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Guest, Join Papa Zoom today for some uplifting biblical encouragement! --> Daily Verses
1: Faith
- Thread starter Emmanuel
- Start date
Greetings Emmanuel,
Romans 10:14–17 (KJV): 14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? 17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Kind regards
Trevor
Similar to your "Interpretation" thread, I have acquired a good measure of faith by meditation on the Word over many years. I consider that faith can be measured in both "quality" and "quantity" and I consider that the faith of Abraham is a good example of this process culminating in the events of Genesis 22.
This statement seems ambiguous or vague. Just the opposite I will quote:
Romans 10:14–17 (KJV): 14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? 17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Kind regards
Trevor
One way I feel that I use the gift of faith is that I attend weekly worship services. How is that using the gift? If I did not have faith in God, what purpose would it serve to worship Him of whom I have not faith?
Another way I use the gift is that I attend a weekly prayer breakfast where we do a little Bible study and then we pray for anyone and anything that we feel needs God's attention and praise. Again, what purpose would it serve to pray to Him of whom I have not faith?
Another way I use the gift is that I am a member of The Gideons International. Our mission is to share the Gospel and spread the Word free of charge to any and all that need it, which of course is everyone. Once a year we check our local hotels, resorts, hospitals, etc. to place or replace damaged copies of the Holy Bible. We also try to arrange to distribute pocket New Testaments to school children in the 5th grade or higher. Some schools no longer allow us to do that. We also visit local churches to distribute pocket New Testaments to children in 5th grade or higher. We also rent a booth at our local county fair to offer copies of God's word to anyone that passes by. Once more, what purpose would it serve to share His Word if I have not faith?
I also on occasion share the good news on Facebook, the only social network I use. What purpose would it serve to do that if I have not faith?
Hey All,
Emmanuel, how do you know faith is a gift apart from the Bible? You are using the Bible's words to describe it. How do you know what I am telling you about is true faith?
"I prayed to a grapefruit and my prayer was answered." How do you judge that statement as true or false?
Would you not use the most true source you could find to judge the statement?
The Bible is regarded, even by non Christian religions, as a book of truth. So why the restriction?
I like a challenge. Let's see what we can do.
Let's define faith:
Faith -
Having complete trust or confidence in someone, or something, without any practical reason.
also;
strong belief in God or in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual apprehension rather than proof.
Biblically, faith is considered a belief and trust in God based on evidence but without total proof. For example, we cannot see the nailprints in Jesus' hand. But Thomas and the rest of the disciples did see them. We have faith that they were telling the truth. How? They all died rather than recant their faith. I have faith that they told the truth. One man may die for a lie. Not all of them. Because they lived and died in/for this truth, I have assurance that they believed what they were writing about. Their action of dying rather than recanting is one reason for my human faith.
Now I know I violated the rules because you have to know the after resurrection account to understand the question/answer of Thomas. But the principals of truth are revealed.
The disciples didn't know for sure Jesus would meet them. But they were there. Why? They had faith that Jesus would show up.
So faith involves believing what cannot be confirmed as truth through actual implantation of our physical human cognitive senses.
For example, "I believe there will be a tomorrow. I have no physical proof that there will be. But I have planned out, at least part of what I am going to do, based on my faith that tomorrow will come to be truth. So faith is believeing in, and acting upon, as if it were true, that which I cannot completely prove.
Ahh? You thought I couldn't do it.
He shoots, he scores!!! And the crowd goes wild!!!
Announcer: "How did you know the shot would go in?"
Player: "I didn't. I just said a prayer and shot the ball."
The 3/4 court shot in basketball, another example of faith. Faith says throw the ball.
Keep on walking.
May God bless,
Taz
Greetings again Emmanuel and Greetings Josef,
Three stages in this gradual development could be highlighted by the justifying faith in Genesis 15:6 when he believed the promise concerning the seed:
Genesis 15:4–6 (KJV): 4 And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir. 5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. 6 And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.
Then when he was promised that both he and Sarah would be the parents and Paul calls this "quantity" and "quality" as "strong in faith":
Romans 4:17–22 (KJV): 17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. 18 Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. 19 And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara’s womb: 20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; 21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. 22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.
And then Abraham was willing to offer Isaac for a burnt offering, not motivated by mere obedience, but because he believed the promises, and if necessary God would raise Isaac from the dead to fulfill the promise concerning the seed:
Hebrews 11:17–19 (KJV): 17 By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, 18 Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: 19 Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.
Kind regards
Trevor
I enjoyed the range of your discussion on Faith. What I do not see evident from Emmanuel's comment and partly from your comments, is that "Faith" is not a complete item that can be given as a gift, or even an item that can be acquired over a short period of time. I suggest that Faith has both quantity and quality, and in the life of Abraham we can see three distinct stages in this development, but they are not like steps, but a gradual transformation.
Three stages in this gradual development could be highlighted by the justifying faith in Genesis 15:6 when he believed the promise concerning the seed:
Genesis 15:4–6 (KJV): 4 And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir. 5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. 6 And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.
Then when he was promised that both he and Sarah would be the parents and Paul calls this "quantity" and "quality" as "strong in faith":
Romans 4:17–22 (KJV): 17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. 18 Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. 19 And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara’s womb: 20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; 21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. 22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.
And then Abraham was willing to offer Isaac for a burnt offering, not motivated by mere obedience, but because he believed the promises, and if necessary God would raise Isaac from the dead to fulfill the promise concerning the seed:
Hebrews 11:17–19 (KJV): 17 By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, 18 Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: 19 Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.
Kind regards
Trevor
Everybody with a normally-functioning brain, with average cognitive abilities, has the capacity for faith and exercises it many times throughout each day. We exercise faith in the cook at our favorite restaurant, and in our doctor, our barber, our dentist, our spouse, the news media, politicians, etc. We trust that when we flick the light switches at home, the lights will come on; we believe when we turn the tap at the kitchen sink, water will flow from the faucet; we believe when we press the power button on the t.v. remote, the t.v. will turn on. And so on. Faith, trust in things, then, is common to every person with a brain that is operating as it should.
What makes me think I use the "gift of faith"? Well, this use seems obvious to me in the daily exercise of my trust in Christ as my Savior, and my trust in the promises of God to me as His child, and my trust in the work of the Holy Spirit within me to guide me, teach me, strengthen me, comfort me and change me.
I don't know what you mean by "let your Christian be your faith."
Enlightenedtruth
Member
The gift of faith enables believers to rise above pressures and problems that might otherwise cripple them.
What more can be said?
What more can be said?
We know the principle that faith comes by hearing the word of God as it's a free gift of faith through Christ Jesus, but if we do not exercise this faith as applying it to every area of our life then it becomes weak faith that eventually goes away.
Faith to me is that of believing in God to do what we feel is impossible in our life. Faith brings us up from the gutter and clothes us in God's righteousness like a father that knows how to give his kids the best he knows for them and their needs. God will always make a way where there seems to be no way. No one can explain what faith is apart from the scriptures.
Faith to me is that of believing in God to do what we feel is impossible in our life. Faith brings us up from the gutter and clothes us in God's righteousness like a father that knows how to give his kids the best he knows for them and their needs. God will always make a way where there seems to be no way. No one can explain what faith is apart from the scriptures.
Greetings "for_his_glory",
Kind regards
Trevor
Similar to your post in the "Interpretation" thread, you are bordering on the same concept of black and white. "Faith" is a cognate word with "believe" or "belief" and such a characteristic does not of necessity come directly from Jesus as a direct "gift". If we hear a preacher, we may believe what he states, even if he is speaking some error. So there is true faith and erroneous faith, and true faith can grow and mature, similar to Abraham, if we are true followers of the Gospel and the Word of God. Erroneous faith can develop, but in the long run may fail under trial.
Kind regards
Trevor
Emmanuel, I would add that it doesn't necessarily require a normally functioning brain or average cognitive abilities. Some of the most faithful Christians I know are those with what we consider to be mental disorders. One childhood friend of mine has Down syndrome and I see him as a greater example of Christian love than most others I know, including myself.
If we truly follow what scripture speaks about faith then within us there should be no erroneous faith, but only trust and believing what God has already given the Prophets and Disciples to write. It is black and white when one comes to the Bible definition without all of man's interpretation.
Greetings again "for_his_glory",
Kind regards
Trevor
It appears that we are not allowed to talk around the subject raised in the OP. My post in the thread "Interpretation" also has been deleted..
Kind regards
Trevor
D-D-W
2024 Supporter
Romans 10:17
So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Are you praying? Listening for God to speak to you when you pray? Are you reading the Bible and expecting God to speak to you thru it? That is what gives you faith.
The Gift of Faith (1 Cor 12.9) is the same as the gift of healings and miracles. Only certain people have that gift. And it is way beyond normal Christian faith.