Faith

[ThreeAngels]

Without faith we cannot please God. Continue reading my article here https://threeangelsweb.wordpress.com/2019/03/09/faith/

Sent from my SM-N910T using Tapatalk

 

[Josiah]

Without faith we cannot please God.

Yup. Just a small part of the reason why the dead atheist CANNOT "earn" anything from God.... why self saving self (even just 0.000000000000001%) is unbiblical and impossible. There's NOTHING anyone can do in the justification of self since the dead atheist cannot do anything - pleasing to God or otherwise. Any church that teaches "but FIRST the unregenerate must do ______ " is wrong.




.

 

[Albion]

Without faith we cannot please God. Continue reading my article here https://threeangelsweb.wordpress.com/2019/03/09/faith/

Sent from my SM-N910T using Tapatalk

When Ellen G. White is made to be some sort of an authority, I check out. Sorry.

 

[Arsenios]

Without faith we cannot please God.
Jesus gently said,
“Daughter, be of good comfort:
thy faith hath made thee whole;
go in peace.”

The woman with an issue of blood is a lovely story of faith...

She expended her whole life for the sake of healing that issue...

To no avail...

One encounter with Christ...
A clandestine touching of the raiment of his garment...
And Power flowed forth...
Because she was prepared by a lifetime of seeking that healing...
And her faith drew forth the Power that healed her...
And Christ was glad for her and Blessed her...


Arsenios

 

[Arsenios]

When Ellen G. White is made to be some sort of an authority, I check out. Sorry.

Who is Ellen G. White?

I have never heard of her...


Arsenios

 

[JRT]

I have come to think of faith not as believing in three impossible things before breakfast but as a firm trust that no matter what happens God is with us.

 

[Albion]

Ellen G. White was the founder of the Seventh-day Adventist church. A teenage girl when her religious insights began, she became a sensation thanks to prophesies that look exactly like she got hold of a Western Civilization history book and salted it with numerous anti-Catholic observations drawn from somewhere or other, then using that story line as prophesy. The church is generally considered to be a cult for this reason, although some Adventists these days revere her and peddle her books while avoiding the claim of prophesy, treating her instead as some sort of mystic who received thousands of visions, sometimes during public meetings. The founding of the church took place during the mid-19th century when two powerful themes in religion were the recovery of ancient knowledge and occultish powers. Spiritualism, Swedenborgianism, and Mormonism all made their marks in that era along with Adventism.

.

 

[Arsenios]

Ellen G. White was the founder of the Seventh-day Adventist church. A teenage girl when her religious insights began, she became a sensation thanks to prophesies that look exactly like she got hold of a Western Civilization history book and salted it with numerous anti-Catholic observations drawn from somewhere or other, then using that story line as prophesy. The church is generally considered to be a cult for this reason, although some Adventists these days revere her and peddle her books while avoiding the claim of prophesy, treating her instead as some sort of mystic who received thousands of visions, sometimes during public meetings. The founding of the church took place during the mid-19th century when two powerful themes in religion were the recovery of ancient knowledge and occultish powers. Spiritualism, Swedenborgianism, and Mormonism all made their marks in that era along with Adventism.

.

Thank-you, Albion...


Arsenios

 

[Arsenios]

I have come to think of faith not as believing in three impossible things before breakfast but as a firm trust that no matter what happens God is with us.

Trying to subjective the Faith Christ discipled to His disciples and soon to be Apostles sure seems to miss the point...
For instance:
1 - "I used to not believe in Christ but now I do..." Meaning now I have faith?
2 - "I used to not believe that virgin birth stuff, but it makes sense to me now..." Meaning I now have more faith?
3 - "I now believe that the Bible is the Word of God..." Meaning I have been given faith?

You see, Christ discipled his Apostles to disciple all the nations...
Teaching them to carefully observe - eg to DO - ALL that He had commanded them...
Baptizing them into Christ's Body, the Church, and into His Death on the Cross...
THAT Faith is the Apostolic Faith of Christ...

It is consistent across ALL the Apostolic Churches for 2000 years...
It is not a product of the Biblical Scriptures...
It is the Faith that produced these Scriptures...
It is the Faith that saved the world...

When Christ returns, will He find the Faith He discipled?
Would the Apostles recognize your Services as theirs?


Arsenios

 

[MoreCoffee]

When Ellen G. White is made to be some sort of an authority, I check out. Sorry.

I agree, modern day (or 19th century) prophets are a worry.

 

[MoreCoffee]

Who is Ellen G. White?

I have never heard of her...


Arsenios

Ellen White is one of the founders of the Seventh Day Adventist denomination. She is alleged to have received visions and words from God. Some of her writings are regarded as messages from God by many SDA members. She was keen on Sabbath observance - and by Sabbath she and SDA people mean sunset Friday until sunset Saturday.

 

[MoreCoffee]

I have come to think of faith not as believing in three impossible things before breakfast but as a firm trust that no matter what happens God is with us.

Some say that faith is believing the most improbable thing possible, as, for example, that everything is really a shade of pink (thanks to Douglas Adams).

 

[Josiah]

"Faith" CAN mean a corpus of beliefs.... but typically it means to TRUST.

In Justification, it is trust in Jesus as the Savior, as MY Savior. Faith is the gift of God.

In Sanctification, faith is trust in Jesus as the Lord, MY Lord, the working of the Holy Spirit directing us to the Law and empowering us to become more Christ-like.




.

 

[MennoSota]

Why is it so hard to just accept what God tells us regarding faith.
Hebrews 11:1-3
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.
The real question is not, "What is faith?". The real question is: "To whom is faith given?".
The answer to the second question is: The adopted children of the King of Kings.

 

[Albion]

Why is it so hard to just accept what God tells us regarding faith.
Hebrews 11:1-3
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation.

That sounds like you are in agreement with Josiah's post except that you went on to raise other questions that are about Faith but not about the definition of Faith.

The real question is not, "What is faith?". The real question is: "To whom is faith given?".
The answer to the second question is: The adopted children of the King of Kings.

 

[Andrew]

"Faith" CAN mean a corpus of beliefs.... but typically it means to TRUST.

In Justification, it is trust in Jesus as the Savior, as MY Savior. Faith is the gift of God.

In Sanctification, faith is trust in Jesus as the Lord, MY Lord, the working of the Holy Spirit directing us to the Law and empowering us to become more Christ-like.




.

Amen! It means life saving TRUST

 

[MoreCoffee]

The psalms reflect both trust and a lack of trust yet all of them are regarded as songs and poems of faith, how can that be if faith is trust?

Psalms 22:1-2* My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? I have cried desperately for help, but still it does not come. *2* During the day I call to you, my God, but you do not answer; I call at night, but get no rest.

Psalms 25:1-2* To you, O LORD, I offer my prayer; *2* in you, my God, I trust. Save me from the shame of defeat; don't let my enemies gloat over me!

Psalms 38:1-8* O LORD, don't punish me in your anger! *2* You have wounded me with your arrows; you have struck me down. *3* Because of your anger, I am in great pain; my whole body is diseased because of my sins. *4* I am drowning in the flood of my sins; they are a burden too heavy to bear. *5* Because I have been foolish, my sores stink and rot. *6* I am bent over, I am crushed; I mourn all day long. *7* I am burning with fever and I am near death. *8* I am worn out and utterly crushed; my heart is troubled, and I groan with pain.

Psalms 39:1-6* I said, "I will be careful about what I do and will not let my tongue make me sin; I will not say anything while evil people are near." *2* I kept quiet, not saying a word, not even about anything good! But my suffering only grew worse, *3* and I was overcome with anxiety. The more I thought, the more troubled I became; I could not keep from asking: *4* " LORD, how long will I live? When will I die? Tell me how soon my life will end." *5* How short you have made my life! In your sight my lifetime seems nothing. Indeed every living being is no more than a puff of wind, *6* no more than a shadow. All we do is for nothing; we gather wealth, but don't know who will get it.​

None of these show a final loss of trust in God yet the questions and the pain are real reflections of confusion about God's dealings. The book of Ecclesiastes also reflects on loss of trust and doubts as well as confusion and pain. Job suffered greatly for reasons undisclosed to him and that left his wife advising him to curse God and die.

It is a mistake to simplify faith to "trust" alone. It is much more complicated and nuanced than that.

 

[MennoSota]

The psalms reflect both trust and a lack of trust yet all of them are regarded as songs and poems of faith, how can that be if faith is trust?

Psalms 22:1-2* My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? I have cried desperately for help, but still it does not come. *2* During the day I call to you, my God, but you do not answer; I call at night, but get no rest.

Psalms 25:1-2* To you, O LORD, I offer my prayer; *2* in you, my God, I trust. Save me from the shame of defeat; don't let my enemies gloat over me!

Psalms 38:1-8* O LORD, don't punish me in your anger! *2* You have wounded me with your arrows; you have struck me down. *3* Because of your anger, I am in great pain; my whole body is diseased because of my sins. *4* I am drowning in the flood of my sins; they are a burden too heavy to bear. *5* Because I have been foolish, my sores stink and rot. *6* I am bent over, I am crushed; I mourn all day long. *7* I am burning with fever and I am near death. *8* I am worn out and utterly crushed; my heart is troubled, and I groan with pain.

Psalms 39:1-6* I said, "I will be careful about what I do and will not let my tongue make me sin; I will not say anything while evil people are near." *2* I kept quiet, not saying a word, not even about anything good! But my suffering only grew worse, *3* and I was overcome with anxiety. The more I thought, the more troubled I became; I could not keep from asking: *4* " LORD, how long will I live? When will I die? Tell me how soon my life will end." *5* How short you have made my life! In your sight my lifetime seems nothing. Indeed every living being is no more than a puff of wind, *6* no more than a shadow. All we do is for nothing; we gather wealth, but don't know who will get it.​

None of these show a final loss of trust in God yet the questions and the pain are real reflections of confusion about God's dealings. The book of Ecclesiastes also reflects on loss of trust and doubts as well as confusion and pain. Job suffered greatly for reasons undisclosed to him and that left his wife advising him to curse God and die.

It is a mistake to simplify faith to "trust" alone. It is much more complicated and nuanced than that.

Hebrews 11:1

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

 

[Arsenios]

Amen! It means life saving TRUST

Did Christ DISCIPLE His Faith to His disciples?

And if you answer yes, as you should, then what did it look like after His Ascension into Heaven?


Arsenios

 

[atpollard]

Did Christ DISCIPLE His Faith to His disciples?

And if you answer yes, as you should, then what did it look like after His Ascension into Heaven?

Arsenios

I can’t find any dictionary that recognizes “disciple” as a verb. It is a noun meaning “follower” or “student”, so your question is ...

“Did Christ STUDENT His faith to His STUDENTS?”
[I may just need a better dictionary, but I did check several since I thought that “disciple” could be used as a verb as well and wanted to know its exact meaning.]