There are some people who believe that faith is something that a person acquires on his/her own. But the sciprutres telss us that is not a truth.
In Romans chpater 12, we find that Paul tells us that God gives everyone, whether you are a saint or a sinner, God gives EVERYNONE a MEASURE OF FAITH: For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is amng you, not to think of him/herself more highly than he/she ought, but to think soberly, as God HAS DEALT TO EACH ONE A MEASURE OF FAITH.
Faith is indispensable, because it is impossble to please God without faith. Faith can be increased through trusting and believing God will do as He said he will do, the disciples asked Jesus to increase their faith. Faith can be cultivated, through prayer, bible Study, reading the word, and the test of our trials and tribulations we endure and go through.
Before a person is saved(born again) he/she may have vain faith or belief in the wrong doctrine. A person may have dead faith, or belief in orthodox doctrine without personal belief in Jesus Christ.
After a person has been saved (born again), he/she may experience a kinf od unbelief, which many new believers experience when they fail to accept the whole work of Christ. They may experience little faith, which is a mixture of faith and unbelief. The person may experience weak faith, which is expressed thorugh their legalistic beliefs. And then you have those who have strong faith, that is rooted and gorunded in the promises of God without doubt.
All believers shoould seek to grow in their faith, because faith is a continual growing process in order to reach spiritual maturity as Christians. Abraham was justifed by God because he truested and believed the promises of God, and it was his faith tha God God would do what he had promised to do, and this was counted righteous before God.
How strong or weak is your faith? Or do you feel that you have no faith to trust and believe God with long suffering, until whatever you're trusting God to do for you will come to pass in due season?
Finally someone who understands! God gives us the faith to be saved by grace. We have nothing to brag about. Salvation is all of God and none of us. He does the whole work.
Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Eph 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them
No Leon your response is again not in agreement with Scripture, faith is not work's scripture is very clear concerning faith and how it comes to man and man has a response to it, All scripture is full of faith and you continually deny scripture on this forum, especially this context:
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.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
5 For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them.
6 But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:)
7 Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.)
8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
12 � For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?
17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
18 But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.
Heb 3:11 So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.)
Heb 3:18 And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?
Heb 4:1 Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.
Heb 4:3 For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
Heb 4:5 And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest.
Heb 4:8 For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.
Heb 4:9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
Heb 4:10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
Heb 4:11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
The rest of faith is always to those that believe the word of God and act accordingly.
Firstly, I see this is going to go south when it should be going north...
OK, PJ, you have again quoted a long list of passages from John, Romans, and Hebrews, of what the words has to say about believing, but you have not explained any of these verses as to what they mean and the application of these scriptures. So for the sake of those who may be reading and don't understand scripture and may not be a believer.
Please explain how believing is faith? Can a person believe and not have faith?
What does John chapter 3:16 really mean?
For God so loved the world that He gave His Only Begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
What does this passage mean and how does it relate to faith?
If a person's address is 10,000 amyway blvd, it is 10, 000 amyway blvd, if you agree with the truth that is an example of believing.
It is very simple believing is acting as what was said is true,
unbelief is acting as though what was said is not true.
It all goes back to the parable of the sower, it starts with the attitude of the hearer of the word of God to hear the word and then believe the word of 'God, which is always a choice, faith comes by hearing and then faith is man's response to the word of God.
For exampleActs16:29 Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,
30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
32 And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.
Acts2:37 � Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.
41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
If a person's address is 10,000 amyway blvd, it is 10, 000 amyway blvd, if you agree with the truth that is an example of believing.
It is very simple believing is acting as what was said is true,
unbelief is acting as though what was said is not true.
It all goes back to the parable of the sower, it starts with the attitude of the hearer of the word of God to hear the word and then believe the word of 'God, which is always a choice, faith comes by hearing and then faith is man's response to the word of God.
For exampleActs16:29 Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,
30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
32 And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.
Acts2:37 � Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.
41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
Sorry, PJ, we know what the word says, you've already quoted it, BUT you have not explaned the passage. You're giving out more scriptures, and doing much talk about what the word says without explaining what John 3:16 means.
How would explain you explain this to a person who does not know what it means to have faith, and does not know Jesus Christ? Again, is having faith the same as believing?
I don't dream up ways Ella, If you can't understand what I wrote, I don't know what to tell you, my children would understand it, it might be, you don't agree is that possible?
I am not one to add to or alter the word of God!!!
PJ, it has nothing whatsoever to do with adding or altering the word of God. It has to do with whether or not you can effectively explain what this and all passages fo scriptures means. Or else how can you witness to other if you can't explain the scriptures. Jesus and Paul explained the scriptures for the understanding of others. How else can it be applied if a person doesn't know what is being said.
If you undersatnd, then you should be able to explain what it is you understand with clearity.
Jesus said himself that all of us have been given a musterd seed of faith. Then we can use it to let it grow by prayer and studing the word. That small seed is activated when we accept Jesus as our Lord and savior. As it grows we make a choice to feed it.
By fasting and praying and reading the word we feed our faith. This statement I hope helps back you leon and ET.
