What is Faith?

[Kolibri]

Sounds like faith is a cross between hope and certainty. And it's for a special purpose. Why do we or should we have faith that we will receive God-given rewards?

Besides being a requirement to please God well (Hebrews 11:6), faith leads to endurance.

"Let us run with endurance teh race that is set before us, as we look intently at the Chief Agent and Perfecter of our faith, Jesus. For the joy that was set before him he endured a torture stake, despising shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." - Hebrews 12:1b; Hebrews 12:2

In fact faith is just the very beginning of building a relationship with God.

"For this very reason, put forth all earnest effort to supply to your faith virtue, to your virtue knowledge, to your knowledge self-control, to your self-control endurance, to your endurance godly devotion, to your godly devotion brotherly affection, to your brotherly affection love. For if these things exist in you and overflow, they will prevent you from being either inactive or unfruitful (or "unproductive.") regarding the accurate knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." - 2 Peter 1:5-8

 

[Kolibri]

Isn't it true that we usually don't know what God has in store for us? To me it seems like having faith in God could mean trusting that the plan he has for you is the right one.

Unlike the teaching of Calvinism, God does not have a final destination fixed for individuals till we reach a period of judgement, until then we are in 'the day of salvation' because we still have time to reconcile ourselves to him.
(2 Corinthians 5:20; 2 Corinthians 6:2)

"Brothers, I do not yet consider myself as having taken hold of it; but one thing is certain: Forgetting the things behind and stretching forward to the things ahead." - Philippians 3:13

"Jehovah is not slow concerning his promise, as some people consider slowness, but he is patient with you because he does not desire anyone to be destroyed but desires all to attain to repentance. But Jehovah's day will come...." - 2 Peter 3:9-10a

 

[leibowde84]

Haha.....you are making a sweeping statement that disregards the broader implication of what faith actually means.. There are people whose faith in the Divine is based on belief alone...and who have not had any real subjective 'calling'....but then there are those whose faith is based on a subjective ineffable experience or calling that is evidence of the Divine, but not meant for anyone else, least of all the profane... What's that saying....oh yes....do not cast pearls before swine, less they trample them in mud and turn on you...

Haha.....you are making a sweeping statement that disregards the broader implication of what faith actually means.. There are people whose faith in the Divine is based on belief alone...and who have not had any real subjective 'calling'....but then there are those whose faith is based on a subjective ineffable experience or calling that is evidence of the Divine, but not meant for anyone else, least of all the profane... What's that saying....oh yes....do not cast pearls before swine, less they trample them in mud and turn on you...

First of all, just to make sure, you aren't referring to me as "the profane" and/or "swine", are you?

Second, how can you defend the clear confirmation bias in that statement?

 

[rusra02]

Sounds like faith is a cross between hope and certainty. And it's for a special purpose. Why do we or should we have faith that we will receive God-given rewards?

One translation renders Hebrews 11:1 this way; "Faith is the title-deed to the things we hope for. Faith is being sure if things we cannot see." (The Simple English Bible) Since God always does what he promises, our faith rests on a legal guarantee, as if we had the deed for these promises. God cannot lie. So faith is absolute certainty, being sure of things we cannot see. If we fail to exercise faith, in effect doubting God, we cannot please him, as verse 6 says. Obviously, to have such faith requires accurate knowledge of the true God. (John 17:3)

 

[Ben Dhyan]

First of all, just to make sure, you aren't referring to me as "the profane" and/or "swine", are you?

Second, how can you defend the clear confirmation bias in that statement?

Logically if you have not received subjective evidence of the Divine...then you must be of the profane.....have you?

 

[leibowde84]

Logically if you have not received subjective evidence of the Divine...then you must be of the profane.....have you?

Yeah, but I disagree that it means what you think it does.

 

[Ben Dhyan]

Yeah, but I disagree that it means what you think it does.

Yeah that you have received evidence of the Divine....or yeah that it is logical that one who hasn't is one of the profane?

 

[leibowde84]

Yeah that you have received evidence of the Divine....or yeah that it is logical that one who hasn't is one of the profane?

Yeah, that I believe that I have received evidence of the Divine subjectively, but I don't think that people who haven't are worse off or "unchosen". That is a bit too elitist for my liking.

 

[Ben Dhyan]

Yeah, that I believe that I have received evidence of the Divine subjectively, but I don't think that people who haven't are worse off or "unchosen". That is a bit too elitist for my liking.

I didn't say they were worse off....like I don't think children in a lower class at school are worse off.... time allows ample opportunity for all to reach the goal of fully understanding what and who they really are in the context of cosmos...

 

[BenTheBeliever]

What does it mean for a Christian to "have faith"?

It means you have put your Faith in God's son. That you chose to live for him and let him lead you through the holy ghost

 

[JRMcC]

It means you have put your Faith in God's son. That you chose to live for him and let him lead you through the holy ghost

Do you think it's possible to have true faith in Christ without having faith in the orthodox church?

 

[dassark]

I feel it is going with the flow and letting god and Jesus guide you to where ever your life leads you.