------------------------------------Barbour Publishing 1990
-------------------------------------------Faith
We have looked at God’s Promise of Eternal Life, and begin to understand that it is ours from God if we will just have faith. But what is God’s Promise concerning faith? And furthermore, What is Faith? Hebrews 11 would seem to be the focal passage here, but there are other passages which round out and fill in the picture of what faith looks like, sounds like, acts like. I was unable to refrain from adding some of the surrounding scritpures to the core points the editors had presented. And I feel that they, the editors did a good job of being concise, but it seemed to me that we could benefit in understanding how and from whence emanated those core points that we might better apply them to our own lives. So to the first question we read...
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Hebrews 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.
James 1:5-6 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
Colossians 2:6-7 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Galatians 3:24-29 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
2 Timothy 3:13-15 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
1 Corinthians 16:13-14 Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong. Let all your things be done with charity.
Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Galatians 2:15-21 We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid. For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. 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. I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.
2 Corinthians 5:7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)
Mark 11:22-24 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
Ephesians 3:17-19 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
Hebrews 11:1-12:7 11:1 Now Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. Through Faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. By Faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh. By Faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. 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. By Faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by Faith. By Faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. By Faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. Through Faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised. Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable. These all died in Faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city. By Faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure. By Faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. By Faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff. By Faith Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones. By Faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king's commandment. By Faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward. By Faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the kin: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible. Through Faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them. By Faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned. By Faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days. By Faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace. And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: Who through Faith subdued kingdoms, through Faith wrought righteousness, through Faith obtained promises, through Faith stopped the mouths of lions. through Faith Quenched the violence of fire, through Faith escaped the edge of the sword, through Faith out of weakness were made strong, through Faith waxed valiant in fight, through Faith turned to flight the armies of the aliens. through Faith...Women received their dead raised to life again: and through Faith others were tortured, through Faith not accepting deliverance; that they might through Faith obtain a better resurrection: And others through Faith had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: They were through Faith stoned, they were through Faith sawn asunder, were through Faith tempted, were through Faith slain with the sword: through Faith they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; through Faith being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they through Faith wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And these all, having obtained a good report through Faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect. 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 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. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
In finishing the lesson I see that God so loves us that He allows us the opportunity to build a commonality with those to whom He wants His message to be given, that we might have the joy and peace of knowing that we had some even little something to do with a lost soul’s salvation. This is where faith is paramount: in the assimilation of our ready hard times into ‘the joy that is set before us.’
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