What is faith.

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brodav9

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The most important thing to know about faith is fellowship with God.

God must be more to us than religion, he must be a living reality.

Why would the disciples ask Jesus to teach them to pray---anyone could just talk to God. Lk. 11:1-2 the word them shows it was more than one disciple asking.

consider these 5 ideas which have to be understood before praying in faith.

we have to know what God's will is. It is his word that shows what his will is. Num. 23:19
we must ask for something. James 4:2 last part.
we must act like we believe. Why bring a umbrella saying it may rain when you pray that it won't
we must talk like we believe. I hope so or maybe or if is a sure picture you are not sure. We must expect a answer.
To presume God will obey is not the issue. Why pray for something you don't think will happen, that's unbelief.
We must hold to our confession of prayer. Things can happen to cause us to change our mind. We cannot be moved by circumstances because the prayer we pray is in the hand of God who is not able to let us down.
Job would have been destroyed if he did not have hope. He didn't listen to his wife but prayed though he slay me yet will I trust him. Instead he praised God.

Many years now I have seen God answer prayers that seemed impossible. God is more wonderful every day. Miracles are a real thing for me. God bless
 

aspen

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The most important thing to know about faith is fellowship with God.

Faith is simply that which is hoped for.

God must be more to us than religion, he must be a living reality.

Religion is the language we use to speak and walk with God.

Why would the disciples ask Jesus to teach them to pray---anyone could just talk to God. Lk. 11:1-2 the word them shows it was more than one disciple asking.

consider these 5 ideas which have to be understood before praying in faith.

we have to know what God's will is. It is his word that shows what his will is. Num. 23:19
we must ask for something. James 4:2 last part.
we must act like we believe. Why bring a umbrella saying it may rain when you pray that it won't
we must talk like we believe. I hope so or maybe or if is a sure picture you are not sure. We must expect a answer.
To presume God will obey is not the issue. Why pray for something you don't think will happen, that's unbelief.
We must hold to our confession of prayer. Things can happen to cause us to change our mind. We cannot be moved by circumstances because the prayer we pray is in the hand of God who is not able to let us down.
Job would have been destroyed if he did not have hope. He didn't listen to his wife but prayed though he slay me yet will I trust him. Instead he praised God.

Many years now I have seen God answer prayers that seemed impossible. God is more wonderful every day. Miracles are a real thing for me. God bless

This is a nice post and it seems like you are really working on faith in your relationship with Christ. I tend to believe faith is applied to all areas of our lives - God should be first, but He is not the only recipient of our faith. I think of faith as suspending our disbelief long enough to experience something or learn a new idea. There are not requirements or levels or amounts of faith in order to commune with God - He is closer than you think, no matter how much faith you have. God's will for our lives is thought of on such an individual basis today - all it involves is loving God and your neighbor like you used to love yourself before you experienced God's love. Our sanctification is to love in all situations for the rest of our lives - then comes redemption and salvation and finally we will be able to love as we were created to do in the Garden.
 
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Rach1370

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Faith is simply that which is hoped for.

Heyho Aspen!! Just wanted to comment on your definition of 'faith'. I would have thought that 'faith' is more than just what we hope for....I have hope that in ten years I'll have enough money not to worry how I'll eat every week, but I don't have faith that that will happen! I think 'faith' has to be much stronger that just hope...I'd say that faith is belief in something despite the lack of 'tangible' evidence. I believe, absolutely, that God exists, and that He loves me. Not just because I have a book that tells me so, but because of faith. Faith makes my belief real...it becomes just as real as 'tangible' evidence, more even, because you know in your soul, every breath you take that what you have faith in exists.
Of course we also have hope in God, but our very hope is made strong by our faith.
Do you agree???
 

aspen

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Heyho Aspen!! Just wanted to comment on your definition of 'faith'. I would have thought that 'faith' is more than just what we hope for....I have hope that in ten years I'll have enough money not to worry how I'll eat every week, but I don't have faith that that will happen! I think 'faith' has to be much stronger that just hope...I'd say that faith is belief in something despite the lack of 'tangible' evidence. I believe, absolutely, that God exists, and that He loves me. Not just because I have a book that tells me so, but because of faith. Faith makes my belief real...it becomes just as real as 'tangible' evidence, more even, because you know in your soul, every breath you take that what you have faith in exists.
Of course we also have hope in God, but our very hope is made strong by our faith.
Do you agree???

Yeah...after thinking about it more, I use the word faith to describe something that I have already experienced and therefore, would be disappointed if it somehow stopped or failed me. I use the word hope to describe something I have not experienced and hope will happen or change my negative circumstances. I am not sure if I am using the words correctly, to be honest - I have a friend who is a professor who studies hope (usually in a Christian context) I should talk to her about it.
 

Rach1370

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A professor who studies hope? That's really cool!
As far as faith verses hope goes, I think they do go hand in hand, but we hope in and have faith in, different things. For example, we have faith in people or God, not circumstances. And we hope in outcomes, that they will turn out one way or another. So, having faith in God we have hope that things will turn out as He wants. This is a good thing, because we know that even if it doesn't really turn out as we would have chosen, that ultimately God is in control and that how things do turn out, will ultimately glorify Him. This is, I suppose, where trust comes in!
 

biggandyy

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The issue of faith is not so much whether we believe in God, but whether we believe the God we believe in.
 
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veteran

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Hebrews 11 is NT chapter about the subject of Faith, helping to define it per both Old and New Testament times...


Heb 11:1-3
1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

It's a substance from our objective or subjective mind regarding confidence and hope. Paul says it is a 'proof' ("evidence) of things NOT seen. In Romans 8:24 Paul declares hope also in regard to something that one hasn't yet seen, for what a man sees why does he yet still hope for it?


2 For by it the elders obtained a good report.
3 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.
(KJV)

Paul is actually applying physics with that example. We know things seen (this world) were not made of things which appear. In other words, we know material matter did not create itself (one of the first unbreakable laws of physics, that matter cannot be created nor destroyed, but only change its form). And by that operation, we know the worlds were framed by something else other than material matter, That being our Heavenly Father Himself having framed it by His Word.

For me, that puts our hope and Faith in the world to come through Jesus Christ. Like Peter taught in 2 Peter 3, knowing that God destroyed the old world, and there's to come a new heavens and a new earth, what manner of conversation should we who believe have?
 

aspen

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A professor who studies hope? That's really cool!
As far as faith verses hope goes, I think they do go hand in hand, but we hope in and have faith in, different things. For example, we have faith in people or God, not circumstances. And we hope in outcomes, that they will turn out one way or another. So, having faith in God we have hope that things will turn out as He wants. This is a good thing, because we know that even if it doesn't really turn out as we would have chosen, that ultimately God is in control and that how things do turn out, will ultimately glorify Him. This is, I suppose, where trust comes in!

Nice post!

Yeah the professor is Patricia Bruininks - Whitworth University. She got her Ph.D from University of Oregon. She is doing some really interesting work. She is in Tanzania right now, teaching a class on poverty and hope, plus missionary work.

The issue of faith is not so much whether we believe in God, but whether we believe the God we believe in.

Interesting. I think God is more concerned about our willingness to love other than our flawed theology.
 

biggandyy

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Then you have an over romanticized view of God. Does not God implore the Israelites to come and reason with Him, does He not want us to have insight and to correctly the handle the Word of Truth? Are you zealous for God but have no knowledge? Then you are devoid of the truth. You may worship fervently, but if you have no idea of whom and to whom you are worshiping you may as well join the Rotary Club or the Knights of Columbus for the good all that fervency will do.

Getting theology (and getting it right more often than naught) goes hand in hand with our love of God. Emphasizing one over the other only leads to false teaching and eventually heresy, hopelessness, and a life without love of God.
 

aspen

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Then you have an over romanticized view of God. Does not God implore the Israelites to come and reason with Him, does He not want us to have insight and to correctly the handle the Word of Truth? Are you zealous for God but have no knowledge? Then you are devoid of the truth. You may worship fervently, but if you have no idea of whom and to whom you are worshiping you may as well join the Rotary Club or the Knights of Columbus for the good all that fervency will do.

Getting theology (and getting it right more often than naught) goes hand in hand with our love of God. Emphasizing one over the other only leads to false teaching and eventually heresy, hopelessness, and a life without love of God.

A foundation in correct theology is important, but it will never be more than a shadow of the Truth. You have faith in your own ability to understand God through the opaque window of theology. Best to treat theology as a good pair of running shoes in the race we are running to win - it is only important if it is wrong and it certainly will not win the race for you.
 

biggandyy

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Neither will love. Only the Blood of Christ will win the race because that is the one and only entrance fee, and we only know of the Blood of Christ from study and knowledge of Scripture. We only know of sin from the Word and we only know of the race from SCRIPTURE. Emotions like love can power our spiritual motor but that motor is constructed of parts made from theology and sound DOCTRINE.
 
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aspen

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Neither will love. Only the Blood of Christ will win the race because that is the one and only entrance fee, and we only know of the Blood of Christ from study and knowledge of Scripture. We only know of sin from the Word and we only know of the race from SCRIPTURE. Emotions like love can power our spiritual motor but that motor is constructed of parts made from theology and sound DOCTRINE.

Love is much more than an emotion it is the sum of the Law, the most important commandment from Jesus and the very purpose for our creation. Scripture is one way we learn about this - but apparently, scripture has not been able to communicate the message to you - it really is shocking. Christianity is love - love is the answer to the legalism and dualism of religion and it is the answer to all sin.
 

biggandyy

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Balderdash. We are known for our love for one another, but that is not the end of the Law nor is it an answer for every question in Christianity (or life for that matter). Love is many things, but it is not all things. You can keep your love and I'll keep my doctrine and we'll both be happy.
 

aspen

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Balderdash. We are known for our love for one another, but that is not the end of the Law nor is it an answer for every question in Christianity (or life for that matter). Love is many things, but it is not all things. You can keep your love and I'll keep my doctrine and we'll both be happy.

Mark 12:31

Romans 13:9

Galatians 5:15

James 2:8

Love is the answer to all sin. It is also the answer to all God's Will for our lives. The fact is, if we continued to love God in the Garden, the scripture would not be needed.

I am starting to think you guys like to dismiss love because you cannot control people with love and you can certainly do so with doctrine.
 
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biggandyy

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Again more balderdash. In the garden we had a one verse Bible, do not eat the fruit from that tree". And at the slightest temptation we ate the fruit. Nothing to do with love there, it was all doctrine. Notice what Eve did when she attempted to answer the serpent, she got doctrine WRONG. She added the part "nor should we even touch it"... sorry, that is not a mistake about love, that is a doctrinal error.

From the very beginning it has been our shoddy doctrine that has gotten us into trouble, not a lack of love.

Put that in your pipe and control it.
 

aspen

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Again more balderdash. In the garden we had a one verse Bible, do not eat the fruit from that tree". And at the slightest temptation we ate the fruit. Nothing to do with love there, it was all doctrine. Notice what Eve did when she attempted to answer the serpent, she got doctrine WRONG. She added the part "nor should we even touch it"... sorry, that is not a mistake about love, that is a doctrinal error.

From the very beginning it has been our shoddy doctrine that has gotten us into trouble, not a lack of love.

Put that in your pipe and control it.

Really? And where is this 'one verse Bible'? And what is Pride? Umm yeah....self-love. So Adam and Eve took there eyes off of God and turned them towards themselves......instead of obeying God - or loving Him (if you love me obey my commandments) they engaged in self gratification by eating the fruit.

So are you saying that Eve decided to eat the fruit because she messed up her understanding of the rules?

Any misused of anything in God's Creation would have resulted in the same Fall.
 

biggandyy

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Any misused of anything in God's Creation would have resulted in the same Fall.

That is patently and scripturally and demonically wrong. There was only one rule in the garden, Do not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. That was the only rule with a consequence, ergo a one verse Bible.

But I detect my Pearls of Wisdom and teaching are falling on uncaring and apathetic ears.

Oink oink.
 

aspen

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That is patently and scripturally and demonically wrong. There was only one rule in the garden, Do not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. That was the only rule with a consequence, ergo a one verse Bible.

But I detect my Pearls of Wisdom and teaching are falling on uncaring and apathetic ears.

Oink oink.

I see God still uses donkeys to speak..... hee-haw

Anything in the Garden could have been misused and and resulted in disobedience and the resulting Fall. Unless you believe Adam would have been fine committing suicide or murdering Eve.
 

brodav9

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In Gal. 5:6 the last part says faith works by love. Your both right. There must be love and also that statement is doctrine. You can tell because it is doctrine which is teaching. It is teaching that love makes faith work. It is a instructional doctrine.

Heb. 11:1 is the definition of faith. Faith ---believing, trusting, etc. is the substance which is creating the thing hoped for.

The world sees that if we do get a thing from God that it is just luck. We don't have to answer for that .
Gal. 3:11 tells us the just---righteous shall live by faith.

concerning salvation, have asked many if they know if their going to heaven. They say I hope so. That is where faith must join with hope. Hope will not get you to heaven because we have to have --faith-- in God to get us to where we hope to be --heaven. Faith takes the place of hope but remains to be faith or trust. We must stand on the word of doctrine which is John 3:16, whosoever ----believes----in him should----not perrish----but have everlasting life.

It is not a good testimony to the world if they see us argue for they would say I don't want that religion. The word of God is always the basis for truth as we would not know the will of God. Opinions will always leave a door open for disagreement and not peace.
One of my biggest testimonies is how I lay in the death bed with my bible and God delivered me and healed me. It was said--- he is killing himself. That was 20 years ago. I didn't take medicine or go to the Dr. I felt God's presence and peace through the whole thing. My faith would not let go of his promise in Isa. 53---By his wounds we are healed. In the Hebrew it is wounds, in English it is stripes. The Heb. is pointing to where the atoning blood comes from, his wounds.

I am extremely excited for the people interested in this study. Hope you can learn from a experienced teacher who walks by faith 40 years now. PS. haven't even had a aspirin in 40 years. I was cut in half once but refused the shot. God put me back together again.