Tag Archives: faith

What is Faith to you? Are You Operating in It?

Hebrews 10-11

Hebrews 10:1-4
“For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.”

The animal sacrifices that were given for atonement of sin only stood until a person sinned again, at which point, another sacrifice would have to be made.

Hebrews 10:5-8
“Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law;”

Christ is talking here.

Hebrews 10:9-14
Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

Now, there is no more need of animal sacrifices that did not make the worshiper perfect, because Jesus’s blood took away sin once and for all.

Faith

Hebrews 11:5-6
By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him:for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith it is impossible to please him:for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Encoh’s testimony was his life. People know you by the life you live, and you should lead a life that pleases God. Faith was the pinnacle upon which every patriarch before Christ believed and trusted in God.

When you look at the word faith, faith is the allegiancy to duty or ones loyalty, or trust. Not being faithful means to be disloyal, not reliable, false, traitorous, treacherous; Substance means the essential nature essence; the fundamental essential part of. The word thing means, matter of concern deed act, a distinctive entity, work service or goods. The word hope means to desire, will, or expectation of fulfillment; to trust or have confidence in; to trust in safety. Evidence means and outward sign, proof, seen, observe, to note or discern , experience.

When you look at the 1st verst of Hebrews 11:1 and add these definitions in place of the words, the verse would read thusly:  “Now complete trust in God is the essential part of an act desired, for the outward signs of an act, not observed.” So in order to show faith in God, you have to COMPLETELY trust in Him.

Romans 10:17
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Complete trust comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.

The Conflict of Your Christian Life

James 2:1-26, James 3:1-18

We constantly have some sort of conflict that takes place in our lives; jobs, neighbors, families, etc. As believers in Christ we are constantly conflicting. The Easter holiday is upon us, and as Christians we are conflicting with each other concerning whether or not Easter is a valid and biblical holiday to celebrate. On one end of the spectrum we believe Easter has direct ties to Jesus death, burial, and resurrection. On another end of the spectrum, we believe that Easter is steeped in extra biblical traditions that have infiltrated the biblical Feast days of Passover and Unleavened Bread. As believers, we have to get back to what is Biblical.

Who is a Christian, who isn’t a Christian? James 2:1-15 says we should not have respect of persons, yet we do. We should give the needy what they need, yet we don’t. If we have the necessities for ailing people, we should provide them. Yet, we’d rather pray that they get food, or clothes, when we have food and clothes ready to give to them. Then on the other hand, we turn around and ask God for something. Do you think He’ll give us what we’ve asked for if we can’t help the needy for necessities that we have readily? Further, do you think the person you are praying for will even turn their mind to think on Jesus? This becomes a conflict of your salvation and puts your compassion in question.

Faith without works is dead.

These two can not exist a part from on another. If you are a believer, then why are you doing things opposite of what a Child of God does? Here are a list of things that Christians may go through in their walk that cause them to have conflicts:

1) Christian behavior Romans 13
2) Sin Romans 6:1
3) To live holy or not, that is the question, James 2:1-26, 3:1-18, James 4:1-17
4) Flesh and spirit, Romans 8:1,2,4-14
5) The voice of Jesus, People have conflict with this because they can’t determine if its Jesus or not talking to them. Matthew 16:17, John 10:27, Act 9:1-18, Job 1-7
6) Lust, James 1:14-15, Ephesians 2:3, 2 Timothy 2:22, Titus 3:1-4, James 4: 1-10
7) To pray or not to pray, Matthew 6:7, Mark 11:24, Luke 18:1, Luke 22:40-46, 1 Thessalonians 5:17

The word conflict means war or clash. The greek word for conflict is athlesis, which means a combat, struggle or fight.