True Faith<\/p>\n
Todd Nibert<\/p>\n
True faith is in a Person. “Abraham believed God. ” Paul said, “I know
\nWhom I have believed. ” I do not trust the finished work of Christ. I
\ntrust Him who finished the work. Faith is not believing that Christ died
\nfor me. I may believe that He died for me when it may be that He did
\nnot. Faith is believing that He in His life, death, resurrection, and
\nPerson is able to save me. Faith is a reliance upon Him! Faith is not
\nbelieving a doctrine, proposition, or historical event, although all of
\nthat is involved in faith. Faith is believing a Person! Faith is not
\ngiving assent to the Truth, although it does give assent to the Truth!
\nLiving faith trusts the Living Lord. What we believe is determined by
\nwho we believe. If we believe Him, what we believe will be settled. It
\nis impossible to believe Him and not believe sovereign grace! As Henry
\nMahan said, “We do not come to Christ through doctrine, we come to true
\ndoctrine through Christ.<\/p>\n
Faith<\/p>\n
The Greek word translated “faith” (pistos) means primarily “firm
\npersuasion.” “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the
\nevidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1), being sure of what we hope
\nfor, and certain of what we do not see. This faith is that conviction of
\nthe truths of God’s word and His gospel wrought in the heart by God, and
\nwhich leads one to rely upon the promises of God in Christ. It has three
\nvital aspects: knowledge of the truth; belief of the truth; and trust in
\nthe truth. This faith is “the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8; Acts 16:14;
\n18:27; Philippians 2:19), given in regeneration and exercised forever
\nmore. He who possesses faith may say, “I know whom I have believed and
\nam persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until
\nthat Day” (2 Timothy 2:12). – Daniel Parks<\/p>\n
Saved By Faith<\/p>\n
Luke 7:50 And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.<\/p>\n
There are many who fancy themselves more theologically sound than Christ
\nHimself, who cringe at the teaching of saving faith. They say things
\nlike, \u201cfaith doesn\u2019t save, grace does,\u201d or perhaps some even more crafty
\nwording, fashioned to make the clear teaching of Christ better fit their
\npreconceived doctrinal \u201cposition.\u201d If you ever find yourself needing to
\nqualify or alter what Christ plainly said, for fear of compromising your
\ndoctrinal position, then you need a new position. Or better yet, cease
\nto take positions at all, and simply believe what God said. Since Christ
\nsaid to a sinner, \u201cthy faith hath saved thee,\u201d I would be afraid NOT to
\nsay it, and teach it.<\/p>\n
Only faith, saving faith, the faith of God\u2019s elect, God-given faith
\nexalts the grace of God and the God of grace. And only this faith makes
\nsalvation sure to all of God\u2019s elect. Rom 4:16 Therefore [it is] of
\nfaith, that [it might be] by grace; to the end the promise might be sure
\nto all the seed . . . Why should we be hesitant to say the rain makes
\nthe flowers grow? We know Who made the rain, and Who sends it and causes
\nit to fall when and where He pleases. You could argue that it is not the
\nrain, but the clouds that give life, because without the clouds there
\nwould be no rain. Or you could just thank God for the clouds and rain,
\nand rejoice that He would delight to make it fall on such a worm as I. –
\nChris Cunningham<\/p>\n
The identification of a believer<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2026 the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son
\nof God, Who loved me, and gave Himself for me.\u201d Ga 2:20<\/p>\n
The mark of Spiritual circumcision of the heart is faith in Christ. The
\nbeliever\u2019s life in this world is governed by the new heart which is
\nfreely given and sanctified by the Spirit of the Living God to a
\npreeminent faith in Christ. The abiding presence of \u201cChrist in you\u201d
\nreveals a distinct new life in contrast to our inherent, carnal heart
\nand nature. This is entirely a work of the omnipotent Spirit of God.<\/p>\n
The child of God is identified and known by his living relationship with
\nChrist. The believer is identified by a new heart \u2026 not a renovation
\n(repairs, redecoration, or remodeling) of the old – \u201cA new heart also
\nwill I give you, and a new Spirit will I put within you\u201d (Eze 36:26).
\nSpiritual circumcision is only comparative to fleshly circumcision in
\nthe identification of a particular people – \u201cHe is a Jew, which is one
\ninwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not
\nin the letter\u201d (Romans 2:29).<\/p>\n
The burden of emphasis is significantly directed to the heart that
\nrecognizes \u201cthe Son of God, Who loved me, and gave Himself for me\u201d, and
\ntherefore in response loves \u201cHim Who first loved us\u201d (1John 4:19). The
\nGod-given love for Christ moves the believer to worship, adoration,
\ngratitude and commitment.<\/p>\n
The new heart has a discernment of truth and error. The child of God
\nknows the voice of his Shepherd and has an undeniable will to follow Him
\n– \u201cAnd when He putteth forth His Own sheep, He goeth before them, and
\nthe sheep follow Him: for they know His voice. And a stranger will they
\nnot follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of
\nstrangers\u201d (John 10:4-5). God the Father identifies His children by
\ngiving them a heart for Christ.<\/p>\n
All else will ultimately be revealed as uncircumcision which is unbelief
\nand identifies those who perish.- Tommy Robbins<\/p>\n
Believe ye?<\/p>\n
\u201cBelieve ye that I am able to do this?\u201d (Matthew 9:28).<\/p>\n
This was a question the Lord asked two blind men regarding His ability
\nto give them sight. Their answer was, \u201cYea, Lord.\u201d Here we are given an
\nillustration of what faith really is.<\/p>\n
Faith is not believing you are saved, or believing that God loves you
\nand Christ died for you, or believing all of your sins are forgiven, or
\nbelieving you are perfect in God\u2019s sight. These things belong to the
\nrealm of assurance. Faith is neither more nor less than believing that
\nHe is able to save you. Paul said in II Timothy 1:12, \u201cI am persuaded
\nthat He is able\u2026.\u201d Assurance that you are saved and all of your sins are
\nforgiven will come out of that, but the actual act of faith is believing
\nHe is able. If you lack assurance, perhaps you have never really
\nbelieved that \u201cHe is able.\u201d Believing He is able will lead to the
\nassurance of these things, because you are relying upon His ability, and
\nnot your own.-Todd Nibert<\/p>\n
I Believe God<\/p>\n
Gary Shepard<\/p>\n
“Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be
\neven as it was told me.” Acts 27:25<\/p>\n
Like the apostle Paul, my peace in every storm is in what God has said!
\nWhether it is in the storm of realizing and feeling the danger of my
\nsins or in one of the many stormy circumstances of life, it is the same,
\nI rest in what God has said. If I am in doubt of what God says in His
\nword in one place, what is to keep me from not believing what He says in
\nanother? Faith is believing what God says concerning what He has done
\nand will do AND what He says that I am! If I were Noah and had lived in
\nhis day, could I have believed that I was what God called me? Would I
\nhave been what God said he was? Was it a future thing He spoke of when
\nhe said to Noah, “for thee have I seen righteous before me in this
\ngeneration.”? (Gen. 7:1) Did God the judge of all the earth do right
\nwhen He destroyed all the inhabits of Sodom and Gomorrah? Yes, they were
\nunrighteous. Did He deliver “righteous Lot” because he was actually
\nrighteous then or not? (Gen. 18) If the Bible says that “the Lord is
\nrighteous,” is that to be taken at face value but not that Abraham was
\nrighteous who was made the righteousness of God in Christ? Abraham who
\nbelieved God, who looked by faith to Jesus Christ the Righteous for
\neverything? What is justification but God declaring us righteous in
\nChrist? The only righteousness there is for a sinner is that
\nrighteousness which is the gift of God, imputed to the sinner and
\nreceived by faith. It is in Christ and only Him and the righteous have
\nbeen so for a long time because God put them in Christ and sees them in
\nChrist! This may not fit a man’s theological timetable but it is what
\nGod says! Thank God, His people are what He says they are in Jesus
\nChrist through His cross death and they have been since He made them the
\nrighteousness of God in Him. What amazing joy they experience when He
\nreveals this to them by His Spirit through the gospel and enables them
\nto believe! God, help us to believe what you say.<\/p>\n
Justification by Faith<\/p>\n
It has been said that a church either stands or falls by the blessed
\ntruth of justification by faith and their view of it, and their stand on
\nit. Faith is the opposite of works, faith is not doing but believing,
\nfaith has to do with resting in Christ and His obedience and His
\nrighteousness.<\/p>\n
Faith is the means of our justification. \u201cTherefore being justified by
\nfaith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ\u201d (Rom. 5:1).
\nFaith receives the truth of the gospel the merits of Christ. Faith
\nreceives the doing and dieing of the Lord Jesus Christ. \u201cWe conclude
\nthat a man is justified without the deeds of the law\u201d (Rom. 3:28).<\/p>\n
Faith is not its own object; those who have been given faith do not look
\nto their faith but to Christ who is the object of their faith. We know
\nthere is no merit in our faith but in our Savior. Christ is faiths
\nobject and it is based on knowledge. \u201cFor whosever shall call on the
\nLord shall be saved. How then can they call on him in whom they have not
\nbelieved? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard?
\nAnd how shall they hear without a preacher\u201d (Rom. 10:13-14).<\/p>\n
Faith is based on God\u2019s word, it is believing with the heart. Faith is
\nbased on trust, on commitment. We don\u2019t trust our faith we trust the
\nLord Jesus. We don\u2019t trust our feelings, we trust our Master who lived
\nfor us as our representative before God, and who died as our substitute
\nbearing our sin away to a place where God doesn\u2019t see it. We don\u2019t trust
\nour knowledge or our intellect, we trust Him who has infinite knowledge
\nof us.<\/p>\n
Oh, what comfort in knowing He knows us, that all is open and naked with
\nhim and that even though He knows us as we are our Justification is sure
\nand secure, because it is what He did for us. We change, but not Him,
\nour faith sometimes is so weak and feeble but He is our strength.
\nListen, \u201cKnowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law,
\nbut by THE FAITH JESUS CHRIST, even we have believed in Jesus Christ,
\nthat we might be justified by the Faith Of Christ\u201d (Gal. 2:16).- Don Bell.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
True Faith Todd Nibert True faith is in a Person. “Abraham believed God. ” Paul said, “I know Whom I have believed. ” I do not trust the finished work of Christ. I trust Him who finished the work. Faith is not believing that Christ died for me. I may believe that He died for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3442","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bulletin-editions"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3442","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3442"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3442\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3444,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3442\/revisions\/3444"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3442"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3442"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3442"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}