What Does it Mean to Believe?

[Hopefully]

@David1701 my reply to another user in this thread was “I am a believer of faith without works is dead. Not that we are saved by any work, but that we work because we believe”

Then to you I said “I believed first and then changed my life to do the things God says do”

I then showed verses on being a doer of the word and not a hearer only, and I think I showed verses on faith without works is dead, but it may have been another post I’m not sure.

When you said I still hadn’t answered the question I felt trolled so I stopped responding. I hate feeling like I have ignored someone so I let some time go by before responding again.

If you feel I still haven’t answered the question because I did not use your exact words I’m sorry but I feel I have answered your question.

Please don’t ask again I’m just showing I’m not ignoring you. Your question is not a Matter of your salvation but mines so I’d like to leave it alone now. If I felt I needed to help you with your salvation I would not quit on you. 
 

God bless

 

[Uber Genius]

1 minute ago, David1701 said:

I only wanted to find out the other poster's view, because I had a suspicion that it was a works-righteousness view; however, I was not certain and I wanted to give him the chance to show clearly what he believes.  I would not have insisted on only one of those two views, if he gave good reasons for another view.

Yes. 

Saved by God and sanctified through work of HS and our obedience to "life lived by the spirit," as Paul outlines in 5:19-23.

But it occurs to me that Catholics don't hold to works righteousness (broadly construed as saved by grace and maintained and sanctified by works), but are saved by the necessary sacraments and maintenance of communion, confession, etc. so perhaps I was hasty in assigning two views of the relationship between salvation and sanctification and have given a false dichotomy.

[Still Alive]

I can tell how much faith someone has in their brakes by how fast they drive.

[Peterlag]

To trust is the best English word for biblical faith.

[David1701]

4 minutes ago, Hopefully said:

@David1701 my reply to another user in this thread was “I am a believer of faith without works is dead. Not that we are saved by any work, but that we work because we believe”

Then to you I said “I believed first and then changed my life to do the things God says do”

I then showed verses on being a doer of the word and not a hearer only, and I think I showed verses on faith without works is dead, but it may have been another post I’m not sure.

When you said I still hadn’t answered the question I felt trolled so I stopped responding. I hate feeling like I have ignored someone so I let some time go by before responding again.

If you feel I still haven’t answered the question because I did not use your exact words I’m sorry but I feel I have answered your question.

Please don’t ask again I’m just showing I’m not ignoring you. Your question is not a Matter of your salvation but mines so I’d like to leave it alone now. If I felt I needed to help you with your salvation I would not quit on you. 
 

God bless

 

I wasn't trolling.  I can be rather blunt sometimes; but I don't troll.

I would not insist on you using my wording; and I know that you didn't ignore me.

I'll change tack, because I think that we are talking past each other.

You said, "I believed in God before I changed my life to do the things he says.".  This made it sound as if you did it all.  If this is not what you intended, then I want to give you the opportunity to show that you believe that salvation is of the Lord, by grace, through faith, and not of our will or works.

[Hopefully]

1 minute ago, David1701 said:

You said, "I believed in God before I changed my life to do the things he says."

 

I believed in God first then he changed my life causing me to do the things he says.

[David1701]

1 hour ago, Hopefully said:

 

I believed in God first then he changed my life causing me to do the things he says.

That's certainly an improvement on what you posted before; but, aren't faith (believing) in the Lord and repentance themselves a huge change in your life?  A huge change that the light-hating, hostile-to-God, unregenerate man cannot and will not do himself.

2 Tim. 2:25,26 (EMTV)

 25 in meekness instructing those that oppose, if God perhaps may give them repentance, to a full knowledge of the truth,
  26 and they regain their senses and escape out of the snare of the devil, having been captured alive by him to do his will. 

Phil. 1:29 (KJV) For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;

Acts 13:48 (KJV) And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.

[Hopefully]

1 hour ago, David1701 said:

but, aren't faith (believing) in the Lord and repentance themselves a huge change in your life?  A huge change that the light-hating, hostile-to-God, unregenerate man cannot and will not do himself.

Yes I agree repentance is a huge change in my life. It makes me happy too. As far as believing in Jesus Christ I could kinda say I was born believing. I was raised by a family who believes in Jesus, and as I got older and heard about other Gods I choose to stay with Jesus. In fact I feel good saying I never thought about leaving and serving another God or believing that he doesn’t exist as some say.

Although I have always believed in Jesus I didn’t always have a relationship with him. I believe that started in my early 30’s. I was water baptized at 18. 
 

To the verses you posted Amen and thank you so much because Phil. 1:29 just made me feel better right now about some thoughts I had.

Lastly, because to me it is least I am a female just so you know.

Thank you again.

 

Edited February 2, 2021 by Hopefully

[Sower]

On 1/31/2021 at 6:40 AM, David1701 said:

Do you bear good fruit, because God has made you a good tree (i.e. by making you born again), or, do you become a good tree, by virtue of bearing good fruit?

 

We bear fruit because we abide, as a branch, in the true vine...(Jesus Christ)
Jesus produces the fruit, not me. (Not I, but Christ)
I am a branch only, attached (abiding) to the vine.
I cannot produce fruit!! I can only abide. And bear His fruit.
I don't do good works for God.
As I abide and God does the work. Through me.....(as I abide!  in Him")
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me)

 

some of   John 15

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth (prunes) it, that it may bring forth more fruit"

"Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me"
 

"I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing"

"Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples"
 

[David1701]

17 hours ago, Hopefully said:

Yes I agree repentance is a huge change in my life. It makes me happy too. As far as believing in Jesus Christ I could kinda say I was born believing. I was raised by a family who believes in Jesus, and as I got older and heard about other Gods I choose to stay with Jesus. In fact I feel good saying I never thought about leaving and serving another God or believing that he doesn’t exist as some say.

Although I have always believed in Jesus I didn’t always have a relationship with him. I believe that started in my early 30’s. I was water baptized at 18. 
 

To the verses you posted Amen and thank you so much because Phil. 1:29 just made me feel better right now about some thoughts I had.

Lastly, because to me it is least I am a female just so you know.

Thank you again.

 

It's always hard to tell whether someone raised in a Christian family, who keeps doing and saying "the right things", is saved or not; but, even in cases like that, the person knows when the Lord saved him (using "him" in the general sense).  It is still a "darkness to light" experience, a "death to life" event that is indelibly imprinted on you and results in that relationship that you mentioned.

Regarding Phil. 1:29 - yes, suffering for Christ is a gift as well, probably the least looked for gift in the Bible!

I'd already guessed that you were female (the avatar and your writing style); but thanks for being open.