#1b Faith - The Foundation
Apr 27th, 2008 by Brian
I started this conversation a couple of weeks ago. And there seems to be a really difficult discussion to comprehend even for me as I try to formulate my thoughts together.
So what is Faith? Faith is much different than hope. Faith is not knowing that everything is going to work out for the best. That is hope. Faith is having confidence in what is. Faith is knowing who God is.
For example, we do not have faith THAT God will get us through the difficult times. We have faith IN God who will get us through the difficult times. We do not have faith in circumstances, but we have faith in God. And after typing all that, I am still not convinced that I am explaining myself.
Faith can be wrapped up in three totally different beliefs
- God is omnipotent (all-powerful). So what does this mean to you? We believe that God can do anything. He can heal cancers and bring our loved ones back to their senses. This does not mean that He will. But this does mean that He can. He can do anything.
- God is omnipresent (everywhere and all-knowing). God knows everything. He knows more than you do. He is over all and can control all. This also means that we really need to fear (reverence) Him. Do we really believe that He is pleased with the things we watch on TV, listen to on the radio, how we treat our neighbors, and how we drive? So do we really believe that He follows us and knows everything that we are doing? Does this belief really change our lives???
- God is righteous. God cannot allow sin to go unnoticed. We cannot approach God if there is unconfessed sin in our lives. Funny thing is, He is forgiving, but He is not obligated to forgive. We cannot sin and then demand to be forgiven. He forgives because of His mercy not because of obligation. But if our lives are filled with sin, then there must be separation between us.
Having hope in circumstances comes long after we begin to have Faith in God. Having Faith in God directs our paths; it tells us how to act and to react; it teaches us who to turn to in circumstances. Circumstances is God’s way of directing us.
For the past few years we have intermixed hope with faith. Being that Faith is the foundation, I really hope everyone clearly understands the difference. Let’s discuss this until we all understand. It has taken me more than a few weeks to clearly understand the difference.
Well,to me, how I understand faith is Epeshians2:8 through Faith we believe. Then I have always heard this saying Your faith makes you strong or your faith sees you through. Don’t hope He will Faith is to know He will. This is a hard one , Like the message Sunday about the word hope from the world’s view is a doubtful word but from the Bible’s view it is meant to know. Maybe I have it confused as well.
This is a good conversation. This subject maybe a little hard to communicate.
Let me use an example. Let’s say you came to me and asked for $100. You have faith that I will give you $100. Guess what? I’m not giving you the money. So who failed? What it your faith or was it me? Same thing with God. Something tragic happens. We ask God to fix it. We have faith that God will fix it. It doesn’t get fixed. Who failed? Was it our faith or was it God?
What I am saying is that our definition of Faith is wrong. Paul urges us to never lose the Faith. Our Faith never changes and it should never waver. So if our Faith is built on what God is going to do for us, then we never know what our Faith is going to do.
However, if our Faith is based on who God is, then our Faith may never waver. Now, if something tragic happens, we can go to God knowing that He is omnipresent and omnipotent and ask Him to do His will. We can ask God to help us but we cannot presume upon Him to do it our way. By Faith we allow Him to do His will because He works all things out to those who love Him. Even if this means we are persecuted to death.
Paul wanted out of prison and even prayed for it to happen. But it never did. But God never failed Him and Paul’s faith in God never wavered.
O.K. I hope I am following you on this. To have Faith is to have it even when we don’t get prayers answered as we think they ought to be. We don’t think like God so this brings to mind the scripture Proverbs3: 5,Trust in the Lord with all your heart,and lean not on your own understanding,In all your ways acknowledge Him,and He shall direct your paths.
Yeah, I think we are finally getting it. This took months for God to teach me what Faith is. Faith is not what we believe God is going to do, but Faith is what we believe God is. Mrs. Cindy I’ve talked with a few others and you are being vocal to a lot of questions that everyone has. Keep up the good work.
Let’s start one belief at a time.
I believe that God is omnipotent (all-powerful). Now, how does this belief effect my behaviors? (i.e. Since I believe God is all powerful, I ask for His protection against problems. But my faith is that He can handle the problems, not that He will stop the problems.)
Here is where I would like your thoughts:
1. How do people act when they clearly do not believe that God has any power or control over them?
2. How should we Christians act believing that God has control over us?
well here I am again. This sure is making me search the word for some answers! Good studying. In answer to #1 people that do not believe that God has power and control over them from what I have witnessed,act with doubt,loneliness, and have no hope Their lives are what THEY make it out to be. I saw this as we attended three funerals last year in our family. If you loose a loved one and do not believe in God and that He sent His Son you have no hope. The future must seem black to them.
Answer to #2 We as Christians, believing in God His power and control should act with Faith, believing that whatever we pray and ask for that He WILL respond Romans8:28 NKJ And we KNOW that all things work together for the good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
Great, now lets say that God is omnipresent. So He is everywhere, sees everything, and knows everything. This belief changes the way I act. I do not watch the same TV programs, I do not listen to the same music, I do not have the same conversations, and I do not drive they way I use to drive.
When we sin in secret, what we are really doing is denying that God is omnipresent. It’s like we have head knowledge that He is there, but it doesn’t actually effect the way we live. This is what Paul refers to as “losing the faith”.
So how does a person behave if he does not really believe God is omnipresent? And what should we change because we have Faith that God is omnipresent?
Like Isaiah 6:5 comes to mind when Isaiah said Woe is me,for I am undone, Because I am a man of unclean lips
To measure our presence before a Holy God by nature we are unclean. Thanks be to Jesus and His sacrifice on the cross!! If He knows our hearts He knows our thoughts as well and that is scary!! He sees ALL. I should be aware in everything, that God is omnipresent. Wow,Good point and subject.