Featured What is faith?

Malachi 4
4 “Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire,” says the Lord Almighty. “Not a root or a branch will be left to them. 2 But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays. And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves

2 Peter 3:
17 Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position.18But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.

Colossians 1:
9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,[Or all spiritual wisdom and understanding] 10 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, 12 and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you[Some manuscripts us] to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Selah

 

I believe knowledge of Jesus Christ given to us by His word about Jesus and the words of Jesus is where faith begins and those scripture teach us to grow in the knowledge of Him. How can we believe in or trust in someone we know nothing about to have faith in?

No one would go see Him in a tree Zackaries or know that he will heal his servant the centurion if they haven't first heard anything about Him to have faith in Him.

Romans 10:
14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

 

Not by faith.

 

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

What is our hope of glory? Col. 1:27 To whom God would make known what [is] the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

Christ is the substance of things hoped for. The faith. Gal.3:23,25 Before the faith came : After the faith did come. What brought the faith?

I say obedience. Obedience of faith. Romans 1:5 ὑπακοὴν πίστεως Obedience of faith, both words nouns.

Scripture4all.ord interlinear Greek Hebrews 5:8 And even being Son he learned from which he suffered the obedience,
YLT through being a Son, did learn by the things which he suffered -- the obedience,
YLT Phil 2:8 and in fashion having been found as a man, he humbled himself, having become obedient unto death -- death even of a cross,

It was by the obedience of faith unto death even the death of a cross, by which the Holy Spirit was received and then shed on us as the gift of God. Setting us (the called) aside as the adopted sons of God.

John 16:7 for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you;

 

A chair is seen, and God is not. Believing in what one can see is not faith.

One either believes in God or he does not. He didn't seek the belief or choose it. He either does or does not, just as a man is either alive or he is not. If he is alive, he has a beating heart and breathing lungs. He does not decide to breathe or to operate his heart. They happen on their own because of the life that is in him. A man with no breath or beating heart is dead

In the same way, faith brings forth good works. A man of faith will think a certain way and do certain things by virtue of the life that is in him. "That is the meaning of faith without works is dead." If a man has faith, he has works. He won't have to seek them or choose them. They will be.

 

I agree that people don't have to choose to believe in God. Scripture is clear that they DO believe in God.

"...what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." Romans Chapter 1​

So, you are right, people don't have to choose whether or not believe in God or not because it is "PLAIN TO THEM." Do you have to choose to believe if the Baptist Board is? Of course not, it is PLAIN TO US. But, one can choose to "suppress the truth by their wickedness" (vs. 18) or "exchange the glory of the immortal God for images" (vs. 23) or "exchange the truth of God for a lie" (vs. 25). And what will happen to those who choose to do such things?

"their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened...they became fools." (vs. 21)​

Notice it doesn't say they were born futile/fools, but that they BECAME such AFTER choosing to "exchange the truth in for lies." NOTICE THE ORDER THAT IT HAPPENS!

1. "They exchanged the glory..."
2. "Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires..."

1. "They exchanged the truth of God for a lie"
2. "Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts."
​

This is an important distinction because Calvinism gets this backwards. They PRESUME that all men are born 'given over,' 'defiled,' and hardened in their rebellion against any revelation of God and thus have NO CHOICE in the matter, but this chapter CLEARLY debunks that notion. They believed in God because God was made plain to them but they CHOSE, of their own free will, to trade that obvious truth in for lies. Nothing here suggests they couldn't have done otherwise, in fact we have examples of many throughout history who didn't do this and who weren't 'given over' and 'defiled.' How can that be if all men are "born given over and defiled" as Calvinism teaches?

 

My understanding of faith without works is dead.

If a man has Christ in him, that is by the gift of the Holy Spirit, that man has the faith in him and he will do good works.

Therefore James says, " shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works."

Actually it is the faith (a noun) of God put in the man by the Holy Spirit, not something the man believes (a verb). JMHO

Eph 2:8,9 For by grace are ye saved through the faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

What will the faith of God put in him by the Holy Spirit produce? That is; Christ in you the hope of glory.

Eph 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

 

Jesus tells us to believe(verb) in me(noun) not to have faith(noun) in me(noun), but believe an action to the faith. So faith without deeds is a dead faith. So believe(verb) without a faith(noun) is dead also.

 

I agree. Because what you believe (verb) in, must be living and if Jesus (noun) be not raised then your faith (noun therefore Jesus) is vain and you would still be in your sin even though Jesus (noun, your faith) had died for you.

Scripture4all Greek interlinear 1 Cor 15:17 If yet Christ not has been raised vain the faith of you all still ye are in the sins of you all.

 

What more needs to be said? Not only a fundamental misunderstanding of the nature of the Word of God, but a denial of the fundamental nature of faith itself.

 

Romans 10:17 NIV
14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”[Isaiah 52:7]

16 But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?”[Isaiah 52:1]Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.

Romans 10:17 KJ
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Romans 10: NASB
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word [Or concerning Christ]of Christ.

John 20:29
Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Luke 7

7 When Jesus had finished saying all this to the people who were listening, he entered Capernaum. 2 There a centurion’s servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die. 3 The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant. 4 When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, “This man deserves to have you do this, 5 because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.” 6 So Jesus went with them.

He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. 7 That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. 8 For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

9 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.” 10 Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well.


Plain and simple no message nothing to have faith in. It doesn't matter who the message came by a burning bush, a worm, a donkey but without the message about or from the one who sent it there is nothing to have faith in.

 

Re-examination

John 10:26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. ---But you believe (verb) because you are not of my sheep (noun pocessed by my)

John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

Acts 22:9 And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me.

My sheep hear my voice.

Romans 10:17 So then faith (noun) by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Ye believe not because ye are not of (faith).

 

Sheep is a hyperbole no one is a sheep physically it is talking about their attitude not who they are. A sheep follows blindly who they are following. If you want to use a hyperbole i would not be a sheep but a dog who begged at His table who He included with His sheep and treats me as one of His own.