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Define "faith"

I'm guessing you won't like the word "feeling" there.
Don't trust our emotions?
Yet if I think of some of the famous Spanish saints, they had strong emotion, strong feelings. Intimacy with the divine, is surely emotional. Love is emotional.
Emotion and feeling were the expression of their faith. So I see feeling as big part of faith. It's the fuel that can help us endure. Endure when our mind is playing tricks. Thinking negative thoughts.
How we feel about God is an indication of our faith in Him.
 
humble soul said:
Belief?
Loyalty?
Trust?
Resolve?
Determination?
Feeling?
Click to expand...

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


Faith is a noun. It is something we receive from God when hear Him speak to us. Faith is divine substance.


By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. Hebrews 11:8


”By faith” means God spoke to us to do something, and we obeyed.




JLB
 
humble soul said:
That's an interesting verse. I don't quite get it though
Click to expand...

Faith is the substance we receive from God, that eventually becomes the reality of the thing you are hoping for.


Along with faith comes grace, that is also imparted to you when God speaks to you, that empowers you to do what He said for you to do, which activates your faith to become the reality of the thing you hoped for.





JLB
 
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humble soul said:
Belief?
Loyalty?
Trust?
Resolve?
Determination?
Feeling?
Click to expand...
Actually, for me anyway, when the Lord has spoken to my heart it is indeed a feeling. It is something I can't quite explain. When He speaks, there is a feeling of certainty deep down inside that I cannot deny. There are a few instances where there was no way for me to know and I acted instantly. I believe He told me in my spirit to act and avoid danger. I've had dreams I believe He gave me. I had a verse given to me for someone else and I instantly went to that verse ( I was 13 years old and didn't know the Bible). I have felt the Lord's presence a few times in my youth.
 
humble soul said:
I'm guessing you won't like the word "feeling" there.
Don't trust our emotions?
Yet if I think of some of the famous Spanish saints, they had strong emotion, strong feelings. Intimacy with the divine, is surely emotional. Love is emotional.
Emotion and feeling were the expression of their faith. So I see feeling as big part of faith. It's the fuel that can help us endure. Endure when our mind is playing tricks. Thinking negative thoughts.
How we feel about God is an indication of our faith in Him.
Click to expand...

I agree with you Mr Humble. Human brings have feelings. Jesus had feelings. He had love, compassion, He wept, He had sorrow. I'm sure you can add many more.
It is the negative feelings we have to throw away and that will strengthen our faith.
God gives us joy, that is a feeling.
 
humble soul said:
Belief?
Loyalty?
Trust?
Resolve?
Determination?
Feeling?
Click to expand...

I would say 'belief'. And because one believes, the rest of your choices follow.

Of course I am saying, you actually believe. Not just say you believe.

I think it would be interesting to have a polygraph in churches and we Christians asked if we believe Christ is the Son of God and Saviour Who was resurrected from the dead.

Quantrill
 
Faith means the trustworthiness or reliance on Gods word for his salvation for us who believe in him. It's a belief in the promises and blessings of his word and applying his word to our daily walk with him by seeing the confidence in the testimony of others.

The nature of faith is seen through the fruits of the Spirit, which are love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance, which these fruits brings about kindness, self control and faithfulness through the works of God that comes from our heart.

Faith gives us freedom from condemnation and freedom of salvation through adoption as we become one body in the Lord as we walk by faith, live by faith, pray by faith and resist evil by faith. By faith we are an overcomer of this world as we stand fast and are grounded in Gods word knowing we have assurance of all of his promises that makes us victorious in all things here on earth by us applying his word to our lives to know for a surety that he will never leave us or forsake us.

Faith is a living reality in ones life through Gods service by declaring his word as we bear witness to his name by the mighty works he has done. It’s not even our faith, but that of Jesus who is our faith as we believe in who he has said he was and to the glory and honor that he has brought before the Father through his life, death and resurrection that we to can become heirs to the throne of grace by coming boldly to his throne and surrendering all of us to him to be Lord and Savior of our live.

Hebrews chapter 11 is probably one of the greatest faith chapters in the Bible. Faith brought about Gods promise and favor to his people. We have these same promises today and forever because of the covenant God made with Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3 and for all generations to come because we are the heirs of God and joint-heirs of Christ, Romans 8:12-17.​
 
FAITH consists of Knowledge (intellectual), Agreement (emotional) and Trust (volitional).

  1. Knowledge - Faith is limited by knowledge. We can believe only what we know. Thus, knowledge being essential to faith, it must be a measure of it. What lies beyond the sphere of knowledge, lies beyond the sphere of faith. A man who believes the Bible, must believe on its authority whatever it declares to be true. But he cannot properly be said to believe any more of its contents than he knows. Romans 10:14b And how will they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher (messenger)?
  2. Agreement/Assent to the Truth – the wholehearted, emotional assent that the truth applies to the person himself. (Assent is conviction produced by evidence. Faith without evidence is irrational or impossible)
  3. Trust – Faith has a volitional aspect. In the trust aspect, knowledge has passed to assent, acceptance or approval, and from acceptance/approval it goes to volitional trust, surrender and reliance. All of this is actuated by the testimony of the Spirit for it is spiritually discerned. 2 Timothy 1:12b Still I am not ashamed, for I know (perceive, have knowledge of, and am acquainted with) Him Whom I have believed (adhered to and trusted in and relied on), and I am [positively] persuaded that He is able to guard and keep that which has been entrusted to me and which I have committed [to Him] until that day.

Results of Saving Faith​

This is a subject that is debated. Some believe one is saved by faith alone, others will argue for the need of works, others will argue for the need to be water baptized, etc.

The Cause of Saving Faith​

This is a subject that is debated. Some claim God to be the cause, others give credit to themselves.

The Specific Content of Saving Faith​

This is a subject that is debated. There seems to be a strong emphasis on believing in the death and resurrection of Christ, that Christ is God. The contents of Old Testament saints seems more difficult to reach consensus upon. Agreement deteriorates from these items (and even these items are controversial as some claim those who have not heard of Christ may be saved).

What cannot be part of the Content of Saving Faith​

This is a subject that is debated. Roman Catholics will says protestants cannot be saved and vise versa (this is not a universal opinion of each group for the other group).

The Potency of Saving Faith​

This is a subject that is debated. Some believe you can lose your faith, others do not.
 
humble soul said:
Belief?
Loyalty?
Trust?
Resolve?
Determination?
Feeling?
Click to expand...

The concept of Biblical faith can be understood by the commonalities among the examples by the great 'faithers' in the Bible:
  • All have a belief that the Word of God is Truth (reliable).
  • All took action that was based on that belief.
  • The 'hoped for' results were in line with the will of God, that is to say, it was not offensive to Him.
  • All were persistent in their actions despite any trials / obstacles they encountered because of their confidence in that belief.
 
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