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What is The Biblical Meaning of the Word Faith? [message #9514]

Tue, 28 May 2013 06:28

A_Smoking_Flax
Messages: 34
Registered: November 2012

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*** What is the Biblical Meaning of the Word "Faith"? ***

Grace and faith are the two most important words in the entire Bible!

Because:

“By grace you have been saved, through faith;
This is not your own doing: it is the gift of God: not a result of anything you’ve done, so that no one may boast.”

We are saved by Grace…
Grace… is not our own doing!
Grace… is the gift of God!
Grace… is not a result of anything we’ve done!
It is by Grace… so that no one may boast.

Through faith…
Faith… is not our own doing! Titus 3:4-5
Faith… is the gift of God! Romans 12:3
Faith… is not a result of anything we’ve done! 1Cor 15:10, Ephesians 2:10
Through faith… so that no one may boast. 2Peter 1:2-3, 1Peter 1:2-5, Galatians 6:14, 2Cor 10:17

You would think that every Christian would know the meaning of these two words:
Since correctly understanding and believing them are the foundation of our salvation.
But this has not been my experience.

I have asked numerous “christians” for the definitions of grace and faith, and without fail these are the responses I have gotten:

Grace is the undeserved favor of God.

And, quoting Hebrews 11:1

“Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

I have found that “christians” (unsaved "religious" people) and even many true Christians also believe:
Faith is unquestioning belief; belief without any reason or evidence whatsoever: what some call “blind faith”.

AND…

Although most “christians”, and even some true Christians, believe there is some kind of mysterious aspect to “faith”;

It is only “charismatics” following “The Faith Message” who believe that faith is an actual, tangible, spiritual substance; a real spiritual power which is released by us through the act of “believing”: a power that we are required to obtain for ourselves; to store it up; to strengthen it; so that we will become “strong in faith”.

They believe it is the same spiritual power that God used to make the universe:
“Through [the spiritual substance of] faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God”. Or,
We understand that it was through the spiritual substance of faith that God made everything by speaking the Word of Faith.

Not only is it up to us to acquire this spiritual power, but, we must also be able to use it.
The most important part of having “faith” is increasing our prowess/ability to use this power in our daily lives. (James 2:17-18,20,22; “The just shall live [day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute] by faith”. Whatsoever is not of faith is sin. When Jesus comes He will be looking for those who have (and use) this spiritual prowess).
We must have enough faith to enable God to do what we desire/need, i.e., receive the desires of our heart, prosper us, heal us, save us, save our families, etc.
Because, if we do not have enough of our own strong faith for God to use:
God can do nothing for us. Matthew 13:58, Mark 6:5-6

*** The Meaning of "Faith" Has Changed ***

Satan understands that there is no way he can change the definition of the word grace.
Everyone understands that the primary meaning of the word grace is undeserved favor (of God).
I believe God won’t allow the meaning to be changed because that is how He saves us… By Grace!

But Satan knows…

The definition of the word faith can be made to seem more mysterious, ethereal, and mystical.
The definition of the word faith has been radically altered over time.
In fact, it has come to mean the exact opposite of its original Biblical definition.

This can be clearly seen in these dictionary definitions starting with the more recent dictionaries and going back in time.

1986: faith, belief without proof; belief without need of certain proof

1962, 1965: faith, a believing without proof

College edition 1953, 1958: faith, unquestioning belief; unquestioning belief in God, religion, etc.

If you go back far enough, the original definition of the word faith can be clearly seen, even in a common dictionary:
And that definition changes everything!
Faith is not belief without proof; or unquestioning belief in God, religion, etc.
Faith is belief based on reason and evidence.

WEBSTER’S 1828 DICTIONARY

FAITH, n. L. fides, fido, to trust; Gr. to persuade,
1. Belief; the assent of the mind to the truth of what is declared by another, resting on his authority and veracity, without other evidence; the judgment that what another states or testifies is the truth.

2. The assent of the mind to the truth of a proposition advanced by another; belief, of probable evidence of any kind.

3. In theology, the assent of the mind or understanding to the truth of what God has revealed.

4. Evangelical, justifying, or saving faith, is the assent of the mind to the truth of divine revelation, on the authority of God's testimony, accompanied with a cordial assent of the will or approbation of the heart; an entire confidence or trust in God's character and declarations, and in the character and doctrines of Christ, with an unreserved surrender of the will to his guidance, and dependence on his merits for salvation. In other words, that firm belief of God's testimony, and of the truth of the gospel, which influences the will, and leads to an entire reliance on Christ for salvation.

Not long ago, it wasn’t only true Christians who understood the exact meaning of the Biblical word faith: everyone understood it!

The Belief of our Reason is an Exercise of Faith, and Faith is an Act of Reason.

It is not reason that is taking my faith away: on the contrary, my faith is based on reason.
It is my imagination and emotions [that are taking my faith away].
The battle is between faith and reason on one side and emotion and imagination on the other.

*** Three Related Greek Words: Pistis, Peitho, Pisteuo ***

What Is The Biblical Meaning Of The Greek Word Translated “Faith”?

Anyone who is teaching God’s Word, has a responsibility to be sure that the meaning of a word translated into English is the actual meaning of the Greek word, before he uses that word to teach anything i.e., theology or a Biblical principle.
Baptize, church, saint; these words no longer have the same meaning in English that they have in the Greek.
Any correct Biblical teaching/theology/principle has to be based upon the actual meaning of the word, not its current, popular, incarnation/deviation.

For example, in John 21:15-17, there are two different Greek words, with two different meanings, both translated as “love”.
When you understand that two different kinds of “love” are used, you then understand that Jesus did not ask Peter the same question three times, but, Jesus actually asked Peter three different questions.

The Biblical definition of the word which is translated faith is persuasion.

FAITH [Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of The Bible]
G4102 pistis (From G3982; Believe)

Persuasion, that is, credence; moral conviction (of religious truth, or the truthfulness of God or a religious teacher), especially reliance upon Christ for salvation; abstractly constancy in such profession; by extension the system of religious (Gospel) truth itself: - assurance, belief, believe, faith, fidelity.

Persuasion
1. The act of persuading; the act of influencing the mind by arguments or reasons
2. The state of being persuaded or convinced; settled opinion or conviction proceeding from arguments and reasons

Credence
1. Belief; credit; reliance of the mind on evidence of facts derived from other sources than personal knowledge, as from the testimony of others

Conviction
1. The act of proving, determining to be guilty of an offense charged against a person before a legal tribunal; as by the verdict of a jury.

Reliance
1. Rest or repose of mind, resulting from a full belief of the veracity or integrity of a person, or of the certainty of a fact; trust; confidence; dependence. We may have perfect reliance on the promises of God

Constancy
1. Fixedness; a standing firm 2. Fixedness or firmness of mind; 3. Certainty; veracity; reality.

Veracity n. [L. verax, from verus, true.]
1. Habitual observance of truth, or habitual truth 2. Invariable expression of truth

BELIEVE [Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of The Bible]
G3982 peitho (the root word of faith)
A primary verb; to convince (by argument, true or false); by analogy to pacify or conciliate (by other fair means); reflexively or passively to assent (to evidence or authority), to rely (by inward certainty): - agree, assure, believe, have confidence, be (wax) content, make friend, obey,[b] persuade, trust, yield.

Convince v.t. [L., to vanquish.]
1. To persuade or satisfy the mind by evidence; to subdue the opposition of the mind to truth
2. To convict; to prove 3. To substantiate; to prove.

Believe (pisteuo): is used 250 times throughout the New Testament and is translated: believe, believers, believing, believest, believeth, believed, trust. Its origin is from the word Faith.

BELIEVE [Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of The Bible]
G4100 pisteuo (From G4102)
to have faith (in, upon, or with respect to, a person or thing), that is, credit; by implication to entrust (especially one’s spiritual well being to Christ): - believe (-r), commit (to trust), put in trust with.

Credit
1. Belief; faith; a reliance or resting of the mind on the truth of something said or done.

Trust
1. Confidence; a reliance or resting of the mind on the integrity, veracity, justice, friendship or other sound principle of another person.
2. He or that which is the ground of confidence.

Confidence
1. A trusting, or reliance; an assurance of mind or firm belief in the integrity, stability or veracity of another, or in the truth and reality of a fact.

Biblical Faith is:
Persuasion in what God tells us, which convinces us to believe God, and to trust in God, and to rely on God alone to perform what He said in His Word.

*** The Greek Word Translated Substance ***

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance…

The biblical meaning of the word faith is clear; it means persuasion.

The biblical meaning of the word substance is also clear.

Substance [Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of The Bible]
G5287 hupostasis
From a compound of G5259: hupo, under; and G2476: histemi, to stand; a setting under (support)

You can see the basis of the word substance, when you take the word apart, sub and stance:
sub; under, beneath, and stance; to stand. Foundation would be a better translation of the word.

So instead of faith being a spiritual substance of power and our prowess/ability to use it;
Hebrews 11:1 would be better translated as:

Now persuasion in God’s Word is the foundation of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Or expanded it could read:

Persuasion in God, belief in God, trust in God, and reliance on God alone is the foundation of everything I hope for;
Persuasion in God, belief in God, trust in God, and reliance on God alone is the evidence of things I have not yet seen.

There is no “power” in biblical faith.
The word faith simply means God has persuaded us through His Word, to believe Him, and because we believe Him,
we trust in Him, and rely on Him alone to fulfill His Promises to us.

Biblical faith is not belief/faith in our own mastery of a “Spiritual Substance of Power”, what some have described as “having faith in our faith”.

*** The Full Meaning of the Word Grace ***

Grace and Truth came by Jesus The Messiah.

God’s Grace, on the other hand, does contain THE POWER OF GOD TO CHANGE US SPIRITUALLY, ETERNALLY.

GRACE [Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of The Bible]
G5485 charis
From G5463; graciousness (as gratifying), of manner or act (abstract or concrete; literal, figurative or spiritual; especially
The divine influence upon the heart, [Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.]
And its reflection in the life; [Order my steps in your word: and do not let any iniquity/wickedness have dominion over me.]
Including gratitude): - acceptable, benefit, favour, gift, grace (-ious), joy liberality, pleasure, thank (-s, -worthy).

Graciousness n. Kind condescension.

GRACE [Thayer’s Greek Definitions]
G5485 charis
2) good will, loving-kindness, favor
2a) of the merciful kindness by which God, exerting His holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection, and kindles them to the exercise of the Christian virtues.

God, [Who has saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace.]
Exerting His holy influence upon souls, [No man is able to come to Me if the Father who sent Me does not give him the desire to come. Make me to go in the path of Your Commandments.]
Turns them to Christ, [No man is able to come to Me if he is not given the power to do so by My Father.]
Keeps, [Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy. I know Him in whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day.]
Strengthens, [Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might. I can do all things through Messiah who strengthens me.]
Increases them in Christian faith, [The Christian doctrines/persuasion, belief, trust and reliance in God. Go on fighting strongly for the Christian faith which was once delivered to the saints. God has dealt to every man The Measure of faith (persuasion, belief, trust and reliance in God).]
Knowledge, [In Messiah are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.]
Affection, [Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. If we love one another, God dwells in us, and His love is perfected in us.]
and
Kindles them to the exercise of the Christian virtues. [Now the God of peace… make you perfect in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.]

*** Christians Are God Centered ***

Back to Ephesians 2:8-9

“By grace you have been saved, through faith; This is not your own doing:
It is the gift of God: not a result of anything you’ve done, so that no one may boast.”

We are saved by grace…
Grace… is not our own doing!
Grace… is the gift of God!
Grace… is not a result of anything we’ve done!
It is by Grace… so that no one may boast.

Through faith…
Faith… is not our own doing!
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us.
Faith… is the gift of God!
God has dealt to every man the measure of faith.
Faith… is not a result of anything we’ve done!
But by the grace of God I am what I am: and His grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Through faith… so that no one may boast.
Grace and peace be multiplied unto you… according as His divine power has given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness.
Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father… Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through persuasion, belief, trust and reliance in God alone unto salvation.
But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.
But he that boasts, let him boast in the Lord.

There have always been only two ways: God’s way, or man’s way.

By Grace you have been saved, through faith!

Is it man centered?
I am saved by grace, through My Faith!
I am saved by grace; which God only gives, because I released My Spiritual Power of Faith.
It is only because I released My Spiritual Power of Faith, that God can save me by grace.

Or, is it God centered?

I am so persuaded by God, Who said He saved me by His Grace, that I believe I am saved by His Grace, and I trust in His gift of Grace for my salvation, and I rely on His free gift of Grace alone to save me for eternity.

Either God gets all the Glory! And no one has anything at all to boast of.
1 Corinthians 1 :30-31, 15:10, 2 Corinthians 4:7, Galatians 6:14, Ephesians 2:4-10, 4:6-7, 5:20, Philippians 4:19, Colossians 1:12-14, 1 Thessalonians 3:12-13, 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17, 1 Peter 1:3-5, 4:11, 5:6,10-11

Or…

Man gets the Glory; and we can boast of our own accomplishments. Luke 18:11-14, James 4:13-16

For a Christian it is obvious: Salvation, of body, soul, and spirit; is of The LORD! God Alone Gets All The Glory!

The difference can be seen in which word we emphasize in the question asked by Jesus: “Where is your faith?”

Now it came to pass on a certain day, that He went into a ship with His disciples: and He said unto them, Let us go over unto the other side of the lake. And they launched forth. But as they sailed He fell asleep: and there came down a storm of wind on the lake; and they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy. And they came to Him, and awoke Him, saying, “Master, master, we perish”. Then He arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm. And Jesus said unto them, “Where is your faith?” Luke 8:22-25

As “Overcomers” we were taught:
Jesus was rebuking them for coming to Him for help!
He was chastising them for not trusting in their own faith; for not relying on their own faith; for not using their own faith to get them out of trouble:

“Where is your faith?

Where is your own spiritual prowess!? Your ability to use the spiritual power of your own faith!?
You should have used your own spiritual prowess to stop the boat from sinking!
This is something that you should have been able to do for yourselves ! You should not have needed Me to do it for you!

The Christian point of view is looking only to God and not ourselves.
Jesus is simply admonishing us to trust and rely on God, our Father; no matter what the situation.

“Where is your faith?”

Where is your persuasion in God that causes you to believe Him, to trust in Him, and rely on Him to keep us safe, even in the midst of this storm?
Jesus tells us to have persuasion, belief, trust and reliance in God.

Again…

And when Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us. And when He was come into the house, the blind men came to Him: and Jesus said to them, Do you believe that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yes, Lord. Then He touched their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you. Matthew 9:27-29

What is the emphasis?
Let it be unto you according to your faith: according to your prowess/ability to use the spiritual power of your own faith.

But Jesus didn’t ask them if they had enough faith to receive healing;
Jesus asked them: “Do you believe that I am able to do this?
Their answer was yes, Lord Jesus; we believe that You are able to do this.
According to your faith, According to your persuasion in God, that causes you to believe Him, to trust in Him, and to rely on Him to give you your sight.
(The Father that dwells in Me, He does the works.)

So then your own Spiritual Power/Prowess comes by hearing!
Or,
So then persuasion, belief, trust and reliance in God comes by hearing the Word of God.

One is reliance on your own “faith”.
As he was “teaching” about Romans 10:17, an “anointed” faith teacher said: If I need faith for something that I am “believing for”, I just say it out loud; and when I hear myself speak, that brings faith: because, faith comes by hearing!

The other is looking to God alone.
Persuasion in God, belief in God, trust in God and reliance on God alone comes from listening to the Word of God.

If, as one “anointed" teacher said: “God never does anything out of compassion. God only responds to [your] Faith!”;
Why then, does God speak about/respond to/act upon His own will, mercy and compassion so many times?
Matthew 8:2-3, 9:36, 14:14, 15:32, 20:34, Mark 1:40-41, 5:19, 6:34, 8:2, Luke 5:12-13, 7:12-15, 9:11, 13:11-13, 10:33, 15:20
Romans 9:15, Hebrews 5:2, 1 Peter 3:8, Jude 1:21-22

If Jesus believed the “faith message”:
When His apostles asked Him to “increase their faith” He would have told them that to make their faith strong they needed to exercise it daily like a muscle, by “believing God” for their desires, needs, etc.; letting their faith (spiritual substance) “stand in the gap” until the full manifestation of what they are “believing for” comes to pass.

Instead, Jesus told them:
If they had persuasion, belief, trust and reliance in God, as small as a grain of mustard seed, that would be enough to do the impossible.
Jesus did not teach that we need to build up our “faith”; instead, He knew that our heavenly Father has given to each of us “The Measure” of faith, and that is more than enough.

If Peter believed the “faith message”:
Why didn’t he teach it after he and John had healed the lame man at the gate called Beautiful?
This would have been the perfect time to teach “the faith message” to those who were wondering how this healing had occurred. Peter would have explained that it was his own Spiritual Substance of Power, his own Spiritual Prowess, which came from his own Great Faith that healed this man.

Instead, Peter told them:
Why do you look so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?
Peter then preaches Jesus The Messiah to them and reveals how the man was healed:
And His name; Jesus’ Name, Authority, Character; through persuasion, belief, trust and reliance in Jesus’ Name, Authority, Character, has made this man strong. Luke 9:1-2, 10:1,9,16-17
Peter tells them it was Jesus The Messiah who healed this man not their own “spiritual prowess”.

If Paul believed the “faith message”:
He would have told Timothy to continue drinking that contaminated water and “believe God” to make it pure for him.
He also would have “confessed” perfect health over both Timothy and Trophimus.

Instead, Paul told Timothy:
Do not drink the water any longer [because it is contaminated], but use a little wine for your stomach's sake [it will help heal your stomach sickness] and your often infirmities. Trophimus have I left at Miletum sick.

*** Which Gospel? God's or Man's? ***

Back to “Jman’s” insightful statement: “No faith stands… until we figure out why the signs and wonders are missing. Something is wrong.”

Jesus told us to “go into the whole world, and preach the gospel to everyone. He that believes and is baptized shall be saved; but he that does not believe shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; in my name they shall cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming The Word with signs following. Amen.”

The answer is clear when you understand what Jesus said He would confirm with signs following.

Jesus promised to confirm only one thing with signs following: “The Gospel according to God’s Word”.
If there are no signs, it is because we are preaching a different Gospel; not the Gospel according to God’s Word!

The “faith message” is a false gospel.

The Biblical word gospel means: a good message.

G2098 euaggelion From the same as G2097; a good message, that is, the gospel: - gospel.

The “gospel” is the foundational message upon which all of your beliefs rest.
The "gospel” is the message of salvation by grace through the sacrifice of Jesus which restores us to a right standing with God.
The "gospel” is the message that we tell everyone as we evangelize the world in obedience to Jesus who commanded us to:
Go into all the world, and preach the good message of salvation through Jesus’ death on the cross, to every creature.
He that is persuaded by the good message, and believes the good message, and is baptized shall be saved;
but he that does not believe [The gospel/good message] shall be damned.

If you believe a false gospel (your foundational message) you are not a Christian, because, there is only one gospel.

I marvel that you are so soon removed from Him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: which is really no gospel at all;
except there are certain people who trouble you, and wish to pervert the gospel of Christ.
But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto
you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than
that you have received, let him be accursed. For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I
yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. But I declare to you, brethren, that the gospel which was
preached of me is not made up by man.

As a Christian, I am only interested in what God means when He uses a word.
What does the word faith or sub-stance mean according to God’s Word The Bible?
The words believe and faith are related to each other. They have similar meanings. (see above: G4104, pistis; G3982, peitho; and G4100, pisteuo)
Except for Heb 10:23 (which is the word G1680, elpis; which means expectation or confidence) every time the word “faith” is used in the New Testament (regardless of which verse you are using) it is the same word pistis, it means the same thing: persuasion, belief, trust and reliance in God.
And sub-stance means: hupostasis: under (sub); and to stand (stance); a setting under (support) or foundation.

The “faith” of “The Faith Message” is based upon an incorrect English translation and a misunderstanding of the definitions of two Greek words, pistis (faith) and hupostasis (sub-stance).
And,
An unbiblical, foundational emphasis based on only four words: “faith is the substance”:
Which is believed to mean: “faith is a spiritual substance”, “a spiritual substance of power”.

The “faith message” teaches faith as a work that we are responsible to produce for ourselves, for our own salvation: Thy Faith Has Saved Thee! You must work out your own salvation with fear and trembling!

The Biblical word “faith” cannot be the foundation for a belief in a mystical, spiritual substance of “power” released by us when we truly “believe” because: faith means persuasion, belief, trust and reliance in God: and, sub-stance means foundation.

The “faith message” is a false gospel designed by men, who “use” God’s Word to teach unbiblical doctrines that seem correct/Biblical to those of us who are following them, because, they “use” the Bible to “prove” their unorthodox teachings as “christian”.
These men apply a form of “biblical” interpretation called eisegesis; which allows them to interject their own personal ideas/beliefs/understanding into their “interpretation” of the bible; which they then present as “biblical” by means of biblical “proof-texting”. They start by taking their own unbiblical doctrine(s) and then “seek out” verses that say/prove what they believe; providing “proof” from the “text” of the bible that it is “biblical”. This often requires that certain words, or even whole verses, be taken out of their context, in order to be “understood” as they need/wish them to be.

Take for instance the teaching that we alone are responsible to keep ourselves “saved”; which was (along with other verses) proof-texted with : “You must work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”
Sounds right, it is what the Bible says. But, we were never told to read the second half of the verse, which adds:
“Because it is God who works in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”
The balance provided by God’s word, persuades us that we can believe Him and trust in Him and rely on Him, to make sure that we not only desire to do His will; but, that God our Father, will empower us, by His Grace, to actually do His will.

This one should be very familiar:
We were taught to be careful about the words that we speak, because, just like God, we have the “power” to “speak things into being”. And, because we have this “power”, we must not make any “negative confessions” which can “snare” us, and cause us to not receive whatever it is we are “confessing into being”.
And the proof-text offered for this “biblical truth”:
“You are snared by the words of your mouth, you are taken by the words of your mouth.”
But when you look at the context of this verse, you find that, once again, it is only half of the sentence; which in context actually reads:
“My son, if you are surety for your friend [co-signer of his loan], if you have stricken your hand with a stranger [given your word that you will do something],
You are snared by the words of your mouth, you are taken by the words of your mouth.”
This simply means that, if a friend asks you to be a co-signer of his loan; and you promise that you will take on this obligation; or you promise to do something for a stranger:
Because “you gave your word”; you are obligated (“snared”) to keep your word/promise. Because, as a follower of The God of The Bible, Who says regarding promises He makes: “God is not a man, that He should lie; neither the son of man, that He should repent: has He said, and shall He not do it? or has He spoken, and shall He not make it good?”: we are also required to keep our word whenever we give it. Matthew 5:37

*** The Root of the "Faith Message" ***

I know that Hobart Freeman told us not to look into Kenyon’s past or teachings; but, after I left the “church”, I did.
I needed to find out what was wrong with what I believed.

The “faith message”, as it is currently believed/practiced, began with the teachings of a man named E.W. Kenyon.
Kenneth Hagin plagiarized Kenyon's "faith message"; and he taught it to Hobart Freeman and all the other "faith" teachers.

You may remember Tom Hamilton’s adage:
“People say that what we teach sounds like “christian science”! It’s not “christian science”; it’s christian sense.”

In 1892, E.W. Kenyon attended Emerson College, a “spiritual” institution inundated with metaphysical, cultic ideas and practices. Unitarianism, Metaphysics, New Thought, and Mary Baker Eddy’s “christian science” were some of the “spiritual” influences advocated and taught to students at this school.
Charles Mallory, a frequent guest lecturer at the college, said of Emerson College, This is a school where the philosophy of life is taught. It ought to be called, “The First Church of Emerson.”
The college was named for its founder Charles Wesley Emerson, who was a believer in, and an advocate of:
Unitarianism, Metaphysics, New Thought, Mary Baker Eddy’s “christian science”, and Phineas P. Quimby (Eddy’s mentor).

*** Believing/Following/Obeying God or Men ***

Jesus explains why people do not believe what He says:
You do not believe [what I say], because you are not of My sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.
He that is of God hears, listens to, and obeys God's words: you therefore do not hear, listen to, and obey them, because you are not of God.

This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.
But in vain do they worship me, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.
You ignore God's commandments, and you are holding on to the teachings that men have made up.
And He said unto them, Full well you reject the commandment of God, so that you may keep your own tradition.

Either we are following the teachings of men or we are following God according to His Word.
The following story illustrates the point:

Not long ago, my wife and I invited an “assistant pastor” (he held a job as a “pastor” for 25 years) from a local “Baptist” “church” to have him look into God’s Word with us to discuss the doctrines we hold as being Biblical i.e., clearly taught in the Bible. We thought we would start with something easy, like marriage/divorce/and remarriage, or tongues. We have often wondered how a Christian could possibly ignore the clear definition of adultery given by Jesus in Matthew 19:3-12, and allow anyone to remarry; regardless of Jesus’ one and only exception for remarriage; or annul the Biblical truth of “tongues” as plainly taught in 1Corinthians 14; I was hoping to dispel the misunderstanding about tongues, that comes from not recognizing that God is speaking about three different “kinds” of tongues in this chapter.

I thought the best way to start was to have us read these verses together, and then talk about them: simple enough?
But…
As our friend started to “read” from his Bible, my wife and I tried to follow along with him but couldn’t. We were all using the King James Version; yet, not even one word that he “read” from his Bible could be found in our King James Bibles. At first this caused much confusion; where are the words that he is “reading” from his bible? Why aren’t those words in our Bibles?

Then it dawned on us what was happening:
Instead of reading God’s Word to guide us/teach us about tongues… he was “reading” into his bible the “Baptist” doctrine of how “tongues” had passed away and were no longer necessary for the “church” during this time etc., etc., etc.

This not only astounded us, it became a valuable lesson, illustrating a serious problem endemic in the “church” and in “christians”:
They cannot read, believe, understand, follow, or obey God’s Word; because they only read, believe, understand, follow and obey the doctrines of men.

This man was hoping to indoctrinate us into the “Baptist” “teaching” about “tongues”.
What he did not know was that we are Jesus’ sheep, Christians, who know, believe and follow God/God’s Word. We cannot follow man’s teachings.

Without knowing it, this “pastor” became the “poster-boy” to illustrate exactly what is wrong with the “church” at this point in time: when “christians” “read” God’s Word, they can only hear what men told them to hear; they can only believe what men told them to believe; they can only understand what men told them to understand.

This “pastor” was incapable of even reading God’s Word without interjecting man’s interpretation/doctrines directly into the text of the Bible as he “reads” it.

This is frightening! Imagine what it would be like to never again hear from God through His Word. To only believe and follow what men tell you to believe and follow? To be incapable of reading God’s Word without filtering it through man’s ideas/interpretation/doctrines/beliefs. To always read God’s Word with a veil over your heart and mind.
Their minds were blinded: for until this day remains the same veil not taken away in the reading of God’s Word; which veil is done away in Christ. But even unto this day, when God’s Word is read, the veil is upon their heart. Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away. Matthew 13:9, 13-15
They teach man-made ideas as if they were the Word of God.

And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who did not believe the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

I believe God’s people today are in the same position they were in when Jesus first came to turn them back to God/God’s Word: they didn’t believe or even know the Word of God anymore, because their “religious” “leaders” were teaching their own doctrines and not The Word of God. Mark 1:22,27, 11:18, Luke 4:32,36, John 7:15-17, Matthew 7:28, 22:33, 2 Cor 2:17, Colossians 2:18-22 2Tim 4:1-4, Titus 1:9-16

In the Bible, Christians are those who believe, trust and follow Jesus the Messiah. The Jesus revealed in God’s Word.

Throughout my life I have met, and know of, many people who identify themselves as:
“Catholics”
“Jehovah’s Witness’”
“Lutherans”
“Red Letter christians”
“Baptists”
“Methodists”
“Mormons”
“Charismatics”
“Overcomers”

And they admit they are following:
The Pope/church
The Watchtower/Awake/prophets
Martin Luther/church
The Social gospel/socialist/communist/”reformers”
Baptist teachings?
The Social gospel/socialist/communist/”reformers”
The Book of Mormon/Joseph Smith/Brigham Young/prophets
Anointed teachers/apostles/prophets/the Holy Spirit/the still small inner voice/personal revelations/”revelation knowledge”
The Faith Message/anointed teachers/apostles/prophets/the Holy Spirit/the still small inner voice/personal revelations/”revelation knowledge”

I once found someone online who had almost the exact/same testimony as mine, except, at the end of my testimony,
I became a Christian, a follower of Jesus The Messiah.
And at the end of his testimony, he became a “christian” AND, a “Lutheran”.

“christians” are unsaved “religious” people who are following men instead of following Jesus through God’s Word.
All the unbiblical beliefs that they hold to while disregarding the clear teaching of God’s Word to the contrary, are proof that they are following men and not God: Infant baptism, “Sacraments”, the “Eucharist”, the “Mass”, if you go to “church” you are a “christian”, etc.

These are more beliefs, taught by men, which are not found anywhere in the New Testament:

“Pleading The Blood of Jesus”,
“Believeing God For”,
“Anointed” teachers,
Only “anointed” teachers can “teach” God’s Word,
“The Fresh Bread from Heaven”/“The New Word of God”,
“Touch not the Lord’s anointed!”
Negative/positive “confessions”,
We have the power to “speak things into being”, just like God,
Christians calling themselves “The End Time Army of God”,
Christians calling themselves “Overcomers”,
Christians living a “Deeper Life”,
“The faith message” i.e., faith is a Spiritual Power.

*** Return to God's Word The Bible ***

When I started my journey with Messiah Jesus, my wife, my two brothers and I used to sit around with our Bibles open and talk about The Word of God. We used to discuss the Scriptures we had read, and wonder at how great God is. Those days were a great time of fellowship with each other around God’s Word. But, those times of sharing God’s Word ended when we joined “faith assembly” and I lost Christian fellowship with my brothers.

My first love was Jesus/God's Word. I would read my Bible (ten chapters) every day and talk about Jesus/God’s Word with every person I met. Deut 6:6-7.
This is what I believe Jesus meant about us recognizing that we had forsaken our first love, to remember where we were (spiritually) before we fell, and to stop going any farther in the wrong direction and repent (turn around), and do the first works again. Rev 2:4-5

God “woke me up” when I returned to my first love, about six years ago.
Now this is what I am holding on to: the salvation of my heart, soul, mind, body, and spirit by the Grace of God, which is the power of God, to keep me saved, and to keep me safe with Him, now and for all eternity.

I am persuaded by what God says to me in The Bible,
To believe what God says to me in The Bible,
To trust in God as my heavenly Father,
And to rely on my heavenly Father, to keep the promises, that He has persuaded me to believe.

If you continue in My word, then are you My disciples indeed; and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
If the Son therefore shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.

Set Free by Jesus: The Word of God.

His servant and yours

Tom

Please! Read my entire testimony “How I Met The God Of The Bible” in “Introductions and General”.
It will help you to understand why I cannot/will not follow or believe the teachings of men.
The foundation for all of my beliefs was, and always will be God’s Word The Bible.
(Except for the six-year detour, when I followed/believed the faith message/Hobart Freeman.)

Please! Read and carefully consider this entire post before you bring up any questions.

Please! Look up the words “faith” and “substance” in “Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible” before you bring up any questions.

Please! Let’s stay on one subject at a time.

Please! Respond only to the main topic of this post which is:

The “faith message” is a false gospel based upon man-made ideas about “faith” being a Spiritual Substance of Power.
The entire foundation for their false gospel stands upon two mistranslated words: faith (is the) substance.
Which they falsely interpret as: faith is a Spiritual Substance, a Spiritual Substance of Power.
And so they misunderstand Heb 11:1 to say: Trust in My Own Spiritual Substance of Power is the only way I can obtain everything I hope for,
my Own Spiritual Substance of Power stands in the place of things I am "believing God for" but haven't yet seen.

But, God’s Word says:

Persuasion in God's Word, belief in God, trust in God and reliance on God alone, is the foundation of everything that I hope for,
persuasion in God's Word, belief in God, trust in God and reliance on God alone, is all the evidence I need to believe I will see Him fulfill all of His promises.

Biblical faith means:

God reasons with us through His Word The Bible,
and through His Word He persuades us to believe what He says,
which causes us to trust in Him and to rely on Him alone to fulfill His promises.

[Updated on: Thu, 06 June 2013 07:52]

Jesus told me this 33yrs ago: John 14:6 I still believe Him.

God's words shall be in your heart: you shall talk of them all day long. Deut 6:6-7

Test all things; Examine all things; Put all things on trial; Prove all things. 1Thes 5:21

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