In the Faith Part 4

August 18, 2023July 25, 2023 ~ iolaHC ~ Leave a comment

Titus 3:12-15 When I shall send Artemas unto thee, or Tychicus, be diligent to come unto me to Nicopolis: for I have determined there to winter. Bring Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their journey diligently, that nothing be wanting unto them. And let ours also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful. All that are with me salute thee. Greet them that love us in the faith. Grace be with you all. Amen.

Neither mental faith nor mere assent to truth and dependence upon feelings is enough. The individual must come to life and action before he will realize the benefits of active, living faith that refuses to know defeat and failure. A man must learn to fight the fight of faith and lay hold of God and His Word. He must learn that he is surrounded by an unbelieving world and an atmosphere of doubts, that demons and fallen angels and men have lived for centuries in unbelief and wickedness creating currents of doubt and mistrust that are very subtle, and that effects of the Fall have left in the lives of fallen men deep wounds of doubt and wavering that must be healed. He must learn that he has to wrestle with powers of darkness and currents of mistrust and unbelief which make it a struggle to exercise active living faith for things that are not seen. He must not only learn how to do this, but he must do it in order to get results.

We must have strong faith (Rom. 4:20) – the kind that refuses to be defeated. It refuses to take no for an answer. It laughs at circumstances, symptoms, all outward appearances, and what is seen, heard, or felt, and it doggedly holds to the fact that what has been asked of God is granted. This is the kind of faith all men should have and could have if they would only persuade themselves that God is true to His Word. Most men claim that they have faith in God to this extent, and no one wants to say boldly that He is a liar and that He will not do as He said, but when it comes to exercising faith that will not doubt or waver in prayer, very few will maintain such a strong faith and thank God for the answer even before it is realized. Very few will simply refuse to question or waver in the least when it seems that things are going contrary to what has been asked of God. This is exactly why they do not get definite answers from God.

Great faith (Matt. 8:10; 15:28) is the true, unwavering faith that will always move God to answer according to His abundant promises (Heb. 11:6).

Unfeigned faith (1Tim. 1:5; 2Tim. 1:5) is the kind that knows no hypocrisy, sham, or counterfeit. It is the kind that does not brag or put on an outward show that it is real. It is simply genuine and real and sincere in every aspect. It proceeds out of a pure heart and from a good conscience, as stated in these Scriptures. It is not hereditary, although in 2Timothy 1:5 Paul speaks of it as being in three successive generations. It is the kind that all honest, pure, and sincere men have. It is the unselfish, holy, and godly kind that naturally increases in the life of every true child of God, as he grows in grace and knowledge (2 Pet. 1:4-9; 3:18).

In the Faith Part 3

August 17, 2023July 25, 2023 ~ iolaHC ~ Leave a comment

Faith has not the slightest relationship with feelings and sense-evidences. At the times when men think they have all the faith in the world because of feelings, they have the least in the world, and when they think they have the least, they have more than at any other time in their lives. Many people are surprised to get answers to prayer because when they prayed they thought their faith was nothing. People should not believe they are healed because the pain is gone, or that they are saved because they feel they are forgiven. They should not think that their prayers are answered because things are working out that way. Instead, they should always maintain faith because of what the Word of God says. The Word of God should have first place in their lives instead of the senses. All basing of faith upon what we have done, how well we live, or what experiences we have had will lead to failure in answered prayer. God does not answer on these grounds. He answers solely upon the grounds of grace and faith in Him and in His Word.

True faith is not trusting in the goodness and in the faith of another man. It must be personal faith in God and His Word. People continually go about seeking someone who has faith and who can get answers to prayer for them. This may work temporarily while one is learning about God and His Word, but if we do not properly learn and develop a personal faith that refuses to be denied, we shall eventually revert to failure and unbelief, and we shall have to be satisfied with the modern theory that answered prayer is not for everyone.

The true faith that will pay off is that of having personal faith in God, faith in Jesus Christ, faith in the Holy Spirit, faith in the Word of God, faith in the atonement, and total consecration personally to believe God regardless of anything that might happen to hinder prayer. The right program is not talking about faith or the need of it, but the actual exercise of it. Simple faith in the Word regardless of feelings and circumstances is never possible to the man who lives only in the realm of his senses, for he believes only what he can see, feel, hear, or understand to be possible. This was the kind of faith Thomas had when he declared that he would not believe until he had seen. It was the kind that Martha had when she could see nothing but the natural fact that Lazarus had been dead four days and “by this time he stinketh.” This is the kind of faith taught and encouraged by modern religious leaders, but it is not the kind required by the New Testament.

To be continued…

In the Faith Part 2

August 16, 2023July 25, 2023 ~ iolaHC ~ Leave a comment

There are eighteen definitions of faith (continues): Assurance of God’s faithfulness (Heb. 11:17-19; 10:23). Confidence in things to come (Heb. 11:20-31; 3:6, 14; 10:35; Eph. 3:12; 1Jn. 3:21). Stimulus of the Christian faith (Heb. 11:32 – 12:2). The life-blood of the just (Heb. 10:38). Shield of Christian armour (Eph. 6:16). Down payment of things desired (Heb. 3:6, 12-14; 6:11-12; 10:22-23, 35-39). Guarantee of answered prayer (Matt. 21:22; Mark 11:22-24; Heb. 11:6; Jas. 1:1-27).

Twelve things those in Christ must Hope for: Salvation (Rom. 8:24-25; 1Thess. 5:8). Righteousness (Gal. 5:5). Calling (Eph. 1:18; 4:4). Christ in them (Col. 1:27; 1Tim. 1:1). Greater New Testament glory (2Cor. 3:7-12). Future life (1Cor. 15:19; Pro. 14:32). Resurrection (Acts 23:6; 24:15; 26:6-7). Final rewards (1Thess. 2:19). Final grace (1Pet. 1:13). Coming of the Lord (Tit. 2:13). Being like Christ (1Jn. 3:1-3). Eternal life (Tit. 1:2, 3:7; Heb. 3:6; 6:11, 18-19; 1Pet. 1:3).

Twelve kinds of things not yet seen: Restoration of all things (Acts 3:21). Invisible things (Rom. 1:20). Things of the Spirit (Rom. 8:5). Things to come (Rom. 8:38). Things prepared for us (1Cor. 2:9). Eternal things (2Cor. 4:18). Things in heaven (Php. 2:10). Things under the earth (Php. 2:10). Future things (Php. 3:13). Things above (Col. 3:1-2). The Lord (1Pet. 1:8; 1Tim. 6:16). Final salvation (Rom. 8:24-25; 1Pet. 1:5, 9, 13).

Faith is not feeling that prayer is answered. The average person who seeks to exercise faith depends upon what he can see, hear, or feel. Testimonies concerning faith are usually expressed in connection with feelings and emotions, or the various senses. Sense-faith is based upon physical evidence or upon the emotions and feelings of the soul. All who take this road as the basis of faith will sooner or later be deceived. Faith should be based upon the Word of God regardless of any sense-knowledge, or feeling-evidences. People are constantly looking to feelings as to whether prayer has been heard or not. If they happen to feel good, or if something happens that encourages them, they think that it is easy to believe, but if reverses come and feelings take wings, these same people are in the depths of despair. They are quick to accuse God of being unfaithful and untrue to His Word. If they do not go this far, they are quick to imagine that it was not God’s will to grant the answer. They become satisfied to go without what God has plainly promised.

To be continued…

In the Faith Part 1

August 15, 2023July 25, 2023 ~ iolaHC ~ Leave a comment

‘Nicopolis’ – A city of Epirus, on the Gulf of Ambracia, near Actium. Another Nicopolis was in Thrace, on the river Nessus.

‘For I have determined there to winter.’ This proves the apostle was free from prison and could winter where he pleased.

‘In the faith’ – The word “faith” is found only twice in the Old Testament, but 245 times in the New Testament. The word “believe” with its various endings occurs 45 times in the Old Testament and 268 times in the New Testament. The word “trust” is the other Old Testament word for faith and believe. It is used with its various endings 154 times in the Old Testament and 35 times in the New Testament.

These words simply mean “to confide in, so as to be secure without fear,” “to flee for refuge to, or to take shelter in,” “to put faith in,” “to stay or rest on,” “to rely on,” “to believe, or to take one at his word,” “to rely upon the promise of another,” and “to put absolute trust in a person without any questioning or doubts as to His faithfulness.”

The Bible definition of “faith” is, “The substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Heb. 11:1).

There are eighteen definitions of faith: Substance of things hoped for (Heb. 11:1). Evidence of things not seen (Heb. 11:1, 7). Invisible backing of elders (Heb. 11:2). Creative power of divine works (Heb. 11:3). Divine testimony of right doing (Heb. 11:4). Cancellation of natural laws (Heb. 11:5). Basis of pleasing God (Heb. 11:6). Dependence upon God’s word (Heb. 11:7). Trust in an unknown future (Heb. 11:8-10). Counting things that be not as though they were (Heb. 11:11-12; Rom. 4:17). Seeing invisible things (Heb. 11:13-16).

To be continued…