What is Faith?
FAITH
What is Faith? Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, a conviction (being convinced) of things not seen. The foundation upon which this assurance of things hoped for, this conviction of things not seen, rests, is God's Word.
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
Hebrews 11:7, 11, 17-19, 22, 30 . By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith. By faith Abraham, even though he was past age and Sarah herself was barren -- was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise. By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned. Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death. By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions about his bones. By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days.
Faith means that one acts on something with the assurance that it is true, even though one does not yet have any observable evidence or proof that it is true. It is important to understand that faith in the biblical sense is not a mere assumption, a simple hope that the fact is true. One who simply hopes or assumes is not acting on faith -- he is gambling. A person who has faith knows that the thing is true.
Conversely, biblical faith only exists until one has proof discernable with the physical senses. Initially, Jesus had faith that the Father had the power to resurrect someone from death. Once the Father resurrected Lazarus from the dead, Jesus no longer had faith, He had observable evidence.
Hebrews 11:1 King James Version Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
This is a particularly good translation. Faith is the evidence. This means that the believer is not acting without evidence. He is acting with evidence, but with evidence not discernable by the natural, i.e., the physical senses. Faith is the substance of the thing hoped for. It is the initial reality of the thing hoped for.
Consider this I hope for a raise, I ask my boss for a raise, and he agrees. Initially he forms a thought in his mind, approving the raise. At that point the raise actually exists, even though he has not yet communicated that fact to anyone.
There is a time delay between the time God ordains something and the time it becomes physical reality. Sometimes it is almost non-existent: And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. Genesis 1:3. Sometimes it is thousands of years:
Ezekiel 36:33 24, 28-30, 33- 35 For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. You will live in the land I gave your forefathers; you will be my people, and I will be your God. I will save you from all your uncleanness. I will call for the grain and make it plentiful and will not bring famine upon you. I will increase the fruit of the trees and the crops of the field, so that you will no longer suffer disgrace among the nations because of famine. This is what the Sovereign LORD says: On the day I cleanse you from all your sins, I will resettle your towns, and the ruins will be rebuilt. The desolate land will be cultivated instead of lying desolate in the sight of all who pass through it. They will say, "This land that was laid waste has become like the garden of Eden; the cities that were lying in ruins, desolate and destroyed, are now fortified and inhabited."
This prophecy, decreed more than five centuries before the birth of Christ, began to come true in 1948 when Israel won its independence.
The point of faith is that the believer accepts God's Word as fact, not probability or possibility.
The meaning of "Faith when used in connection with prayer: In prayer, faith is the firm expectation, the assurance, free from all doubts, of getting the thing asked.
James 1:5-8 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.
Mark 11:24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
The prayer of faith reckons the thing asked as already really its own, because God has heard the request and granted the thing asked, and what God has granted is as really ours as if we had it already in our possession experimentally.
1 John 5:14-15: This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us -- whatever we ask -- we know that we have what we asked of him.
The meaning of Faith when used in connection with God. To believe God is to rely upon or have unhesitating assurance of the truth of God's testimony, even though it is unsupported by any other evidence, and to rely upon or have unfaltering assurance of the fulfillment of his promises, even though everything seen seems against fulfillment.
1 John 5:10 Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son.
John 5:24 I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.
Acts 27:22-25 But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me and said, `Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you. So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me.
Romans 4:3 What does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."
Genesis 15:4-6 Then the word of the LORD came to him: "This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir. He took him outside and said, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars -- if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be. Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.
Romans 4:19-21 Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead -- since he was about a hundred years old -- and that Sarah's womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.
It is "taking God at his word." Faith is not belief without evidence discernable by the physical senses. It is belief on the very best of evidence, the word of Him who cannot lie.
Titus 1:2 a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time,
Faith is so rational that it asks no other evidence than this all-sufficient evidence. To ask other evidence than the word of Him "who cannot lie" is not "rationalism," but consummate irrationalism.
2 Chronicles 20:20 Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the LORD your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful."
John 14:1 Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.
To believe in God is to rely upon, or put confidence in God Himself. When we believe God we trust His word; when we believe in God we trust Him. When we believe God we fix our eyes on what He has said:
Romans 4:20-21 Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.
When we believe in God we fix our eyes upon what He is, upon His person, upon Him.
Note -- There are two Hebrew words for "trust" and "faith." The first, translated "believe" and "trust" means primarily in the transitive, "to prop," "to stay," "to support". In the intransitive, "to stay oneself." The second word, translated "trust," seems to mean "to cast oneself upon." When we believe God we stay ourselves upon His word; when we believe in God we stay ourselves upon Him. . The meaning of "Faith" when used in connection with Jesus Christ: Faith in Jesus Christ is relying upon, or putting confidence in Jesus Christ. It is the assurance that He will do the things sought of him or take care of the matters entrusted to him. It is simply relying upon him for these things.
John 14:1 Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.
Matthew 9:21-22 She said to herself, "If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed. Jesus turned and saw her. "Take heart, daughter," he said, "your faith has healed you." And the woman was healed from that moment.
Matthew 9:29 Then he touched their eyes and said, "According to your faith will it be done to you";
Matthew 15:25, 28 The woman came and knelt before him. "Lord, help me!" she said. Then Jesus answered, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed from that very hour.
Matthew 8:8-10 The centurion replied, "Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 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. When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, "I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.
Luke 7:48-50 Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven.The other guests began to say among themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins? Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."
John 14:12 I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.
2 Timothy 1:12 That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.
What Jesus Christ is relied upon for varies in different cases. (In the several cases cited above it was for care, healing, sight, help, the healing of another, pardon, power.) What he is relied upon for, that will he do.
Matthew 9:29 Then he touched their eyes and said, "According to your faith will it be done to you";
Relying upon Christ for healing brings healing, relying upon Christ for help brings help, relying upon Christ for pardon brings pardon, relying upon Christ for power brings power, relying upon Christ for victory brings victory. What we have a right to rely upon him for is determined by his character and his definite promises.
Saving Faith is believing with the heart.
Romans 10:9-10 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
In order to be saved we must believe with the heart. In the Bible the heart stands for the thought, feelings and will. A heart-faith, then is a faith that rules the thought, the feelings and the will. The manifestation of heart-faith is action in the direction of that which is believed.
Hebrews 11:7-8, 17, 19-20, 22, 24-26, 28 By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith. By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death. By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future. By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions about his bones. By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.
Saving Faith is a faith that works by doing what the one who is believed in bids us to do.
James 2:25 14-17, 21-22, 24- 26 What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone. In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
OBJECTIONS:
(a) Isn't this really saying that a person must earn his way into heaven by good works?
No, this is defining the term faith. It is saying that faith does not consist of a mere intellectual belief. I have total faith that I can get up and walk across the room, but unless I do it, I'll never get to the other side of the room.
(b) Doesn't the Bible say that there is nothing Man can do that pleases God?
Repentance pleases God. It pleases God that a man earnestly tries to lead a righteous life.
(c) What about the doctrine of solo fide, i.e., "Man is justified by faith alone"?
This doctrine states the result of having faith. However, it does not define what type of faith is necessary to obtain justification.
(d) I thought Christian theologians say that Jesus offered a perfect and complete sacrifice, that His sacrifice was all that was necessary.
It says that one must believe in Him. Believing in Him is another way of saying one must have faith in Him. James is defining what "having faith" means.
(e) I thought Christian theologians teach that because of Jesus' sacrifice anything Man tries to do in addition is entirely superfluous.
There is a difference between doing good works because one has faith and doing good works because one believes the works themselves will provide the justification.
Consider these analogies:
One person may volunteer at a hospital because he feels sorry for those who are sick and wants to improve their lives. Another may volunteer because it will look good on his resume.
Some people play golf because they find it enjoyable and challenging. However, many businessmen hate golf but they spend time and money learning and playing it solely because it will help them make business contacts.
God created Man because He wanted companionship throughout eternity. Like mankind, God wants to spend time with sentient beings that are like-minded, but not identical to himself. If you love golf, who would you prefer to spend your time with: someone who also loves golf, or someone who is technically good at it but doesn't like it and would rather be somewhere else?
Saving Faith is the faith which works by love.
Galatians 5:6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
Saving Faith is the faith which receives Jesus Christ as He comes to us, and for all that He offers Himself to be.
John 1:12-13 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.
He offers Himself as our sin-bearer. Saving Faith accepts Him as such and rests all its hope for pardon on His atoning blood. He offers Himself as our deliverer from sin's power:
John 8:34, 36 Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
Saving Faith accepts Him as such and relies utterly upon Him and expects Him to give such deliverance. He offers Himself as our Teacher and Lord.
John 13:13 You call me `Teacher' and `Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am.
Saving Faith accepts Him as such and surrenders the mind unreservedly to His teaching and the life to His absolute control.
Saving Faith in Jesus Christ is the faith that commits to Jesus Christ.
2 Timothy 1:12 That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.
Saving Faith is a faith that calls upon the name of the Lord.
Romans 10:13-14 for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. 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?
NOTE -- The context plainly shows that the Lord here is the Lord Jesus Christ . To call upon His name implies: First, a deep recognition of our need of salvation. Second, an earnest desire to be saved. Third, an utter casting away of hope in any other way of salvation. Fourth, a hope that He will save. The faith that recognizes our own lost condition, that earnestly desires salvation, that casts away all hope in any one or any thing but the Lord Jesus, and that hopes (or has the assurance) that He will save, and puts Him to the test by crying to Him is the faith that saves.
Saving Faith is the faith that confesses Jesus as Lord.
Romans 10:9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Saving Faith is the faith that does not shrink back from the confession and service of Christ Jesus in danger and trial.
Hebrews 10:38-39 But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him. But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.
Topic 25: The Contents of Saving Faith, or What We Must Believe in Order to be Saved.
In order to be saved we must believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.
John 20:31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
Of course this must be a heart-faith, a faith that leads to action along the line of that which is believed, as seen above. Not merely a theological opinion that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, but such an assurance or conviction that He is as leads us to put our trust in him, and to submit our thoughts and feelings and purposes and lives to His control.
In order to be saved we must believe the gospel.
Romans 1:16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.
QUESTION: What is the gospel?
ANSWER:
1 Corinthians 15:1-4 Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve.
Romans 1:17-25 For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith." The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since 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. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator -- who is forever praised. Amen.
The gospel is, that "Christ died for our sins in fulfillment of the Scriptures ... was buried ... and rose again." This we must believe in order to be saved. This involves faith in Him as the Christ the Son of God.
Note: Most Bibles translate this as "according to the Scriptures ..." However, the term "according to" is ambiguous; compare "According to Bill, the package has arrived. According to Fred, it hasn't." and "Everything is going according to plan."
"According to the Scriptures ..." means that Jesus acted in fulfillment of God's written plan.
Romans 1:1-4 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.
Faith that He died for our sins brings pardon; faith that he rose again brings deliverance from sin's power. Our course, this also must be a heart-faith.
In order to be saved we must believe that God has raised the Lord Jesus from the dead.
Romans 10:9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
This involves faith in His Divinity, in His propitiatory death and God's acceptance of it, and in His intercession for us, and His power to deliver us from sin.
Romans 1:1-4 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 4:25 He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.
Hebrews 7:25 Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.
In order to be saved we must believe that Jesus can and will forgive our sin.
Luke 7:48-50 Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven. The other guests began to say among themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins? Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."
This faith involves faith in the Divinity of Jesus, for God alone can forgive sin.
Topic 30: How Faith is Manifested.
Faith in Jesus is manifested by our bringing to Him our need and surmounting all the obstacles that lie between us and him.
Mark 2:3-5 Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic Son your sins are forgiven.
Faith in Jesus is manifested by our holding on to Jesus for the desired blessing in the face of discouragement, even in the face of His apparent refusal to bestow it.
Matthew 15:22-28 A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession." Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, "Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us. He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel." The woman came and knelt before him. "Lord, help me!" she said. He replied, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs.Yes, Lord," she said, "but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table. Then Jesus answered, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed from that very hour.
Faith in God's Word is manifested by men turning to the Lord.
Acts 11:19-21 Now those who had been scattered by the persecution in connection with Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, telling the message only to Jews. Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. The Lord's hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.
Faith is manifested by prompt and exact obedience to the commandments of Him who is believed in, simply because He commands, though we know not the purpose of His command, nor the outcome of our obedience.
Hebrews 11:17 8, 17-18 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.
Faith is manifested by a disregard for the difficulties that lie in the way of the fulfillment of God's promises.
Hebrews 11:17-19 By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned. Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death.
Romans 4:18-21 Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, So shall your offspring be." [19] Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead -- since he was about a hundred years old -- and that Sarah's womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.
Numbers 13:31-33 But the men who had gone up with him said, We can't attack those people; they are stronger than we are. And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, "The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them."
Numbers 14:6-9 Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes and said to the entire Israelite assembly, "The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. If the LORD is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. Only do not rebel against the LORD. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will swallow them up. Their protection is gone, but the LORD is with us. Do not be afraid of them.
Difficulties are nothing to one who believes in God and His Word: God is mightier than all obstacles, and His Word sure in the face of all apparent impossibility of fulfillment.
Faith is manifested by steadfastness in the path God points out in the face of obstacles, peril and apparent loss.
Hebrews 11:27 By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king's anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible.
POINT 70: Faith is manifested by the sacrifice of the present seen, but transient advantage, for the sake of the future unseen, but permanent advantage.
Hebrews 11:24-26 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. [25] He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. [26] He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.
Faith is manifested by large expectations bases upon God's large promises, eve though as yet nothing may be seen.
Hebrews 11:20-21 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future. By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph's sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.
Genesis 27:27-29 So he went to him and kissed him. When Isaac caught the smell of his clothes, he blessed him and said, "Ah, the smell of my son is like the smell of a field that the LORD has blessed. May God give you of heaven's dew and of earth's richness -- an abundance of grain and new wine. May nations serve you and peoples bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers, and may the sons of your mother bow down to you. May those who curse you be cursed and those who bless you be blessed."
Genesis 48:17 5-20 . Now then, your two sons born to you in Egypt before I came to you here will be reckoned as mine; Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are mine. Any children born to you after them will be yours; in the territory they inherit they will be reckoned under the names of their brothers. As I was returning from Paddan, to my sorrow Rachel died in the land of Canaan while we were still on the way, a little distance from Ephrath. So I buried her there beside the road to Ephrath" (that is, Bethlehem). When Israel saw the sons of Joseph, he asked, "Who are these? They are the sons God has given me here," Joseph said to his father. Then Israel said, "Bring them to me so I may bless them. Now Israel's eyes were failing because of old age, and he could hardly see. So Joseph brought his sons close to him, and his father kissed them and embraced them. Israel said to Joseph, "I never expected to see your face again, and now God has allowed me to see your children too. Then Joseph removed them from Israel's knees and bowed down with his face to the ground. And Joseph took both of them, Ephraim on his right toward Israel's left hand and Manasseh on his left toward Israel's right hand, and brought them close to him. But Israel reached out his right hand and put it on Ephraim's head, though he was the younger, and crossing his arms, he put his left hand on Manasseh's head, even though Manasseh was the firstborn. Then he blessed Joseph and said, "May the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day, the Angel who has delivered me from all harm -- may he bless these boys. May they be called by my name and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and may they increase greatly upon the earth. When Joseph saw his father placing his right hand on Ephraim's head he was displeased; so he took hold of his father's hand to move it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head. [18] Joseph said to him, "No, my father, this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head. But his father refused and said, "I know, my son, I know. He too will become a people, and he too will become great. Nevertheless, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his descendants will become a group of nations. He blessed them that day and said, "In your name will Israel pronounce this blessing: `May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.'" So he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.
Topic 35: We are Saved through Faith.
Salvation is a manifold process, but every factor in it is dependent upon faith.
We are saved through faith.
Ephesians 2:8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith -- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God
Salvation is God's free gift; faith appropriate to itself this gift freely offered to all.
Romans 1:16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.
The gospel has power to save, but that power is displayed only in those who believe.
1 Timothy 4:9-10 This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance (and for this we labor and strive), that we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe.
We receive remission of sins through faith.
Acts 10:43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.
God offers forgiveness to all men on the ground of the shed blood of Christ. The one who believes appropriates to himself individually this universal offer of salvation.
Because Christ took the curse of sin for us, God offers us justification. This offer is accepted by faith.
We are justified by faith.
Romans 5:1-2 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
Galatians 3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree."
We receive eternal life through believing.
John 20:31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
John 14:6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
1 John 5:11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
Belief in Him who is the life makes that life ours. Life is in Him; by our believing in Him this life enters into us.
We receive the right to become sons of God by faith.
John 1:12-13 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God - children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.
Galatians 3:26 You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus,
In His only begotten Son God makes to man the offer of adoption into His family. We appropriate this offer to ourselves by believing in His name.
We become partakers of the Divine Nature through faith in the exceeding great and precious promises of God.
2 Peter 1:4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
We are sanctified by faith.
Acts 26:17-18 I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.'
God offers to us sanctifying grace in His word. By faith we appropriate this sanctifying grace to ourselves.
Our hearts are cleansed by faith.
Acts 15:9 He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith.
There is a heart-cleansing power in the Word of God. Upon faith in that Word it exercises its heart-cleansing power in us.
Psalms 119:9, 11 How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
POINT 90: Christ dwells in our hearts through faith.
Ephesians 3:16-17 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. ...
God presents Christ to us by His Spirit through the Word. Faith lays hold upon Christ thus presented and he comes to dwell in the heart and work all His glorious work within.
We are kept through faith by the power of God unto a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
1 Peter 1:5 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade -- kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.
God provides keeping, His own almighty power to keep. Faith simply lays hold of the almighty power divinely provided.
We stand by faith.
2 Corinthians 1:24 Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, because it is by faith you stand firm.
By faith we enter into or appropriate to ourselves the grace of God wherein we stand.
Romans 5:1-2 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, [2] through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
By faith we get the victory over the world and over the evil one.
Ephesians 6:16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
God freely provides for us and offers to us overcoming grace in Jesus Christ. By faith we appropriate this overcoming grace to ourselves.
We enter into rest by faith.
Hebrews 4:1-3 Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith. Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said, "So I declared on oath in my anger, `They shall never enter my rest.' " And yet his work has been finished since the creation of the world.
From beginning to end, at every step, salvation is by faith. God freel
What is Faith? Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, a conviction (being convinced) of things not seen. The foundation upon which this assurance of things hoped for, this conviction of things not seen, rests, is God's Word.
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
Hebrews 11:7, 11, 17-19, 22, 30 . By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith. By faith Abraham, even though he was past age and Sarah herself was barren -- was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise. By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned. Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death. By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions about his bones. By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days.
Faith means that one acts on something with the assurance that it is true, even though one does not yet have any observable evidence or proof that it is true. It is important to understand that faith in the biblical sense is not a mere assumption, a simple hope that the fact is true. One who simply hopes or assumes is not acting on faith -- he is gambling. A person who has faith knows that the thing is true.
Conversely, biblical faith only exists until one has proof discernable with the physical senses. Initially, Jesus had faith that the Father had the power to resurrect someone from death. Once the Father resurrected Lazarus from the dead, Jesus no longer had faith, He had observable evidence.
Hebrews 11:1 King James Version Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
This is a particularly good translation. Faith is the evidence. This means that the believer is not acting without evidence. He is acting with evidence, but with evidence not discernable by the natural, i.e., the physical senses. Faith is the substance of the thing hoped for. It is the initial reality of the thing hoped for.
Consider this I hope for a raise, I ask my boss for a raise, and he agrees. Initially he forms a thought in his mind, approving the raise. At that point the raise actually exists, even though he has not yet communicated that fact to anyone.
There is a time delay between the time God ordains something and the time it becomes physical reality. Sometimes it is almost non-existent: And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. Genesis 1:3. Sometimes it is thousands of years:
Ezekiel 36:33 24, 28-30, 33- 35 For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. You will live in the land I gave your forefathers; you will be my people, and I will be your God. I will save you from all your uncleanness. I will call for the grain and make it plentiful and will not bring famine upon you. I will increase the fruit of the trees and the crops of the field, so that you will no longer suffer disgrace among the nations because of famine. This is what the Sovereign LORD says: On the day I cleanse you from all your sins, I will resettle your towns, and the ruins will be rebuilt. The desolate land will be cultivated instead of lying desolate in the sight of all who pass through it. They will say, "This land that was laid waste has become like the garden of Eden; the cities that were lying in ruins, desolate and destroyed, are now fortified and inhabited."
This prophecy, decreed more than five centuries before the birth of Christ, began to come true in 1948 when Israel won its independence.
The point of faith is that the believer accepts God's Word as fact, not probability or possibility.
The meaning of "Faith when used in connection with prayer: In prayer, faith is the firm expectation, the assurance, free from all doubts, of getting the thing asked.
James 1:5-8 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.
Mark 11:24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
The prayer of faith reckons the thing asked as already really its own, because God has heard the request and granted the thing asked, and what God has granted is as really ours as if we had it already in our possession experimentally.
1 John 5:14-15: This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us -- whatever we ask -- we know that we have what we asked of him.
The meaning of Faith when used in connection with God. To believe God is to rely upon or have unhesitating assurance of the truth of God's testimony, even though it is unsupported by any other evidence, and to rely upon or have unfaltering assurance of the fulfillment of his promises, even though everything seen seems against fulfillment.
1 John 5:10 Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son.
John 5:24 I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.
Acts 27:22-25 But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me and said, `Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you. So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me.
Romans 4:3 What does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."
Genesis 15:4-6 Then the word of the LORD came to him: "This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir. He took him outside and said, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars -- if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be. Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.
Romans 4:19-21 Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead -- since he was about a hundred years old -- and that Sarah's womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.
It is "taking God at his word." Faith is not belief without evidence discernable by the physical senses. It is belief on the very best of evidence, the word of Him who cannot lie.
Titus 1:2 a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time,
Faith is so rational that it asks no other evidence than this all-sufficient evidence. To ask other evidence than the word of Him "who cannot lie" is not "rationalism," but consummate irrationalism.
2 Chronicles 20:20 Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the LORD your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful."
John 14:1 Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.
To believe in God is to rely upon, or put confidence in God Himself. When we believe God we trust His word; when we believe in God we trust Him. When we believe God we fix our eyes on what He has said:
Romans 4:20-21 Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.
When we believe in God we fix our eyes upon what He is, upon His person, upon Him.
Note -- There are two Hebrew words for "trust" and "faith." The first, translated "believe" and "trust" means primarily in the transitive, "to prop," "to stay," "to support". In the intransitive, "to stay oneself." The second word, translated "trust," seems to mean "to cast oneself upon." When we believe God we stay ourselves upon His word; when we believe in God we stay ourselves upon Him. . The meaning of "Faith" when used in connection with Jesus Christ: Faith in Jesus Christ is relying upon, or putting confidence in Jesus Christ. It is the assurance that He will do the things sought of him or take care of the matters entrusted to him. It is simply relying upon him for these things.
John 14:1 Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.
Matthew 9:21-22 She said to herself, "If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed. Jesus turned and saw her. "Take heart, daughter," he said, "your faith has healed you." And the woman was healed from that moment.
Matthew 9:29 Then he touched their eyes and said, "According to your faith will it be done to you";
Matthew 15:25, 28 The woman came and knelt before him. "Lord, help me!" she said. Then Jesus answered, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed from that very hour.
Matthew 8:8-10 The centurion replied, "Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 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. When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, "I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.
Luke 7:48-50 Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven.The other guests began to say among themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins? Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."
John 14:12 I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.
2 Timothy 1:12 That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.
What Jesus Christ is relied upon for varies in different cases. (In the several cases cited above it was for care, healing, sight, help, the healing of another, pardon, power.) What he is relied upon for, that will he do.
Matthew 9:29 Then he touched their eyes and said, "According to your faith will it be done to you";
Relying upon Christ for healing brings healing, relying upon Christ for help brings help, relying upon Christ for pardon brings pardon, relying upon Christ for power brings power, relying upon Christ for victory brings victory. What we have a right to rely upon him for is determined by his character and his definite promises.
Saving Faith is believing with the heart.
Romans 10:9-10 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
In order to be saved we must believe with the heart. In the Bible the heart stands for the thought, feelings and will. A heart-faith, then is a faith that rules the thought, the feelings and the will. The manifestation of heart-faith is action in the direction of that which is believed.
Hebrews 11:7-8, 17, 19-20, 22, 24-26, 28 By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith. By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death. By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future. By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions about his bones. By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.
Saving Faith is a faith that works by doing what the one who is believed in bids us to do.
James 2:25 14-17, 21-22, 24- 26 What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone. In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
OBJECTIONS:
(a) Isn't this really saying that a person must earn his way into heaven by good works?
No, this is defining the term faith. It is saying that faith does not consist of a mere intellectual belief. I have total faith that I can get up and walk across the room, but unless I do it, I'll never get to the other side of the room.
(b) Doesn't the Bible say that there is nothing Man can do that pleases God?
Repentance pleases God. It pleases God that a man earnestly tries to lead a righteous life.
(c) What about the doctrine of solo fide, i.e., "Man is justified by faith alone"?
This doctrine states the result of having faith. However, it does not define what type of faith is necessary to obtain justification.
(d) I thought Christian theologians say that Jesus offered a perfect and complete sacrifice, that His sacrifice was all that was necessary.
It says that one must believe in Him. Believing in Him is another way of saying one must have faith in Him. James is defining what "having faith" means.
(e) I thought Christian theologians teach that because of Jesus' sacrifice anything Man tries to do in addition is entirely superfluous.
There is a difference between doing good works because one has faith and doing good works because one believes the works themselves will provide the justification.
Consider these analogies:
One person may volunteer at a hospital because he feels sorry for those who are sick and wants to improve their lives. Another may volunteer because it will look good on his resume.
Some people play golf because they find it enjoyable and challenging. However, many businessmen hate golf but they spend time and money learning and playing it solely because it will help them make business contacts.
God created Man because He wanted companionship throughout eternity. Like mankind, God wants to spend time with sentient beings that are like-minded, but not identical to himself. If you love golf, who would you prefer to spend your time with: someone who also loves golf, or someone who is technically good at it but doesn't like it and would rather be somewhere else?
Saving Faith is the faith which works by love.
Galatians 5:6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
Saving Faith is the faith which receives Jesus Christ as He comes to us, and for all that He offers Himself to be.
John 1:12-13 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.
He offers Himself as our sin-bearer. Saving Faith accepts Him as such and rests all its hope for pardon on His atoning blood. He offers Himself as our deliverer from sin's power:
John 8:34, 36 Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
Saving Faith accepts Him as such and relies utterly upon Him and expects Him to give such deliverance. He offers Himself as our Teacher and Lord.
John 13:13 You call me `Teacher' and `Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am.
Saving Faith accepts Him as such and surrenders the mind unreservedly to His teaching and the life to His absolute control.
Saving Faith in Jesus Christ is the faith that commits to Jesus Christ.
2 Timothy 1:12 That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.
Saving Faith is a faith that calls upon the name of the Lord.
Romans 10:13-14 for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. 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?
NOTE -- The context plainly shows that the Lord here is the Lord Jesus Christ . To call upon His name implies: First, a deep recognition of our need of salvation. Second, an earnest desire to be saved. Third, an utter casting away of hope in any other way of salvation. Fourth, a hope that He will save. The faith that recognizes our own lost condition, that earnestly desires salvation, that casts away all hope in any one or any thing but the Lord Jesus, and that hopes (or has the assurance) that He will save, and puts Him to the test by crying to Him is the faith that saves.
Saving Faith is the faith that confesses Jesus as Lord.
Romans 10:9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Saving Faith is the faith that does not shrink back from the confession and service of Christ Jesus in danger and trial.
Hebrews 10:38-39 But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him. But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.
Topic 25: The Contents of Saving Faith, or What We Must Believe in Order to be Saved.
In order to be saved we must believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.
John 20:31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
Of course this must be a heart-faith, a faith that leads to action along the line of that which is believed, as seen above. Not merely a theological opinion that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, but such an assurance or conviction that He is as leads us to put our trust in him, and to submit our thoughts and feelings and purposes and lives to His control.
In order to be saved we must believe the gospel.
Romans 1:16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.
QUESTION: What is the gospel?
ANSWER:
1 Corinthians 15:1-4 Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve.
Romans 1:17-25 For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith." The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since 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. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator -- who is forever praised. Amen.
The gospel is, that "Christ died for our sins in fulfillment of the Scriptures ... was buried ... and rose again." This we must believe in order to be saved. This involves faith in Him as the Christ the Son of God.
Note: Most Bibles translate this as "according to the Scriptures ..." However, the term "according to" is ambiguous; compare "According to Bill, the package has arrived. According to Fred, it hasn't." and "Everything is going according to plan."
"According to the Scriptures ..." means that Jesus acted in fulfillment of God's written plan.
Romans 1:1-4 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.
Faith that He died for our sins brings pardon; faith that he rose again brings deliverance from sin's power. Our course, this also must be a heart-faith.
In order to be saved we must believe that God has raised the Lord Jesus from the dead.
Romans 10:9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
This involves faith in His Divinity, in His propitiatory death and God's acceptance of it, and in His intercession for us, and His power to deliver us from sin.
Romans 1:1-4 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 4:25 He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.
Hebrews 7:25 Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.
In order to be saved we must believe that Jesus can and will forgive our sin.
Luke 7:48-50 Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven. The other guests began to say among themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins? Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."
This faith involves faith in the Divinity of Jesus, for God alone can forgive sin.
Topic 30: How Faith is Manifested.
Faith in Jesus is manifested by our bringing to Him our need and surmounting all the obstacles that lie between us and him.
Mark 2:3-5 Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic Son your sins are forgiven.
Faith in Jesus is manifested by our holding on to Jesus for the desired blessing in the face of discouragement, even in the face of His apparent refusal to bestow it.
Matthew 15:22-28 A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession." Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, "Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us. He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel." The woman came and knelt before him. "Lord, help me!" she said. He replied, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs.Yes, Lord," she said, "but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table. Then Jesus answered, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed from that very hour.
Faith in God's Word is manifested by men turning to the Lord.
Acts 11:19-21 Now those who had been scattered by the persecution in connection with Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, telling the message only to Jews. Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. The Lord's hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.
Faith is manifested by prompt and exact obedience to the commandments of Him who is believed in, simply because He commands, though we know not the purpose of His command, nor the outcome of our obedience.
Hebrews 11:17 8, 17-18 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.
Faith is manifested by a disregard for the difficulties that lie in the way of the fulfillment of God's promises.
Hebrews 11:17-19 By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned. Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death.
Romans 4:18-21 Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, So shall your offspring be." [19] Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead -- since he was about a hundred years old -- and that Sarah's womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.
Numbers 13:31-33 But the men who had gone up with him said, We can't attack those people; they are stronger than we are. And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, "The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them."
Numbers 14:6-9 Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes and said to the entire Israelite assembly, "The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. If the LORD is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. Only do not rebel against the LORD. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will swallow them up. Their protection is gone, but the LORD is with us. Do not be afraid of them.
Difficulties are nothing to one who believes in God and His Word: God is mightier than all obstacles, and His Word sure in the face of all apparent impossibility of fulfillment.
Faith is manifested by steadfastness in the path God points out in the face of obstacles, peril and apparent loss.
Hebrews 11:27 By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king's anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible.
POINT 70: Faith is manifested by the sacrifice of the present seen, but transient advantage, for the sake of the future unseen, but permanent advantage.
Hebrews 11:24-26 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. [25] He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. [26] He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.
Faith is manifested by large expectations bases upon God's large promises, eve though as yet nothing may be seen.
Hebrews 11:20-21 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future. By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph's sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.
Genesis 27:27-29 So he went to him and kissed him. When Isaac caught the smell of his clothes, he blessed him and said, "Ah, the smell of my son is like the smell of a field that the LORD has blessed. May God give you of heaven's dew and of earth's richness -- an abundance of grain and new wine. May nations serve you and peoples bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers, and may the sons of your mother bow down to you. May those who curse you be cursed and those who bless you be blessed."
Genesis 48:17 5-20 . Now then, your two sons born to you in Egypt before I came to you here will be reckoned as mine; Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are mine. Any children born to you after them will be yours; in the territory they inherit they will be reckoned under the names of their brothers. As I was returning from Paddan, to my sorrow Rachel died in the land of Canaan while we were still on the way, a little distance from Ephrath. So I buried her there beside the road to Ephrath" (that is, Bethlehem). When Israel saw the sons of Joseph, he asked, "Who are these? They are the sons God has given me here," Joseph said to his father. Then Israel said, "Bring them to me so I may bless them. Now Israel's eyes were failing because of old age, and he could hardly see. So Joseph brought his sons close to him, and his father kissed them and embraced them. Israel said to Joseph, "I never expected to see your face again, and now God has allowed me to see your children too. Then Joseph removed them from Israel's knees and bowed down with his face to the ground. And Joseph took both of them, Ephraim on his right toward Israel's left hand and Manasseh on his left toward Israel's right hand, and brought them close to him. But Israel reached out his right hand and put it on Ephraim's head, though he was the younger, and crossing his arms, he put his left hand on Manasseh's head, even though Manasseh was the firstborn. Then he blessed Joseph and said, "May the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day, the Angel who has delivered me from all harm -- may he bless these boys. May they be called by my name and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and may they increase greatly upon the earth. When Joseph saw his father placing his right hand on Ephraim's head he was displeased; so he took hold of his father's hand to move it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head. [18] Joseph said to him, "No, my father, this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head. But his father refused and said, "I know, my son, I know. He too will become a people, and he too will become great. Nevertheless, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his descendants will become a group of nations. He blessed them that day and said, "In your name will Israel pronounce this blessing: `May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.'" So he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.
Topic 35: We are Saved through Faith.
Salvation is a manifold process, but every factor in it is dependent upon faith.
We are saved through faith.
Ephesians 2:8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith -- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God
Salvation is God's free gift; faith appropriate to itself this gift freely offered to all.
Romans 1:16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.
The gospel has power to save, but that power is displayed only in those who believe.
1 Timothy 4:9-10 This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance (and for this we labor and strive), that we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe.
We receive remission of sins through faith.
Acts 10:43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.
God offers forgiveness to all men on the ground of the shed blood of Christ. The one who believes appropriates to himself individually this universal offer of salvation.
Because Christ took the curse of sin for us, God offers us justification. This offer is accepted by faith.
We are justified by faith.
Romans 5:1-2 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
Galatians 3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree."
We receive eternal life through believing.
John 20:31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
John 14:6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
1 John 5:11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
Belief in Him who is the life makes that life ours. Life is in Him; by our believing in Him this life enters into us.
We receive the right to become sons of God by faith.
John 1:12-13 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God - children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.
Galatians 3:26 You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus,
In His only begotten Son God makes to man the offer of adoption into His family. We appropriate this offer to ourselves by believing in His name.
We become partakers of the Divine Nature through faith in the exceeding great and precious promises of God.
2 Peter 1:4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
We are sanctified by faith.
Acts 26:17-18 I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.'
God offers to us sanctifying grace in His word. By faith we appropriate this sanctifying grace to ourselves.
Our hearts are cleansed by faith.
Acts 15:9 He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith.
There is a heart-cleansing power in the Word of God. Upon faith in that Word it exercises its heart-cleansing power in us.
Psalms 119:9, 11 How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
POINT 90: Christ dwells in our hearts through faith.
Ephesians 3:16-17 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. ...
God presents Christ to us by His Spirit through the Word. Faith lays hold upon Christ thus presented and he comes to dwell in the heart and work all His glorious work within.
We are kept through faith by the power of God unto a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
1 Peter 1:5 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade -- kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.
God provides keeping, His own almighty power to keep. Faith simply lays hold of the almighty power divinely provided.
We stand by faith.
2 Corinthians 1:24 Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, because it is by faith you stand firm.
By faith we enter into or appropriate to ourselves the grace of God wherein we stand.
Romans 5:1-2 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, [2] through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
By faith we get the victory over the world and over the evil one.
Ephesians 6:16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
God freely provides for us and offers to us overcoming grace in Jesus Christ. By faith we appropriate this overcoming grace to ourselves.
We enter into rest by faith.
Hebrews 4:1-3 Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith. Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said, "So I declared on oath in my anger, `They shall never enter my rest.' " And yet his work has been finished since the creation of the world.
From beginning to end, at every step, salvation is by faith. God freel
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