What is Faith?

[pablocito]

Faith in a nutshell is imagination, you can't see it but yet He exists both before and after the manifestation of what you were hoping for. If you want to take it a step further Christ Himself is the mind or imagination and identity of God but i'll spare people all of the esoteric stuff so i'll just quote Matthew 3:17 in response to "Without faith it is impossible to please God".

I agree with your total assessment.
I understand your use of the word imagination but the bible uses that word negatively, but your use of it is appropriate because I understand what you mean.

Psa 2:1 Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?

Jesus came to the world to enlighten them that the flesh (visible) was not all there was.
He came to enlighten them that the spirit (invisible) was the real deal and the thing that they should prioritize.

The flesh in and of itself profiteth nothing and has no real life of itself.
It is the spirit that gives life and even though we cannot see it, Jesus spoke the truth and anyone who can believe in something that they cannot see because of the words of Jesus (such as the spirit) has acquired faith.
Many old testament saints believed in the spirit, such as David.
Psa_51:11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.
Psa_31:5 Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O LORD God of truth.

 

[Pilgrimshope]

Joh 2:23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did.
Joh 2:24 But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men,
Joh 2:25 And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.

This a very interesting action taken by Jesus as his foreknowledge of all men came into play here.
This was a very negative response of Jesus to the people who even believed on his name because of the miracles which he performed.

This confirms Jesus's account when he states in John 17 that he has lost none that the Father had given to him except for the son of perdition.

Lastly I want to say that Jesus came to the gentiles. (of course the lost sheep of Israel, where he sent out the 12 and told them to not go the gentiles or the Samaritans is the exception)

1Ti 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

The mix-up in the world of today is concerning who is who.
There are no more Jews in the world today in the sight of God, God has moved on in his program of salvation and this latter day world is in scope. (The world contains black, yellow, green blue, Chinese, those who call themselves Jews and are not (Jesus addresses this very clearly in Revelation 2 and 3)

Everybody is a gentile, otherwise a heathen.

Paul also moved forward when he claimed that there is neither Jew, nor Greek in the sight of God.

I have brought to your attention 2 points above.

This last point is the most important. I would like to know (and you do not have to answer as this very topic is very controversial and thus we should not really start anything that would lead to strife.)
Why do you think God who is perfect gave us 4 gospels. (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) instead of just one or maybe two.

“This confirms Jesus's account when he states in John 17 that he has lost none that the Father had given to him except for the son of perdition.”

what account are you talking about ?

this is regarding the twelve specifically . It’s a fulfillment of scripture is why he’s saying he lost only the one who was written to betray him . it’s not a statement to all Men but fulfillment to at one of his companions would be his betrayer.

“I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word. For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me. I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled. And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.”
‭‭John‬ ‭17:6, 8-9, 11-18‬ ‭KJV‬‬

later in the prayer he addresses all who would believe through thoer testimony ( the 11 apostles plus Paul added later by Jesus.

See Judas was always meant to betray Jesus and Paul was always meant to replace him. The casting of lots before the spirit is given wouldn’t determine the twelth apostle but Jesus would appear to Paul and appoint him as his apostle just like the others

“ there are no Jews in the world only gentiles “

yes I agree somewhat , the law defines a Jew it’s those who obey Moses law completely which no one does or can now because the temple is gone and it eas the center of thier worship Under the law everything depended on the temple for the Jew from atonement to the reading of the law by the levites

Paul refers to “ spiritual Jews “ not based on flesh circumcision or a man made temple but the reality of a Jew

“For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: but he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭2:28-29‬ ‭KJV‬‬

It is the flesh identity that is gone in Christ circumcision ofnthe flesh required by Moses law is nothing now has no relevance to God nor the laws for the flesh nor the copy of Gods temple in heaven that once stood on earth those things are gone which made earthly Jews

in Christ we have become Abraham’s children not according to the law of Moses or those earthly ordinances for the flesh , but by the Holy Spirit through baptism into his death and acknowledgement of his resurrection

And through the gospel we find that circumcision of the heart as the Jews never did

some good thinking in your post there a lot to consider thanks for sharing in a good spirit

 

[pablocito]

in Christ we have become Abraham’s children not according to the law of Moses or those earthly ordinances for the flesh , but by the Holy Spirit through baptism into his death and acknowledgement of his resurrection

I sense a sort of throw away of the law of Moses in your statement, as though it was inferior to the law of Christ.
Yes the law of Christ is superior to the law of Moses only for us because it depended on the law of Moses being fulfilled or coming to fruition. Christ himself was part of the Mosaic system when he was baptized and kept the Jewish laws, even though he was Lord of the Sabbath.

College education is not better than high school education but is dependent on high school education which comes first, without which we would have no college education.

I think Paul's says it best in 1Corinthians 15 when he asked the question, why didn't we start with the spirit first instead of the flesh (or carnal man). The spirit is the graduation from the flesh without which there would be no spirit.

This is besides the point, but I always thought that if the people of today had to live in the time of Moses, God would have cast them all down to hell as God's judgment was quick and swift in those days.

Thus some of those men of the Old Testament should be considered Stalwarts of the highest order, men like Job, Noah and Daniel who God singled out in the book of Ezekiel.

The key to the entirety of God's kingdom, and also to the bible is faith. Faith is the glue that holds all men of God together from Adam to the very end of time. They all had faith and all will be given eternal life.

Faith is missing in action in this world being taken over by dead works and traditions which God hates. Isaiah 1 is a clear picture of Judah's and Jerusalem's fall from grace.

Isa 1:6 From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.

Only a very small remnant was left of God's people (Israel) who now are presently in the kingdom of God.

Isa 1:9 Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah.

There is a fallacy in today's world today that we have a much easier time entering God's kingdom than in the days of Old.

Not so, it requires giving up your life, totally for Christ, not just in words but also in deed. It is not just an 8 hour a day job but a 24 hour a day job until Christ returns, no exception.

Really you will have to become perfect, but not in your strength alone but with God's grace supporting you. In today's world it is easier to fail than to succeed in coming into the kingdom of God.

God told his disciples in Luke 16 that those who would try playing the middle, that is, serving both sides of the fence, should seek to secure a place in hell for themselves, for they will fail, so that at least they will have a place of habitation where they will be welcomed, when failure comes.

A person cannot serve God and mammon at the same time.

 

[Randy4u2c]

The bible states that -
"Without faith it is impossible to please God"

So what is the definition of faith?

The bible's definition of faith is -

Faith is the substance of things hoped for,
The evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1)

In our world of the 5 senses (and for some who also claim a 6th sense),
the bible's definition is out of this world, and does not fit any model of any known definition on the face of this earth.

Can you imagine sending some astronauts to the moon and telling them, we hope you reach there, because we really don't have any evidence that you will actually reach there.

You probably would have to go to the mental institutions or "like places" to secure any volunteers for such a mission. For sure the millionaire, with his huge wealth here on this earth would not go.

Everyone in today's world in his right state of mind, will want some guarantee for anything he does.

Would you go to your job, working for 8 hours, knowing that there is no guarantee that you will be paid. I doubt it, especially with the scams and greed that people resort to.

I wonder if anyone would like to comment on this definition of faith by the bible, for faith is the requirement into the kingdom of God.

You must have faith and believe that Jesus was the son of God and that through him you may obtain forgiveness and everlasting life in the kingdom of God. Although haven't seen God and the kingdom, we have faith that it true and we as believers will obtain it.

 

[pablocito]

You must have faith and believe that Jesus was the son of God and that through him you may obtain forgiveness and everlasting life in the kingdom of God. Although haven't seen God and the kingdom, we have faith that it true and we as believers will obtain it.

To most people Christian faith is a mind game. That is, we try to convince ourselves that we truly believe.

But true Christianity in reality is more than just a mindset, in fact it is something that we have to prove. That is we have to prove to God that we really believe by following through with his commandments.

Over the years the devil has thrown a curve ball into the mix and convinced many who claim to believe or have faith that they cannot or should not work for their faith or salvation (using various bible verses); therefore they just do nothing and their faith becomes only a mindset that they believe will catapult them into the kingdom of God.

Christianity really is very hard work, and to think otherwise is being deceived.