Biblical Faith, What does it look like. The example of Mary

[eternally-gratefull]

God throughout the word has given us symbolic examples of how spiritual things occur, We have the law and its sacrificial system symbolically representing Christ n the cross.

The lambs who were slaughtered representing Christ

I believe God also gave us examples in the NT, Mary and her opportunity to carry our savior being one of them,


Luke 1:
[SUP]26 [/SUP]Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, [SUP]27 [/SUP]to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. [SUP]28 [/SUP]And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”[SUP][c][/SUP]
[SUP]29 [/SUP]But when she saw him,[SUP][d][/SUP] she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. [SUP]30 [/SUP]Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. [SUP]31 [/SUP]And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. [SUP]32 [/SUP]He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. [SUP]33 [/SUP]And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”

[SUP]34 [/SUP]Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?”
[SUP]35 [/SUP]And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. [SUP]36 [/SUP]Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. [SUP]37 [/SUP]For with God nothing will be impossible.”

[SUP]38 [/SUP]Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

A few things to notice.

1. Mary questioned the thing offered. She did not just take it, there is absolutely nothing wrong with asking God how or why. God never asks us to take things on Blind faith without any evidence.
2. The answer, With God all things are possible, (he even gave an example of Mary's relative Elizabeth)
3. Two points we need to make about Mary's response, and What God accomplished.

Mary's Faith.

A. Mary had a few choices to make, when given the opportunity to carry the savior in her womb.

1. Yes or no. Your will be done, Or I want nothing to do with this.
2. Yes, I will do this, but we will do it my way, Wait until after I am married, I have all these things to do. and people will treat me very badly if I get pregnant before I am married, it will not be good. For my son, or myself so we must do it this way, or I want nothing to do with it.

what was mary's response?

Behold, I am your maidservant Lord,

Mary acknowledged that she was the servant of God. And gave her life, her body, and her future to the Lord. to do what he willed. Even though she knew it would cause her and her family great anguish, and maybe even destroy her marriage to Joseph.

She had faith that God can do all things,, She trusted in things which she could not see, because she knew God was trustworthy.

Let it be done to me according to your word.

Mary, Like the tax collector. Acknowledged, I can not do it, I have not the power. You have to do the work in me God, So may your will be done, carry out your wok in me God.

She did not say yes, But my way, She said Yes Lord, Do it.. Its your work not mine, I do not want to screw it up. I TRUST YOU GOD (Biblical faith)

Gods response

Mary was not almost pregnant, Partially pregnant, Or sort of pregnant, She was pregnant all the way. Before she in faith trusted God, she was teenage who was not pregnant, the moment after she had faith, she was fully pregnant with our Lord.

Some things to ask.

1. Could Mary have changed her mind a few months in and aborted the pregnancy?
2. What do we think Gods response would have been if he was contemplating asking mary, And knew she would abort the pregnancy before she went to term?
If Mary would abort the pregnancy before she went to term ad gave birth, Did she really trust God in the beginning?


what does this mean for us?

God too is asking each and every one of us (or have already asked us) I have my son I want to give to you. I want to offer my son to give and live in your heart.

We have some choices to make.

1. Yes or no, Yes Lord I want this, or no Lord, I want nothing to do with you or your salvation.
2. Yes, But I will do it my way....

A. I am not worthy of your love so I will not just take it, I must do all these works, and take part of my own salvation. These things must happen first before I will accept you,

B. I have to clean up my life first God. until then, I am not worthy. So I will clean my life up. then come back and then you can give me your son.

What must our response be?

I am your servant Lord. Do to me what you desire, I can't do it myself I have no power to even help you do what you desire to do, I trust you (biblical faith)

Gods response.

1. We are not partially saved, Almost saved, or sort of saved, We were completely saved.
2. The moment before we made a choice to trust God when he said with god all things are possible, we were dead, The moment after, we were made alive, Completely saved, Given Gods assurance that nothing could take us from God.

Like Mary then, the question must be asked.

1. Can we abort our salvation after we have been saved for awhile. can we change our minds?
2. What would Gods response be if he KNEW we would say yes now, But later abort our salvation, and end it.. before it completed its purpose? Would God still save us?
3. If we would later change our minds, and say no God, I do not want this, I am aborting my savior.. Did we have true biblical faith to begin with?

 

[BeyondET]

Exodus 4 is another display of faith

1Then Moses said, “What if they will not believe me or listen to what I say? For they may say, ‘The LORD has not appeared to you.’” 2The LORD said to him, “What is that in your hand?” And he said, “A staff.” 3Then He said, “Throw it on the ground.” So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it. 4But the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand and grasp it by its tail”—so he stretched out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand— 5“that they may believe that the LORD, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.” 6The LORD furthermore said to him, “Now put your hand into your bosom.” So he put his hand into his bosom, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous like snow. 7Then He said, “Put your hand into your bosom again.” So he put his hand into his bosom again, and when he took it out of his bosom, behold, it was restored like the rest of his flesh. 8“If they will not believe you or heed the witness of the first sign, they may believe the witness of the last sign. 9“But if they will not believe even these two signs or heed what you say, then you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground; and the water which you take from the Nile will become blood on the dry ground.”
10Then Moses said to the LORD, “Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither recently nor in time past, nor since You have spoken to Your servant; for I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.” 11The LORD said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes him mute or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the LORD? 12“Now then go, and I, even I, will be with your mouth, and teach you what you are to say.” 13But he said, “Please, Lord, now send the message by whomever You will.”

14Then the anger of the LORD burned against Moses, and He said, “Is there not your brother Aaron the Levite? I know that he speaks fluently. And moreover, behold, he is coming out to meet you; when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. 15“You are to speak to him and put the words in his mouth; and I, even I, will be with your mouth and his mouth, and I will teach you what you are to do. 16“Moreover, he shall speak for you to the people; and he will be as a mouth for you and you will be as God to him.17“You shall take in your hand this staff, with which you shall perform the signs.”
18Then Moses departed and returned to Jethro his father-in-law and said to him, “Please, let me go, that I may return to my brethren who are in Egypt, and see if they are still alive.” And Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.” 19Now the LORD said to Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt, for all the men who were seeking your life are dead.” 20So Moses took his wife and his sons and mounted them on a donkey, and returned to the land of Egypt. Moses also took the staff of God in his hand.
21The LORD said to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders which I have put in your power; but I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go. 22“Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the LORD, “Israel is My son, My firstborn. 23“So I said to you, ‘Let My son go that he may serve Me’; but you have refused to let him go. Behold, I will kill your son, your firstborn.”’”
24Now it came about at the lodging place on the way that the LORD met him and sought to put him to death. 25Then Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son’s foreskin and threw it at Moses’ feet, and she said, “You are indeed a bridegroom of blood to me.”26So He let him alone. At that time she said, “You are a bridegroom of blood”—because of the circumcision.
27Now the LORD said to Aaron, “Go to meet Moses in the wilderness.” So he went and met him at the mountain of God and kissed him. 28Moses told Aaron all the words of the LORD with which He had sent him, and all the signs that He had commanded him to do. 29Then Moses and Aaron went and assembled all the elders of the sons of Israel; 30and Aaron spoke all the words which the LORD had spoken to Moses. He then performed the signs in the sight of the people. 31So the people believed; and when they heard that the LORD was concerned about the sons of Israel and that He had seen their affliction, then they bowed low and worshiped.

 

[eternally-gratefull]

Exodus 4 is another display of faith

1Then Moses said, “What if they will not believe me or listen to what I say? For they may say, ‘The LORD has not appeared to you.’” 2The LORD said to him, “What is that in your hand?” And he said, “A staff.” 3Then He said, “Throw it on the ground.” So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it. 4But the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand and grasp it by its tail”—so he stretched out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand— 5“that they may believe that the LORD, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.” 6The LORD furthermore said to him, “Now put your hand into your bosom.” So he put his hand into his bosom, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous like snow. 7Then He said, “Put your hand into your bosom again.” So he put his hand into his bosom again, and when he took it out of his bosom, behold, it was restored like the rest of his flesh. 8“If they will not believe you or heed the witness of the first sign, they may believe the witness of the last sign. 9“But if they will not believe even these two signs or heed what you say, then you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground; and the water which you take from the Nile will become blood on the dry ground.”
10Then Moses said to the LORD, “Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither recently nor in time past, nor since You have spoken to Your servant; for I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.” 11The LORD said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes him mute or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the LORD? 12“Now then go, and I, even I, will be with your mouth, and teach you what you are to say.” 13But he said, “Please, Lord, now send the message by whomever You will.”

14Then the anger of the LORD burned against Moses, and He said, “Is there not your brother Aaron the Levite? I know that he speaks fluently. And moreover, behold, he is coming out to meet you; when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. 15“You are to speak to him and put the words in his mouth; and I, even I, will be with your mouth and his mouth, and I will teach you what you are to do. 16“Moreover, he shall speak for you to the people; and he will be as a mouth for you and you will be as God to him.17“You shall take in your hand this staff, with which you shall perform the signs.”
18Then Moses departed and returned to Jethro his father-in-law and said to him, “Please, let me go, that I may return to my brethren who are in Egypt, and see if they are still alive.” And Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.” 19Now the LORD said to Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt, for all the men who were seeking your life are dead.” 20So Moses took his wife and his sons and mounted them on a donkey, and returned to the land of Egypt. Moses also took the staff of God in his hand.
21The LORD said to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders which I have put in your power; but I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go. 22“Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the LORD, “Israel is My son, My firstborn. 23“So I said to you, ‘Let My son go that he may serve Me’; but you have refused to let him go. Behold, I will kill your son, your firstborn.”’”
24Now it came about at the lodging place on the way that the LORD met him and sought to put him to death. 25Then Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son’s foreskin and threw it at Moses’ feet, and she said, “You are indeed a bridegroom of blood to me.”26So He let him alone. At that time she said, “You are a bridegroom of blood”—because of the circumcision.
27Now the LORD said to Aaron, “Go to meet Moses in the wilderness.” So he went and met him at the mountain of God and kissed him. 28Moses told Aaron all the words of the LORD with which He had sent him, and all the signs that He had commanded him to do. 29Then Moses and Aaron went and assembled all the elders of the sons of Israel; 30and Aaron spoke all the words which the LORD had spoken to Moses. He then performed the signs in the sight of the people. 31So the people believed; and when they heard that the LORD was concerned about the sons of Israel and that He had seen their affliction, then they bowed low and worshiped.

Moses to, said I am not able to Lord. And God promised to work through him also.. And god fulfilled his promise.

would God have called moses if he knew he would later give up and walk away completely?

 

[Grace777x70]

Faith is just a positive response to what the grace of God already has provided for us in Christ's finished work. Faith doesn't say " God is going to do it" Faith says " we have it now". We are just waiting for the manifestation of it in this natural realm for some things.

Some people try to go beyond what grace has provided and then call it "faith" but it is really just presumption.

Faith is the substance of things hoped for. Biblical definition of hope is not like the world's which says "maybe and maybe not..we just hope so".

Biblical hope is the "confident expectation of good". You know it's coming and that it is there for you and that in fact you have it now. When we have this hope - then faith becomes the substance of that and receives what is there in that hope. When the manifestation of that comes is irrelevant. With faith and patience we inherit the promises of God.

An example of biblical hope would be "telling your child that you are buying them a bike next week when you get paid." The child reacts to that and uses faith to tell everyone that he has a bike now - even though the manifestation of it in his hands is not there yet.

The other aspect about faith is that it has a voice and speaks what it believes and hopes for. Romans 10:6 says that "the righteousness based on faith speaks"

 

[eternally-gratefull]

Faith is just a positive response to what the grace of God already has provided for us in Christ's finished work. Faith doesn't say " God is going to do it" Faith says " we have it now". We are just waiting for the manifestation of it in this natural realm for some things.

Some people try to go beyond what grace has provided and then call it "faith" but it is really just presumption.

Faith is the substance of things hoped for. Biblical definition of hope is not like the world's which says "maybe and maybe not..we just hope so".

Biblical hope is the "confident expectation of good". You know it's coming and that it is there for you and that in fact you have it now. When we have this hope - then faith becomes the substance of that and receives what is there in that hope. When the manifestation of that comes is irrelevant. With faith and patience we inherit the promises of God.

An example of biblical hope would be "telling your child that you are buying them a bike next week when you get paid." The child reacts to that and uses faith to tell everyone that he has a bike now - even though the manifestation of it in his hands is not there yet.

The other aspect about faith is that it has a voice and speaks what it believes and hopes for. Romans 10:6 says that "the righteousness based on faith speaks"

we also must remember, God is greater than that childs father, Things beyond that fathers control may prevent him from keeping his promise.

Nothing can prevent God from keeping his promise. When he says, I WILL, we can have faith, he will.

It also shows. if we can have faith in an earthy father, who is imperfect, How much easier is it to have faith in a heavenly father who is perfect.

 

[BeyondET]

Moses to, said I am not able to Lord. And God promised to work through him also.. And god fulfilled his promise.

would God have called moses if he knew he would later give up and walk away completely?

of coarse not God surely knew Moses would reach the finish line and Zippoah would display that same faith. This is why there is no question rather God was about to kill Moses for he wasn't for he already knew but God does this sometimes so ourself can believe in ourself we have the faith. Peter walked out on the water for a few but what happened?

 

[eternally-gratefull]

of coarse not God surely knew Moses would reach the finish line and Zippoah would display that same faith. This is why there is no question rather God was about to kill Moses for he wasn't for he already knew but God does this sometimes so ourself can believe in ourself we have the faith. Peter walked out on the water for a few but what happened?

God saved him, even when he was faithless (thus started to fall) Because even when we are faithless. He is faithfull..

Amen.

 

[Grace777x70]

we also must remember, God is greater than that childs father, Things beyond that fathers control may prevent him from keeping his promise.

Nothing can prevent God from keeping his promise. When he says, I WILL, we can have faith, he will.

It also shows. if we can have faith in an earthy father, who is imperfect, How much easier is it to have faith in a heavenly father who is perfect.

That is a great point! All the promises of God are Yes and Amen - so be it - in Christ! - We can rest in that fact.

 

[BeyondET]

God saved him, even when he was faithless (thus started to fall) Because even when we are faithless. He is faithfull..

Amen.

Thats a good point indeed, I've heard others say God changed his mind in Exodus 4:24, that would be thinking like a human for if a human kills another there's no bringing that person back to life unless God intervenes. In the Exodus 4 account, let's say Zippoah didn't react to cut off her son's forskin and God killed Moses. Well the next moment after that God would have brought Moses back to life and say see this is what faith is. Not thinking of our own human limitations but of Gods endless limitations.
Later in that Aaron was the Mouthpiece,, for God knows the future and works through anyone he choices.

 

[Joidevivre]

Back to Mary, this is what amazed me: Mary was under a legal contract to marry Joseph, who actually would have had to divorce her. She didn't say to the angel, "First, let me talk this over with Joseph who is my "husband". Nor did she say, "I must talk to my father first". She acted completely independently from the men in her life because it was God asking her to do something. There was no hesitation.

And in that particular culture, a woman did not make decisions without her husband's permission - or her fathers.

 

[eternally-gratefull]

Thats a good point indeed, I've heard others say God changed his mind in Exodus 4:24, that would be thinking like a human for if a human kills another there's no bringing that person back to life unless God intervenes. In the Exodus 4 account, let's say Zippoah didn't react to cut off her son's forskin and God killed Moses. Well the next moment after that God would have brought Moses back to life and say see this is what faith is. Not thinking of our own human limitations but of Gods endless limitations.
Later in that Aaron was the Mouthpiece,, for God knows the future and works through anyone he choices.

we can go back to abraham, Knowng God was able to "keep his promise" and raise his son from the dead, Abraham offered his son as sacrifice when God asked him to..

Thats biblical faith. Not wishy washy faith which is no faith at all..

 

[BeyondET]

Back to Mary, this is what amazed me: Mary was under a legal contract to marry Joseph, who actually would have had to divorce her. She didn't say to the angel, "First, let me talk this over with Joseph who is my "husband". Nor did she say, "I must talk to my father first". She acted completely independently from the men in her life because it was God asking her to do something. There was no hesitation.

And in that particular culture, a woman did not make decisions without her husband's permission - or her fathers.

O but they did sister, read more about women in the bible.

 

[BeyondET]

we can go back to abraham, Knowng God was able to "keep his promise" and raise his son from the dead, Abraham offered his son as sacrifice when God asked him to..

Thats biblical faith. Not wishy washy faith which is no faith at all..

i agree as it was back then and today so many have this wishy washy faith.

 

[crossnote]

Judges 6:13-17 KJVS
[13] And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt? but now the Lord hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites. [14] And the Lord looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee? [15] And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house. [16] And the Lord said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man. [17] And he said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, then shew me a sign that thou talkest with me.

Still Gideon made it in the Hall of Faith. Heb 11

 

[BeyondET]

Judges 6:13-17 KJVS
[13] And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt? but now the Lord hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites. [14] And the Lord looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee? [15] And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house. [16] And the Lord said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man. [17] And he said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, then shew me a sign that thou talkest with me.

Still Gideon made it in the Hall of Faith. Heb 11

good example on Gideon's wishy washy faith yet Gods faith does Deliver it is righteous and true even when people's faith is small non the less Gideon continue though I walk through the valley of death I shall not fear Evil for I know God will deliver.

Hebrew 11


1Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 2This is what the ancients were commended for.3By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.4By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.5By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.”[SUP]a[/SUP] For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. 6And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.7By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith.8By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. 9By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 11And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she[SUP]b[/SUP] considered him faithful who had made the promise. 12And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.13All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. 14People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.17By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, 18even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.”[SUP]c[/SUP]19Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.20By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future.21By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.22By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions concerning the burial of his bones.23By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.24By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. 25He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. 27By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. 28By faith he kept the Passover and the application of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.29By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned.30By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days.31By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.[SUP]d[/SUP]32And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, 33who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 34quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. 35Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. 36Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37They were put to death by stoning;[SUP]e[/SUP] they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— 38the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground.39These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, 40since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.

 

[Willie-T]

That is a great point! All the promises of God are Yes and Amen - so be it - in Christ! - We can rest in that fact.

So true. And faith exercised, (that makes it "Biblical") is also us simply saying "Yes" and "Amen."

 

[Grace777x70]

So true. And faith exercised, (that makes it "Biblical") is also us simply saying "Yes" and "Amen."

Yes..faith speaks and has a voice. The Holy Spirit may lead us to "do something" further and that will be a true "work of faith".

Some people in the past have heard a testimony of the Lord healing someone of diabetes and they said they threw away their insulin. So, someone hears that and they say 'I will throw mine away too". That's not faith - that's a work of the flesh. The other person was told by the Holy Spirit to do something and the latter person just duplicated it thinking he will have the same result.

Long story made short - one lives and one dies. On the outside it "appeared" they did the same thing but one was done in the flesh and the other was done by the Spirit. The flesh profits nothing , only the Spirit brings life.

 

[ladylynn]

Faith is just a positive response to what the grace of God already has provided for us in Christ's finished work. Faith doesn't say " God is going to do it" Faith says " we have it now". We are just waiting for the manifestation of it in this natural realm for some things.

Some people try to go beyond what grace has provided and then call it "faith" but it is really just presumption.

Faith is the substance of things hoped for. Biblical definition of hope is not like the world's which says "maybe and maybe not..we just hope so".

Biblical hope is the "confident expectation of good". You know it's coming and that it is there for you and that in fact you have it now. When we have this hope - then faith becomes the substance of that and receives what is there in that hope. When the manifestation of that comes is irrelevant. With faith and patience we inherit the promises of God.

An example of biblical hope would be "telling your child that you are buying them a bike next week when you get paid." The child reacts to that and uses faith to tell everyone that he has a bike now - even though the manifestation of it in his hands is not there yet.

The other aspect about faith is that it has a voice and speaks what it believes and hopes for. Romans 10:6 says that "the righteousness based on faith speaks"

And this is the sort of faith that is pleasing to God. This is what walking in faith is about. Getting up each day and knowing by faith that Jesus is going before us and we will have a successful and fruitful day because of Him. Having high expectations of Him is pleasing to Him. Being confident of Him and being secure and trusting of Him is honoring and gives Him the glory due Him in our lives for that day.

"For I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I've committed unto Him against that day"

 

[crossnote]

we can go back to abraham, Knowng God was able to "keep his promise" and raise his son from the dead, Abraham offered his son as sacrifice when God asked him to..

Thats biblical faith. Not wishy washy faith which is no faith at all..

Even Abraham had to grow in faith,...Hagar/Ishmael, Pharoah half sister story etc...yet he is the Father of those who walk by faith.

 

[Willie-T]

Even Abraham had to grow in faith,...Hagar/Ishmael, Pharoah half sister story etc...yet he is the Father of those who walk by faith.

You make an excellent point. Faith DOES require us "exercising" it. It isn't just a power floating around out there that makes everything OK.