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1 John 5: 4 .
rick:
To Alex,George and Kat,
Thank you for your input into this thread and even all others too as it shed a brighter light in my understanding concerning my original question. I will revisit this thread when I can think with more clarity as I'm still mourning the lost of my son.
God bless.
Kat:
--- Quote from: Rick on July 30, 2016, 01:15:00 PM ---For whatever is born of God overcomes the world and this is the victory that over comes the world our faith.
Is it our faith in God having the knowledge of the truth ( Gods plan ) that overcomes the world ?
--- End quote ---
Hi Rick, I went back to your original post and this first part about our faith... I thought pulling together some of what Ray had said on this would be helpful.
http://bible-truths.com/email2.htm -----------------------------------
Yes, Matthew, we are "saved in grace through FAITH..." (Eph. 2:08), but even THAT FAITH is not our own until God GIVES IT TO US! Notice Rom. 12:4, "God IMPARTS to each the measure of FAITH." AFTER God gives us HIS faith, then it becomes OURS! Pretty simple, huh?
http://bible-truths.com/email7.htm ------------------------------------
Actually "faith" is pretty much the starting point in the life of a believer. That is why, in fact, we are called "believers." Belief in Jesus Christ IS faith.
Notice how Peter starts with faith as our first virtue upon which we add additional virtues:
"And beside this, giving all diligence, ADD TO YOUR FAITH virtue, and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance, and to temperance patience, and to patience godliness; And to godliness brother kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity [LOVE]" (II Pet. 1:5-7).
http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php?topic=13566.0 ---------
Heb 11:1 Now faith is substance of things hoped for…
No it's not, it’s the "conviction" or Concordance has it "assumption." You assume what God says is correct. You 'assume' it, you don’t have proof. If you had proof you wouldn’t need faith. Faith is when you believe something that you don’t have the absolute proof for. That’s what faith is.
http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php?topic=2910.0 ------------
"Faith" is not a "Bible" word, or a "religious" word: it is a WORD, and it has a meaning. Here is a definition of faith from my American Heritge College Dictionary: "faith--1 CONFIDENT BELIEF in the truth, value, or trustworthiness of a person, idea, or thing. 2. BELIEF that does not REST ON LOGICAL PROOF OR MATERIAL EVIDENCE....." etc.
Those are very good definitions of faith, but as one can clearly and instantly see these definitions go totally contrary to the way that the King James defines faith in Heb. 11:2, "Now faith is the SUBSTANCE of things hoped for, the EVIDENCE of things not seen." Hogwash. Faith is the diametric opposite of "evidence and substance." When one possesses absolute "substance and evidence" regarding any matter, the last thing on earth such a person needs is "faith!"
Just days ago I heard Rod Parsley quote that definition of faith from the King James Bible. No wonder they have not a clue as to anything SPIRITUAL.
Now then, faith is a word that has a definite meaning. Muslims have "faith" in Allah, and Christians have "faith" in the "God of Abraham," and some few have "faith" in the Scriptures that tell us how we are to have faith in God. They are all "faiths" as you suggest, so are they not all the same? No, of course not. The qauality or kind of faith one has is graded by what that particular faith accomplishes. Do you rely on the God you have faith in, do you live a godly life because of it, do you love God and all humanity, are you overcoming the sins that God says He hates, etc., etc.?
Maybe a "tangible" example will help:
Money--you have money and I have money. It all "looks" like the same money. But one can buy food for his family with his money and another can buy booze with his money and let his family go without. Is there a difference? You bet.
Guns--you have gun and I have a gun (both made by the same manufacturer). So our guns are the same, correct? There is no difference in your gun and my gun, correct? Not at this point, but what do the two guns produce? One man shoots game to feed his family with his gun, while the other SHOOTS HIS FAMILY. Is there a difference? You bet.
James has great and simple wisdom in this matter: "Even so faith, if it has not works, IS DEAD...Yea a man may say, You have faith, and I have works: show me YOU faith [this is one kind] without works, and I will show you MY faith [this is a second kind] BY MY WORKS" (James 2:17-18).
Two faiths, two entirely different manifestations of that faith.
http://bible-truths.com/email13.htm --------------------------------------
"And the word of God grows, and the number of disciples in Jerusalem multiplied tremendously, Besides, a vast throng of the priests OBEYED THE FAITH" (Acts 6:7, Concordant Version).
Wow! Imagine that: The collective teachings of Jesus which are classified as "THE faith" is something that can and MUST BE, OBEYED!
And the reason that faith must be obeyed is because of another marvelous doctrine that one is not likely to ever hear quoted at a Concordant meeting, and it is this:
"For the GRACE of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, TEACHING US [image that, 'grace' is a VERB THAT DOES SOMETHING--IT TEACHES US SOMETHING. What?...] ...TEACHING US that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, RIGHTEOUSLY, AND GODLY, in this present world" (That again would be, The Apostle Paul to Titus, Titus 2:11-12).
http://www.forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,1710.0.html ----
Let me "bottom line" it for you in a few statements.
Faith is the assurance that God's Word is Truth and that God will do all that He has promised. This assurance (faith) is a GIFT of God and cannot be obtained by any human endeavor (Eph. 2:8-9). Reading and hearing the Scriptures can increase your faith, BUT ONLY BECAUSE GOD SUPERNATURALLY GIVES YOU THAT FAITH AND ASSURANCE, as you read and hear. Through faith you will both know God's will and live God's will. You must go to God for faith--there is no other source of true spiritual faith and assurance of God's trustworthiness.
God be with you,
Ray
lostANDfound:
--- Quote from: Rick on August 04, 2016, 01:49:46 PM ---
Hi LostAndfound ,
Its always difficult to find any words to say to someone who is mourning the loss of a loved one, one can even feel awkward at times as what to say.
--- End quote ---
Oh you noticed that? :) In an effort to be empathetic I projected too much of my experience on you, sorry Rick! And this is me with time to think before I type, just imagine me in real-time!
rick:
--- Quote from: lostANDfound on August 05, 2016, 01:45:49 PM ---
--- Quote from: Rick on August 04, 2016, 01:49:46 PM ---
Hi LostAndfound ,
Its always difficult to find any words to say to someone who is mourning the loss of a loved one, one can even feel awkward at times as what to say.
--- End quote ---
Oh you noticed that? :) In an effort to be empathetic I projected too much of my experience on you, sorry Rick! And this is me with time to think before I type, just imagine me in real-time!
--- End quote ---
Hi LostAndfound,
I don't believe you were being to empathetic at all and I do appreciate your concern for my devastation over the death of my son Richard.
There is much truth in all that you mentioned , parents do feel guilt when things go wrong in their offsprings life and I know I had these feeling long ago and had questioned everything I've done and blamed me for any failure with any of my family members.
I can relate to those things you mentioned and not only understand but have experience it first hand.
A few post back Dave from T made what I viewed as a profound statement when he said he was delightful when he discovered he was not three person but also rejected the fact that he was now two people in one body.
He is completely right because as scripture says man became a living soul not souls but soul.
At one time I believed many things that are contrary to my belief system today.
Once I believed parents were responsible for the outcome of their offspring but today I believe parents are accountable for how they turn out but God Himself is responsible.
Every parent wants their offspring to do better in life than they themselves did and so I too wanted wanted my offspring to better than me. I have to sons and one daughter but only one son lives but even though Richard is gone he's still my son .
My son Richard did not live with me but was staying at my home this past weekend and when I had went into my living room I found my son sitting up dead on my couch this past Saturday. Four days I've been in tears . Can you imagine what it's like to find your own son or daughter dead as I have?
This was Gods intention that this should befall me long before the world was made. I am one living soul who God chose to teach His truths to and it's these truths that give me so much hope in this age of deception ,corruption and pain we live in. What Job said is true the Lord gives and the Lord takes. I now know how God the Father felt in part when His son died too. Gods son was brutally murdered my son died a peaceful death. I thank God for that.
Please , don't apologize to me for the things you said , I'm thankful to God for all my sisters in Him .
God bless you .
Flanagan:
Sorry to hear about your son Rick. Our prayers go out to you that you may have the" peace of God which surpasses all understanding"
Christ be with you, Flanagan
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