Theology Week 6 Chapter 5

Saving Faith

There are 2 worlds that we believe in, the seen and the unseen. The seen world is our physical existence. We can see, taste, smell, and touch it. Faith is not as large an effort in the physical. In the unseen or spiritual realm Faith is essential. There are theories about why we only see the physical, but those theories are not as important as what we know about the unseen through God’s word.

John 20:24–29 ESV

24 Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.” 26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Believing without seeing, the physical, = FAITH

Don’t be a doubting Thomas!

It’s not always that simple, but it is always true.

Birds are made for the…

Birds are made for the air

What happens when you hold a bird under the water?

When humans serve without fait…

When humans serve without faith, they die, slowly.

It is a slow death.

Christianity is not just another path to inner peace of mind or spiritual health. Christianity, Christ, is the answer to everything.

What are the goals of other faiths?

Nirvana, peace, one with the cosmic consciousness, a loss of individuality, paradise…

Faith has 2 parts:

Belief

Action

The Greek work for faith and/or belief is Pistis

Romans 10:9–10 ESV

9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

to think to be true, to be persuaded of, to credit, place confidence in

of the thing believed

a. to credit, have confidence

2. in a moral or religious reference

a. used in the NT of the conviction and trust to which a man is impelled by a certain inner and higher prerogative and law of soul

b. to trust in Jesus or God as able to aid either in obtaining or in doing something: saving faith

c. mere acknowledgment of some fact or event: intellectual faith

3. to entrust a thing to one, i.e. his fidelity

to be entrusted with a thing

I pledge allegiance to the flag…

James 2:19 ESV

19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!

Faith is a special relationship between God and man.

2 Corinthians 5:19 ESV

19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

God was repairing the separation between himself and man and the method he uses is for us to have faith, belief, allegiance in and to him.

Faith is not a feeling. I cannot feel my way into heaven. The Mormons teach that you have a feeling and that is how you know you are accepted. You may have a feeling WHEN you are saved, but what about the muslim in the middle east that accepts Jesus. How do they feel? I can tell you they are terrified because they have just had a death sentence put on their head.

Faith is not a feeling!

Faith is a response to God!

There are 3 types of people when it comes to believers and discipleship.

My ticket has been punched and I am going to heaven, but don’t ask me to do any more.

I know I need to be a disciple, but I have learned enough, please don’t make me learn any more. It’s just too much.

I can’t get enough, I am a lifelong committed Disciple.

In other words:

Cold

Lukewarm

Hot

Part of the message in 1 Corinthians today is about that.

Faith calls for a response physically and spiritually!

What are the marks of Faith?

Revelation 1:8 ESV

8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Jesus

What is God like? He is like Jesus.

What does God look like? Jesus

What did God do and is doing in the world? Jesus

Where do we turn to find the answers to those questions? The Bible, theology, discipleship, they are all intertwined.

C. S. Lewis stated; “Men and women often surrender their convictions (loose their faith) because their emotions or imaginations overwhelm them.”

You cannot hold to your faith if you refuse to practice it. Simply put, you must be a disciple or you remain immature and never get to where Christ intends.