Hi mailman,
I read through your thoughts concerning faith to Lamar.
I would like to ask you. A couple of questions concerning two things: Hope and Faith.
We gain. A hope on the basis of knowledge we have received. and we trust In the knowledge, we have received and therefore we have a hope. Many times people have a hope on going on a vacation. But things happen and their hope is never realized. Faith Has Trust. In the knowledge one has received, just like hope. Faith though takes it another step further which is illustrated by our faith?
If you will look closely At the passage about faith in James chapter 2, It shows two different levels of faith. One level is faith without works and that faith is dead. As one reads about Abraham he did not receive a perfected faith until he went to sacrifice his son. when it says a perfected faith, it implies that there is an unperfected faith. This Faith as well Illustrated back in Genesis 15 where God credited Abraham's Faith as righteousness. This is the type of faith that God wants us to have and are willing to act upon it when there is something for us to do. This is what Abraham did.
Both Hope and Faith are well Illustrated here in Romans.
Romans 4:18-22 In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, "SO SHALL YOUR DESCENDANTS BE." 19 - Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah's womb; 20 - yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, 21 - and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform. 22 - Therefore IT WAS ALSO CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.
Abraham trusted in God's promise concerning his descendants. Abraham believed that promise and had relations with his wife Sarah. Both his Hope and Faith were strong. Abraham was a hundred percent assured that God would keep his promise and it was credited to Abraham as righteousness. Then as we see in James chapter 2 that Abraham received a perfected faith when he did what God had told him to do in going to sacrifice his son Isaac.
if you will look back and Colossians 2:11 through 13 you will see in verse 12 that it wasn't Abraham's faith in his baptism but faith in God as to his promises as to what he would receive when he was baptized. His faith was not in his baptism but his faith was in God's promises of what would happen when he was baptized.
When you are talking about works of righteousness being the same as works of faith, you are wrong! These types of works are well described in Ephesians chapter 2 and specifically talked about in verse 8 and 9. If you read the verses after eight and nine you will find out is talking about the works of the law by which no one was saved and by which the Pharisees thought they could be saved by keeping them the way they did.
Many times people quote Romans 4:1-5 to prove their argument that Faith does not include works. There are three things that they are missing. First of all, if you read Romans 3:28-31, what would see that is talking about the works of the law. Abraham lived before the law and down in Romans4:6 we see that David lived under the law but he was still Justified by faith when he kept the law.
Romans 3:28-31 For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law. 29 - Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30 - since indeed God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith is one. 31 - Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law.
Romans 4:1-6 What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found? 2 - For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 - For what does the Scripture say? "ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS." 4 - Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. 5 - But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness, 6 - just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:
Also, you will recall that in Colossians 2:11-13, God also circumcises, spiritually, the one who is baptized to have faith that he will forgive them other sins and give them the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Also comment as you read through the conversions in the book of Acts, in every case there are always baptized the same day that they believed.
Well, that is all for now and I thank you for the time that you have spent in reading this.
Wayne