What if faith?

[rfw]

When you ask most secular people (including nominal Christians) what faith is, you are going to usually get a "religious" answer involving some sort of belief. Even anti-christians have experiences of faith in that regard. They "believe" in what they see or think, what their opinion is. We often hear the phrase "Seeing is Believing", and that is a faith statement of the secular, under the assumption that their perception is accurate. For the Christian, another law is in effect: "Believing is Seeing". Our confession of and relation to Christ opens our eyes and hearts to a wisdom not availableto the outsiders.

But my favorite expression is this one from Peter Lord: "We daily practice what we believe, the rest is jusr religious talk."

[Honeybee88]

When you ask most secular people (including nominal Christians) what faith is, you are going to usually get a "religious" answer involving some sort of belief. Even anti-christians have experiences of faith in that regard. They "believe" in what they see or think, what their opinion is. We often hear the phrase "Seeing is Believing", and that is a faith statement of the secular, under the assumption that their perception is accurate. For the Christian, another law is in effect: "Believing is Seeing". Our confession of and relation to Christ opens our eyes and hearts to a wisdom not availableto the outsiders.

But my favorite expression is this one from Peter Lord: "We daily practice what we believe, the rest is jusr religious talk."

wow-that hits home! how true! if what we say we believe isn't reflected in how we live, then it is just empty words, isn't it?

[patricia1]

I do not believe in that expressing 'Seeing is believeing' Not everyone sees the same thing even if they all sit in one room.

I ususally use that expression as a trust issue between humans. Like if someone makes a promise to do something. In consideration to the person i would say" yeah...right..I'll believe when I see it.

I am one of those unfortunate persons that had to go to heaven to believe in was real. But the rest of my walk is believing the word, Gods instructions as well as Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit in the fullness of all.

faith is not just believeing cause we can say it, talk about it and yet we have to walk in it.

If someone has faith and states so...I better see their faith in action.

Now to answer your question from a nonchristian I would keep it simple by saying When you go to sleep one does not worry if the sun will be there in the morning, Why?

Thats the kind of faith I have. It is unquestionable trust in Jesus.

Remember guys you ar talking to a nonbeliever. If he asks I would quote How god cares for us and we are to be not anxious for anything which is opposite than faith.

[Theopolitan]

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

The rest of the chapter of Hebrews gives many examples of faith, and what can be accomplished through faith.

Everyone has faith in something, but only faith in Jesus Christ can save a person.

<>< ><>

Nathele

Ditto!

[Pilgrim7]

Some good thoughts expressed here.

The Word of God speaks of things that are impossible for the flesh, the 'unconverted man' or the 'religious man', such as overcoming sin, loving your enemies, being 'born again' receiving a 'new heart', being righteous, keeping the 'righteousness of the law', resurrection from the dead and Christ 'dwelling' in your heart and much more. All these things are 'Spiritual', supernatural, miraculous and impossible without the power and intervention of God. Thus they can only be received by real, living faith.

Living, saving faith, brings these miracles to the 'believer', giving him the substance or reality of these 'supernatural promises', thus he is the 'possessor' of these things through faith, the moment that he believes.

All these things are in Christ, He is and was all these things, He demonstrated that He possessed all these 'supernatural' attributes and powers and when He comes to 'dwell in the heart' of the believer through the Holy Spirit, He brings all these things with Him as He 'indwells' the true believer. Thus the 'true believer' who now has Christ, has all these things in Christ who dwells in him. This is the essence of 'true, saving faith'. Now he/she is to allow Jesus to live through him/her knowing that he/she has all of Christ by faith. Thus he denies himself and his own ways and allows Christ, who lives in him/her, to live His Holy life through them. Those who do this, don't need a set of rules, or threats of punishment to do what is right, for Christ, the author of all righteousness, lives in them to keep them from falling.

Gal 2:17

But if, while we

seek

to be

justified

(progressive justification)

by Christ,

we ourselves also

are found sinners

(with unrepented sin),

is therefore

Christ the

minister of sin

(since Christ dwells in you as Lord, is He responsible for ongoing sin)?

God forbid.

2:18

For

if I build again

the

things

which

I destroyed,

(the 'old man' with his sin when I was crucified with Christ)

I

make

myself

a transgressor

(again).

2:19

For I

through the law

(condemnation of the law)

am

dead to the law

(having been

crucified

with Christ),

that

I might

live unto God

(in righteousness and true holiness led by the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of holiness).

2:20

I am

(have been)

crucified with Christ

:

nevertheless

I live

(I'm still physically alive);

yet

not I

(but it is not really me anymore, but a 'New Creation'),

but

Christ lives in me

(and through me):

and the

life

which

I now live

in the flesh

I live

by the faith

of the Son of God

(notice that it is His faith, for He dwells within the heart and as we allow Him to live through us, we are enabled through His faith which is also in us),

who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Col 3:1

If

you then be

(have)

risen

with Christ

(having already been

crucified

with Him),

seek

those

things

which are

above

,

where Christ sit on the

right hand

of God.

3:2

Set your affection

on

things above

,

not on

things of the earth.

3:3

For

you are dead

,

and

your life is

hidden with Christ

in God.

These are Spiritual things that can only be discerned by the 'Spiritual man/woman' through the leading of the Holy Spirit They cannot be discerned by the 'unbeliever' nor the 'religious man', who seeks to serve God in the flesh, not having the indwelling Spirit to reveal them to him and in him. Thus we have many 'believer' today, who can't even understand the above, let alone believe and receive them as their own personal possession. Those who have Christ as their 'personal Savior', have Christ as their own 'personal possession' and vice-a-versa.

You see, our faith, only connects us with Jesus and His faith, which can also be viewed as His faithfulness. Our Faith receives the faithfulness of Jesus to indwell us and live His life through us as we remain surrendered to Him and His leading, following the 'still small voice' of the Spirit. Thus we are enabled to fulfill all righteousness, just as He did. This is the real 'Good News', 'Christ in you the only hope of glory'. How many really 'believe this'?

God Bless,

Dennis

[Guest yod]

The hebrew and greek words used and translated as "faith" mean "strong trust"

Example: You see your gas tank is on "full" and you have faith (strong trust) that you can make it to the next city.

True faith in Y'shua is such a strong trust that one will turn from his/her own ways and be faithful (trustworthy). After that, faith in Him can cause one to do things that are super-natural to those who don't have the same faith (strong trust). Like loving one's enemies, for example...or forgiving those who have harmed you.

Then there is the hocus-pocus kind of faith we see on religious television that is a presumptive testing of God. That is spoken of in Matthew 4:7

[Treasure]

This helped me understand faith and what it means.

[Ddavid from NC]

This helped me understand faith and what it means.

Hey 4given thanks for sharing this link. Good stuff, I intend to spend some time on this site. Real gift to me. Thanks

[Treasure]

If you haven't been through the study, I highly recommend it.