Faith is proof enough! Maybe this will help.
What is faith?
I want to explain what I perceive faith to be by stating, that, as I see it, there are at least three kinds of faith.
1.Common, practical, fundamental faith in the natural world.
2.Saving faith that comes from God through The Holy Bible that gets people to heaven.
3.For lack of a better term, fatal faith that believes the lies of Satan that sends people to hell.
Common, practical, fundamental faith involves the natural world, things you can see, hear, smell, taste, and touch.
For instance, you have faith a chair will hold you up when you sit in it, a car will get you to work, food/water will keep you alive, your flight will take off and land safely, etc. Everybody has some common, practical, fundamental faith. You could not live in this world without it.
Saving faith is faith in true spiritual things that really exist.
For instance, faith in God, His word, the Holy Bible, heaven, eternal things, the eternal spirit/soul of man, angels, Satan, demons, hell, the spirit world, etc., things you cannot see with your physical eyes but you know they exist.
Saving faith can only be found in The Holy Bible. It involves true and real spiritual matters. It takes saving faith to get to know God, to be saved from all your sins, and to get to heaven.
Saving faith comes to believers from God. In The Holy Bible, Ephesians 6:23 says: ”Peace be to the brethren, and love with (saving) faith from God, the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Parenthesis mine.
According to Romans 10:17 God gives us saving faith from The Holy Bible: “So, then, (saving) faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God.” Parenthesis mine. That would also, of course, include reading, studying, memorizing and meditating upon the word of God, The Holy Bible.
According to I Corinthians 2:4-5 saving faith is bestowed upon believers by the power of the Holy Spirit: “And my speech and my preaching were not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power; That your (saving) faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.” Parenthesis mine. Saving faith in God is believing the truth that the blood Jesus Christ shed at Calvary is the only way to have sins forgiven, removed and cleansed, and save people from their sins.
According to Hebrews 11:1-2 saving faith in God proves the existence of God: “Now (saving) faith is the substance (assurance) of things hoped for, the evidence (conviction) of things not seen.” Parenthesis mine.
Saving faith makes the things you hope for real or gives substance (assurance) to what you are hoping for. Things hoped for are brought to reality by saving faith.
Saving faith makes the things you cannot see with your physical eyes real and proves they exist. Saving faith in unseen thing, such as God, heaven, the spirit world, etc. proves their reality of their existence. Unseen things are made evident, made real, by saving faith.
For instance, you cannot physically prove God exists, but you don't have to. Saving faith in God proves He is real, that He exists. You do not have to see God with your physical eyes to prove he exists, that He is real. You see God and know He exists and that He is real through the eyes of saving faith. That is proof enough that He exists, that He is real. What more proof do you need? None!
However, this only applies to saving faith that comes from God, not common, practical, fundamental faith or fatal faith. For instance, you could have faith the moon is green cheese but that does not make it green cheese. For instance, you could have faith that Allah, Confucius, and Buddha exist but that does not make it so because they are lies from Satan that convinces people that they exist when they don't.
The Holy Bible says in Hebrews 11:6 “But without (saving) faith it is impossible to please him (God); for he that cometh to God must believe that he (God) is, and that he (God) is a rewarder of those that diligently seek him (God).” Parentheses mine. Without saving faith in God it is impossible to please, come to Him or believe that He will reward you with eternal life if you diligently seek Him.
In the spiritual realm saving faith has several characteristics: hope, confidence, trust, reliance upon, dependence upon, loyalty, dedication, commitment, obedience and love towards the one only true and living God, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Without saving faith you cannot understand that God created the worlds (all heavenly bodies) (world can also mean ages) and spoke them into existence out of nothing. Hebrews 11:3 says: ”Through (saving) faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God (God spoke them into existence), so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear (God created all visible things from nothing).” Parentheses mine.
Saving faith is the catalyst that puts the power of God to work for believers. II Thessalonians 1:11-12: “Wherefore, also, we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of (saving) faith with power, That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Parenthesis mine.
Conclusion:
1.Saving faith will get you to God and to heaven. Saving faith saves the human soul/spirit from eternal damnation in hell.
2.Fatal faith will get you to Satan and to hell. Fatal faith sends your human soul/spirit to eternal damnation in hell.
3.Common, practical, fundamental faith will help you get you through this world.
Be sure you have true saving faith in God and The Holy Bible to get you to God and to heaven when you die.
Remember!
Salvation is a free gift. You cannot work for it. You cannot be good enough to earn it. You must, by faith, receive it as a free gift. (“8For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9Not of works, lest any man should boast.”) Ephesians 2:8-9.
Make sure you do not have any fatal faith that will send you to hell.
2006-09-16 12:24:06
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answer #7
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answered by LARRY S 4
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