What is your understanding of Faith?

[faither 2]

22 minutes ago, Michael37 said:

I don't like the idea that there is a formula. The Holy Spirit moves as it will, like the wind. We have this example in Acts but I have heard so many different testimonies that I can only conclude that the Word of God produces faith and God's amazing grace flows through it.

Act 19:1-6
(1)  And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples,
(2)  He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.
(3)  And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism.
(4)  Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.
(5)  When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
(6)  And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, a

Ok. In your understanding, God's word produces " Faith". What is Faith exactly? What specifically is God's word producing?

[Michael37]

8 minutes ago, faither 2 said:

Ok. In your understanding, God's word produces " Faith". What is Faith exactly? What specifically is God's word producing?

Reliance based on proven trustworthiness, apparently. Belief which is enough to act upon, seemingly. Love borne of complete confidence, intrinsically.

Have faith in my answer and you will be blessed. ?

[faither 2]

9 minutes ago, Michael37 said:

Reliance based on proven trustworthiness, apparently. Belief which is enough to act upon, seemingly. Love borne of complete confidence, intrinsically.

Have faith in my answer and you will be blessed. ?

At the start of the Salvation journey, we don't have the Spirit of Christ yet. So Christ, His word, and the promises in His word are not ours yet.  Rom. 8:9

So  " Faith " must be something other than claiming any of those things , correct?

In your understanding, your claiming Christ, His word, and His promises, even His Spirit, and none of those things are ours at the beginning of the Salvation journey.

All that is happening is we have been called by the Father to Christ. ( Nobody comes to Christ unless the Father draws or calls them )

So I'm not seeing how claiming things that are not ours yet can be the " correct understanding of Faith". Especially, at the start of our journey. 

Edited January 14, 2019 by faither 2

[Guest]

On 1/12/2019 at 8:42 PM, faither 2 said:

Just to find a place to start a discussion about Faith or Pistis, let me try and define what the beginning of the Salvation journey looks like and see if your in agreement .

Rom. 8:9 states that if the Spirit of Christ is not in us, " He is none of ours " . This would be the state of being we are all in at the start of our walk with Christ .

Are we in agreement with that ?

Faith isn't a beginning, God's grace is the absolute beginning that forms the foundation for faith.  That's where our salvation journey begins.

[Michael37]

2 hours ago, faither 2 said:

At the start of the Salvation journey, we don't have the Spirit of Christ yet. So Christ, His word, and the promises in His word are not ours yet.  Rom. 8:9

So  " Faith " must be something other than claiming any of those things , correct?

In your understanding, your claiming Christ, His word, and His promises, even His Spirit, and none of those things are ours at the beginning of the Salvation journey.

All that is happening is we have been called by the Father to Christ. ( Nobody comes to Christ unless the Father draws or calls them )

So I'm not seeing how claiming things that are not ours yet can be the " correct understanding of Faith". Especially, at the start of our journey. 

I have checked my responses to you, faither2, and I haven't used the word "claim"  or implied that faith is "applied to receive the Holy Spirit"  by claiming anything. Whoever is pushing the "Salvation journey" concept you are hung up on better have some Scriptures to base this on. Seems like a "works" doctrine, not a faith one to me.

[nobleseed]

faith means to trust and be trustworthy, faith in God is to trust and believe him as abraham did

[Guest]

11 minutes ago, noblenut said:

faith means to trust and be trustworthy, faith in God is to trust and believe him as abraham did

In a Christian sense, faith is a strong belief in God or in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual apprehension rather than proof.

[Adstar]

19 hours ago, faither 2 said:

Thanks Adstar.

Do you agree with the beginning state of being I've presented?

Not sure what you mean """the beginning state of being""""  ??? 

I re- read your first post and i can agree with your statement that we are saved by grace through faith..

[Adstar]

19 hours ago, faither 2 said:

Thanks Adstar.

Do you agree with the beginning state of being I've presented?

Not sure what you mean """the beginning state of being""""  ??? 

I re- read your first post and i can agree with your statement that we are saved by grace through faith..

[JohnD]

On 1/12/2019 at 9:36 AM, faither 2 said:

I'm new to the group and glad to be here.

I thought I would propose a question to you all to get a sense of what your understanding of Faith is, and how it's applied.

I'm sure we all agree, " salvation is by Grace, through Faith ." 

But what is your specific understanding of how Faith is applied that results in recieving the Spirit of Christ?

Thanks .

Ephesians 2:8–10 (AV)
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Hebrews chapter 11 gives us a list of examples of faith in the Bible and a brief definition.

Remember faith is not of ourselves.

And those on the list had a lot less to go on than we do today (or since the Bible was written and completed).

Ours is a faith founded on fact.

And never doubt the human capacity to disbelieve the truth. ← That's what we are up against when even in faith we sometimes doubt or get off track.

Which proves faith is not actually of us.

It couldn't be. Even if we had saving faith on our own we could not maintain it.

It truly is the GIFT of God.