Faith. Two questions.

[Cedric]

Hey everyone,

I've been gone a while. Anyway, I created a couple of topics on this same subject earlier but it seems when I left that they went off-topic and my questions were... overshadowed. So instead of resurrecting them I thought I would start off fresh. I have two related, yet different questions and I would like them both answered individually. I'll keep them short to make them easier to answer.

1. EDIT 2: How can I gain faith in God? EDIT 3: To clarify, I currently have no faith in God.

2. How do you know God exists?

It would be great if I could get your feedback on these. They have still been troubling me as I was away. Thanks in advance.

 

[antitox]

1. Why does God require faith?

Since man is apart from God and lives life on his own, (self-sufficiency), he even questions God's existence and/or involvement in the universe.
Therefore, God had determined that He will justify individuals on the basis of faith, which is a challenge to man's self-effort and self-reliance. this is where man must acknowledge that he is not the end in himself.

2. How do you know God exists?

Too many experiences with the supernatural ever since I was 5 yrs old. The bible has been proven true. When I got saved, it was very clear to me what had happened inside of me. This is personally recognized by the recipient of Christ's payment.

 

[lovely]

We are given faith by God because His Spirit bears witness of Christ as our redeemer. So, if we do NOT believe in Christ, then we have denied the witness of the Holy Spirit, and essentially rejected the blood of Christ...the payment for our sin. No faith equals a rejection of this free gift by means of unbelief. And, the opposite is also true, faith is a requirement of acceptance of that same free gift.

As far as the second question, I believe that it is also answered by the witness of the Holy Spirit...it is only by His drawing, and witness, that I know for sure there is a God. Having been given eyes to see by God. The evidence of His existance in the natural world is very clear. This is evident in all of His creation, His Word, His law, His widsom, etc. So, the initial, "I know" is based on the gift of faith, and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in me. The other evidence pivots around this alone.

The Lord bless you.

 

[rover]

1. Without faith it is impossible to please God.

2. How do "I" know God exists? Well through faith i beleive him to exist, and also God is doing great wonders in my life =)

 

[peace4all]

well ,from an atheists view (because of course, to be a good researcher on the topic, i cant just poll the same group


1) god requires faith, because it makes an all loving god implausable, therefore, disproving god.

2) I don't know god is real, there is no proof, hence the reason I am an atheist.



3) please don't kick me for this, I already got a warning earlier this weekend for "Provoking an argument" or something, It didnt make much sense but whateever..

I am just saying, How the atheist sees these questions and would answer them. IF you don't like it, Listen to jesus, and turn the other cheek? (or most liekly just ban me because, that is closer to what Jesus would do right?)

 

[Cedric]

I was going to wait till there were more responses but that does not look likely to happen.

1. Why does God require faith?

Since man is apart from God and lives life on his own, (self-sufficiency), he even questions God's existence and/or involvement in the universe.
Therefore, God had determined that He will justify individuals on the basis of faith, which is a challenge to man's self-effort and self-reliance. this is where man must acknowledge that he is not the end in himself.

You see that does not make any sense to me. Why seperate himself then judge people based off whether they believe in his existence? Perhaps my first question was poorly worded. I have now adjusted it.

We are given faith by God because His Spirit bears witness of Christ as our redeemer. So, if we do NOT believe in Christ, then we have denied the witness of the Holy Spirit, and essentially rejected the blood of Christ...the payment for our sin. No faith equals a rejection of this free gift by means of unbelief. And, the opposite is also true, faith is a requirement of acceptance of that same free gift.

I have seen no witness. How can I have faith in someone with a questionable existence? Pascals wager will not work. I have no choice but to reject that free gift.

Without faith it is impossible to please God.

Why is faith a requirement to please God? Why does faith please God? Also, where in Aus are you from?

god requires faith, because it makes an all loving god implausable, therefore, disproving god.

Say again? I think what you are trying to say is, "An all loving God would not require faith from his followers in order to love them. He would love them as they are because of his nature" . Let me know if that is what you are trying to say.

 

[rover]

The answer to your question Cedric is found in Hebrews 11:6
(or why not read all of chapter 11? since the whole chapter deals with faith)

I dont know why God doesnt just show himself...i guess its just a test of faith that his doing this...besides...seeing isnt always beleiving. Think about air, we cant see it but we know its there.

Oh i live in sydney :-D

 

[antitox]

You see that does not make any sense to me. Why seperate himself then judge people based off whether they believe in his existence? Perhaps my first question was poorly worded. I have now adjusted it.

Man, in his fallen state, does not comprehend God's nature, nor His pure state of existence, and lives a life far below that of God's. God's standards are much higher, in fact, light years beyond man's doubtful, unbelieving, questioning, state of existence. God is EXTREMELY positive in nature, else His existence would not be paradise, yet man is very negative in thought and deed by comparison.

I said that to say this; because of that vast difference between man and God, God will not stoop down to man's level without justification (because He is perfect). Justification is the only way. This is far more than just requiring an intrinsic belief because there are alot of people that believe in God's existence, yet do not know Him.

 

[GundamZero]

C.S. Lewis explained it very well, in respects to why God requires faith. You see, God wants us to love him. If we were forced to love him, it wouldn't really be love. Therefore God will not reveal himself completely, because if he did He would be undeniable. God loves us so much, He allows our own free will into the relationship. We can choose to leave the relationship, which is the same as not having faith. Ergo, an all loving God gives free will to have faith or not.

 

[antitox]

C.S. Lewis explained it very well, in respects to why God requires faith. You see, God wants us to love him. If we were forced to love him, it wouldn't really be love. Therefore God will not reveal himself completely, because if he did He would be undeniable. God loves us so much, He allows our own free will into the relationship. We can choose to leave the relationship, which is the same as not having faith. Ergo, an all loving God gives free will to have faith or not.

Good point to make on the relationship and free will.

 

[Rick W]

Luke 16:31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

Actually God reveals Himself in many ways if one cares to look and believe. The creation is a good place to start but these days we view Creation only through the eyes of our own sciences, the study of the physical. God isn't physical therefore science can neither prove or disprove God. So, we need another lenses, faith.

 

[GundamZero]

Yes. I think a big problem is that the Definition of Faith gets garbled from Christian to Atheist. You see, while an atheist will consider Faith as the belief in an unknown, a CHristian recognizes faith as the knowledge of the unseen, accepting that the Father exists whether we see him or not.
The creation is indeed a good place to start, because science, even with evolution, cannot tell us how time and space came into existance. Thus we must consider that everything is the effect of a higher power, be it a what or a who. We can see through similarities in everyculture that mankind has either inherited or invented collectively a sense of right and wrong. An atheist will say that this is merely a result of evolution as well. A Christian, because Faith in their god demands love and concern for everyone, accepts morality because it automatically gives intrinsic value to human life. And by seeing that morals in many cultures, although they are supposed to be separated by evolution, have extremely similar values-such as not killing, not commiting adultery, not stealing-Christians and those who have not heard CHrist but Follow the Father still will determine that the common physical properties found throughout the universe, and the common spiritual state of all men and women point to the one God, the Father Almighty.

 

[Rick W]

Science cannot answer age old questions like:
What is the purpose of life?
What is all this for? (the creation)
Is this all there is?
Who am I?
Do I return to oblivion as before I was born or is there something else?

Questions like these science can't answer and never will. These are not questions of composition, structure or laws of nature but questions from the soul embedded in us from the beginning so we may seek our God.
And no I'm definitely not against science for I believe science is God-given so we may know Him more. As we see or reveal more of His creation through science we are to stand in ever-increasing awe of His glory and power. But we don't do that choosing instead to use the gift of science in an attempt to prove there is no God. Science produces the data... the scientist produces the conclusion.
Depends on what you set out to prove in the first place. All research begins with assumption.
/Hey, what are you doing?
I'm looking for something.
/What are you looking for?
I don't know.
/Why are you looking for it?
I don't know that either.

A defense attorney uses the science of forensics to prove his client innocent. The prosecutor uses forensic science to prove his guilt. Each seeks something different not looking for evidence the other wants but science is used by both... to produce data. In most cases conflicting evidence is overlooked simply because it's not what is sought. In the end the data produced from both is judged by a jury of his peers.. the conclusion.
The soul cannot be placed under a microscope. We see it's effect and know it exists but we can't point to it and say, "Here is the soul." Same with gravity... we see it's effects, know it exists but can't point to it and say, "This is gravity."

 

[Rick W]

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Even an atheist has faith.... that the scientific conclusions, theories, of man's science are correct.

 

[Kefka]

1. God requires faith because, well he requires love. How can you love someone and have no faith in them?

2. People say that they have never seen evidence of God... it's because they reject the true reality. You could try and explain the beginning of the universe with the "Big Bang" theory, but it's hopelessly flawed.

 

[Geo]

Faith is a 'yes' decision resulting from free will. Otherwise He would
have implanted us with a 'yes' program (software that make the robot walk)

The Holy Spirit is actually this 'yes person' enabling us to a 'yes decision'.
If we make a 'free-will no' decision we are trying to quench the Holy Spirit.

Faith as a requirement proves that we are not robots.

 

[ArtGuy]

Faith is a 'yes' decision resulting from free will. Otherwise He would
have implanted us with a 'yes' program (software that make the robot walk)

The Holy Spirit is actually this 'yes person' enabling us to a 'yes decision'.
If we make a 'free-will no' decision we are trying to quench the Holy Spirit.

Faith as a requirement proves that we are not robots.

I don't think it's that simple. It doesn't take faith for me to realize that sticking my hand in a flame is going to hurt really bad. I can see it there, and I can feel the heat from a distance, and I can read about the effects of combustion. Does this mean I have no free will as regards sticking my hand in a flame? No, of course not. Reason does not conflict with free will at all.

Even if God came down tomorrow and revealed himself undeniably to every person on Earth, some would still reject him, just as some people still stick their hands in flames.

I believe faith exists because God wants us to find him on our own. Solving a problem on your own is more gratifying than being handed the answer. God's love is made more valuable to us by the fact that we have to seek it out. By not giving us all the answers out of hat, God ensures that the answers we do find will be treasured more.

 

[D46]

The Pharisees saw the many miracles Jesus performed and yet, they still didn't believe he was who he said he was. Many of his disciples, after hearing some of his "hard sayings" quit following him. Thomas even doubted his resurrection and proclaimed...

John 20:25 The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.

Disbelief in Almighty God is nothing new... or, as Solomon would perhaps put it, "there is nothing new under the sun." I don't recall ever NOT believing in God. There never was a time that I thought or questioned his existence. There were manly times I thought he had forgotten me or just put me on a shelf for a season, but never did I question his existence. Call it faith if you will but, regardless of what was going on in my life, I knew God saw and heard it all. Guess I was just to simple to believe otherwise!

John 20:27-29 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

According to what Jesus said, if you want to be blessed here and after this life is over, just simply believe. None of us has seen a physical manifestation of God (although Benny Hinn said he would appear to the world some years back) but we know he is there. Did not the demons even believe in him?

James 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

The scriptures abound with those of faith. This has got to be one of my top favorite scriptures about the faith of a woman and her love of God.

Mt 15:22-28 And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs. And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

Are we all not ready to await the crumbs that fall from the Master's table? I stand there with open hands!

 

[Geo]

I'm ready. Our faith gets build by Jesus in the Holy Spirit,
refined and tested, and is more precious than 24k gold.

1 Peter 1:7  That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than
of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto
praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

My faith got initially built by answered prayer in matters related
to healing.

James 5:15  And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord
shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.

The last few years even in matters of daily needs like basic daily income.

Matthew 6:30  Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to
day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you,
O ye of little faith?

Now I want to say with 1 Peter 1:9 that I'm looking forward to:
Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

 

[Hawkins]

1. Why does God require faith as opposed to simply revealing himself?

2. How do you know God exists?

It would be great if I could get your feedback on these. They have still been troubling me as I was away. Thanks in advance.

1. I think faith is required no matter God reveals himself to us or not. We are too sinful and stupid to be able to live with God, that's why He didn't reveal himself to us. I could be stupid enough to ask for some money from Him if I could see Him.

If we have enough faith, we'll be with Him, after our sins are removed.

The Bible already told us that even in His presence, if we lack in faith, we still choose to listen to the devils.

In His absence, on the other hand, we just feel how much we need Him around and where our Faith will be built stronger and stronger.

2. One day I said to God, "I know it's not right, but can I test your presence"? God said, "It's ok". So I just know He's presence, after a special "dialogue" (dont get me wrong here, it's not about the 'voice'). I believe whom I was talking to is our Lord Jesus with the Holy Spirit.

I know, you wont believe it, will you. 8-) Still, It's...........TRUE!


I believe that if you died and returned back then met the demon, God may try to speak to you, personally.

8-)