Word Study- Faith

Word Study-Faith

pistis primarily, “firm persuasion,” a conviction based upon hearing (akin to peitho, “to persuade”), is used in the NT always of “faith in God or Christ, or things spiritual.”

The word is used of

(a) trust, e.g., Rom_3:25 [see Note 4 after 1 below]; 1_Cor_2:5; 1_Cor_15:14,17; 2_Cor_1:24; Gal_3:23 [see Note 5 after 1 below]; Php_1:25; Php_2:17; 1_Thess_3:2; 2_Thess_1:3; 2_Thess_3:2;

(b) trust-worthiness, e.g., Matt_23:23; Rom_3:3, RV, “the faithfulness of God;” Gal_5:22 (RV, “faithfulness”); Titus_2:10, “fidelity;”

(c) by metonymy [i.e. when something is referred to by a word which describes a quality or feature of that thing , what is believed, the contents of belief], the “faith,” Acts_6:7; Acts_14:22; Gal_1:23; Gal_3:25 [contrast Gal_3:23, under 1(a)]; Gal_6:10; Php_1:27; 1_Thess_3:10; Jude_1:3,20 (and perhaps 2_Thess_3:2);

(d) a ground for “faith,” an assurance, Acts_17:31 (not as in AV, marg., “offered faith”);

(e) a pledge of fidelity, plighted “faith,” 1_Tim_5:12.

The main elements in “faith” in its relation to the invisible God, as distinct from “faith” in man, are especially brought out in the use of this noun and the corresponding verb, pisteuo; they are a firm conviction, producing a full acknowledgement of God’s revelation or truth, e.g., 2_Thess_2:11,12; a personal surrender to Him, John_1:12; a conduct inspired by such surrender, 2_Cor_5:7. Prominence is given to one or other of these elements according to the context.

All this stands in contrast to belief in its purely natural exercise, which consists of an opinion held in good “faith” without necessary reference to its proof. The object of Abraham’s “faith” was not God’s promise (that was the occasion of its exercise); his “faith” rested on God Himself, Rom_4:17,20,21. See ASSURANCE, BELIEF, FAITHFULNESS, FIDELITY.

Notes: (1) In Heb_10:23, elpis, “hope,” is mistranslated “faith” in the AV (RV, “hope”). (2) In Acts_6:8 the most authentic mss. have charis, “grace,” RV, for pistis, “faith.” (3) In Rom_3:3, RV, apistia, is rendered “want of faith,” for AV, “unbelief” (so translated elsewhere). See UNBELIEF. The verb apisteo in that verse is rendered “were without faith,” RV, for AV, “did not believe.” (4) In Rom_3:25, the AV wrongly links “faith” with “in His blood,” as if “faith” is reposed in the blood (i.e., the death) of Christ; the en is instrumental; “faith” rests in the living Person; hence the RV rightly puts a comma after “through faith,” and renders the next phrase “by His blood,” which is to be connected with “a propitiation.” Christ became a propitiation through His blood (i.e., His death in expiatory sacrifice for sin). (5) In Gal_3:23, though the article stands before “faith” in the original, “faith” is here to be taken as under 1(a) above, and as in Gal_3:22, and not as under 1(c), “the faith;” the article is simply that of renewed mention. (6) For the difference between the teaching of Paul and that of James, on “faith” and works, see Notes on Galatians, by Hogg and Vine, pp. 117-119.
See also : pistis in other topics

Faith

Is the substance of things hoped for Faith
Is the evidence of things not seen
Commanded
THE OBJECTS OF, ARE
IN CHRIST IS
Christ is the Author and Finisher of Faith
Is a gift of the Holy Spirit
The Scriptures designed to produce
Preaching designed to produce
THROUGH IT IS
Impossible to please God without
Justification is by, to be of grace
Essential to the profitable reception of the gospel
Necessary in the Christian warfare
The gospel effectual in those who have
Excludes self-justification
Excludes boasting
Works by love
PRODUCES
BY IT SAINTS
Saints die in Faith
SAINTS SHOULD
True, evidenced by its fruits
Without fruits, is dead
Examine whether you be in Faith
All difficulties overcome by Faith
All things should be done in Faith
Whatever is not of, is sin
Often tried by affliction
Trial of, works patience
The wicked often profess
The wicked destitute of Faith
Protection of, illustrated
Exemplified
Is the substance of things hoped for Faith
- Heb_11:1
Is the evidence of things not seen
- Heb_11:1
Commanded
- Matt_11:22 ; 1_John_3:23

THE OBJECTS OF, ARE
God – John_14:1
Christ – John_6:29 ; Acts_20:21
Writings of Moses – John_5:46 ; Acts_24:14
Writings of the prophets – 2_Chron_20:20 ; Acts_26:27
The gospel – Mark_1:15
Promises of God – Rom_4:21 ; Heb_11:13

IN CHRIST IS
The gift of God – Rom_12:3 ; Eph_2:8 ; Eph_6:23 ; Php_1:29
The work of God – Acts_11:21 ; 1_Cor_2:5
Precious – 2_Pet_1:1
Most holy – Jude_1:20
Fruitful – 1_Thess_1:3
Accompanied by repentance – Mark_1:15 ; Luke_24:47
Followed by conversion – Acts_11:21
Christ is the Author and Finisher of Faith
- Heb_12:2
Is a gift of the Holy Spirit
- 1_Cor_12:9
The Scriptures designed to produce
- John_20:31 ; 2_Tim_3:15
Preaching designed to produce
- John_17:20 ; Acts_8:12 ; Rom_10:14,15,17 ; 1_Cor_3:5

THROUGH IT IS
Remission of sins – Acts_10:43 ; Rom_3:25
Justification – Acts_13:39 ; Rom_3:21,22,28,30 ; Rom_5:1 ; Gal_2:16
Salvation – Mark_16:16 ; Acts_16:31
Sanctification – Acts_15:9 ; Acts_26:18
Spiritual light – John_12:36,46
Spiritual life – John_20:31 ; Gal_2:20
Eternal life – John_3:15,16 ; John_6:40,47
Rest in heaven – Heb_4:3
Edification – 1_Tim_1:4 ; Jude_1:20
Preservation – 1_Pet_1:5
Adoption – John_1:12 ; Gal_3:26
Access to God – Rom_5:2 ; Eph_3:12
Inheritance of the promises – Gal_3:22 ; Heb_6:12
The gift of the Holy Spirit – Acts_11:15-17 ; Gal_3:14 ; Eph_1:13
Impossible to please God without
- Heb_11:6
Justification is by, to be of grace
- Rom_4:16
Essential to the profitable reception of the gospel
- Heb_4:2
Necessary in the Christian warfare
- 1_Tim_1:18,19 ; 1_Tim_6:12
The gospel effectual in those who have
- 1_Thess_2:13
Excludes self-justification
- Rom_10:3,4
Excludes boasting
- Rom_3:27
Works by love
- Gal_5:6 ; 1_Tim_1:5 ; Philemon_1:5

PRODUCES
Hope – Rom_5:2
Joy – Acts_16:34 ; 1_Pet_1:8
Peace – Rom_15:13
Confidence – Isaiah_28:16 ; 1_Pet_2:6
Boldness in preaching – Psalm_116:10 ; 2_Cor_4:13
Christ is precious to those having – 1_Pet_2:7
Christ dwells in the heart by - Eph_3:17
Necessary in prayer – Matt_21:22 ; James_1:6
Those who are not Christ’s have not - John_10:26,27
An evidence of the new birth – 1_John_5:1

BY IT SAINTS
Live – Gal_2:20
Stand – Rom_11:20 ; 2_Cor_1:24
Walk – Rom_4:12 ; 2_Cor_5:7
Obtain a good report – Heb_11:2
Overcome the world – 1_John_5:4,5
Resist the devil – 1_Pet_5:9
Overcome the devil – Eph_6:16
Are supported – Psalm_27:13 ; 1_Tim_4:10
Saints die in Faith – Heb_11:13

SAINTS SHOULD
Be sincere in – 1_Tim_1:5 ; 2_Tim_1:5
Abound in – 2_Cor_8:7
Continue in – Acts_14:22 ; Col_1:23
Be strong in – Rom_4:20-24
Stand fast in - 1_Cor_16:13
Be grounded and settled in – Col_1:23
Hold, with a good conscience – 1_Tim_1:19
Pray for the increase of – Luke_17:5
Have full assurance of – 2_Tim_1:12 ; Heb_10:22
True, evidenced by its fruits - James_2:21-25
Without fruits, is dead – James_2:17,20,26
Examine whether you be in Faith – 2_Cor_13:5
All difficulties overcome by Faith – Matt_17:20 ; Matt_21:21 ; Mark_9:23
All things should be done in Faith – Rom_14:22
Whatever is not of, is sin – Rom_14:23
Often tried by affliction – 1_Pet_1:6,7
Trial of, works patience – James_1:3
The wicked often profess – Acts_8:13,21
The wicked destitute of Faith – John_10:25 ; John_12:37 ; Acts_19:9 ; Acts_3:2

Protection of, illustrated
A shield – Eph_6:16
A breastplate – 1_Thess_5:8

Exemplified [i.e. to be or give a typical example of something]
Caleb – Num_13:30
Job – Job_19:25
Shadrach, etc. - Dan_3:17
Daniel – Dan_6:10,23
Peter – Matt_16:16
Woman who was a sinner – Luke_7:50
Nathanael – John_1:49
Samaritans – John_4:39
Martha – John_11:27
The Disciples – John_16:30
Thomas – John_20:28
Stephen – Acts_6:5
Priests – Acts_6:7
Ethiopian – Acts_8:37
Barnabas – Acts_11:24
Sergius Paulus – Acts_13:12
Philippian jailor - Acts_16:31,34
Romans – Rom_1:8
Colossians – Col_1:4
Thessalonians – 1_Thess_1:3
Lois – 2_Tim_1:5
Paul – 2_Tim_4:7
Abel – Heb_11:4
Enoch – Heb_11:5
Noah – Heb_11:7
Abraham – Heb_11:8,17
Isaac – Heb_11:20
Jacob – Heb_11:21
Joseph – Heb_11:22
Moses – Heb_11:24,27
Rahab – Heb_11:31
Gideon etc. – Heb_11:32,33,39

Faith – Faith is in general the persuasion of the mind that a certain statement is true (Php_1:27; 2_Thess_2:13). Its primary idea is trust. A thing is true, and therefore worthy of trust. It admits of many degrees up to full assurance of faith, in accordance with the evidence on which it rests.

Faith is the result of teaching (Rom_10:14-17). Knowledge is an essential element in all faith, and is sometimes spoken of as an equivalent to faith (John_10:38; 1_John_2:3). Yet the two are distinguished in this respect, that faith includes in it assent, which is an act of the will in addition to the act of the understanding. Assent to the truth is of the essence of faith, and the ultimate ground on which our assent to any revealed truth rests is the veracity of God. Historical faith is the apprehension of and assent to certain statements which are regarded as mere facts of history.

Temporary faith is that state of mind which is awakened in men (e.g., Felix) by the exhibition of the truth and by the influence of religious sympathy, or by what is sometimes styled the common operation of the Holy Spirit.

Saving faith is so called because it has eternal life inseparably connected with it. It cannot be better defined than in the words of the Assembly’s Shorter Catechism: “Faith in Jesus Christ is a saving grace, whereby we receive and rest upon him alone for salvation, as he is offered to us in the gospel.”

The object of saving faith is the whole revealed Word of God. Faith accepts and believes it as the very truth most sure. But the special act of faith which unites to Christ has as its object the person and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ (John_7:38; Acts_16:31). This is the specific act of faith by which a sinner is justified before God (Rom_3:22,25; Gal_2:16; Php_3:9; John_3:16-36; Acts_10:43; Acts_16:31). In this act of faith the believer appropriates and rests on Christ alone as Mediator in all his offices.

This assent to or belief in the truth received upon the divine testimony has always associated with it a deep sense of sin, a distinct view of Christ, a consenting will, and a loving heart, together with a reliance on, a trusting in, or resting in Christ. It is that state of mind in which a poor sinner, conscious of his sin, flees from his guilty self to Christ his Saviour, and rolls over the burden of all his sins on him. It consists chiefly, not in the assent given to the testimony of God in his Word, but in embracing with fiducial reliance and trust the one and only Saviour whom God reveals. This trust and reliance is of the essence of faith. By faith the believer directly and immediately appropriates Christ as his own. Faith in its direct act makes Christ ours. It is not a work which God graciously accepts instead of perfect obedience, but is only the hand by which we take hold of the person and work of our Redeemer as the only ground of our salvation.

Saving faith is a moral act, as it proceeds from a renewed will, and a renewed will is necessary to believing assent to the truth of God (1_Cor_2:14; 2_Cor_4:4). Faith, therefore, has its seat in the moral part of our nature fully as much as in the intellectual. The mind must first be enlightened by divine teaching (John_6:44; Acts_13:48; 2_Cor_4:6; Eph_1:17,18) before it can discern the things of the Spirit.

Faith is necessary to our salvation (Mark_16:16), not because there is any merit in it, but simply because it is the sinner’s taking the place assigned him by God, his falling in with what God is doing.

The warrant or ground of faith is the divine testimony, not the reasonableness of what God says, but the simple fact that he says it. Faith rests immediately on, “Thus saith the Lord.” But in order to this faith the veracity, sincerity, and truth of God must be owned and appreciated, together with his unchangeableness. God’s word encourages and emboldens the sinner personally to transact with Christ as God’s gift, to close with him, embrace him, give himself to Christ, and take Christ as his. That word comes with power, for it is the word of God who has revealed himself in his works, and especially in the cross. God is to be believed for his word’s sake, but also for his name’s sake.

Faith in Christ secures for the believer freedom from condemnation, or justification before God; a participation in the life that is in Christ, the divine life (John_14:19; Rom_6:4-10; Eph_4:15,16, etc.); “peace with God” (Rom_5:1); and sanctification (Acts_26:18; Gal_5:6; Acts_15:9). All who thus believe in Christ will certainly be saved (John_6:37,40; John_10:27,28; Rom_8:1).

The faith=the gospel (Acts_6:7; Rom_1:5; Gal_1:23; 1_Tim_3:9; Jude_1:3).

Measure of Faith

What measure of faith do you have?
By Abraham Israel

Introduction:

Calling -> Chosen and separated even before we were born, even when we were in our mother’s womb. God’s knowledge about us and our future [how he wanted us to be like].

Grace -> Anointing, empowerment given to operate in the gifts. Grace is God’s response to our hunger and thirst for Him.

Faith -> Faith is our response to what God spoke to us personally and it is also our response to His call. When we believe or accept His word, He responds by His grace. First He sends His word and with that word comes faith. The Spirit of Faith carries that faith and deposits in us. As we operate with that faith, we will be able to connect to Gods grace.

Gift or Gifts -> Salvation is the first and the greatest of all the gifts. Because when we are saved, not only we are delivered and forgiven, but the ‘Giver of all Gifts’ comes and dwells with us forever. So only salvation is a gift, not gifts, because the gift is the person of the Holy Spirit. It is a tangible gift. And a believer can covet or desire for still more spiritual gifts to live and work effectively and God responds or gives to us according to the type of calling He has called us. Gifts vary according to our calling.

Ex:
Called to be a leader. If that person seeks for a gift of giving with liberality and tries his best to develop in that area, that will not work. Why? Because naturally God Gifts the leaders to lead others with diligence and with wisdom to direct His people.

Various Measures of Faith

There are various measures of faith in which people operated in the OT and N Testament books. And we too can operate in such faith in our days,

(i) Salvation measure of faith. It is mustard seed size that we receive in this measure of faith. When this faith is nurtured, it will become very big in size and strength and many will be benefited by it (Matt 17:19-21; 13:31-32).

(ii) Healing measure of faith will receive healing from God (Matt 9:22).

(iii) Mountain moving measure of faith will remove mountains of obstacles and problems in a matter of split seconds (1 Cor 13:2).

(iv) When you have only little measure of faith, you will very soon become doubtful when problems come to you like a storm (Matt 14:31).

(v) Impartational measure of faith is an overflowing measure of faith (Rom 1:11-12; 2 Tim 1:6-7).

All these measures of faith are imparted through the channel of the Spirit of God, who is called as the Spirit of faith (1 Cor 12:9; 2 Cor 4:13).The righteous will live by growing from one measure of faith to another higher level of the measure of faith (Rom 1:17).

Through out the three and half years of the ministry of Jesus, the disciples closely watched the signs, miracles and wonders of Jesus, where Jesus challenged them again and again training them to flow in such faith and even rebuked them for not having it enough. Finally they got so excited and hungry spiritually and asked Jesus to increase their faith (Luke 17:5-10). Jesus taught the apostles that implicit obedience and humility are the key ingredients to flow in an ever increasing faith.

Understanding Grace, Faith and Gifts

1. “For by grace [unconditional gift of Christ’s love for you on the cross], you have been saved [already in the past] through faith [appropriated by you now in the present time by the substance that is always active in the now realm], and that [what? Faith is] not of yourself; it is the gift of God.” (Eph 2:8).

2. “For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable” (Rom 11:29).
   God never withdraws His calling and Gifts that He has given to a person. If the person is not humble and loyal to God, the Gifts will not work because grace [i.e. the anointing to operate in the gifts] will not be given. The calling and Gifts will be in that person, but it will not work with out the anointing. The anointing is the fuel that drives these gifts. If that kind of person who has landed in error, turns back to God and humbles himself, again God will use Him in the calling and Gifts that is in him by giving him Grace (1Peter 5:5-6; 4:10-11).
   

3. “But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, to reveal His son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles…”(Galatians 1:15, 16).
   

4. Comparing both these scriptures shown above, we can clearly understand that God separates us from our mother’s womb with a plan and purpose. But when Paul was resisting and was acting against that plan, then God revealed Himself to Paul and asked “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” He was zealously or was ignorantly doing it (1Tim 1:13).
   

5. Calling came through His grace [i.e. the unconditional gift of Jesus Christ].
   

6. When Paul recognized his calling he started to work with faith and the gifts which were given according to Christ’s measure got activated in him and he preached the gospel with mighty signs and wonders (Galatians 1:17; Eph 4:7; Rom 15:18-19).
   

7. Instead of working to fulfill God’s plan in his life, Satan was using his ignorance to work against the very plan God had for his life. So only Jesus asked him, “…It is hard for you to kick against the goads [sharp stick- chastisements of God].”(Acts 9:5).In other words Jesus was saying, it is very hard for you to work against the plans and purposes of God, Don’t you realize it. Immediately he realized his foolish ignorance and replied “…Lord, what do you want me to do?” In fact Paul was kicking against the chastisement of God and he was resisting the plans of God [Kicking against the goads].Goad – A sharp stick for making cattle move forward.
   

8. Once Paul acknowledged the Lordship of Jesus, immediately He gave him guidance and direction to understand that plan (Acts 9:6).
   

9. Walk of Faith will activate the Gifts that Jesus has invested in you.
   

10. Faith is a Gift of God the Father, because the Bible says, “…Faith comes…” (Rom 10:17). From which place it comes from? “Every good and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights…” (James 1:17).Father is the source of our faith.
    

11. It is a matter of receiving by the hearing of faith. Faith does not come by your good works so that you can boast, you are not the source (Galatians 3:5), but it comes hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Rom 10:17).
    

The gift that Jesus gives is the same [i.e. the Holy Spirit], but in different measure [different and certain amount]. Here Gifts are calling [Apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers] based. A person can have more than one gift, so it is called gifts. The greater the gifts, greater will be the measure of the Holy Spirit working and deposit in that person’s life (Eph 4:7-“Christ’s gift”; 4:8, 11). “To each one of us grace was given.” As a person recognizes the calling and pursues the plans and purpose of God, this grace can be seen or recognized by others because God will be working in power in that person (Galatians 2:8,9).

Faith that is in believers

In Romans 12:3, Paul is speaking to every believer. So from this above verse we understand that God has already dealt or given a measure of faith to every believer. Here Paul does not speak about the value of the faith, but the amount of faith. Peter the apostle writing to the believers in 2 Peter, says in verse 1, “To those [believer’s] who have received faith of the same value [i.e. like precious faith] by the righteousness of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The value of every one’s faith is the same but the amount of faith differs according to how much you are hearing God in the now realm or present circumstance.

Recognize your real faith level.

In Romans 12:3, Paul is saying faith is not thinking of yourself highly in your mind about yourself, but how much you can hear God’s direction in your spirit for your gifts to be activated by it plainly in the present time.

Gifts and calling are irrevocable

1. Calling can only be realized, because grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift (Eph 4:1, 7 –> 2 Corinthians 12:9).
   

2. You must desire or can desire for the gifts of the Spirit, no matter what your calling is because the Holy Spirit gives you the gifts as He wills, but not the calling. Gifts are supernatural abilities (1 Corinthians 14:1-“Desire spiritual gifts.”).

Start operating in your faith

1. God gives grace [in the present time] to the humble person differing according to the gifts and callings of God.
   

2. Grace is God’s strength, power, and ability to perform a functional role as a member of the body. If we can only find the grace God has given to us, then Gifts and Calling can be made sure as you keep operating in it by faith.
   

3. The moment you recognize something in you is flowing freely without your own effort or striving, but with your action or desire, start using it (1 Pet 4:10-11).

   [Romans 12:6; 11:29; 1 Peter 5:5]
   

Live by faith

1. The members in the body don’t strive to do a functional role. All it needs is its connection to the head and command from the head.
   

2. Faith connects the members of the body to the head which is Christ (Rom 1:17).
   

Grow in faith and stay active by being connected to each other

1. All the members or believers do not have the same function. Even though we are many we are in one body which is all connected to the head Christ, we need each other for the body to work perfectly and naturally as God has placed and composed it (Rom 12:4; 1 Corinthians 12 :24,28; Eph 4:11).

2. When all the members function well, the body will grow. This is the place where each member can grow from “faith to faith” (Romans 1:17). Paul also speaks about rejoicing to see the “…steadfastness of your [the believer’s] faith in Christ” (Col 2:5) and to be “rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith…” (Col 2:7).

3. Here Paul uses the same analogy as in 1 Corinthians 12th Chapter. There he speaks mainly about the ministry gifts which is empowered or qualified by the gifts of the Spirit.

4. But here in the Romans 12th chapter, he speaks to the believers to find their place [functional roles] in the body of Christ and he asks them to activate it by faith.

5. When Paul says “let us use them”, he includes himself in it. So there is no separate category for the people with ministry gifts. From among the believers will come out member’s individually who are graced with those various functional gifts who will function in the body as a whole, who will get equipped as a saint and will function according to their measure of faith (Romans 12:4-6).

Different measures of faith

1. To prophesy needs an unique amount of faith to tap God’s plan or point of view for each believer from the throne room and to bring it to believer’s in the now realm (Romans 12:6; 1 Corinthians 2:10 – “deep things of God”).

2. [If you feel that God is releasing in your spirit a word of prophecy, release the word to the right person, don’t be afraid. This is faith in action.]

3. Ministering is supplying the various needs of the people by using your gifts such as working of miracles, gifts of healing, and faith that remove mountains [i.e. big problems that people can’t crossover or overcome (1 Cor 12:9,10)] needs a special amount of faith to operate in it, so use it.

4. If God has given you the gift of teaching and preaching [exhorting] use it in proportion to your faith. Preaching and teaching needs God’s wisdom to be effective. It requires an amount of faith to flow in it or tap it. Only God’s wisdom can edify people and give solutions to people’s problems. Ezra is a great example who exercised this kind of gift (Ezra 7:10; Nehemiah 8:6-12).

5. Those who give liberally are those who are gifted with grace to do business using God’s wisdom, who will bring their money with a heart desire to extend God’s kingdom. For God will pour out into their life, money for the extension of God’s kingdom. They will pour out their money liberally in to His kingdom and God will release a special anointing in this area as they give liberally. King David and Solomon are a great example of this kind (1 Chronicles 29:16-17; 2 Chronicles 8:1-2, 6-8, 22-23, and 26-27).

6. God has also set leaders who have that God connection and faith, who have extraordinary ability to lead people without effort or striving and guide them like Nehemiah in the Bible to fulfill any project from God within a short and efficient period of time (Nehemiah 2:12, 12-20; 6:15-16).
   

7. Those people who show mercy are those who are given a compassionate heart to look after widows and orphans and other needy people who are in need. They will have words of mercy as they themselves would have experienced those kinds of things in their life from which God would have delivered, lifted and comforted them (James 1:27; 2 Cor 1:3, 4; Galatians 2:10; Acts 9:36-42 ).

These are all various kinds of gifts that have been given to the church by God and as the ability or the power of God is released by each person’s individual faith, the whole body will be equipped to fulfill all that God has for our generation!

When every member of the body operates in a given measure of faith, that is when we all will come into the unity of “The Faith” which is the stature of the fullness of Christ (Romans 12:3; Eph 4:13).

Living Faith

Is your Faith Alive or Dead?
By Abraham Israel

1. The body that has the spirit in it will move and make the person do or fulfill his duties. Faith which is alive and well will make you move and fulfill the great plans of God in your life. If your faith does not make you move in to the Supernatural God-kind of dimension, it is a dead faith. Dead body should always be buried as soon as possible.

2. Likewise, dead faith should be thrown out into the grave or else the decomposed faith will be eaten by worms [natural fleshly desires] that are produced in itself that will destroy you completely and will also affect other’s and may even cause an epidemic (James 2:21-23).

3. Faith is compared to a body connected with a spirit in the natural, likewise in the spiritual if our spirit is not connected to God the Spirit, your faith is a inactive faith without works and will not have life in it (James 2:26).

4. A dead faith cannot profit you or anybody and it cannot save you. A dead faith cannot give your body the protection or immunity from demonic intrusion (James 2:14).

5. A man’s faith can be seen by others [angels and men] only when he moves and pursues God’s plan to be fulfilled in his life. A man who is motionless or moment less in a bed cannot be known whether he is alive or dead already (James 2:18).

6. A dead body is good for nothing, so it is with a man who is not moved by faith or moving in faith. Faith will move you or will give you the confidence to start moving. Some one with dead faith cannot be useful to God, others and himself or be an active member to function in His body. He will wither away (James 2:20, 26).
   

Household of Faith

Household of Faith (Galatians 6:10)
By Abraham Israel

1. Abraham had the steps of faith (Rom 4:12).

2. The promise, that Abraham would be the heir to the world was through the righteousness of faith (Romans 4:13). God gave to Abraham a right standing with Himself and extended His hand of friendship because of Abraham’s faith.

3. By faith according to His grace, God planned that the promise might be made sure and certain to all the seed of the faith of Abraham (v16). When nothing tangible happened “in hope believed”. So that he became the father of many nations (v18).

4. When you are living in a strong present tense faith, your capacity to focus on future tense hope will make you live with greater confidence in the present time.

5. Hope will make you rejoice in the present time. Hope is directly connected in knowing more and more clearly the ways of God ahead and it will bring the glory of God upon you (Romans 5:2; Ps 103:7). It will build your Character into the mould of His character which will position you to see and know His Love in a supernatural way (Romans 5:3-5; Psalm 143:8).

6. Not being weak in faith he did not see the circumstances [his body v19] that he
   was going through.

7. He did not waver [through unbelief] at the promise of God, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God (v20).

8. He was fully convinced [to feel certain that something is true] (v21), that God who promised it able to perform it.

9. He who sows to his flesh will reap corruption [dishonest, illegal or immoral behavior especially from someone with power], but he who sows to the Spirit, will of the Spirit reap everlasting [unchangeable heaven’s] life (Galatians 6:8).
   Let us not grow weary while doing good for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart (Rom 6:9).

This is what Abraham did in his life, year after year he sowed to the Spirit until the season came and he started reaping the blessings that God had promised Abraham. This is the secret of the household of faith.

Faith Marvels God

Faith Marvels God (Luke 7:1-10)

1) His word reveals His willingness. The word is not only the will of God, but the willingness of God. Great faith is to understand that God is always willing.

2) The word and His presence is the same.

3) The word and the person of God is the same. The word and Jesus is the same. When you receive the word, you are holding on to God.

4) The centurion said “Lord I am under authority.”

• The word will move things and move people because it is a word of authority that cannot be contested or challenged.
  

• If you are under authority, you receive authority.

5) Whatever you disrespect you don’t get it.

6) The word has power to come to total fulfillment, in your life (Luke 7:10).

• When God arises, His enemies will flee [be scattered] (Psalm 68:1, 21).
  

• By your word you will be justified and by your words you will be condemned (Matt 12:37).

Faith is Rest

Faith Is True Rest
By Abraham Israel

Rest->Relax-> To stop working or doing an activity for a time and sit down or lie down to relax.

“God rested on the seventh day from all His works.” (Heb 4:4).

Was God tired?
The Bible says, “…Creator of the ends of the earth neither faints nor is weary…” (Isaiah 40:28).

Genesis 2:1-3.

Jesus was asleep in the boat.
His disciples awoke Him and cried out to Him, ‘Save us’.
Jesus said, ‘Why are you fearful, o you of little faith?’
He arose and rebuked the storm and there was a great calm (Matthew 8:23-27).

Joshua was not the one who was the first person to enter that rest, but Jesus was the one who fully and truly entered it and lived in that rest. Joshua in Hebrew is the same word used for Jesus in Greek. Hence Joshua only represented Jesus who came and gave the true rest of God in everyone’s spirit, soul and body.

He now invites you to enjoy that rest (Matt 11:28). His rest you will experience in your soul when you come to Him and give your own burdens in your life to Him through prayer by faith, believing that He will solve it all and then by faith take the yoke of His will which is light and follow Him. To follow Jesus is to obey what He says.

God made man for a relationship with Him, but man made religion to substitute it.
[The word religion in a true sense is centrally connected with ‘more and more religious activity’.]

When God rested, he wanted man to enjoy what He enjoyed [i.e. love and fellowship].
Gospel – one of the four recorded events of Christ’s life [The life of Jesus lived out by us is the true rest] (Heb 4:2).

In Greek-> Euagellion-> ‘Good News’. Rest does not mean idleness.

• The Lord put Adam in the garden to tend [cultivate by sowing and harvesting] and keep it. Along with it He commanded man to be in obedience to His word (Genesis 2:15-16).
• He was expected man to teach His wife and children the source of true rest which he enjoys (Genesis 2:24).
• They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day and this is described in the same verse as the presence of God. Enjoying the presence of God is the true rest that God gives (Genesis 3:8).
• The Israelites wanted a religion instead of a relationship. Relationship with God mixes the word of God with faith (Heb 12:19, 21; Exodus 20:18-21; Heb 4:2, 3; Galatians 3:19).
• The presence of God carries the voice of God in it. Now the voice of God comes from heaven directly into our spirit. Once you have started to hear the voice of God, you can rest in faith (Heb 12:25, 26).
• The person who has entered this rest will cease from religious activity to please God and will simply by faith take rest in God as God did Himself after six days of creation. This privilege of rest is only for the people of God (Heb 4:9). Faith is true Rest (Heb 4:10).
  
• God planned the sacrifice of Jesus Christ even before the foundation of the world and according to Him, the works which we do to please God [by faith in Jesus Christ] were finished from the foundation of the world itself (Heb 4:3; Rev 13:8).

God’s Faith

God’s Faith and God Kind of Faith
By Abraham Israel

Whose faith is it any way? Where does it originate? Who should we look to?

The Bible says “looking unto Jesus”, this means by looking continuously unto Jesus [i.e. what He has done for each one of us personally through His death, burial and resurrection], who is the author or originator and finisher or perfecter of our faith (Heb 12:2).

• Once we receive “The faith” from Jesus personally, God Himself calls it “your faith” or the writer of the Book inspired by God calls it “our faith”.
• Faith becomes personal once we receive it.

How can we receive faith and act on it?

We can receive faith by making a decision to hear what God says about Himself and about us. He says about Himself in Heb 11:6 that “…He is, and that He is a rewarder…” and on our part it says “…he who comes to God must believe…., and….diligently seek Him”.

• God does not say ‘you may believe if you like’. No, no, no, no …God says that you “must believe”.
  The most important thing is that, what God says about Himself you must believe as the absolute truth. To believe means is to accept that [something-word of God] is true or [someone-Jesus] is telling the truth.
  

• We receive faith or “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”(Rom 10:17).So faith is a substance that comes into you when you start hearing God or the voice of God.

• When we hear God, faith comes in to us. Where does God speak from? From our born again spirit which has been imparted in to us when we first believed in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior (Rom 10:17; Heb 12:25,28; 1 John 3:23-24; Ezekiel 11:19).
• 
  

  And the ability to hear God is developed by keeping the word of God inside you. And God will always speak to you by His word or inline with His word.

Faith is a gift of God (Eph 2:8).

Faith is obtained or in other words received from God (2 Peter 1:1).

Faith is a force and it will move you to do mighty things of God (Heb 11:29-36).

What kind of faith will makes Jesus marvel and commend at us?

The Centurion’s faith (Matt 8:5-13). The Centurion’s faith pleased God and made Jesus marvel because he recognized the authority of God that He carried as the king of the Jews and the Lord of all human beings. The Centurion believed that His every word that is spoken by Him is able to perform without fail, for the purpose or the reason for which it is sent forth or spoken forth (John 19:21;Matt 8:8;Eccl 8:4;Isaiah 55:11).

The faith of the Woman of Canaan [Canaanites were considered outcasts and abominable by the Jews because of their Idolatrous way of life. And even they were considered the enemies of God] (Matt 15:21-28).

But this woman’s faith pleased God and made Jesus commend her because of her perseverance in clinging on to the goodness of His character in spite of His silence in answering her. Only faith can please God (Heb 11:6).

We must believe “He is”, the word of God does not say ‘He was or He will be’.

• He is always a present tense God.

  You must believe from the minute you started to seek Him sincerely, honestly, diligently and earnestly, from that minute itself God has already started to reward you! Why? Faith in itself is a reward, and it will help you continue your journey with Him.

  So only Jesus said to His disciples, “Assuredly, I say to you, If you have faith and do not doubt…..If you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast in to the sea, it will be done’ ” (Matt 21:21).

• Faith is already having the substance in you, which is needed to work a miracle that you are in need of. So faith in itself is a reward.

The Word of God does not say ‘He will be a rewarder (or) He was a rewarder’ but it says “He is a rewarder”. That means, that the reward is neither in the past nor in the future, but the reward is in the present time. You are rewarded now.

Meaning Grammatical word Greek English
[object] Noun pistis faith
[a word that reps an object ] Noun apistia unbelief
[a word that describes a Noun] Adjective pistos faithful, believing
[a word that describes a Noun] Adjective apistos unfaithful, unbelieving
[action word] Verb pisteou I believe

We see that all five Greek words are visibly linked by the stem form pist that occurs in each of them.

Why believe?

The word ‘believe’ means accept as true or as speaking truth. To be sure that something is definitely true or definitely exists, to be sure that something [God’s Word] is true or someone [Jesus Christ] is telling the Truth.

To believe is to take a decision to accept absolutely that God’s word will never fail and to stand by it.

The possibilities of believing

In Mark 9:23, Jesus said.., “…If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”
In other words Jesus was saying,’ if you start believing and continue to believe then you will start to do all the things which were impossible to you before.’

Why many see possibilities while others see impossibilities? (1 Thess 2:13).

• To believe is to receive [hear and welcome it as truth].
  

• It will effectively work in you who believe.
  

• To grow in faith, is to continue believing.

  Jesus said in Matthew 21:22, “And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”
  

The reason why many do not receive?

• They focus on things rather than on God and His Word.
  




• The moment an affliction comes because of believing, they will immediately stop believing (Psalm 116:10; Matthew13:20-21).
  

• Many tempt God again and again (Psalm 78:41; Matthew 4:5-7; 13:22).
  

• The result is you are limiting God.
  

• You are not remembering His power.
  

• The devil will deceive you to be mistaken by making you do things by presumption (Matthew 22:29; 4:5-7).
  

• The day you were delivered from the power of evil is a unique day; always remember it (Psalms 78:42).

Why Paul did things that turned the world upside down for Jesus?
Acts 17:6; #Ex: Acts 19:11-12;

Can’t we do it today?
We too can do it, if we believe like Paul (Acts 27:25).

Dynamic Person of Faith!

You can be a Dynamic Person of Faith!
By Abraham Israel

Dynamic means full of energy and new ideas and determined to succeed.

A person of faith will always be a dynamic person. There will be three vital things that will be unique to them,

(i) Full of Energy (Phil 4:11).
(ii) New ideas will be implemented constantly [i.e. God’s blue print] (Acts 19:21).
(iii) Determined to succeed [Aim-Rom 15:20].

Statement of Faith

I believe God is going to raise this generation as he did the Joshua generation in the past! Joshua is one of the greatest example for a dynamic person of faith and the Joshua generation, the dynamic people of faith!

Factors that influence a dynamic person of faith

1) The greatest asset for a man of faith is that God’s word will come to him like a rain (Isaiah 55:10, 11).

2) What pleases God is not what you do for God, but with what faith you do it (Heb 11:6).

3) Hearing God [i.e. receiving a rhema word] is developed by the word of God [logos] (Joshua 1:8-9; Ps 119:15-16; Acts 6:4).

4) A man and a woman of faith will focus on what rhema word he hears from God every day (Rom 10:17; Matt 4:4). This will increase his capacity to hear from God.

5) A man who hears from God daily and obeys it will be that dynamic person of faith. “…For so He gives [rhema-revelations] to His beloved [even in his] sleep” (Ps 127:2).

6) A dynamic person of faith will be eager to tell his problems to God and will wait to receive the rhema [quickened or spoken] word from the Lord consistently (Ps 121:1-2; 130:5-6).

7) A dynamic person of faith will consistently work with God based on what rhema word he receives at the present time or what God has previously spoken about him or his situation (2 Sam 5:19, 23-25; John 5:17, 19-20; 8:26).

God will always be with the dynamic person of faith because he will always do what pleases God. God is not pleased with what you do for Him, but what you do through Him (John 8:29; Phil 4:13; Ps 18:29, 34).

9) A dynamic person of faith will always believe that, every word that he hears from God has the potential to accomplish, prosper and fulfill the purpose for which it was sent (Isa 55:11; Mark 9:23; Luke 1:38).

10) A dynamic person of faith will live by every word that proceeds [i.e. present tense rhema word that God is still speaking] out of the mouth of God every day [bread is for every day] (Matt 4:4).

Faith

Faith

Dynamic Person of Faith!

God’s Faith and God kind of Faith

Faith is Rest

Faith Marvels God

Household of Faith

Living Faith

Measure of Faith

Word Study-Faith