Is it 'really' faith?

Since we know that God is not a liar we then know when He makes a promise that it is a guarantee. Certainty does not negate trust. One might ask another, "Do you trust me?" Your response may be, "Certainly." For what reason are you certain that you can trust another? They are faithful. You have confidence in them to do as they say. Only this matter is magnified when it comes to God, because where people may possibly fail, God is faithful. Does God not do that which He has spoken? He hastens to do His word.

The risk of faith is not uncertainty, for uncertainty breeds doubt. The risk of faith is in whom you place that faith. In fact faith does grow in certainty. Do you know why? Once you step out on the water once, and it works, its that much easier the next time around. If a person continues to step out in faith trusting God to move not only on their behalf but His, every time a scenario presents itself they have confidence to step out because God has shown Himself to be faithful.

This you can be certain of. God is not a liar. When He speaks and makes a promise such words do not fall to the ground. You can have faith in Him, and you can be certain that He will fulfill that which He has spoken. Is it really faith to trust in God, who makes promises that are certain? Absolutely.

I would say that being certain is confidence, which comes from the mind. To me faith is such a Godly word, because, it is like surrendering your mind, to the mind of God. Like, even though I have these doubts, even though I think that there is a 96.5% chance I'm not going to succeed, I am going to have faith even while my mind has no confidence.

If we are afraid to go outside or open the door, do we need to pluck up the courage or gain the confidence, or does this all stem from faith in the first place? If this decision is rooted in faith, then surely we are less likely to fall backwards when we are back indoors.

Saying that, I've been in a place of low confidence for a while. And I know it is faith which can get me out of this self-reinforcing place where I doubt myself, or my future, or my life. Sometimes I have a breakthrough of 'confidence' but it doesn't last long, because it was not rooted in faith, but just a good day or maybe I ate the right vitamins or something!

Faith does not grow in the house of certainty, because the house of certainty is the mind. Faith is far greater than the mind, something which is a part of God.

It is for the very reason that God is faithful that you may have faith in Him at all. Without confidence, and certainty, faith is simply hope without substance. Yet, we in knowing God's faithfulness can have certainty and confidence which leads to a faith that trusts the Lord. You see? If we cannot be certain and confident in God to do that which He says, then we do not have faith. We simply hope. We then need to get an understanding of God and His character. He is not a liar, and He is faithful. This then cultivates faith, because we can have confidence in God.

The above is not a description of biblical faith based upon the Scriptures. The above also most likely needs more elaboration, it leaves too many loopholes for argumentation, hidden semantics &c.

You cannot claim to trust in something you know HAS to happen, no matter what.

Click to expand...

Um, yes one can. Example; a Christian trusts and has faith in the return of Christ -- Titus 2:13.

Faith does not grow in the house of certainty.

Click to expand...

Perhaps faith doesn't grow there, because faith is tried. Faith can grow in times of uncertainty and trial.

I know the immediate and instinctive reaction is to deny that statement. But.............. Why?

Click to expand...

No, I for one didn't deny that statement. But, the descriptions you are providing for the most part, excepting for the last statement are not accurate in describing biblical faith. There is therefore some conflation between a worldly definition of faith and biblical faith, seemingly.

Did you just ditch the thread Willie? lol

Well, it's a Christian site. Perhaps you should have been more clear in your OP.

What you're describing then is blind faith that has nothing as its object.

I think faith does grow in the house of certainty. Hebrews 11 is a pretty good chapter on that overall, but just an excerpt that speaks to me most:

Hebrews 11:8-13

[SUP]8 [/SUP]By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.
[SUP]9 [/SUP]By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:
[SUP]10 [/SUP]For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
[SUP]11 [/SUP]Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.
[SUP]12 [/SUP]Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.
[SUP]13 [/SUP]These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

Not at all. That shows their certainty even moreso. For having seen them afar off they were persuaded of the promises of God, and embraced them.

No, because that is blind faith. It is not based upon God, it is based upon a dream and a hunch.

Lol so what you're saying is faith is based on evidence not seen. A substance of things hoped for.

Nope, that's not what I said.

If faith is blind, the evidence is not seen, yes?

Hunches and dreams, are these things that are hoped for?

Thinkity think think. Maybe faith is based upon God more than you originally thinking.

Nope, that's still not what I said or implied.

You're completely misrepresenting me. Maybe it's a habit with you?

My position is that faith has to be in an object. In this case the object is God. Not dreams. Not hunches. Not blind faith. God.

Maybe you should thinkity, think, think, think, and then re-think, then read, re-read, re-read, and then re-read yet again, and then get help comprehending before you offer yet another straw man.

Lol I can read just fine. Okay so according to you faith is not the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things unseen? Are you sure that's what the apostles of God say about faith?

Thinkity think think.