James Goll. Transforming FAITH.

James Goll: Transforming Faith: Believe by James Goll May 22, 2013 Faith Defined A. Faith is a constant, abiding trust in something. Biblically, faith means trust in God (or, as our primary study passage, Hebrews 6:1, puts it, "faith toward God"), not faith in other people or things, in feelings, or in circumstances. Faith in God gives us the ability to believe His Word and to appropriate it in our lives. Faith, which comes only after we repent of our self-sufficient trust, does not depend upon the acquisition of information or on prior experience, because it originates in our hearts or spirits rather than in our minds. By faith, we stay connected to the Source of life. That is why the Word tells us that "without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him" (Hebrews 11:6). God is our Father, and He dearly desires to share His life with us. Without faith, we cannot respond to His invitation, which is another way of saying that without faith, we cannot please Him. Without faith, we lack the means to respond to Him. We can believe in and have faith in God because of who He is. His Word is true and He Himself is completely incapable of telling a lie. He is trustworthy in the truest sense of the word. Anyone who puts his or her whole trust in Him will not be disappointed. 1. Hebrews 11:1, New King James Version (): "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." 2. Hebrews 11:1, Amplified Bible (AMP): "Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses]." 3. Hebrews 11:1, New American Standard Bible (NASB): "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." 4. Hebrews 11:1, New International Version (NIV): "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." B. Two Greek words are translated "faith" in the New Testament: 1. Pistis (noun) a. That which causes trust and faith; faithfulness and reliability, solemn promise or oath; proof or pledge b. Trust, confidence, and faith (in the active sense) c. That which is believed (a body of faith or belief, a doctrine) 2. Pisteuo (verb) a. To believe in something, to be convinced of something b. To trust or believe in God or Christ (with or without a sense of reliance upon God's willingness and ability to help and save) C. Faith is a present reality. Faith is as definite an assurance of the promises of God as a legal title deed. Faith is your contract. Faith states unequivocally, "This is yours. You possess this." "Assurance" in the Greek is the same word used for "reality" or "actual being" (as opposed to what merely seems to be), and also to the realization of something, such as a plan. D. Faith must be contrasted with hope. Hope has to do with waiting for something, while faith does not. Hope is not a present reality. Hope means a desire or an expectation of something in the future. Both hope and faith deal with the realm of the unseen, and they are founded upon God's Word. (See Romans 8:24; 2 Corinthians 5:7. See also Romans10:17; 15:4.) See how closely faith and hope are connected together: "By faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope" (Galatians 5:5 NIV). Without Christ, we can have no such hope (see Ephesians 2:12; 1 Thessalonians4:13), for hope is rooted in saving faith (see Romans 5:1–5). Hope breeds an atmosphere of faith. E. Faith is a certainty. Faith looks into the unseen, and it sees things. Faith speaks from the temporal into the eternal, and it calls forth from the eternal realm that which is not yet present in the temporal realm. It pulls eternal reality into your earthly existence. Faith, in other words, is like a magnet, drawing the eternal promises of God into the now. How can we have such certainty? We can have a solid "conviction of things not seen" because it is based upon the Word of God. "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17 ). Nothing is more certain than that. 1. Abraham never wavered in believing God's promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises. Romans 4:20–21 NLT 2. So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:11 3. God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? Numbers23:19 F. Faith must be contrasted with sight. Faith is more certain than the things we can see. In fact, "We live by faith, not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7 NIV). 1. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:18 NIV 2. Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God." John 3:3 NASB 3. I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Psalm 27:13 4. Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?" John 11:40 What Causes Faith to Arise? A. Faith arises by the preaching of the Gospel. In the words of Paul to the Romans: "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?" (Romans 10:14).