How does one believe?
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Yes, we do have a mind. Good point. Head knowledge is a good start for most pursuits. Think of the Jews who seem to have just needed the Lord to "unlock" their hearts so to speak. There is nothing wrong with being "Berean" about things.
I also liked how someone mentioned Elijah...I'm wondering if they mentioned that referring to the pre-gospel of John the baptist as one of repentance (not sure how to multiquote atm). Like an initial"drawing" and then later a response (depending on the person).
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One believes by acknowledging they heard or have seen something from another source other than their own self.
It describes a work of faith or labor of love working in another to both will and do the good pleasure of the author. This in order to covey the thoughts of Him not seen . Those who have not the faith of Christ that works in us to both will and do His good pleasure are simply identified as those who have "no faith" not little none.. As that which was lost in the when mankind was led by another manner of spirit walking by faith of the unseen god of this world the author of false prophecy ; "Ye will surely not die"
Christian faith, not of their own selves, reveals the mind of the faithful Creator, his own self.
The question I would ask is according to the commandment found in James 2:1" not to have the faith of God as the faith of Christ" in respect to what the eyes see a person in respect to what the eyes see.
The commandment, reads...
James 2:1(KJV)2 My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.
Again persons to include oneself as thou shall have any gods before or living God .The first commandment.
The conclusion to those who refuse to hear prophecy and believe, reads....
Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?James 2:7(KJV)
The conclusion is men blaspheme the Holy name of God by which we are called . The Catholics do this with Peter and therefore disobey the commandment not to have the faith coming from Christ in respect to the eyes see.
Peter who forbid the Lord from coming to do what he was commanded by the father was forgiven of his blasphemy and violating the first commandment against the son of man seen .
When the Son of man left that forgiveness is cut off. No man a can stand in the holy place of God unseen. Even Jesus as the Son of man refused to stand in that holy place but rather gave all glory to God not seen saying only God is our good master, no man can serve the flesh seen and the Spirit not seen
It describes a work of faith or labor of love working in another to both will and do the good pleasure of the author. This in order to covey the thoughts of Him not seen . Those who have not the faith of Christ that works in us to both will and do His good pleasure are simply identified as those who have "no faith" not little none.. As that which was lost in the when mankind was led by another manner of spirit walking by faith of the unseen god of this world the author of false prophecy ; "Ye will surely not die"
Christian faith, not of their own selves, reveals the mind of the faithful Creator, his own self.
The question I would ask is according to the commandment found in James 2:1" not to have the faith of God as the faith of Christ" in respect to what the eyes see a person in respect to what the eyes see.
The commandment, reads...
James 2:1(KJV)2 My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.
Again persons to include oneself as thou shall have any gods before or living God .The first commandment.
The conclusion to those who refuse to hear prophecy and believe, reads....
Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?James 2:7(KJV)
The conclusion is men blaspheme the Holy name of God by which we are called . The Catholics do this with Peter and therefore disobey the commandment not to have the faith coming from Christ in respect to the eyes see.
Peter who forbid the Lord from coming to do what he was commanded by the father was forgiven of his blasphemy and violating the first commandment against the son of man seen .
When the Son of man left that forgiveness is cut off. No man a can stand in the holy place of God unseen. Even Jesus as the Son of man refused to stand in that holy place but rather gave all glory to God not seen saying only God is our good master, no man can serve the flesh seen and the Spirit not seen
P
If you think they are works then your sadly mistaken. Acknowledgeing the truth that you heard is not works and works without faith is dead.
Jesus said to believe and obey his commandments. The o.p. asks how does one believe I answered true belief is being a doer and not just a hearer according to James 1:22.
Jesus told the first 12 to follow him, I suppose that is a work for some?
Jesus said to believe and obey his commandments. The o.p. asks how does one believe I answered true belief is being a doer and not just a hearer according to James 1:22.
Jesus told the first 12 to follow him, I suppose that is a work for some?
'Belief' is a capacity God has given us, which separates us from other creatures.
God has given us the ability to 'imagine' or 'believe'.
And so, we can use this capacity to make God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit and the Truth part of our daily, continual reality. Or not.
Our five senses flood our minds with the reality they perceive.
Our job (the "Work of God" - John 6:29 ) is to use this capacity to add Jesus into that reality.
We need to find ways, that work for us, to 'add Jesus to our reality'.
I have posted the ways I personally do this work in the Miscellaneous Forum under 'How I currently try to do the work of belief in Jesus'
It is hard to keep believing in something you cannot see.
But the reward is everything. And without it, life is pointless.
If you try to keep believing in Jesus every day, then more and more, and day by day, you will know you are a child of God. And you will know it for sure!
God has given us the ability to 'imagine' or 'believe'.
And so, we can use this capacity to make God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit and the Truth part of our daily, continual reality. Or not.
Our five senses flood our minds with the reality they perceive.
Our job (the "Work of God" - John 6:29 ) is to use this capacity to add Jesus into that reality.
We need to find ways, that work for us, to 'add Jesus to our reality'.
I have posted the ways I personally do this work in the Miscellaneous Forum under 'How I currently try to do the work of belief in Jesus'
It is hard to keep believing in something you cannot see.
But the reward is everything. And without it, life is pointless.
If you try to keep believing in Jesus every day, then more and more, and day by day, you will know you are a child of God. And you will know it for sure!
Hi @LeeLoving, assuming that you are referring to "saving" faith/belief, James makes this very interesting statement in his Epistle:
So this begs the question, why? (actually, several questions come to mind when I read v19
)
There must be a type or kind of faith that saves, and another kind of faith that does not, yes?
It also seems to me that "demon faith" (so to speak) exceeds the basic faith of most human beings, because unlike most humans (who "believe" in God in some fashion or another), the demons know that, "there is one God" (as v19 puts it in the earliest manuscripts), but unlike most humans, they "shudder" or "tremble" because they do.
So, still assuming that this thread of yours is principally in reference to a faith or belief that "saves" (or doesn't), what do you make of v19 and all that James is trying to teach us there (as well what he says in the rest of his 2nd Chapter concerning these two 'kinds' of faith or belief .. James 2:14-26)?
Thanks!
~Deut
p.s. - just FYI, I was baptized as an infant and raised in the church. Because of this, I always believed in God, and, of course, always believed that I was a Christian (why would I not have?). So you can imagine how surprising it was for me when I finally came to "saving" faith in Jesus/finally became a Christian .. two months after my 30th birthday
James 2
19 You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.
So this begs the question, why? (actually, several questions come to mind when I read v19
)There must be a type or kind of faith that saves, and another kind of faith that does not, yes?
It also seems to me that "demon faith" (so to speak) exceeds the basic faith of most human beings, because unlike most humans (who "believe" in God in some fashion or another), the demons know that, "there is one God" (as v19 puts it in the earliest manuscripts), but unlike most humans, they "shudder" or "tremble" because they do.
So, still assuming that this thread of yours is principally in reference to a faith or belief that "saves" (or doesn't), what do you make of v19 and all that James is trying to teach us there (as well what he says in the rest of his 2nd Chapter concerning these two 'kinds' of faith or belief .. James 2:14-26)?
Thanks!
~Deut
p.s. - just FYI, I was baptized as an infant and raised in the church. Because of this, I always believed in God, and, of course, always believed that I was a Christian (why would I not have?). So you can imagine how surprising it was for me when I finally came to "saving" faith in Jesus/finally became a Christian .. two months after my 30th birthday
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You said, "action not acknowledgment," which is works, and I say we are only saved by "believing" in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is the Message of the Cross--it is Christ and Him crucified for our sins, buried and risen again from the dead in three days as the Scriptures foretold. Believe it to be saved and He will save you from the penalty of your sins (eternal death) and freely give you Everlasting Life. It grieves me and other believers to hear many preachers telling people to stop sinning or turn from all your sin in order to be saved, when we know that we ALL sin and fall short of the glory of God. "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." (1 John 1:8). Christ said repent or likewise perish. The word "repent" in the Greek means "change of mind." In terms of perishing, Christ was telling people to change their mind relative to their belief about Him. (John 1:10 - He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. ) The Apostle Paul said God commanded all men everywhere to repent, and he said it was about God (who He was and was not) and His Son, Jesus, who He ordained to judge the world and proof was His resurrection from the dead (after He was crucified for our sins). No work of ours can be added to believing upon who Christ is and what He has done for us. Only Christ's work can save. You quoted James 1:22 to support your "works salvation," however, but you failed to acknowledge who James was addressing his message to, i.e., "Beloved Brethren." James was talking to SAVED saints of Christ. Yes, I absolutely believe saved Christians should follow the heart of God and the footsteps of Jesus, just as James believed, but we must get saved first by believing in the Gospel of Christ so that the Holy Spirit can guide us throughout our life journey. No where in the Bible does it say we must repent from our sins in order to be saved. Rather Jesus said: "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life (John 5:24).
Yes, this is a good question, one that I will address in a separate thread about "The Neglected Basics of the Christian Faith.?" Here I will simply pose the key questions to promote discussion:
(1) What is the difference between faith and mental assent to Gospel beliefs?
(2) What is the different between faith and trust? (Yes, there is an important difference!)
(3) If, as Jesus teaches, faith works miracles, why are there so few miracles? Are Christians deluding themselves that they have real faith when in fact they don't?
(1) What is the difference between faith and mental assent to Gospel beliefs?
(2) What is the different between faith and trust? (Yes, there is an important difference!)
(3) If, as Jesus teaches, faith works miracles, why are there so few miracles? Are Christians deluding themselves that they have real faith when in fact they don't?
Calvinism and Lordship Salvation both deny choice of man. When the lost man hears God's "Word" (John 5:24), he then has the choice to believe himself a sinner as God said, having no hope within himself, and by his own will may choose to receive the gift of God through faith in Christ. That person is then saved (Colossians 1:12-14). After the person is saved, he then has the choice to submit to the Lord, presenting himself a "living sacrifice", can "add" to his faith, and through the direction and empowerment of the Holy Spirit become "neither barren nor unfruitful" (Romans 12:1-2, 2 Peter 1:1-9). They are both false gospels and lead to eternal death. Good works may and should result from salvation, but will never be the cause for obtaining or retaining salvation.
Well you both have a point,but salvation is different than the walk.
Most of the time it is a gimme that we are discussing faith of the "saved side" ,or to folks already saved by grace through faith.
As we mature,faith grows. We have more of His presence,Spirit,word,and like David,experiences under our belt.
We also should learn His voice.
I find his " now voice" to be the most powerful personally.
Most of the time it is a gimme that we are discussing faith of the "saved side" ,or to folks already saved by grace through faith.
As we mature,faith grows. We have more of His presence,Spirit,word,and like David,experiences under our belt.
We also should learn His voice.
I find his " now voice" to be the most powerful personally.
How does one believe..
Well to be a christian, the basic gospel to be believed is that Jesus Christ of Nazareth is the Son of God, he died on the cross for our sins, and rose to life again the third day.
Thats it. If you believe that, then that what makes you a believer.
You could believe the earth was created in 6 days, or a hundred billion years, you could believe we speak in tongues or not, or that the rapture is going to happen in 2045 or that the temple has been destoryed or hasnt even been built yet, you could even believe calvinists are right and arminists are wrong but if you dont believe the basic gospel message...you cannot be a believer
Well to be a christian, the basic gospel to be believed is that Jesus Christ of Nazareth is the Son of God, he died on the cross for our sins, and rose to life again the third day.
Thats it. If you believe that, then that what makes you a believer.
You could believe the earth was created in 6 days, or a hundred billion years, you could believe we speak in tongues or not, or that the rapture is going to happen in 2045 or that the temple has been destoryed or hasnt even been built yet, you could even believe calvinists are right and arminists are wrong but if you dont believe the basic gospel message...you cannot be a believer
Good Biblical examples..
Yes the Message is the same and people actually judge themselves by the way they respond to the Word of God..
Yes the Message is the same and people actually judge themselves by the way they respond to the Word of God..
Only his SHEEP can hear his voice, and they are already saved eternally.
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I'm saying the word "Repent" used in the Bible means "change of mind" towards what one believes about who Jesus Christ is (His Diety/Son of God/God manifested in the flesh/Messiah ); that He came to save the world from their sins and give them eternal life by purchasing those who will believe and trust in Him through the shedding of His blood on the cross of Calvary as payment in full for all their past, present, and future sins. "In Him, you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory. (Ephesians 1:13-14 ) Nowhere in the Bible does it say that one must "repent" from their sins in order to be saved. Christian culture added the words "from sin" to the word repent. The Reformers changed the original Greek word of "Metanoia" to the English word "Repent" when they revised the New Testament in the late 1800s, as there was no one English word that existed with the Greek meaning which was actually the inspired word of God. The Reformers also chose to use the word "repent" as they believed it to be a more true and more catholic, a more spiritual and more philosophical, interpretation of Christianity. So, if we replace the word "repent" throughout the Bible with the original and literal meaning of Metanoia to "Change your Mind," that puts a whole new light on things, doesn't it? For what is the "Mind"? It is that spiritual part of us which receives and assimilates whatever it has an affinity for in the world outside, whether that world is spiritual or material. It is the whole group of faculties which compose the intelligence. It is sight and perception, thought and reflection, apprehension and comprehension--all that is popularly known as the intellect or understanding. But it also embraces more than this, namely a large portion of the moral and affectional nature. Thus it comes about that, in common speech, the terms "mind" and "heart" are often interblended, one overlapping the field of the other. Therefore, when we speak of the Mind, we often mean the heart as well as the brain, but we never mean the heart without the brain. The Mind proper is the masculine, intellectual element, strong and foremost, of which the heart is the feminine, affectional counterpart, always in attendance upon it, always at one with it. As "Man" is the generic name for Adam and Eve, so "Mind" is the generic name for this twofold nature of man. When, then, "Mind" means so much, and "Change" may be made to mean so much, to speak of a "Change of Mind" is to stand on the verge of a GREAT conception. (Comments taken in part from "The Great Meaning of Metanoia--An Undeveloped Chapter in the Life and Teaching of Christ" by Treadwell Walden).
I disagree as a believer must FIRST believe in the Gospel of Christ in order to receive the Holy Spirit. "In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory. (Ephesians 1:13-14)