I want to speak of, the F ith of the believer in Christ, the F ith in the Church and the f ith within ourselves. In the Revised v rsion of the Bible, it speaks of f ith in this manner; Hebrews 11:1 Now f ith is the assurance (trustworthiness and biding, unwavering confidence. To know what is and is n t.) of things hoped for, the pr ving, (Trying; ascertaining; evincing; experiencing.)of things not s en. Barnes states of this version; Q ote; The idea here is, “ground or c nfidence.” There is scarcely any verse of the New T stament more important than this, for it st tes what is the nature of all tr e faith, and is the only d finition of it which is attempted in the Scr ptures. Et rnal life depends on the existence and xercise of faith.” Unquote. In this l st phrase Barnes states that Eternal l fe depends upon, “the existence and xercise of faith.” In a way I gree with him, for we must, as b lievers, first believe that “God is”, but we m st look at who is going to be ternal, this is where I disagree w th this statement. Eternity and being mmortal, is a destiny of all m nner of men, and not just the S ved. Men have always looked for a way to b come immortal, they shall receive immortality but not in th s life.
In Isaiah 66:24, we see the pr of of this; “And they shall go f rth, and look upon the carcasses of the m n(Body's) that have transgressed(Sinned) against me(God): for th ir worm(Soul) shall not die(but be Imm rtal), neither shall their fire(Punishment, rewards for th ir mortal actions.) be quenched(Set aside); and th y shall be an abhorring(Revulsion) unto all fl sh.(Those that are alive)” In the K ng James version we see; Now f ith is the substance (“that which st nds under.” In a general sense, b ing; something existing by itself; that wh ch really is or exists; equally pplicable to matter or spirit. Thus the s ul of man is called an mmaterial substance, a cogitative substance, a s bstance endued with thought.)of things hoped f r(This covers many of our wants and d sires.), the evidence (conviction, Greek word d notes “putting to the test,” examining for the p rpose of proof, bringing to conviction.)of th ngs not seen. The confidence of f ith is based, not on “works of r ghteousness which we have done” Our c nfidence in God is based on our bility to believe God and His w rd. Our substance is supplied by G d, 1. According to our level of f ith. and 2. By our ability to h ld fast our profession of Faith. The phr se,” faith is the substance”, declares th t our physical needs that are, s pplied by God, in a manner and t ming of His choice and not urs, are the things that we can s e. The s bstance of things hoped for, is any or all the n eds of the physical flesh, which ncludes, food, clothing, healing and instruction. We nitially began our Faith with believing th t there was a God. Heb 11:6 But w thout faith(Belief; the assent of the m nd to the truth of what is d clared by another, resting on his uthority and veracity, without other evidence; the j dgment that what another states or t stifies is the truth. The assent(To dmit as true; to agree, yield or c ncede, or rather to express an greement of the mind to what is lleged, or proposed.
To the mind as to the tr th.) it is impossible to please h m(God): for he that cometh to God m st believe that he is, and th t he is a rewarder of th m that diligently seek him. As you see f ith begins in the mind and not of the ther senses. This is the reason th t Satan and the other spirits of nti-Christ, desires to control the mind of m n. If we loose control of our th ughts, then we start loosing control of our f ith. Its like the story of the old w man, that asked God to remove a m untain from her back yard, so she c uld see the valley on the ther side. She prayed and went to sl ep, the next morning she proclaimed, “J st as I thought, Its still th re.” She declared that, the night b fore she didn't believe in her pr yer to be answered, her faith w sn't what it should have been.
Th n faith grew to believing that J sus was the Son of God. Our v ry existence as a Christian is b sed on Faith. In Matthew 6:25, we see J sus trying to explain what our f ith should be based upon. “Therefore I say nto you, Take no thought for y ur life, what ye shall eat, or wh t ye shall drink; nor yet for y ur body, what ye shall put on. Is not the l fe more than meat, and the b dy than raiment?” Jesus stated very cl arly; “Take no thought”( Be not b rdened by) 1. “your life.” (We h ve no control over our life as far as the st te of the physical body, for m ny things that happen to us are c mmon. We neither have control over our d ath.) 2.”eat.“ Our daily food is pr vided by the Lord without respect to p rsons. Being Believers in Him. 3. “dr nk” This is the same as f od, God knows that these body's c n't survive, so He provides us w th water. 4. “what ye shall put n.” Clothing is also provided by God to c ver our nakedness. Mat 6:33 But s ek ye first the kingdom of God (S lvation of the soul must be our pr ority before anything that this life ffers. Our needs are met by G ds riches in Heaven and not by our w rks.), and his righteousness; and all th se things shall be added unto y u.
Mat 9:29 Then touched he th ir eyes, saying, According to your f ith be it unto you. According (H re the whole preceding parts of the s ntence are to accord, i.e. agree w th, correspond with, or be suitable to, wh t follows. According, here, has its tr e participial sense, agreeing, and is lways followed by to. It is n ver a preposition.)
We cannot put our tr st in man, for man will lways let you down. He has no way of nswering prayer, his money is corrupt and his ntentions are in question. In Phi 2:21 we see th s, “For all seek their own, not the th ngs which are Jesus Christ's.” Who has s parated himself from the Mercies of G d, who has turned aside the pr mises of God and has turned to s ek help from his neighbor, who has d nied his faith and turned to the th ngs of this world, who stands w th God? “If there be therefore any c nsolation in Christ, if any comfort of l ve, if any fellowship of the Sp rit, if any bowels and mercies, F lfill ye my joy, that ye be l ke minded, having the same love, b ing of one accord, of one m nd.”
We must act, According to Kn wledge, According to Truth, and According to F ith.
The article Faith is the Assurance was Submitted by Anthony Smith through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: Temple of Spirit & Truth M nistries A. R. Smith Ministries http://www.ourchurch.com/member/a/arsmithsermons/
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