BenFTW;3471202]I don't believe it is fair for us to declare someone as having an inadequate amount of faith. I do believe, however, that we can determine whether through someone's own words and theology if they have any faith to begin with. This then is not about quantity but a determination of whether or not faith is present and in use. The question isn't the amount of faith but are we in unbelief?
well, if your actual thought is that it is not fair to say someone does not have enough faith, then I do agree with that...then you add the word 'however' and stick on a 'however' and go even further and say it may be worse than not enough faith...it may be no faith at all. that's a bit like saying I won't throw a rock at you, but I have this grenade along just in case
if you are speaking of believers...then they have faith or they would not be a believer...I would suggest that God sometimes heals those who are not believers to cause them (hopefully) to look up...to Him
so you would like to change the question to: is/are people who are not healed in unbelief? is this a question for everyone who is not healed or only those you determine are in that state?
If we study out the doctrines surrounded by healing we can conclude through some beliefs that faith is inactive (not being used).
we can? how about just using the good ole Bible. what does the Bible say about it. I would suggest that there are 2 very good posts...one from posthuman and one from Miri ....that have gone into some length into answering the questions concerning healing. where do we store unused faith? is there a best before date on it? does it go bad?
I say this because I've heard people declare with their own lips that they have faith to be healed but more than likely they will have to wait for their glorified body. So what they are basically saying is that their faith is adequate but God has denied them for the present moment. For some this is just hopelessness, giving up. No longer is it a belief that they will be healed in this life, but one day at the end.
yeah? so? you think that ties up God's 'hands' in some way? there are mulitple stories in scripture that indicate a lack of faith but yet God mercifully acts anyway...because HE KNOWS THE HEART AND DOES NOT JUDGE BY OUTWARD APPEARANCES THE WAY SO MANY DO. further, it does nothing to mitigate the many many prayers with all faith by those who KNOW if anyone heal them, God can, that God answers with a resounding NO. what happened there? that is the basis for this op
In this we can conclude they are not using their faith (that is adequate) to obtain healing in the present but instead, have chosen to persevere until the end.
you know, yesterday (Sunday) I didn't get this far into your response here and looked forward to perhaps reading and responding to something different then you and others have indicated in the past with regards to God healing and the faith of those who call on Him...but so far, you have simply put a little varnish on the default response and frankly, you just actually wrote the default response, of 'the person did not have enough faith so God could not heal them' (which makes God small and people somehow praying to a god that is at the whimsy of their prayers and that only they can somehow activate with gobs of faith)...do you really believe you have changed the equation of 'not enough faith?'
God would that we all persevere to the end...which none of us can without His Spirit
They are free to do so, but they cannot claim they have faith for healing and God has denied them because through their own words they have exposed themselves as no longer seeking healing in this life but the afterlife. They have become content in their suffering, and look ahead fixing their eyes on what is to come. For others this is not acceptable for them, they will seek healing in this life by seeking God. Not healing in the afterlife but this life. Their faith is an expectation that God will heal them in this life. That is an active faith.
ok...now all I read is same ole same ole same ole not enough faith. VERY disappointing. dude...you have to have ACTIVE faith to be even the weakest believer. this is the kind of rubbish that harms people and frankly, befuddles the mind that someone believes faith is inactive in a believer., or worse, that God somehow has put some aside until they die. that is shrieking crazy to think like that IMO
All I am saying is that people profess faith but their words and doctrines betray them. I am not saying their faith is inadequate, on the contrary it is more than sufficient. I am asking if they have lost hope and are no longer using that sufficient faith to seek healing from God that He, I believe, is willing to give and instead have opted to no longer use their faith to obtain but have laid it aside, having grown weary? This is an honest, almost brutal, reality check that can be heart wrenching and for that I do apologize if I have opened anyone's wounds (emotionally).
I am disappointed ... I actually dared think I was going to read something a little different.