Faith

[prism]

Buckle up for the next turn!

 

[brightfame52]

Christ is the author of the Believers Faith ! 2



The Faith and Trust that Christ had in God in His Covenant engagements for us Heb 2:13

13 And again, I[Christ the Covenant Head] will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children[Christ Members] which God hath given me.

This word Trust is the greek word peithō and means:


persuade

1. to persuade, i.e. to induce one by words to believe

be persuaded

1. to listen to, obey, yield to, comply with

Its translated believed here Acts 17:4

And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few.

Acts 27:11

Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul.

Acts 28:23-24

And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening.

And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not.

In fact the word Faith as in Eph 2:8 is the greek word pistis and it is from the same verb peithō , so peitho is the parent of Faith !

And Christ speaking as the Covenant Head swaers that He as the Head shall put His Faith/Trust in Him [God] and the Children [His Members] given to Him !

The Faith we have in God in Christ He gives it to us, as He is the Head and Mediator of the Covenant, and so the Faith of the Head becomes the Faith of His Members.

When we believe in time as per Jn 3:16, it only reveals that we had believed in our Head before our time, just like when we sinned in time it revealed we had sinned in our head adam before our time.

It also reveals that we by Him have obeyed Gods Law in the Most God Gloryfying way it could have been, so it is written Isa 42:21

21 The Lord is well pleased for his righteousness' sake; he will magnify the law, and make it honourable

Christ did this not as a private individual, but as a Covenant Head and Represenative !

So those who never believe and die in their sins Jn 8:24;3:18,36 means that Christ never believed for them. never obeyed Gods Law for them, so consequently they remain under the curse and condemnation of the Law, and cannot believe, for they were never His Sheep, His Children Jn 10:26

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

If they would have been His Sheep, they would have to believe because He already has Believed/Trusted for them Heb 2:13 !

 

[Tulipbee]

Christ is the author of the Believers Faith ! 2



The Faith and Trust that Christ had in God in His Covenant engagements for us Heb 2:13

13 And again, I[Christ the Covenant Head] will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children[Christ Members] which God hath given me.

This word Trust is the greek word peithō and means:


persuade

1. to persuade, i.e. to induce one by words to believe

be persuaded

1. to listen to, obey, yield to, comply with

Its translated believed here Acts 17:4

And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few.

Acts 27:11

Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul.

Acts 28:23-24

And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening.

And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not.

In fact the word Faith as in Eph 2:8 is the greek word pistis and it is from the same verb peithō , so peitho is the parent of Faith !

And Christ speaking as the Covenant Head swaers that He as the Head shall put His Faith/Trust in Him [God] and the Children [His Members] given to Him !

The Faith we have in God in Christ He gives it to us, as He is the Head and Mediator of the Covenant, and so the Faith of the Head becomes the Faith of His Members.

When we believe in time as per Jn 3:16, it only reveals that we had believed in our Head before our time, just like when we sinned in time it revealed we had sinned in our head adam before our time.

It also reveals that we by Him have obeyed Gods Law in the Most God Gloryfying way it could have been, so it is written Isa 42:21

21 The Lord is well pleased for his righteousness' sake; he will magnify the law, and make it honourable

Christ did this not as a private individual, but as a Covenant Head and Represenative !

So those who never believe and die in their sins Jn 8:24;3:18,36 means that Christ never believed for them. never obeyed Gods Law for them, so consequently they remain under the curse and condemnation of the Law, and cannot believe, for they were never His Sheep, His Children Jn 10:26

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

If they would have been His Sheep, they would have to believe because He already has Believed/Trusted for them Heb 2:13 !

In the realm of theological reflections, a figure named Brightfame52 stood as a beacon of Christian understanding, delving into the profound truths articulated by the renowned theologian John Calvin. The air was filled with the weight of covenant engagements as Brightfame52 expounded on the faith and trust that Christ, the Covenant Head, had in God on behalf of believers.

Quoting Hebrews 2:13, Brightfame52 emphasized Christ's trust in God, using the Greek word "peithō," which denotes persuasion, inducement to believe, and compliance. Drawing parallels to Acts 17:4, Acts 27:11, and Acts 28:23-24, the concept of persuasion leading to belief resonated, highlighting the profound connection between Christ's trust and the faith bestowed upon believers.

The theological journey ventured into Ephesians 2:8, where the Greek word "pistis," rooted in the same verb "peithō," illuminated the relationship between trust and faith. Christ, as the Covenant Head, pledged to put His trust in God, and the children (His members) given to Him, aligning the faith of the Head with that of His members.

Brightfame52 unveiled the profound truth that our belief in God in Christ is a gift from the Covenant Head, a reflection of Christ's own trust. Just as sin in time revealed the sin of Adam in the head, belief in time exposes the pre-existing belief in the Covenant Head. This act of belief also signified obedience to God's law in the most glorifying way, echoing Isaiah 42:21.

However, the narrative took a somber turn as Brightfame52 expounded on the fate of those who never believe and die in their sins. Drawing from John 8:24, John 3:18, and John 3:36, it was asserted that such individuals never experienced Christ's belief for them, never obeyed God's law through Him, and consequently remained under the curse and condemnation of the law. The poignant reminder from John 10:26 echoed – those who do not believe are not of Christ's sheep.

In the intricate tapestry of Calvinistic theology, Brightfame52 painted a vivid picture of the interplay between Christ's trust, bestowed faith, and the eternal destiny of believers and unbelievers alike. The theological landscape echoed with the weight of covenant truths, beckoning believers to contemplate the profound implications of their faith in the Covenant Head.

 

[brightfame52]

Christ is the author of the Believers Faith ! 3


Ye must be born again ! Jn 3:6-7

6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

This is True for everyone Christ lived and died for, His Sheep, because it is through New Birth of the Spirit Christ's Faith is communicated to them !

Again the comparison is as with Adam, as the Elect had Adam as their natural Head and sinned in him, disobeyed in him, believed not in him Rom 11:32

32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

As a evidence of their oneness with adam in his disobedience Rom 5:19a

For as by one man's disobedience/unbelief many were made sinners/unbelievers, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

Now as evidence of this fact, that they were one of the many made sinners/unbelievers, they are born physically of the flesh as sinners and unbelievers confirming their identification in adams sin !

So likewise, as an evidence of their oneness with Christ their Spiritual Head by Election in Him before the foundation Eph 1:4, and having obeyed in Him, having Trusted/believed in Him 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.

Now as evidence of this fact they are born again Spiritually and become believers/Trusters confirming their Identification in Christ's Obedience/ Faith !

They were given a nature of the flesh to identify with their natural head, and they are given a nature by or of the Spirit in newbirth to identify with their Spiritual head !

Christ's Faith is communicated by His Spirit, when we are born again of the Spirit, which proves that we belonged to Christ 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.

So Christ's Sheep must be born again of the Spirit and they must believe ! If one never believes, they were not Christ's Sheep that Christ Lived and died for Jn 10:26 !

A matter of fact, if anyone Christ lived and died for goes to hell in their sins in unbelief Jn 8:24, it would be like saying a Believer has went to hell for their sins in unbelief ! See what a contradiction that would be ? that's because, even when they are unbelievers while in the flesh, they are or had been made believers already in their union with Christ when He believed for them ! 13

 

[brightfame52]

Christ's Sheep must Believe and Why !


Jesus said this Jn 10:16

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.

Jesus here means by this, that He had other Sheep besides those He had in the jews, that He had Gentile Sheep too !

The key word here is Have Jesus says He has them ! The word have is the word echō and means:

1. 
   to have, i.e. to hold
   1. to have (hold) in the hand, in the sense of wearing, to have (hold) possession of the mind (refers to alarm, agitating emotions, etc.), to hold fast keep, to have or comprise or involve, to regard or consider or hold as
2. to have i.e. own, possess

Notice that it means not only to possess, but to own !

And such that He owns and possess shall hear His Voice and believe, because faith cometh by hearing the voice of Christ Rom 10:17

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

Some Translations read:

So faith comes by hearing [what is told], and what is heard comes by the preaching [of the message that came from the lips] of Christ (the Messiah Himself).

So belief cometh of hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

They shall hear Christ's voice through the Preaching of His servants as they Preach about Christ !

Now , concerning our text, even though Christ own and possed Sheep, they had yet to believe, however by the simple fact that they were His Sheep that He owned/possed they must believe; and heres why:

Those who belong to Christ, as a token or seal of His ownership of them, His Spirit is given to them, to mark them as His, and to reveal them as His, and so we read in Rom 8:9

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.

Now of course even the Sheep before New Birth dont have the Spirit of Christ experimentally, however thats why they must be born again, to show that they are Christ's Sheep, that they belong to Him !

Now this means that if a person never receives the Spirit of Christ, then they were never of His Sheep that He owned and Possess. Now understand, Christs Sheep were His Sheep before they believed and received the Spirit, but there was no evidence of them being owned by Christ and being His Sheep until they believe !

Its just not possible for anyone of Christ's Sheep to live and die without the mark of ownership [The Spirit], which is His Spirit Rom 8:9, and upon believing He seals them as Christ's Sheep Eph 1:13

13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard[Jn 10:16] the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,


Now the word sealed is the greek word sphragizō and means:

sphragízō (from 4973 /sphragís, "a seal") – properly, to seal (affix) with a signet ring or other instrument to stamp (a roller or seal), i.e. to attest ownership, authorizing (validating) what is sealed.

sphragízō ("to seal") signifies ownership and the full security carried by the backing (full authority) of the owner. "Sealing" in the ancient world served as a "legal signature" which guaranteed the promise (contents) of what was sealed.

The Holy Spirit is Christ's signature attesting to the Sheep being His.

Now where they His Sheep before the attesting of the Spirit ? Yes, we know this because He said, other Sheep I have that are not of this fold and they shall hear my voice Jn 10:16.

And of course they seal is applied after believing, which is the Fruit of the Spirit Gal 5:22

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

The Spirit gives us Faith to believe because we belonged to Christ, and because of that we must spiritually hear His voice and Believe as Promised Jn 10:16 !

 

[brightfame52]

A dead man cannot believe on Christ !


A dead man cannot believe on 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.

A spiritually dead sinner cannot and will not believe on Christ unto Salvation, because Faith in Christ is a spiritually vital act, from communicated or quickened Life; before man can believe, he must be given by the Spirit of God, a heart to perceive, eyes to see, ears to hear, that which ot natural israel lacked because God withheld it Deut 29:4

4 Yet the Lord hath not given you an heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this day.

Without giving spiritual eyes to see we cannot believe like Jesus says here Jn 6:40

40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

Believing is the result of seeing first ! I agree with John Gill here :

That everyone which seeth the Son, and believeth on him; who so sees him as to believe in him; for this is not to be understood of a corporeal sight of Christ, or of a mere speculative knowledge of him, or historical faith in him; for it is not so to see him, as merely to believe what he is, the Son of God, the Messiah and Saviour of the world, or what he says, but to trust in him for righteousness, life, and happiness. Men are by nature blind, their eyes are shut to all that is spiritually good; it is the Spirit of God that opens blind eyes, and illuminates the understanding:

Without ears to hear, how can Faith cometh by hearing as stated by Paul here Rom 10:17

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

Without these things Spiritually, man is disqualified to believe on Christ ! 14

 

[brightfame52]

Who does Paul Thank for their Faith ?


Who does Paul Thank for the Faith of these believers in Rome ? Rom 1:8

8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.

Who does Paul Thank for Grace that was given the Corinthian Believers ? 1 Cor 1:4-7

4 I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ;

5 That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge;

6 Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you:

7 So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:

Whose does Paul Thank for the Faith of the Ephesian believers ? Eph 1:3,15-17

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

15 Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,

16 Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;

17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:

Paul heard of their Faith because the God and Father of their Lord Jesus Christ had blessed them with all spiritual blessings !

Faith is merely one of many spiritual blessings, its a fruit of Christ's Spirit Gal 5:22

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

Faith and Faithfulness are the same ! Paul could have very well said :

Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faithfulness in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,

 

[brightfame52]

Man by nature has a Faith no doubt, but it is of the flesh John 3:6 , and so it is a dead faith James 2:26 it is from a spiritually dead person without the life of God!

 

[brightfame52]

Believers first believed when Christ believed for them !

This is a Mystery of the Faith, that Faith in Christ is a result of Christ having already believed in God for us by and in His Obedience to Gods Law on our behalf, if He indeed lived and died for us, and here's why this is True ! When the Lord Jesus Christ was here on earth, having been made under the Law Gal 4:4

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

He then satisfied for them all of Gods Law Commands, He obeyed for them, all the Commandments God required for man to enter into Life, as it was told the Rich young ruler when he asked this:

Matt 19:16

16 And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?

And Jesus replied :

17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.

Jesus is not lying here, If a person will enter into Life, or into eternal life, they must perfectly keep the Commandments !

Jesus states a couple of the Commandments to be kept here Matt 19:18-19

18 He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,

19 Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Now there is One Commandment Jesus did not mention here, but its greater than all the Ones He does mention, and its this one Matt 22:36-39

36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

38 This is the first and great commandment.

39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Notice, He mentioned the second most important commandment, but not the first one, but in order to enter into Eternal Life, man must also keep the First and Great Commandment which is:

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

38 This is the first and great commandment.

Now when Jesus was made under the Law, He kept this Commandment for them, they for whom He was made under the Law for, by Him, have Kept, obeyed this First Commandment, along with the second and all the rest, just as God has required ! Now heres the question, when Jesus kept the First Commandment for them He lived and died for, did He have Faith in God ? Would Loving God with all our Heart, Soul, and Mind require Faith in Him ? Could Jesus have obeyed this Commandment without Faith and Belief in God, Yes or No ?

Could Jesus have perfectly Loved God without Faith in Him ? If one can understand that to Love God as required as the First and Great Commandment , that it took Faith in God, for Faith worketh by Love, then they can understand how Christ has already believed in the God of their Salvation for them, the requirement for Faith and Love to God has been met, fulfilled by Christ for them, so through His Obedience alone they are constituted them that Love God Rom 8:28

28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

All for whom Christ Lived and died under the Law for Love God ! They Love God first and for most because Christ for them has obeyed the First and Greatest Commandment which is :

Matt 22:37-38

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

38 This is the first and great commandment.

If Christ kept the Law for us, He has fulfilled that Law /Commandment requirement for us Perfectly and has on our behalf obtained Enter Life for us !

Rev 22:14

Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. 14

 

[Manonfire63]

Faith is different from belief. Faith is a knowledgeable dependence. Faith started with belief. Faith is a journey of getting to know God, in a personal relationship with God.

There are a lot of allegories between marriage and faith.

Marriage Allegories For Faith

Man would like a wife. He goes to a Match Maker. A few weeks later, he is standing before an alter looking down at his bride to be. Both of the Bridegroom and the Bride, they took a leap of faith similar to Issac sending his servant to fetch him a bride. They took a leap to trust a Match Maker. They took a leap choosing marriage. They have the rest of their lives to get to know each other, to grow in a knowledgeable dependence.

Man, he goes to work in the morning. When he comes home, he finds his house clean, and dinner on the table. Woman, day to day, she finds that her husband comes home sober, and didn't spend all his money at the bar or gambling. He comes home with money. Over time, they may have grown in trust with each other, a knowledgeable dependence.

Man, when he goes to work, he doesn't see his wife clean, nor does he see her cook. When comes home, he has evidence of things unseen, things hoped for. (Hebrews 11:1)

Growing faith, a knowledgeable dependence with God, a personal relationship, is similar. Faith started with a leap. No one is a Bible scholar when they choose God. Faith started with a leap. Faith is a journey, In time, a man may be able to read the news in the morning and see God's hand.

 

[brightfame52]

Believers first believed when Christ believed for them ! 2


This spiritual concept[ idea or understanding ] of Believers having First believed in and by Christ before they believe in time, it is confirmed by the Truth of Representation which the scripture teaches, and its no more strange to say that believers first believed in and by Christ as it is to say that they first sinned or disobeyed in and by Adam, and just as all whom Adam first represented sinned in him before they actually sinned in time, So likewise all whom Christ represented when He believed in God in Keeping the Law, they obey God in Faith in time !

Thats why Jesus said 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.

His Trust in God would be theirs also ! That word Trust, the greek word peithó and means:

I persuade, urge. and :

peíthō(the root of 4102 /pístis, "faith") – to persuade; (passive) be persuaded of what is trustworthy.

The Lord persuades the yielded believer to be confident in His preferred-will (Gal 5:10; 2 Tim 1:12). 3982 (peíthō) involves "obedience, but it is properly the result of (God's) persuasion

The word is equivalent to Faith, So Christ's Faith/Trust in Him, was theirs also, this cannot be denied,

So believers first believed/Trusted when Christ Trusted/ Believed for them !

So in fact, everyone Christ Lived and died for are believers, even when they are unbelievers while in a unconverted state, so they can never die in Unbelief and their sins as these Jn 8:24 !

 

[brightfame52]

A dead man cannot believe on Christ ! 2


In light of the truth that a dead man cant believe, scripture says, Jesus Himself says Jn 11:26

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

One must be living to be believing, the believing coexists with the Living, so no life, no believing.

Jn 6:53

Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.

If one does not eat and drink of the body and blood of Christ, its because they have no life in them, for life must precede the activities of eating and drinking, those activities presupposes/requires life ! Even from the natural analogy, can we expect a dead person to eat and drink ? No, of course not ! 14

 

[brightfame52]

Who does Paul Thank for their Faith ?


Who does Paul Thank for the Faith of these believers in Rome ? Rom 1:8

8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.

Who does Paul Thank for Grace that was given the Corinthian Believers ? 1 Cor 1:4-7

4 I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ;

5 That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge;

6 Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you:

7 So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:

Whose does Paul Thank for the Faith of the Ephesian believers ? Eph 1:3,15-17

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

15 Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,

16 Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;

17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:

Paul heard of their Faith because the God and Father of their Lord Jesus Christ had blessed them with all spiritual blessings !

Faith is merely one of many spiritual blessings, its a fruit of Christ's Spirit Gal 5:22

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

Faith and Faithfulness are the same ! Paul could have very well said :

Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faithfulness in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, 14

 

[brightfame52]

Man by nature has a Faith no doubt, but it is of the flesh John 3:6 , and so it is a dead faith James 2:26 it is from a spiritually dead person without the life of God!

 

[brightfame52]

Believers first believed when Christ believed for them !


This is a Mystery of the Faith, that Faith in Christ is a result of Christ having already believed in God for us by and in His Obedience to Gods Law on our behalf, if He indeed lived and died for us, and here's why this is True !

When the Lord Jesus Christ was here on earth, having been made under the Law Gal 4:4

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

He then satisfied for them all of Gods Law Commands, He obeyed for them, all the Commandments God required for man to enter into Life, as it was told the Rich young ruler when he asked this:

Matt 19:16

16 And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?

And Jesus replied :

17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.

Jesus is not lying here, If a person will enter into Life, or into eternal life, they must perfectly keep the Commandments !

Jesus states a couple of the Commandments to be kept here Matt 19:18-19

18 He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,

19 Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Now there is One Commandment Jesus did not mention here, but its greater than all the Ones He does mention, and its this one Matt 22:36-39

36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

38 This is the first and great commandment.

39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Notice, He mentioned the second most important commandment, but not the first one, but in order to enter into Eternal Life, man must also keep the First and Great Commandment which is:

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

38 This is the first and great commandment.

Now when Jesus was made under the Law, He kept this Commandment for them, they for whom He was made under the Law for, by Him, have Kept, obeyed this First Commandment, along with the second and all the rest, just as God has required ! Now here's the question, when Jesus kept the First Commandment for them He lived and died for, did He have Faith in God ? Would Loving God with all our Heart, Soul, and Mind require Faith in Him ? Could Jesus have obeyed this Commandment without Faith and Belief in God, Yes or No ?

Could Jesus have perfectly Loved God without Faith in Him ? If one can understand that to Love God as required as the First and Great Commandment , that it took Faith in God, for Faith worketh by Love, then they can understand how Christ has already believed in the God of their Salvation for them, the requirement for Faith and Love to God has been met, fulfilled by Christ for them, so through His Obedience alone they are constituted them that Love God Rom 8:28

28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

All for whom Christ Lived and died under the Law for Love God ! They Love God first and for most because Christ for them has obeyed the First and Greatest Commandment which is :

Matt 22:37-38

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

38 This is the first and great commandment.

If Christ kept the Law for us, He has fulfilled that Law /Commandment requirement for us Perfectly and has on our behalf obtained Enter Life for us !

Rev 22:14

Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

 

[brightfame52]

Believers first believed when Christ believed for them ! 2


This spiritual concept[ idea or understanding ] of Believers having First believed in and by Christ before they believe in time, it is confirmed by the Truth of Representation which the scripture teaches, and its no more strange to say that believers first believed in and by Christ as it is to say that they first sinned or disobeyed in and by Adam, and just as all whom Adam first represented sinned in him before they actually sinned in time, So likewise all whom Christ represented when He believed in God in Keeping the Law, they obey God in Faith in time !

Thats why Jesus said 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.

His Trust in God would be theirs also ! That word Trust, the greek word peithó and means:

I persuade, urge. and :

peíthō(the root of 4102 /pístis, "faith") – to persuade; (passive) be persuaded of what is trustworthy.

The Lord persuades the yielded believer to be confident in His preferred-will (Gal 5:10; 2 Tim 1:12). 3982 (peíthō) involves "obedience, but it is properly the result of (God's) persuasion

The word is equivalent to Faith, So Christ's Faith/Trust in Him, was theirs also, this cannot be denied,

So believers first believed/Trusted when Christ Trusted/ Believed for them !

So in fact, everyone Christ Lived and died for are believers, even when they are unbelievers while in a unconverted state, so they can never die in Unbelief and their sins as these Jn 8:24 ! 14

 

[brightfame52]

A dead man cannot believe on Christ ! 2

In light of the truth that a dead man cant believe, scripture says, Jesus Himself says Jn 11:26

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

One must be living to be believing, the believing coexists with the Living, so no life, no believing.

Jn 6:53

Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.

If one does not eat and drink of the body and blood of Christ, its because they have no life in them, for life must precede the activities of eating and drinking, those activities presupposes/requires life ! Even from the natural analogy, can we expect a dead person to eat and drink ? No, of course not ! 14

 

[Josiah]

Some think CH is a personal blog.

 

[Hadassah]

Even doubters weren't considered to be non-believers in scripture...think about doubting Thomas “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe” (John 20:25). No one yelled at him that he was pagan. And that's because he still had some semblance of faith...it's just he wasn't certain of that faith.

Hi! Great point. If I may elaborate, imho Thomas doubted what he could not see. Afterall, it was easier to believe what you saw Christ do even if it was beyond rational explanation. It would seem blind faith was not his forte. " You believe because you have seen, blessed are those who have not seen what your eyes see".....generations after -do have blind faith. We believe without seeing. Imagine if we did see.....boundless possibilities. No sight yet no doubt? Amazing! Now, that's a miracle in itself.

 

[Hadassah]

I didn't say anything about Thomas.

Ugh. I feel like you guys are not following the conversation.

Allow me to recapitulate: Lamb said that the apostles didn't call Thomas a pagan when he expressed doubts about the resurrection of Jesus, after Jesus had appeared to them when Thomas was away. I asked Lamb why they would call Thomas a pagan, considering that Christianity didn't exist at the time. She replied that all the people who were not Jews and who worshipped multiple gods instead of the one true God. I replied that Thomas did not express doubt about the existence of the God of Israel, but rather about the resurrection of Jesus. She said that Jesus is God and that Thomas doubted this fact, which, I'm extrapolating, would automatically make Thomas a pagan. According to that line of thinking, everyone who didn't believe that Jesus is God would be a pagan. That would mean that all the Israelites who didn't adhere to the newly-formed Christian religion was a pagan. All the priests, scribes and everyone who continued to practice Judaism became pagans?

I get what you are saying. I think Thomas believed in Jesus, he just needed comformation that he actually rose from the dead. That was a big deal! Think about it, without it, there would be no necessity for Christian beliefs. It is essentially the cap stone.

I actually think there is a difference between doubt and no faith. Doubt can be persuaded with evidence and not necessarily rational evidence either because Jesus performed the unexplainable called miracles. And though seeing them does not mean a natural explanation can be given, a person of faith doesn't question them, a faithless man would. Looking for some rational explanation. Thomas saw the miraculous, and believed, he even witnessed the natural course of hearing the truth and repented which is what drew him to Jesus to begin with. The faithless don't even believe in the message. Hence, Pharisees and Sadducees....Thomas believed Jesus was the prophesied Messiah. Faithless people could see you walk on water ( how does that saying go) and say " it is because he could not swim". They don't care about the message either. Thomas had faith in the message before the miracles, it took the final miracle however, to seal the message that Thomas would ultimately die for.
The bible teaches us that faith is a gift, I simply feel Thomas needed to be gifted with proof to bolster the faith he already had. I think we all need that sometimes.

The cap stone of our faith is why we do what we do for Christ. Afterall, you better believe in the resurrection because faith in it is what solidifies Christianity, something that we may come to lay down our lives for.

He needed his faith strengthened not that he had no faith. Wasn't it St. Paul who said " A baby crawls before he walks"? I say Thomas was learning to walk and would soon run his race to win! He was already Christ's child, he was just learning and we all learn at a different pace.That's just my opinion.