Featured Faith? Where does it come from?

The context of Isa. 43:13, quoted above, is important to the understanding of that verse and of John 10:27-29.

1. But now, thus says the LORD, your Creator, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel, “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine!
2. “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, Nor will the flame burn you.
3. “For I am the LORD your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I have given Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in your place.
4. “Since you are precious in My sight, Since you are honored and I love you, I will give other men in your place and other peoples in exchange for your life.
5. “Do not fear, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, And gather you from the west.
6. “I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ And to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’ Bring My sons from afar And My daughters from the ends of the earth,
7. Everyone who is called by My name, And whom I have created for My glory, Whom I have formed, even whom I have made.”
8. Bring out the people who are blind, even though they have eyes, And the deaf, even though they have ears.
9. All the nations have gathered together So that the peoples may be assembled. Who among them can declare this And proclaim to us the former things? Let them present their witnesses that they may be justified, Or let them hear and say, “It is true.”
10. “You are My witnesses,” declares the LORD, “And My servant whom I have chosen, So that you may know and believe Me And understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, And there will be none after Me.
11. “I, even I, am the LORD, And there is no savior besides Me.
12. “It is I who have declared and saved and proclaimed, And there was no strange god among you; So you are My witnesses,.” declares the LORD, “And I am God.
13. “Even from eternity I am He, And there is none who can deliver out of My hand; I act and who can reverse it?”
14. Thus says the LORD your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, “For your sake I have sent to Babylon, And will bring them all down as fugitives, Even the Chaldeans, into the ships in which they rejoice.
15. “I am the LORD, your Holy One, The Creator of Israel, your King.” (NASB, 1995)
16. Thus says the LORD, Who makes a way through the sea And a path through the mighty waters,
17. Who brings forth the chariot and the horse, The army and the mighty man (They will lie down together and not rise again; They have been quenched and extinguished like a wick):
18. “Do not call to mind the former things, Or ponder things of the past.
19. “Behold, I will do something new, Now it will spring forth; Will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, Rivers in the desert.
20. “The beasts of the field will glorify Me, The jackals and the ostriches, Because I have given waters in the wilderness And rivers in the desert, To give drink to My chosen people.
21. “The people whom I formed for Myself Will declare My praise.
22. “Yet you have not called on Me, O Jacob; But you have become weary of Me, O Israel.
23. “You have not brought to Me the sheep of your burnt offerings, Nor have you honored Me with your sacrifices. I have not burdened you with offerings, Nor wearied you with incense.
24. “You have bought Me not sweet cane with money, Nor have you filled Me with the fat of your sacrifices; Rather you have burdened Me with your sins, You have wearied Me with your iniquities.
25. “I, even I, am the one who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake, And I will not remember your sins.
26. “Put Me in remembrance, let us argue our case together; State your cause, that you may be proved right.
27. “Your first forefather sinned, And your spokesmen have transgressed against Me.
28. “So I will pollute the princes of the sanctuary, And I will consign Jacob to the ban and Israel to revilement.” (NASB, 1995)

In spite of all that God did for Israel, and in spite of all of God’s promises to be faithful to Israel, Israel chose to disobey God and became reviled in His sight. The very same thing has been true of countless Christians whom God saved, blessed, and made promises to be faithful to—promises that were conditional upon their faithfully abiding in Christ. Indeed, in John 10:28, Jesus made the same promise to His people that God made to His people in Isaiah 43:13, and yet later in the same chapter of Isaiah, we read that many of His people departed from His hand and became reviled in His sight. Christians who choose to remain in the hand of God remain secure in their salvation; Christians who do not choose to remain in the hand of God lose their salvation.

As for Wisdom 3:1, is that verse true—or is it not?

 

None. But I know plenty of unregenerate Catholics, Lutherans, and yes, Baptists that think God created the universe. They're not believers and they take creation on faith.

 

The fact is, he is making a comparison. Throughout the book there is a comparison between the covenant of the Law (as you say) and the covenant of grace. They cannot go back. They must go forward.
Read the book:
They can't go back to OT system of worship:
1. They can't go back to having many priests; there is only one priest.
2. In the OT there was a High Priest; in the NT, a Great High Priest; they can't go back.
3. In the OT there were many sacrifices; in the NT one sacrifice offered forever; they can't go back.
4. In the OT a Levitical priesthood after Aaron; in the NT Christ a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek; they can't go back.
5. In the OT the priest interceded for them; in the NT we are priests and come before our High Priest making intercession; they can't go back. There are so many contrasts here.

This passage also shows how one cannot go back it is impossible for a true believer to go back to Judaism just as a true believer could not go back to Islam. Impossible.

You will come to realize I don't care much about history. It is unreliable.
My authority is the Word of God. I suggest you use it.

I understand the Bible. Why don't you? All that you demonstrate here are two things:
1. You have a warped view of history.
2. You cannot explain the Word of God. In fact you have avoided it.

Good, then listen to the Word of God, and answer what I have put before you. Don't avoid it.

 

You will have to do better than that. Take one verse and show how it supports your position. For example, John 1:13 does not contradict verse 12. And verse 12 is not passive.

 

You will have to do better than that. Take one verse and show how it supports your position. For example, John 1:13 does not contradict verse 12. And verse 12 is not passive.

 

When you string verses together like that you take them out of context and make them mean what they are not intended to mean.
In Romans 7 Paul is speaking of his old nature. In that nature there dwells no good thing.
In the flesh he cannot please God.
But then you make this jump to the middle of Hebrews 11, a chapter speaking of the heroes of faith, men of faith, who walk by faith, and it has nothing to do with the old nature whatsoever.

What does Heb.11:6 say again:
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
--Yes, without faith one cannot please God. Does it tell you the source of faith there? No, it does not.
It simply says about each and every individual that "by faith" they pleased God.
By "whose faith"? By their own faith, is the proper answer. No other logical answer can fit that question.

Hebrews 11:4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.
By faith Abel offered up his sacrifice. Whose faith. It plainly says, "Abel's faith." You have to read into the scriptures to come to any other conclusion.

 

All of this is irrelevant. You ignore John 10:28. That is what is relevant. You ignore basic meanings of works. You would rather hop down bunny trails instead.

 

I don't see the word "faith" anywhere in those verses.

Furthermore, go back several chapters.
Ez. 18:30 “Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin.
31 Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit.

 

Brother DHK,

The ability to love God is conditioned upon Him first loving us, therefore it is not innate capability that man has as a potential since it is conditioned upon something that is external to the person. "We love him, because he first loved us" (1 John 4:19). Here it is shown the cause of our love for God is God first loving us which produces the effectual effect of us loving Him, but the fact that not all men love God is evidence that not all men are loved of God, if they were, you would see the effect of all men loving God as a result of the cause of God loving them.

 

Brother InTheLight,

The Israelites of the house of Israel in Ezekiel 18, had turned away from their obedience to the law, and were exposed to the penalties of the law, which was death, but as the covenant which they were under contained this provision, they were called on by the prophet to reform, and live, to cast away all their transgressions, make them a new heart and a new spirit, and they should live. Thus showing that the salvation which was typified in the law, was such a salvation as could only be effected by that divine power which is required to make a new heart, and to create within them a right spirit, and that no man can perform this work the prophet shows; In chapter 36 the Lord says, “I had pity for mine holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, whither they went.” “Thus saith the Lord God; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name’s sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen.” “And I will sanctify my great name,” etc. “For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.” By comparing Ezekiel 18:31,32, with chapter 36 we see what the law demands. Who is able to make himself a new heart? Who can create in himself a new spirit? Or who is able to cast away all his transgressions? Those who know the law despair of ever being able to meet its requisitions. But God reveals from heaven his method of grace and salvation, and proclaims what he himself will do, and in the Scriptures copied from Ezekiel 36, promises to meet every requisition demanded in Ezekiel 18:31, and to do it for his own name’s sake.

 

CBSea,
God saves His people by Covenant....not by works that men do, but rather by the perfect work of the Son.

Not all who were members of OT Israel....were of the Israel of God. These were covenant breakers.
In the NT. all in the New Covenant will be saved, kept by the power of God.

Wisdom...is not scripture at all.....it was rejected by the believing church.

 

"Craigbythesea,

There is only two realms...life and death...both are eternal....
You have one or the other.
If you have life.....it is eternal.....A person Cannot have life unless the Spirit permanently indwells him

,

no....Christians are kept by the power of God. They will perservere by God's grace

take a moment to learn the truth here;

Then we can deal with the other errors....

 

Hebrews is written to Christians.

ITL...did you know that faith in the bible....is always said to be...BY...or THROUGH faith, never is it said to be.....BECAUSE OF FAITH

 

No, let's not. You are looking at the conclusion of the whole matter. Let's look at the cause and the context.
Joh 1:11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
--Christ, the Messiah, came to his own nation, Israel, and they of their own free will rejected Him. Someday they will be held accountable for that decision.

In contrast:
Joh 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
--Those that received Christ were given the right to become the children of God on the basis of their believing on His name. This is the crux of this passage. It must harmonize, and not contradict verse 13.
The basis of the new birth is believing in Christ. Those who have "accepted" or received Christ are the ones that have been given the right to become the children of God. One is not naturally born a child of God, he is given the right to become a child of God on the basis of the new birth which involves "receiving Christ." That is where he receives this "right."

Joh 1:13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
...those that believe on his name which were born...of God.
What is important here is that the birth of a child of God is a supernatural birth. The work on the cross was Christ's work, God's work of salvation for mankind. Accordingly, a person must welcome this work by faith, and receive it, and then allow the Holy Spirit to do His work of regeneration that only God can do. It is a work of God. Where else does the Bible speak of the new birth:

1Pe 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
--It is impossible to be born again without the Word of God. One is born again by the Word of God. The Holy Spirit works through the Word of God to bring a person to Christ. One must receive by faith the offer of salvation which God gives to man. Our faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. That is where our confidence in the gospel message and in the promises of God will come from.

The consequence of being born again.

The unregenerate is separated from God and needs to be reconciled to God. Faith is faith. You have no scripture to show that God gives faith to the unregenerate. That entire principle is so very unbiblical. Does he give the rest of the fruit of the Spirit to the unregenerate? Does he give all the spiritual gifts to the unregenerate? Does he make apostles from the unregenerate? Why are you so selective? Why just "faith"

 

So what? Romans is written to Christians as well. Are the people being discussed in the last half of Romans 1 referring to Christians?

ITL...did you know that faith in the bible....is always said to be...BY...or THROUGH faith, never is it said to be.....BECAUSE OF FAITH[/QUOTE]

So what?

 

It's a good answer. However, my point stands--faith in not mentioned in those verses about hearts of stone and of flesh.