that our Lord was God and man and He emptied Himself to be as man. So in being man did He have to walk by faith? He says He could do nothing except he see the Father do it. Is that not a description of having faith? So then faith [cometh] by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
What are your thoughts?

Interesting question regardless of mandyms attitude toward it. Will give it some thought as to what is meant by the question.

 

[Winman]

Mt 26:53 Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?

That sure sounds like an expression of faith and confidence to me.

 

[mandym]

I'm assuming that the "given" is a yes answer to the OP.

Yep

My answer is no. Jesus did not walk by faith. He is God.

You seem to have a view of faith that suggests you believe it is a standard lower than God and therefore not needed. I believe this view of faith is flawed and unnecessary.

One's definition of "emptying himself" will drive his answer.

For me this does not even come into play

 

[michael-acts17:11]

Excellent, thought provoking question. I'd have to say no. We could just as easily ask, does God walk by faith"? It is certainly worth thinkin' on. Butler makes a good point. How do we understand Jesus emptying Himself? He did not lose His deity, but He did give up aspects of His deity when He took on flesh. I'll be thinking on this the rest of the day. Thanks

 

[Amy.G]

As God, no. As a man, yes.

Jesus is both God and man. He is our example. Jesus prayed, we pray. Jesus submitted to the Father, we submit also.

Jesus' faith is what we should try to attain instead of being of "little faith".

 

[InTheLight]

Mt 26:53 Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?

That sure sounds like an expression of faith and confidence to me.

Sounds like a rhetorical question to me.

Anyway, interesting question. My first instinctual answer is no, Jesus did not walk by faith. Faith requires belief and putting trust in something or someone. Does God put faith in Himself? I don't think so.

 

[michael-acts17:11]

Mandym makes a good point too. What is our definition of "faith" within the context of the op? It all depends on our definition of the terms: faith, emptying, walk, etc.

 

[Amy.G]

Sounds like a rhetorical question to me.

Anyway, interesting question. My first instinctual answer is no, Jesus did not walk by faith. Faith requires belief and putting trust in something or someone. Does God put faith in Himself? I don't think so.

Does God pray to Himself?

 

[J.D.]

As God, no. As a man, yes.

Jesus is both God and man. He is our example. Jesus prayed, we pray. Jesus submitted to the Father, we submit also.

Jesus' faith is what we should try to attain instead of being of "little faith".

Thank you Amy. You are right, He was the Son of God AND the Son of Man.

 

[InTheLight]

Does God pray to Himself?

Yes. As to why Jesus would pray, allow me to quote a very wise answer given just minutes ago:

He is our example. Jesus prayed, we pray.

 

[Amy.G]

Yes. As to why Jesus would pray, allow me to quote a very wise answer given just minutes ago:

He is our example. Jesus prayed, we pray.

Well thank you.

My point is that we are talking about the Trinity. It is impossible for our tiny little brains to understand it. But we know that Jesus prayed, submitted, and had faith even though He was God. I can't explain how that works, I just know it does.

 

[InTheLight]

Well thank you.

My point is that we are talking about the Trinity. It is impossible for our tiny little brains to understand it. But we know that Jesus prayed, submitted, and had faith even though He was God. I can't explain how that works, I just know it does.

The how is mysterious, but I think you nailed the answer to the question of why.

 

[freeatlast]

Yes. As to why Jesus would pray, allow me to quote a very wise answer given just minutes ago:

He is our example. Jesus prayed, we pray.

So you don't think it was necessary for Jesus to pray, rather that He was just doing it to be an example?

 

[freeatlast]

Mandym makes a good point too. What is our definition of "faith" within the context of the op? It all depends on our definition of the terms: faith, emptying, walk, etc.

The bible says;
So then faith [cometh] by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

So faith is the end product of believing what God says as long as we act on what we then believe in accord with what God meant.

The Lord said;
I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father.

Is that not faith? He is not doing whatever he deisres, but is trusting the Father. Not my will but thine be done.

 

[JesusFan]

Yep



You seem to have a view of faith that suggests you believe it is a standard lower than God and therefore not needed. I believe this view of faith is flawed and unnecessary.



For me this does not even come into play

To my understanding of His 'kenosis"...

Jesus became full man while on earth, its just that He was second Adam. sinless human being.. One who was born witha Sinless human nature, and who never had sinned...

While here as a man, Jesus freely chose to NOT exercise His divine attributes though, and lived out His life relying upon his relationship with Father, and in power of the HS...

And He modeled/lived in "perfect" faith, as He was able to"always" do and see what His Father wanted Him to do!

 

[kyredneck]

He died by faith, I must conclude He walked by faith also:

who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: 1 Pet 2:23

 

[Goinheix]

This came up passingly in another thread and I thought it would be interested to hear what some think. We know that our Lord was God and man and He emptied Himself to be as man. So in being man did He have to walk by faith? He says He could do nothing except he see the Father do it. Is that not a description of having faith? So then faith [cometh] by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
What are your thoughts?

As you said well; this question comes from another thread that have been discused enough and yet we did not come to a comon understanding. I hope we can discuss this very topic without falling back in the previous endless discusion.

I will talk to mature christians that already eat solid food and know the Bible and specially are very familiar with the NT.

Concerning Jesus Christ; it was necesary at least two conditions or situations. Probably you can mantion many more, but for this topic I will refer to only two.

The first condition was to qualify as a Passover Lamb. For fullfilling this conmdition Jesus has to live without sin; but also has to live without sin as a man. It was necesary for Jesus Christ to demostrate, to prove, that it was possible for a man, with the difficulties, limitations and obstacles proper of a man; to live without sin. And Jesus did live as man, free from the falling condition of men after Adam, and did it without sin. That qualifies him as the Lamb for all our sins.

If Jesus lived as man without sin, he did it by faith; because all that is not by faith is sin. The question is how much he knew for sure and how much he took by faith.

In my opinion - wich have been very contrivertial - Jesus didnt know he was the Christ. In my opionion - that caused many to refute it - Jesus learned about himself listening to his parents, quetioning the teachers, and studying by himself the scriptures. Eventually he comes to the conclusion by faith that he was the Christ.

The other condition for Jesus was to qualify as High Priest. It was necesary for Jesus to experience the man life under man conditions, difficulties and problem. Only by experiencing the man life he is capable to understand our situations. That include the living by faith. If we are requested to live by faith - probably all our theology is based on life by faith - then Jesus necesarelly did live by faith, did pray with faith, etc etc.

That is my opinion.