Faith # 6

[Brightfame52]

We don’t need faith if we already have life.

I dont see why not, that's when Faith is most beneficial. I dont see why one needs faith when they dead. A person is dead, first line of business is to be made alive.

 

[cjab]

Of course it can, in fact Faith isnt possible save from a regenerated person, otherwise man is dead in sin and unbelief.

"I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." Luke 5:32.

If only the regenerated can hear Christ, then your cast Christ as a liar, or as deluded, as his call to "sinners" could not be acted upon.

It would also help if you didn't used extra-biblical words like "regenerated" which doesn't figure in the bible. Who knows what you mean by it?

I have spoken of the "natural man" who rejects the gospel. It is a category of sinner that is not open to listening to God. There are other categories of sinner who do hear the gospel. Hence your allusions to "natural men" in the context of the gospel is misinformed. They are not amongst the "many" who Christ came to call.

As for the word παλινγενεσίας commonly translated "regeneration" in Tius 3:5, its really means "new birth" and the analogy is natural birth. As Meyer says, references to ἀνακαίνωσις and ἀνακαινοῦν, and the similar passage, Ephesians 4:23, show that the terms are always used of those who are actually living the Christian life (i.e. believers).

 

[cjab]

"I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." Luke 5:32.

If only the regenerated can hear Christ, then your cast Christ as a liar, or as deluded, as his call to "sinners" could not be acted upon.

It would also help if you didn't used extra-biblical words like "regenerated" which doesn't figure in the bible. Who knows what you mean by it?

I have spoken of the "natural man" who rejects the gospel. It is a category of sinner that is not open to listening to God. There are other categories of sinner who do hear the gospel. Hence your allusions to "natural men" in the context of the gospel is misinformed. They are not amongst the "many" who Christ came to call.

As for the word παλινγενεσίας commonly translated "regeneration" in Tius 3:5, its really means "new birth" and the analogy is natural birth. As Meyer says, references to ἀνακαίνωσις and ἀνακαινοῦν, and the similar passage, Ephesians 4:23, show that the terms are always used of those who are actually living the Christian life (i.e. believers).

NB: ἀνακαίνωσις = renewal, also found in Titus 3:5

Titus 3:5 "He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of (spiritual) rebirth (παλινγενεσίας) and renewal (ἀνακαίνωσις) by the Holy Spirit, 6whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life."

The Calvinist error is to subordinate faith to grace, in relegating it to being a byproduct of salvation by God's mystical choices authored by the Holy Spirit. But the Holy Spirit was not given prior to Christ's resurrection.

For the Calvinist, salvation through faith is subsumed by salvation by grace. Grace has appeared to all men Titus 2:11, true, but not all have faith. By lumping faith in as a mere facet of grace, linked now to God's arbitrary choices, the human element to faith is diminished, and relegated to being a mere 'gift' of God. But this is not what Jesus taught, who rather taught faith requires concerted human effort in submission to God's grace. Why were the ancients commended for their faith? Why was Abraham commended for his faith? Because they put in the required effort to believe and they submitted to God's grace.

Heb 11:1 "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see."
Heb 11:2 "This is what the ancients were commended for."

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." So, faith is open to everyone apart from those who have conscionably made the decision to follow satan: 2 Corinthians 4:4 (i.e. natural men who and blinded in consequence as a form of God's wrath).

 

[Brightfame52]

Faith is Promised !

One verse of scripture that is often times overlooked or not understood, its the promise that the just SHALL live by Faith. Rom 1:15-17

So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

The shall here is a promise made unto the Just, what they shall do !

The words shall live by Faith in the greek are a future indicative. Now the indicative means:

The indicative mood is a simple statement of fact. If an action really occurs or has occurred or will occur, it will be rendered in the indicative mood.

Paul is saying under inspiration, that an action will occur in the future for the Just, it being they shall live by Faith.

Now who are the Just ? Notice that this promise is in the context of preaching the Gospel Rom 1:15-17, and the Gospel is sent to them Christ

Christ died for, and everyone Christ died for was made just or righteous Rom 5:19

For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

The word righteous here and just in Rom 1:17 are the same greek word which is dikaios and means:

righteous (41x), just (33x), right (5x), meet (2x).

So the promise is those many Christ by His obedience made just, shall live by Faith, that's a promise. Thats why Jesus could say of the unbelieving jews, you believe not BECAUSE ye are not of my Sheep Jn 10:26, which He obviously died for Jn 10:15 ! A Life of living by Faith is ensured for all whom Christ died ! 24

 

[Brightfame52]

"I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." Luke 5:32.

When Christ calls a sinner He regenerates them and gives them repentance ! Acts 5:31

31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.

In Luke 5 :32 Jesus isn't giving a invitation to repent, He is calling into repentance. The word call is an infinitive as say to call which mean its to purpose, the sinners He calls is to purpose and them the prep eis unto is used which means into/unto and the landing spot is repentance, a change of mind, Christ commanding voice of the call effects the repentance or change of mind, like when He called his disciples effectually "come follow me" So when the Sovereign King calls unto repentance instant regeneration from His voice activates the dead sinner and gives repentance.

 

[Brightfame52]

Another scripture that promises that some will live by Faith is here Hosea 2:18-20

And in that day will I make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field and with the fowls of heaven, and with the creeping things of the ground: and I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the earth, and will make them to lie down safely.


19 And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies.


20 I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the Lord.


God again is promising to His People what He will do according to His own will. The promise here is that He will bring them to Faith and they will know Him. This is an Covenant Promise Vs 18, and its joined to the New Covenant Heb 8:10-11


For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:


11 And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.

This is the knowing of Faith, what is promised in Hos 2:20, based upon the Covenant Vs 18. Also the word faithfulness in Hosea 2:20 is the very same word in Hab 2:4

Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith. Which of course is quoted by Paul in the Rom 1:17 verse:

For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.


So its not even possible for one for whom Christ died, not to live by Faith, that would prove Gods word of promise false ! 24

 

[Brightfame52]

Faith is the Gift of God so dont boast !

False religion teaches that the natural man has Faith in God, the True God, or has the ability to have Faith in the True God, the Gospel and or the things of God as an natural ability. To them its just a matter of naturally exercising this ability that will make a difference in the soul being saved or lost. Now sad to say this type of thinking is pride, self righteousness, and boasting, because when its all said and done, they can tell their lost neighbor , hey you should have done like me and put your faith in Christ, for you had the same opportunity i had, which i obviously to advantage of it better than you did.

Now lets look at an scripture passage to this point Rom 11:17-20

And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;


Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.


Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.


Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:

Now Paul here seems to be dealing with a propensity within the believing Gentiles , they which had believed God, in oppostion to the jews who had been cut off because of unbelief Vs 20 "Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith."


Paul told the believing gentiles that you standest by Faith [which is obviously the Gift of Gods Grace and Power] so be not highminded but fear !

Fear God and give Him the Glory for they Faith, or else you are being highminded, Note: Those who think they exercised their freewill to have Faith, and others who remain in unbelief didn't, they are being high-minded !

This word highminded is a compound word hypsēlophroneō and means:

to be high minded, proud, hoop-say-lo-fron-eh'-o; from a compound of G5308 and G5424; to be lofty in mind, i.e. arrogant:—be highminded.

See also 1 Tim 6:17 where the word is used one other time in the NT

The Faith the believing gentiles had and stood by, and the broken off jews did not have, was not owing to their own freewill, but to the Grace and Power of God, for we can only believe through Grace Acts 18:27

And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him: who, when he was come, helped them much which had believed through [on the account of] grace:

Because Grace reigns through Righteousness Rom 5:21

That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through[on account of] righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

[Brightfame52]

Faith is the Gift of God so dont boast !2

Finally standing by Faith is by the Power and Ability of God Rom 11:20

Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:

Now to show that this standing by Faith is by the ability/power of God, Paul writing to the same Church penned these words Rom 14:4

Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.

The word stand here is the very same word used in Rom 11:20, also its the same word used for holden up. The word is histēmi:

1. to cause or make to stand, to place, put, set
   
   
   
   1. to cause a person or a thing to keep his or its place
      
      to cause one to preserve a right state of mind,
      
      The word able in Rom 14:4 is the word dunateo:
      
      I am powerful, have power, am able, am mighty. to exert overwhelming unstoppable power, So the gentiles have no reason to be highminded, for their standing by Faith is by the ability of God, the power of God, 1 Pet 1:5
      
      Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
      
      The being kept through Faith is by the Power of God ! Cant boast about it ! 24