Faith # 7

[Brightfame52]

Faith is a Gift of God from His enabling one to believe by His Grace and Power, because its given by God to repent and acknowledge the truth 2 Tim 2:25,26

25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;

26 And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.

Man naturally has been taken captive, imprisoned by the devil from the acknowledging of the truth

The words " taken captive" are in the perfect tense, meaning :

action having been completed in the past, once and for all, with ongoing completed action

So the unbelief and imprisonment of the devil is completed and ongoing until such a time God in His Power and Grace gives release unto the acknowledging of the Truth.

But now mans prideful self centered religion tells us man can acknowledge and believe the truth by his own free will !

 

[Brightfame52]

Since Faith is a Gift of God from His enabling one to believe by His Grace and Power, therefore Gods word tells us some will trust in Christs Name Rom 15:12

10 And again he saith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people.

11 And again, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and laud him, all ye people.

12 And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him[Christ] shall the Gentiles trust.

The word trust here cant be done without Faith, its the same word hope here Heb 11:1

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 33

 

[Brightfame52]

Who are them that believe ?


Acts 11:17,21

Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God?

And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord.

Acts 15:7

And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.

Rom 3:22

Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:


Rom 4:11

And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:


1 Cor 1:21

For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.


Now what religionist don't understand that its those that are described in Acts 13:48 who do believe:

48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.

Its as many as were [By God] ordained to eternal life who shall believe ! 34

 

[Brightfame52]

Its by Gods eternal preordination to eternal life/salvation that one comes to believe in time

 

[Brightfame52]

Another scriptural concept as to who it is that believes, it is Christ Sheep. We gather this by Christs own words as to why some men don't believe Jn 10:26

26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.

This lends us to understand that if men are of Christs Sheep [Elect] they would believe !

 

[Brightfame52]

Jesus prayer in Jn 17 wasnt for the world in general Jn 17:9 but it was for believers and they which shall become believers Jn 17:20

20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;

Of course that would be #1 Christ's Sheep Jn 10:26 and #2 They which God preordained to eternal life Acts 13:48 34

 

[Brightfame52]

If one becomes a true believer in the True Jesus Christ that died only to save His Sheep Jn 10, His Church Eph 5, or Gods Elect, then we owe it to the preordaining of God of us to eternal life Acts 13:48

And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.

We owe it to Gods Grace Acts 18.27

27 And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him: who, when he was come, helped them much which had believed through grace:

We owe it to the Sovereign Sanctifying Work of the Holy Spirit 2 Thess 2:13

13 But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: 34