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Declaring good news of real change out of, through and into the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Rom. 12:2 Rom. 11:36

Faith

(part 1)

Strong’s # 4102-Pistis-from-3982-pietho

Pietho-a primary word to convince

Pistis-persuasion, i.e. credence, moral conviction, reliance, constancy, truth

From the dawn of time, man has considered the world around him. He in fear, or wonder, has believed that there were forces greater than himself. We see the truth of this through-out recorded history. Sacrifices made to appease angry gods, or gifts and acts of consecration given in awe of an other-worldly benefactor give us over-whelming evidence attesting to man’s need to worship. Man in the depths of his being believes in something which is more powerful than he alone can wield or control. In truth, it is this need or desire to worship which sets man apart from the rest of the animal kingdom. “Worship is the key evidence of the spiritual quality of the human race, and the universality of worship is evidenced in alters, temples, priesthoods, sacrifices, rituals, prayers, praise, and religious exercises of all kinds.”

 J Preston Eby, The Seed in Every Man Bro. Eby goes on to write: “ Burial of dead, use of tools, or even architecture and the arts do not qualify as evidence of the spirit, for non-spirit beings such as birds, beaver, elephants, chimpanzees and a multitude of others engage in such activities to a limited extent. But no animal worships!...only man worships! Only man is a spiritual being! Only man is aware of God.” –end quote- Because man is a spiritual being, because he worships, is evidence for us to see that historically man has relied upon his convictions and beliefs to supply answers to every day questions. Even today, in this age of science and technology, most people rely on and even worship science and technology, forces greater than they actually understand. They use faith to supply answers to some of the same questions. It was so then, it is so now. I rejoice in the convenience of things technological and truth that has been uncovered in science. But, let us be aware of the fine line dividing truth from supposition, that line is faith.

What is faith? What do we mean when we say this super-charged word? From where, do we get faith? Are there different kinds of faith, or is faith in God the same as faith in science? In the most direct terms, faith is defined as: “confidence in or dependence on a person, statement, or thing as trustworthy.” Funk and Wagnall’s Standard Desk Dictionary Can we not see then, that by this definition, faith is a confidence in things as far-ranging as science to religion, to a best friend or a total stranger deemed trustworthy, such as a president or world leader?

What is faith?

So then, what do we, as Christian believers, mean by this word? Someone with any Christian background will almost immediately be able to bring to mind any number of Bible scriptures, in which we have total quote-unquote faith. Let’s look at some of these in the light of the Spirit of Truth to answer this question. The first of these scriptures that comes to mind might be found in Hebrews, 11:1. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” King James The Revised English Bible records this passage like this: “Faith gives substance to our hopes and convinces us of realities we do not see.”  But I really like the way The Amplified Bible translates and opens up this passage. “Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses]. Don’t you love this!!! Faith, as described here is nothing less than proof of ownership. If you are purchasing or ever have purchased a home, land, car, boat, or anything requiring a title, you have an excellent example of that to which this passage refers. Is the title deed the home? the land? the car or boat? The answer to these silly questions is of course, no. But the title deed is proof that that land, home, car or boat does in fact exist; and you are the owner thereof. Has the greatness of our Lord come over you and in the Spirit said the equivalent of “Let there be light”, to illumine your darkened soul, and suddenly you not only knew that He did indeed exist, but that you were lost without Him? But now, you find parts of your self that are still dark and in need of the illumination of His Holy Spirit. This is what we mean by a title deed. God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Him-self. To each of us on a deeply personal and intimate way, He has come and said “Let there be light. Let there be Jesus” But we do not see as yet the totality of Him in our lives. The light is there, it shines. He is light and can do nothing but shine, but we are not yet in total union with Him in Spirit and truth. So then, faith is the substance, the title deed of the truth and fullness into which we are being led. Praise God! Hallelujah! But is the title deed the end of the matter?

The End of Faith

1 Peter 1:9 “…receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.” What, what, what!!!  I can hear in the solitude as I write, “I am already saved!” And again, what about 1 Corinthians 13 that says: “And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.”  Let’s look at these scriptures and let the Spirit of our loving Heavenly Father teach us in this area. Shall we workmen look further, needing not to be ashamed, as we rightly divide the word of truth. The passage in Corinthians is one of pure majesty and beauty as it describes our approach to those around us. We do indeed have faith, hope and love for our co-workers, friends, family members, even enemies, as Christ enables us through His Spirit. In this aspect faith will indeed endure and abide. I for one am grateful for faith and hope in this area. In myself I do not have the where-with-all to believe for anyone else. Truthfully, I don’t even have enough to believe for myself, but that is for another time, for yet a different question.

 The verse in 1 Peter is really quite famous in all manner of Christian circles. Peter is addressing the “trial of faith” that many were experiencing at the time of his writing. This is on an intensely personal level thereby concerned with the individual, and not about those around us. Now, it is good to note that as we are tried, so too are our Christian friends, so that we can hope for them and have faith for them at the same time as we are longing for and expectantly waiting for the end of our own faith. We are all looking for the same, and it is good to remember each other. Indeed, if we too have the faith, or “…living hope, through the rising again of Jesus Christ out of the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and unfading, reserved in the heavens…”  1 Peter 1:3-4 (Young’s Literal Translation), then we also know of the trial of faith about which Peter has written.

Psalm 12:6 tells us: “The words (spoken words/utterances) of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.” Romans 10:17 says: “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word (spoken word/utterance) of God.” We have been baptized into the Holy Ghost and into His Holy purifying fire, for our God is a consuming fire; but the fire is to try and purify our faith. There is an end to faith for ourselves, even the salvation of our souls, of which Peter writes further, “That the trial of your faith…might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing (unveiling, revelation, manifestation) of Jesus Christ:” 1 Peter 1:7

The Salvation of our Souls

Clearly then, the revelation, the unveiling, the appearing, the manifestation of Jesus Christ within us and thus through us is the end of our faith. It is ironic that the end of our faith, even the salvation of our souls is exactly that which those around us look for. Paul tells us in Romans 8:19-22 “For the earnest expectation of the creature (creation) waiteth for the manifestation (unveiling, revealing, appearing) of the sons of God. 20. For the creature (creation) was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of Him Who hath subjected the same (creation) in hope, 21. Because the creature (creation) itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God, 22. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and trevaileth in pain together until now. “ King James So then, the end of our faith is the salvation (Strong’s #4991- soteria-rescue or safety) of our souls, as Peter told us.

 Now some confuse this word salvation with the word conversion. There is an initial conversion that takes place when Jesus Christ first comes into our lives. I still remember mine. I was twelve and knew that I needed Him. I asked my Mom to pray with me, and I knew that initial feeling of joy and relief as my conversion was well and truly done. It was almost as if I could hear my Lord see and say that the Light was good. But that was not the end of the matter, not by a long-shot. Faith had been created in me, but it had yet to be tested, and in some areas, now after many earthly years, I do indeed sit in the right hand of my Lord and He has put things under my feet. But there are other things in which I still need to be diligent to enter into His rest. There are some things which I do not yet see put under His feet. “But we are able to see Jesus, Who was ranked lower than angels for a little while, crowned with glory and honor because of His having suffered death, in order that by the grace (unmerited favor) of God [to us sinners] he might experience death for every individual person.” Hebrews 2:9 The writer goes on to say in verse 10 that: “For it was an act worthy [of God] and fitting [to the divine nature] that He, for Whose sake and by Whom all things have their existence, in bringing many sons into glory, (Author’s note-sounds like the salvation or total safety and rescue of our souls to me.) should make the Pioneer (KJ uses the word Captain) of their salvation perfect [should bring to maturity the human experience necessary to be perfectly equipped for His office as High Priest] through suffering. So I see Jesus, the Pioneer of my salvation, because of the experience of that long-ago conversion. As I have matured in Him, I do in truth and humility see some areas in my life in total submission to my Lord. In the rest, I labor (am diligent) to enter into His rest.

The Book of Revelation

I submit to you then that the entire book of Revelations is about the salvation of our souls which, as Peter told us, is the end of our faith. Revelation 1:1, the very first verse yields this understanding: “The revelation (unveiling, appearing, manifestation) of Jesus Christ…”  The truth of the end of our faith is confirmed in one of my favorite passages in the entire bible. The last chapter of Revelations, 22, verse 17 says: “And the Spirit and the bride say come…” Note the unity here. The picture here is of the wedding feast of the Lamb, and the bride has made herself ready. She has come into complete union with her bridegroom. “The Spirit and the bride say, (one voice) come”  Now whether you view the bride corporately as the entire ecclesiastic-called out ones- body of Christ, or individually as a single soul “coming up from the wilderness leaning upon her beloved” (Song of Solomon 8:5) the fact remains that the unity of the Spirit and the bride both saying with one voice “Come…let him that is athirst drink freely of the water of life” speaks of the manifestation (appearing, unveiling, revelation) of Jesus Christ. It is this total unity which is the end of our faith. “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. 22. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one (union) even as we are one:” John 17:21-22. Do we see? Then, “Dear friends, do not be taken aback by the fiery ordeal which has come to test you, as though it were something extraordinary.” 1 Peter 4:12 Revised English Bible

Faith is the title deed of our inheritance, reserved in the heavens. It is not the inheritance, but because it is given to us by the utterance (word) of our God, it shall not return unto Him void, but it will accomplish that into which it was sent. Isaiah 55:11 (paraphrase) Hallelujah!!! So, “let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for He is faithful that promised;)” Hebrews 10:23 that we might apprehend that for which we are apprehended of Christ Jesus: Philippians 3:12 (paraphrase) that we might know fully in every situation and circumstance even as we are fully known. 1 Corinthians 13:12 (paraphrase) There is an inspired song that relates this beautifully. It was written by Bro. Eby, and it is called Union and Oneness with Him.

Union and Oneness with Him

There’s a realm, a dimension of life-in which He is all that He is.

There’s a realm, a dimension of life-in which we are all that He is.

It is in union and oneness with Him,

only in union and oneness with Him.

It is in union and oneness with Him,

only in union and oneness with Him.

There’s a Son, a dimension of life-in which He is all that He is.

There’s a Son, a dimension of life-in which we are all that He is.

A secret place, this dimension of life-in which He is all that He is.

The greatest treasure, this dimension of life-in which we are all that He is.

It is in union and oneness with Him where we come to the end of our faith, even the total safety and rescue, the salvation if you will of our souls.

Love and peace to all who read in Christ Jesus…

Larry Hakala