Faith

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From Faith to Faith, The Just shall live by Faith !


Rom 1:16-17

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.


Now that it has been testified of, that Faith comes from/out of Christ, by the Spirit of Christ, as well as it being first acted by Christ, He being the Pioneer and Author of it Heb 12:2

2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader and the Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] and is also its Finisher [bringing it to maturity and perfection]. He, for the joy [of obtaining the prize] that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God.AMP

and fix our eyes on Jesus, faith’s pioneer and perfecter. He endured the cross, ignoring the shame, for the sake of the joy that was laid out in front of him, and sat down at the right side of God’s throne.CEB

looking away to the Initiator and Completer of that trusting, Yeshua — who, in exchange for obtaining the joy set before him, endured execution on a stake as a criminal, scorning the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.CJB

He acted first our faith as our Surety Representative , yes He is that for all whom He Lived and died, hence His Faith [which is theirs] is communicated to them, which is a token, proof that He did act as their Head and Surety, and that He did for them Faithfully obey Gods Law, He Trusted in God Heb 2:13

13 And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me.

And because He was in the capacity of their Head and Surety, just like Adam had been, His Trusting of God was theirs also, and His Keeping of the Law, was theirs also, by His Law Keeping, they become doers of the Law, and as such they must be Justified Rom 2:13

13 (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.

And as Promised, the Just shall live by Faith Rom 1:17

17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. 14

 

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From Faith to Faith, The Just shall live by Faith !2


And since they by and through their Leader/Surety have been made Righteous, Just, the Righteousness of God is revealed to them from Faith to Faith, which does mean from the Faith of the Head [Christ] to Faith in the Children , His Members those He represented, those He lived and died for, in other words, Christ their Head is the Source of their Faith, as His Members, as He Lived by Faith Heb 2:13, so shall His Members, He produces a Seed of Believers to follow His example.

See in Christ's obedience of One [Rom 5:19], the many were made "doers of the Law "

Let me explain, By His Obedience they shall be made Righteous Rom 5:19 and the greek word for Righteous dikaios and means:

just; especially, just in the eyes of God; righteous; the elect (a Jewish idea).

. in a wide sense, upright, righteous, virtuous, keeping the commands of God;

Its Keeping the Commandments of God

preeminently, of him whose way of thinking, feeling, and acting is wholly conformed to the will of God, and who therefore needs no rectification in heart or life; in this sense Christ alone can be called

And so by this, Christ's perfectly obeying and doing the Will of God, He did it for those He represented, and they are by God viewed as those who are doers of the Law Rom 2:13 that shall be Justified ! The word Justified here and the word righteous in Rom 5:19b are the same greek word, as well is the word Just in Rom 1:17 !

 

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From Faith to Faith, The Just shall live by Faith ! 3


Now this Perfect Obedience to Gods Law is what Christ has done for them He Lived and died for, He produced a Righteousness to Gods Law that He only could do, that's why one of the definitions for Righteous in Rom 5:19 states:

preeminently, of him whose way of thinking, feeling, and acting is wholly conformed to the will of God, and who therefore needs no rectification in heart or life; in this sense Christ alone can be called Righteous

Thats why He is the One and Only Jesus Christ the Righteous 1 Jn 2:1

My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

And that being Righteous has been charged to them He Lived and died for, and this Righteousness, which is also "the Righteousness of God "

Made by the Obedient Law Keeping for the Many, this Righteousness of God is made known to or revealed to all the Many it was done for by the Gospel Rom 1:17 ! When Christ completed His Work for them, it made them Just/Righteous, and God through the Gospel reveals it to them as their Good News, and such revelation starts , effects their Living by Faith, so making the promise fulfilled, the Just shall live by Faith ! 15

 

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The Spirits Testimony produces Faith !


We can believe the Testimony of Christ's Finished work on our behalf, only as it is Testified to us by the Spirit, for Christ tells His Church Jn 15:26

26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:

That word Testify μαρτυρέω means:

: I witness, bear witness, give evidence, testify, give a good report.

He shall give evidence of Christ's Perfect Work and Satisfaction on our behalf Jn 16:13-14

13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

Whats Christ's is the Church, His Body also, so the Spirit shall shew it unto every member Christ's Body ! The word shew ἀναγγέλλω means:

I bring back word, report; I announce, declare.

This is bearing witness with our Spirit that we are the children of God Rom 8:15-16

15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

And so we become by the Spirits witness to our Spirit children of God by Faith Gal 3:26

For ye are all the children/sons of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

Theres no way naturally we come to Faith in Christ, manifesting our Sonship, its only after the Spirits Testimony in our Heart or Spirit as in Rom 8:16

The word Spirit here means:

is the rational part of man, the power of perceiving and grasping divine and eternal things, and upon which the Spirit of God exerts its influence; (πνεῦμα, says Luther, "is the highest and noblest part of man, which qualifies him to lay bold of incomprehensible, invisible, eternal things; in short, it is the house where Faith and God's word are at home"

Its that New Spirit promised here in the New Covenant Ezk 36:26

A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit and or a spiritual mind will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

Spiritual revelation of spiritual truths is fitting only for a renewed spiritual mind ! 15

 

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Must be given a New Heart of flesh to Believe !


Ezk 36:25-27

25 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.

26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.

By nature, as was the case with these jews under the old covenant, so it is with the gentile, all men without exception, by nature[in the flesh Rom 8:8] we only have a stony heart !

This doesnt just apply to jews, if we think that we are self deceived and proud, before any of us can or will do the the things the Lord commands of us in a way pleasing and acceptable to Him, that stony heart we have by nature must be taken away, and a new heart must be given, along with a new spirit.

See at best the stony heart can make a superficial receiving of the word of Truth, Like Jesus makes clear here Matt 13:20-21

20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;

21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.

The stony places denotes the heart, and as been pointed out already, that heart must be replaced with a new heart before we do the things of God commanded of us !

Why is it called a New Heart of Flesh ? Because its a Heart that is pliable or its easily influenced or persuaded; yielding

Again the heart by nature is called Rom 2:5

But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;

That word impenitent ametanoétos means:

unrepentant, impenitent.

And of course the word hardness sklérotés: means:

hardness, hardness of heart, obstinacy, perverseness.

Thats what the stony heart is in Ezk 36:26 a heart that is:

perverse, hard heart See also Ezk 11:19,20

19 And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:

20 That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.

Why do you think those jews on the day of Pentecost who were guilty of putting Christ to death, all of the sudden would be willing to submit to ordinance of water baptism in the Name of Christ ? Its because they had been given a new heart of flesh, and now made willing to walk in Gods statues and keep His ordinances as being directed by His Apostles !

So if any of us are to do the spiritual things commanded of us by the Lord, we must first have been given a New Heart ! 15

 

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Faith comes out of the New Birth and here is why !


The scripture testimony is very clear that Faith is not of the natural man, at least not that Faith that Pleases God Heb 11:6 which is the Faith needed to come to God in Christ Heb 11:6

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

That word cometh is the same word in Heb 7:25

Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

And in Heb 11:6 this type of coming is with believing , that word believe there is the word pisteuō which is derived from the noun pistis which is translated Faith over 200 times in the NT,

and it is a fruit of the Spirit Gal 5:22 !

Now we know that Faith comes out of the New Birth from 1 Pet 1:3

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

This Lively Hope comes by being begotten again by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. The words begotten again in the original are anagennaō and mean:


I.to produce again, be born again, born anew


II.metaph. to have one's mind changed so that he lives a new life and one conformed to the will of God

And by this comes the Lively Hope, and Hope presupposes Faith, Faith in what God or Gods Word has Promised, and Hope lives in expectation of what Faith believes ! Hope is the by product of Faith. For instance we read in Rom 4 of Abraham Rom 4:18-21

18 Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.

19 And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb:

20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;

21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.

Its as simple as this, If the Testimony of scripture is that a Lively Hope comes by New Birth, So does a Lively or Living Faith !

Yes, the natural man has faith to believe, but its a dead faith, no better off spiritually than the faith of devils James 2:19, but its not a lively or Living faith because by nature man is alientated from God and the Life of God Eph 4:18,

The devils James mentioned also are alienated from the life of God ! Such Faith/Believing does not please God ! 15

 

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Faith to believe the Gospel is the fruit of the Spirit !


Faith to believe the Gospel is the fruit of the Spirit Gal 5:22

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

In fact its part of ones Sanctification, 2 Thess 2:13

13 But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:

For the word faith in Gal 5:22 and the word belief in 2 Thess 2:13 they are both the same greek noun pistis, and as it can be seen this belief of the Truth is the fruitful effect of the Sanctification of the Spirit !

See how scripture confirms scripture ? Therefore one is a liar who says that faith to believe the Gospel in Salvation, to say its a natural ability, or that its in man by nature, for here in 2 Thess 2:13 faith in the Gospel Truth is clearly seen to be part of the Sanctification of the Spirit, it also answers to Christ's Intercession here Jn 17:17

17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

The Sanctifying work of the Spirit is the answer to this request of Christ to His Father ! So this also can be looked upon as the fruit of Christ's Intercession ! 15

 

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Faith to believe the Gospel is the fruit of the Spirit ! 2

Faith or belief of the Truth, the Gospel is a production of the Spirit of God, in behalf of Christ's Finished work 2 Thess 2:13 ! Now Jesus had confirmed the same earlier that the Spirit would lead to Truth John 16:13

Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

The word guide is the greek word hodēgeō and means:


I.to be a guide, lead on one's way, to guide


II.to be a guide or a teacher

A.to give guidance to

He Leads the Children/Sons of God Rom 8:14

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

The Spirit of Truth shall testify of Christ's finish work unto His Sheep, His Church that He died for Jn 15:26

But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:

Now that word testify the greek word martyreō and it means in this instance:

I.to be a witness, to bear witness, i.e. to affirm that one has seen or heard or experienced something, or that he knows it because taught by divine revelation or inspiration

A.to give (not to keep back) testimony


B.to utter honourable testimony, give a good report


C.conjure, implore

Its the Spirits Testification in the souls of the redeemed to give assurance of the sacrifice of Christ was for them.

Its also the same word used by Paul when he writes to the Romans Rom 8:16

The Spirit itself beareth witness/testimony with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

All of this is involved in the Sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the Truth. The Spirit gives assurance 1 Thess 1:5, belief of the Truth 2 Thess 2:13, leads to the Truth Jn 16:13. All this is also part of their predestinated adoption by Jesus Christ Eph 1:4-5

4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

This ensures the Spirit being sent into their heart Gal 4:5-6

5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

And this begins the Sanctification of the Spirit unto belief of the Truth 2 Thess 2:13 confirming the Words of Christ Jn 16:13 !

The proud in heart denies this, and proclaim the false gospel that men in the flesh of their own freewill believe the Truth, dishonoring the Work of the Spirit through Christ ! Their faith is the fruit of their sinful flesh therefore and not of the Spirit ! 16

 

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Spiritual Life before Faith !


Since the Spirit gives Life from Christ Jn 6:63;1 Cor 15:45 and Faith is a fruit of the Spirit, then it comes to reason that Life Spiritual precedes Faith in Christ.

The false teachers of our time teach that its within the abilty of the natural man to put faith in Christ, totally contradicting Jesus own words Jn 6:44,65 [the coming means coming in Faith to Him] and no man by nature has that ability, to believe on Him as it pertains to Salvation; thats why they are false teachers that teach that. The fact is, no one dead in sin can legitimately by right believe on Christ as their Saviour ahead of being born again by the Spirit Jn 3:3 ! Now by nature yes men spiritually dead might have faith in Christ/ God, BUT its a dead faith, no different from that Faith/Believing the devils have James 2:19

19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

These demons/devils no doubt believed in Christ the Son of God Matt 8:28-29

28 And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way.

29 And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?

See both an unregenerate man and a devil have this in common, they have no spiritual life, yet they can believe in God and Christ with a dead faith, however a living Faith in God and Christ is the consequence of having received Spiritual life from Christ by the New Birth, and not until then, does anyone have Spiritual life or an operative living Faith !

 

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Spiritual Life before Faith !2


Scripture confirms that no one has even the right by nature, while in the flesh to believe on Christ Jn 1:12-13, see being born of God in Vs 13 gives one the right to believe on or receive Christ and then be openly recognized as the Children of God, which are also the children of the promise Rom 9:8

8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.

The right comes not by the will of the flesh, which would be the case if men in the flesh, not born of the Spirit could believe on Christ and become the Children of God, which is an contradiction of scripture; And secondly, scripture points out that Spiritual life or living precedes Spiritual Believing on Christ here Jn 11:26

26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

Please notice what Jesus says, "everyone LIVING and BELIEVING IN HIM shall never die " ! The word Living means to have been made alive, not dead, being animated by Spiritual Life from the Spirit and believing on Him, which also means they are being led to believe the Truth by the Spirit, for Paul writes in Rom 8:14, 16 which are the same children of God which believe on Him Jn 1:12-13 !

 

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Predestinated to Faith in Christ !


Those who were Chosen in Christ before the foundation, they were also predestinated to Faith in Christ, to believe on His Name, to receive Him, according to Eph 1:4-5

4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

Here Paul writes that those Chosen in Christ before the foundation of the World, were predestinated to the Adoption of Sons by Jesus Christ.

This Adoption of Sons is Faith in Jesus Christ, after receiving in our hearts the Spirit of Adoption Rom 8:15; Gal 4:4-7

15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father[Because we are Sons /Children of God].


4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

And from this we become the Manifested, Acknowledged, Recognized Sons of God, by or because of Faith in Jesus Christ Gal 3:26

26 For ye are all the children of God by[because of] faith in Christ Jesus.

Faith in Christ is what reveals openly what had been a hidden fact known only to God, that we are His Children or Sons.

Faith in Christ is the evidence that we have always been His Children.

The word children in Gal 3:26 is the same word for children in Eph 1:5 the word huios.

Now Faith in Christ did not make us Sons, but revealed us as Sons, the Sons that God Loved in Christ Heb 12:6

6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son huios whom he receiveth.

And this Faith in Christ Gal 3:26 is the Fruit of the Spirit of Adoption Rom 8:15;Gal 5:22, Faith is the Fruit of the Spirit, by which Spirit we have the Right of Adoption to be called the Children of God Jn 1:12-13

12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

They believed on His Name because they born of the Spirit of Adoption, which Adoption they had been Predestinated to, according to them being Chosen in Christ before the foundation Eph 1:4-5 !

BTW, there are many deceivers in the world, who have the audacity to say everyone without exception was Chosen in Christ Eph 1:4, but that is shown to be a lie, because all who were Chosen in Christ were also in accordance with that Choice Predestinated to the Adoption of Sons through Jesus Christ, which Adoption makes itself manifested by Faith in Jesus Christ Gal 3:26 ! If we never come to Faith in Christ, we were never of those blessed ones Chosen in Him before the foundation ! 16

 

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Worthless dead faith in regards to spiritual realities !


Rom 8:7-8

7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

Who are they in the flesh ? Its everyone by nature, everyone without the Spirit or New Birth , all the unregenerate, which all are without exception !

Now does the natural man in the flesh have faith, sure they do, but it doesnt please God, its Spiritually worthless, unprofitable Rom 3:11-12

11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.

12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

The greek word for unprofitable is achreioó and means:

(lit: I become sour, I turn, of milk), I am good for nothing, render useless; met: I become corrupt.

Now understand, the natural mans faith is in Spiritual matters good for nothing, useless, corrupt, thats not to say its that way in natural affairs , but in the Affairs of God and His Kingdom and His Christ, its carnal and fleshly, and its enmity against God, because its from the mind of the carnal man Rom 8:7-8, for True Spiritual Faith submits to God , Rom 10:3 however the carnal mind doesn't and cannot. The faith of a man by nature is absolutely irrelevant in regards to Salvation and Spiritual Truth, cannot receive its doctrines 1 Cor 2:14

14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

The Gospel of ones Salvation must be spiritually discerned ! Other wise the Truths of it [the Gospel] cannot be comprehended, except in a low grade carnal sense which is worthless unto any true Gospel Obedience and Conversion to God ! 16

 

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We must first be of God !


Now Faith cometh by hearing ! Rom 10:17

17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

However before we can hear in order to believe/have Faith, we must first be of God, or born of God Jn 8:43,47

43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. Cannot means not able to !

47 He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.

In this verse Jesus tells us who it is that hears Gods Words. He later tells us that these ones are also His Sheep Jn 10:2-3,15-16,26-27

But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.

3 To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.


15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.

16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.

27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

Also He describeth them that hear as these Jn 18:37

37 Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.

What does it mean to be of the Truth ? I believe its born of the Spirit, wherein He is also called the Spirit of Truth Jn 16:13

Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

See also 1 Jn 4:6;5:6 !

To be of God is to be born of God, and faith is the fruit of being born of God 1 Jn 5:4

4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

Our Faith here is regarding them who have been born of God, not the natural man ! By nature we are not overcomers of the World, but the world overcomes us, but the Faith which overcomes the World, is the Faith of the Son of God, for He as Our Surety Represenative overcame the world for us, He overcame not for Himself, but for those whom the Father had given Him, hence He saith Jn 16:33

33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

Most people do not understand, Jesus here in these words "I have overcome the world" speaks not as an private individual, but as the Last Adam, the Head of an Elect race Chosen in Him before the foundation, and this Overcoming Faith of the Son of God, the Last Adam is communicated to His Seed, or to the Members of His Body, them He overcame the world in behalf of, hence like Paul we shall have the overcoming Faith of the Son of God Gal 2:20

20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

This Faith is the fruit of Christ's Spirit in them Gal 5:22, which Spirit is given to us at New Birth, and it seals us as His Own Rom 8:9

9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

The Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ, the Holy Spirit, are all the same !

Its Blasphemy to think, suggest, or to say, that Gospel obeying Faith, from hearing the Word of God, that it comes from the carnal hearts and minds of unregenerate men and women, its like saying that the carnal, natural man overcame the world !

 

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Faith is one of the good works God ordained to walk in !


Eph 2:8-10

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.


Faith is One of the many good works, that the New Creation in Christ, God ordained or predestined that they shall walk in !

Thats why earlier in 2 Cor 5:7 before Vs 17 we read this

For we walk by faith, not by sight

See, by nature, we can only walk by carnal sight, by things we see, temporal things, but to walk by Faith requires a nature whereby we walk by things not seen naturally by mere physical perception

2 Cor 4:18

While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

See the Gospel presents things to us not seen, eternal things, Paul describes it here in these words 1 Cor 2:8-10

8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen[naturally], nor ear heard[naturally], neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

So we need to first be a New Creation, before we can walk in Faith, without it we cannot please God Heb 11:6 !

The natural man cannot walk by Faith, its not in our nature ! And we must have been predestinated to walk in it, after being made a New Creation in Christ Eph 2:10 ! 16

 

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Faith is not a 'good work.'

 

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Naturally man has not the ability to believe in Christ !

Jn 6:44

44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

Coming to Christ and believing on Him or Faith in Him are the same thing, just expressed differently, and man by nature has not that ability to come to him. The word can here as in "no man can come" is the greek word dynamai and means:


I.to be able, have power whether by virtue of one's own ability and resources, or of a state of mind, or through favourable circumstances, or by permission of law or custom


II.to be able to do something


III.to be capable, strong and powerful

Man by nature lacks the abilty, state of mind to place Faith in Christ for Salvation ! So much for the Lie of freewill ability of man to believe in Christ !

Again Jesus teaches mans inability to believe on Him Jn 6:64-65

64 But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.

65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.

There's that ability word can again !

Now I am going to cut to the chase, The Ability to believe in Christ comes from the Power of the Holy Ghost, working effectually IN US both to will and do of Gods Good Pleasure ! Phil 2:13

13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

This was foretold to be a Covenant Blessing here Ezk 36:26-27

26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.

This is why Faith is a fruit of the Spirit Gal 5:22, for the Spirit causes the Born Again One to Know, Understand, Assent to and Believe the Truth of the Gospel of their Salvation; because man by nature we are blinded to the Gospel, so that we believe not 2 Cor 4:3-4. However when Christ gives us life from His Spirit by which He quickens us Jn 5:21;6:63;1 Cor 15:45 He then opens up our blinded eyes Isa 42:6-7

I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;

7 To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.

The blind eyes here means the eyes of our minds and understanding, being by nature spiritually blind Jn 12:40

Eph 1:18

The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

That word enlightened is the greek word phōtizō and means:

make to see Eph 3:9, and it means,
B.to give understanding to

It is then The Spirit gives us to see the Glory of God in the Face of Jesus Christ through the Gospel.

For its in behalf of Christ, His finished work for us, the Spirit opens up our Spiritual eyes He birthed us with, to see in Christ Our Justification, Righteousness, Salvation, so fulfilling the words of Christ on what the Spirit shall do to His Seed the Church Jn 16:13-14

13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

Because whats His is theirs, its His Only for their sakes, also its shewing them His Covenant Ps 25:14

14 The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant Isa 42:6

And no man can believe on Christ naturally, it must be given to them by the Power of the Spirit working in behalf of Christ to begat Faith in Us !

 

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Faith is not a 'good work.'

Yes it is ! And its produced by the Holy Spirit

 

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An Instrument but not a Condition !


Faith, the fruit of the Spirit Gal 5:22 is an instrument in Justification, but not as a condition by which God Justifies the Ungodly before His Law and Justice, No Christ's Blood is solely responsible for that Rom 5:9;3:24;Eph 1:7, but yet it is an instrumental means by which God reveals, makes known, communicates to the Justified ones, what Christ's Blood has already done and accomplished for us before His Law and Justice, in order that we may receive the comfort, peace and Joy of it Rom 15:13

13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. 16

 

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How false teachers distort the Truth of Faith and dishonor Christ!


One writer writes, and I agree, how some teach faith erronously in the Doctrine of Justification and Salvation !

Some hold the act of faith is that which God accepts to Justification, but this is a mistake, because it makes Christ inferior to faith, and in ascribing such an honor to faith, they dishonor Christ, for although they do not exclude Christ wholly, yet in the act of Justification, it gives all to faith. They say, ‘as the act of Adam’s sin condemned him, so our act of faith justifies us.’ Adam’s sin was enough to condemn him and us, but our faith cannot save others, nor ourselves. They reply, ‘but we are justified by faith.’ Christ is called faith. “Before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.” {Gal.3:23} “Before faith came;” which must be understood of Christ. We are justified before God in His sight only by Christ. {Rom.3:24} “My righteous servant (Christ) shall justify many.”{Is.53:11} We are not justified before God by faith which is in us, but by Christ, by his blood; justified by his blood. {Rom.5:9} That which saves us is the blood of Christ; Jesus Christ hath loved us, and washed us from our sins in his blood. {Rev.1:5} Also we are said to be justified by faith, because it is the instrument whereby we apprehend and apply Christ our Righteousness; by faith we know ourselves to be justified. {Rom.5:1} Though faith be a grace of God, yet as it is an act, it is a work, and to be justified by it, is to be justified by a work of our own; for with the heart {man} believes. {Rom.10:9-10} That which justifies us, must be perfect, and so it is no act of ours; for all our Righteousness are as filthy rags, &c. {Is.64:6} Not of works, least any man should boast. {Eph.2:9} Samuel Richardson {Saint’s Desire, 1647}

 

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The Spirits work precedes Faith !


We know Spiritual Birth must precede Faith/Belief of the Truth, which Truth is the Gospel, because belief of the Truth is resultant/consequent of and the fruit of the Sanctification of the Spirit 2 Thess 2:13

13 But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:

Its the Spirits Work on behalf of Christ's finished work, to secure and or bring about Faith in Christ, or belief of the Truth or the Gospel which is the Word of Truth Eph 1:13; and its only when the Spirit works in this, that the Gospel becomes the Power of God unto Salvation to everyone that is believing Rom 1:16; But yet, if no Sanctification of the Spirit, no belief of the Truth unto Salvation.

Remember Jesus Praying for all whom He would die for said:

Jn 17:17

17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth

In answer to His Beloved Son, the Father upon His ascension did give Him the Son the Holy Spirit Acts 2:33

33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.

And the Holy Spirit from Christ effects His Sanctifying Work upon them Christ died for, to bring them to belief of the Truth, which is the end of Sanctifying them through the Truth ! 17