The Nature of Faith

HP that is a great question and a great verse of Scripture to prove the point. What happens is most of Christendom has decided what faith means and what it doesn't. And what salvation, saved, gospel, lost, etc. etc. mean. And instead of studying the matters out and letting Scripture interpret Scripture they have taken their traditional church teachings and assigned that meaning to every mention of these verses.

However the Bible when left alone to be the Bible and interpret Itself gives quite a different picture.

Eternal salvation is a one-time event in a person's life where by faith they experience God's grace by believing in the substitutionary death and shed blood of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God.

However grace and faith do not end at eternal salvation. They continue on in a different context.

After eternal salvation then God's grace turns to allowing the saved individual to be a part of a different kind of salvation. A salvation of the soul, which allows one to be a part of the bride of Christ. And allows the person to have the hope of salvation or the hope of an inheritance.

This faith must be combined with works (James) in order for this hope to be realized. This hope is just that a hope. It's not a certainty and can be lost or forfeited. But it's not eternal salvation. It is the salvation of the soul (Hebrews 10:39).

Hebrews 10:39 sets up the context of Hebrews 11 which talks about faith and works. The hall of faith as it is described by a number of evangelicals, is not a half of eternal saving faith, but a hall of faith that saves the soul.'

Context is king and these words must be allowed to be defined by the context that they were within, and not the automatic assumption that most of Christendom places on them.

 

The salvation event is a one-time event in the person's life. One is saved the very moment they believe. It's not a okay your faith sets you on the right track and if you stay on track until the end you will be saved.

It's a when you believed in the substitutionary death and shed blood of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God as the payment for your sin debt then at that very moment you believed your were saved. Not going to be saved one day, but were saved. Done deal. It's over. It's finished.

You keep talking about the hope, which is a different context that eternal salvation. That's why you can't settle the issue of some people like me and this hope that you are tied to.

They are talking about two separte things and don't have to be meshed together because they a compliments of each other.

Not at all. The Bible interprets Itself so that if we will get out of the way it will tell us exactly what it means. Sometimes this is easier than others and sometimes you have to dig for the gold that is there.

HP we have talked about these things before. The matter hasn't changed any. Hebrews 4:12, Genesis 1:1 establish the separation of soul and spirit. Hebrews 10:39, James 1:21 and I Peter 1:9 specifically mention the salvation of the soul, although the salvation of the soul is the primary context of the entire NT.

True.

False. I said the salvation of the soul determines whether or not you are a part of the bride. Every saved person is a part of the body of Christ, but only part of the body will make up the bride.

That's not what I'm suggesting. That's what the Bible teaches. You can see this in the OT type between Adam-Eve, Christ-bride and in the OT type of Isaac-Rebekah. You can also see this in the story of Ruth.

You can see this is the parable of the virgins, talents, pounds and wedding feast. You can see this in the seven letters to the churches in Revelation.

That's just a start.

 

Hebrews 4:12 tells us that the soul and spirit are separated by the Word of God. Genesis 1 tells us why. God separated the light from the darkness. He didn't do away with the darkness, but put light alongside of the darkness.

That's why there is a constant war between the darkness and the Light that is within you.

 

The statement in Hebrews is circular, a tautology.

Better to reserve "faith" and 'Belief" to philosophy, reserving "knowledge" for science and matters of obersvation.

 

I'll give you my attempt.

First, to define faith, I am going to start with what it is NOT. It is not belief only. Faith without works is dead, even the demons believe (James 2).

Faith without love is useless (I Cor 13).

I can have faith that my truck will get me home, but that is not biblical faith.

Here is my best shot at defining Biblical faith. Faith is a belief and trust in God to the point where you obey any and all instructions.

This definition works for James 2 (faith without works is dead) as well as Heb 11 (by faith the Abel offered, Noah constructed an ark, Abraham obeyed, Abraham offered, Jacob blessed, Moses was hidden, people crossed the Red Sea, the walls of Jericho fell, etc., etc.).

If we want to understand biblical faith, I think we should understand the entire chapter of Heb 11, since it is devoted to that very subject.

Rom 10:17 shows that the source of faith is God's word. I can add to my faith as I increase my knowledge and understanding of God's word.

II Pet 1:5-11 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

This is an ongoing process, however, even though it is ongoing, we can make our "calling and election sure", if we practice these things.

I have the promise of salvation. Paul encouraged some to continue in the faith (Acts 14:22). We are to be watchful and stand firm in the faith (I Cor 16:13). We are to examine ourselves to see if we are in the faith (II Cor 13:5). There is one faith (Eph 4:5) and unity in the faith (Eph 4:13, Phil 1:27). If we continue in the faith, we can be stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel (Col 1:23). Some will depart from the faith (I Tim 4:1) and one can deny the faith (I Tim 5:8). We are to contend for the faith that was once delivered for all time (Jude 3).

The faith is God's word. My faith has its source in God's word. As long as I continue in the faith and keep the faith (walk according to His word), I will receive the crown of righteousness on "That day" the Lord appears (II Tim 41-8).

Of this, I have full assurance.

Gotta run - hope this is not too convoluted.

 

I certainly believe in the hope of salvation, and I believe in an absolute assurance of salvation by grace. I think these are two separate salvations, but that is another thread. Faith is the substance of things hoped for. Things hoped for are not the substance of faith. Here we see the difference between a hope based on faith, and a 'faith' based on wishes. The 'Word of Faith' movement puts emphasis on this 'faith based on wishes' idea, if you believe something hard enough, you will have it. True faith, based on the word of God, is something that you can base hopes upon, and they will have a substance of evidence beyond mere wishful thinking. If God said it, it can be relied upon. Faith is merely believing what God said.

Romans 10:17
17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

 

And that where the problem presents itself. There are so many people here at this forum that claim to be a Christian by their faith, but do not obey all instructions.