Second part of Salvation
The word faith is bandied about amongst those who say they believe in the Bible but with little understanding of exactly what it means. Belief and trust are the usual answers to what is generally believed faith is, but that, I believe is only a partial explanation of what biblical faith is.
In the Vines Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words we find the definition of faith:- “Pistis primarily, firm persuasion, based upon hearing (akin to peitho, to persuade) it is used in the New Testament always of faith in God or Messiah (AKA Christ) or spiritual things.
The word is used of
- trust…
- trustworthiness…
- by metonymy, what is believed, the contents of belief…
- a ground for faith, an assurance…
- a pledge of fidelity plighted faith…”
The main element in biblical faith is its relationship to the invisible God, as distinct from faith in man, are especially brought out in the use of this noun and the corresponding verb pisteuo; they are firm conviction, producing a full acknowledgement of God’s revelation or truth
“Prominence is given to either trust or belief of these elements according to the context. All this stands in contrast to belief in its purely natural exercise, which consists of an opinion held in good faith without necessary reference to its proof.”
In Aramaic the word is described in the Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (TWOT) as “ ‘ameyn’ pronounced aw-meyn meaning to confirm, support, uphold, to be established, be faithful, to be certain i.e. to believe in.”
Today’s Biblical faith is in contrast to the belief of Abraham because many question their own judgement. It is said, ‘maybe it is possible’, ‘we hope that will come to pass’, ‘God willing’, ‘we are trusting but we cannot be sure therefore we pray some more… ‘.
This faith is neither established nor trusting faith but actually unbelief. Why? Because the other ingredient necessary for faith that I mentioned previously is still missing from our own ideas of faith. If you have doubt this is what you will be established in, and what you ask for will not come to pass.
To find what is missing we must go back to the beginning.
The New Testament will not reveal faith to you because faith comes from hearing, reading and believing Torah (Romans 10:17). Torah is Scripture and basic to knowing our Elohim.
“Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of Elohim”
It is Torah that will teach us about Our Father who is in heaven; the same YHVH that the sons of Elohim followed. Passed on to Abraham, his seed, Issac and Jacob written in the Book of the Covenant.
There are 3 necessary components to faith.
It is not enough to believe or trust in something unless that belief and trust are tested. With Elohim our belief must be followed through by an action as demonstrated by Abraham. The book of Hebrews Chapter 11 highlights this premise,
- To prove our belief in something we must act upon that belief or trust
V17 “By belief, Abraham when he was tried was (Tested for his faith) parenthesis mine, offered up Yitshaq and he who had received the promises offered up his only brought-forth son.” - Geneses 22:2,7 Abraham was told to offer his son; the one he loved as an ascending offering to Elohim. So he took his son, his only, miraculously conceived son, the firewood and they proceeded up the mountain to worship Elohim
QUESTION: The promises made to Abraham and to his seed forever (Geneses 12) they were made to you, do we need to think about that? - Yitshaq (Issac) said to his father, “we have the wood and the fire where is the lamb for the sacrifice?”
- Elohim believed Abraham would slay his son because Abraham believed Elohim would provide the sacrifice. Abraham drew his knife and raised his arm to strike his son.
There was no hesitation or holding back Abraham believed the promises that Elohim made to him for the inheritance of his future generations.
Along with the belief that Eloah raise his son from the dead. The actual intention of Abraham to slay his son as a sacrifice convinced Elohim that Abraham did indeed believe him - This action was immediately stopped (by a voice from heaven) once faith was proven
- A ram was caught in the thicket and that became the sacrifice
What Yitshaq and how did he feel about all of this?
Firstly, I do not believe that Yitshaq was a child (under 12 years old). He was old enough to understand what was happening
Scripture does not tell us Yitshaq was protesting, yelling, screaming and so on whilst his father Abraham was preparing the sacrifice. He agreed to his father’s actions.
Yitshaq would have been told the story of his birth, intervention by Elohim, and of the promises that were made to Abraham when he was 75 years old
- Abraham was told to leave his father’s house and relatives to go to a land of Elohim’s choosing
- Elohim was going to make him a great nation, he would have a great name and be a blessing. In fact Elohim changed his name from Abram to Abraham meaning ‘father of many nations. ‘(Genesis 13:15-16). Elohim showed him the promised land and said: All the land you see I shall give to your seed forever. And your seed shall be as the dust of the earth and the stars in the sky: too numerous and uncountable
- Elohim would bless those who blessed Abraham and curse those who cursed Abraham. And all the people of the earth would be blessed through him.
Why then would Abraham doubt Elohim after all the great and precious promises made to him considering he was made a very rich man already, except he had no son? The material blessings had started already but are earthly and temporary. The spiritual blessing began (Genesis 12)and when he met Malki-tsedeq (Genesis 14, more on this subject later).
Yitshaq was that seed, the son of promise so if it were Elohim’s intention to slay Abraham’s only son what was the point of making such empty promises? He would surely be proven one way or the other.
Yitshaq believed Elohim so he had no trouble surrendering to his father
It is easy to say we believe in something when nothing is required of that said belief as proof of what is said.
In other words, talk is cheap and implies that trust be given without any backup or proof what so ever. No challenge to our claim of faith makes our faith untested and this makes it difficult for us to trust.
Psalm 12:6
“The Words of YHWH are clean Words,
Silver tried as a furnace of earth, refined seven times’
Biblical faith works two ways:-
- We are never asked to believe anything by Elohim without proof of what He says
- He will ask of us to prove our faith by our actions
FAITH’S FOCUS
Faith must have a focus otherwise there can be no action to prove our faith
Ephesians 1:9 says, “And He has made us know the mystery of his will which He has before determined in Himself to accomplish.”
A mystery is not a secret rather it is something that is not yet revealed. ‘His’ refers to Elohim who is the beginning and the end of all things and he has revealed to us His will through His Torah. Unfortunately, the Kingdom of Heaven has suffered violence and many have been actively and vigorously taught against believing in His will. His will and everything else pertaining to our faith is revealed in Torah.
How are we to even hope to have faith in whom our Father is unless we know His will, doctrine and purpose through Torah? This is unfortunate (a massive understatement),an unmitigated disaster to our faith and it is actively taught that we do not need to know Torah (an argument for another time and I will vigorously contest) yet clearly Scripture says,
“that faith comes by the hearing and hearing the Word of Elohim”
Romans 10:17.
Are we wiser than our Elohim? Do we understand more than Him? Did we create the heavens and the earth? The Book of Job is a good read on this subject. “thy will be done” not Yeshua nor ours but HIS, El Gabor, the Mighty One who created all things; His will be done.
PROOF OF FAITH
This story is an example, seemingly extreme on a cursory level but the testing is the same. The testing of Abraham’s faith is an example of what we will experience if we choose to walk by faith.
Another example, the testing of the faith of Yeshua the Mashiyach was extreme in that He laid down his life for the promise of resurrection and eternal life for us. In both cases the rewards are life itself and we are the beneficiaries.
We are challenged by James 2:14 to declare our faith by our works of belief. How? Again obedience is doing what He says.
We will be put ‘through various trials to prove our faith that may appear more precious than refined gold that is tested by fire’ (1Peter 1:4,7,17).
”We are judged according to our deeds”. What is classified as a deed? Clearly a deed is our work, something we have done.Works of charity? Human effort to enhance our lives or those of the poor? Establishing churches, gaining converts? The word church is not found in Scripture and it has been superimposed over the meaning for Aramaic/Hebrew congregations / assemblies but they are not Jewish. Rather, claiming to be something more. Again test the spirits to see if they are of Elohim.
John 6:28 says, “What shall we do to do the works of Elohim?” Y’shua answered and said to them, “This is the work of Elohim, that you believe in Him whom He sent.” Y’shua is the Word of Elohim that took on flesh. So do we believe every word that proceeds from the mouth of Elohim according to Luke 4?
Clearly Abraham did believe every word that came out of his mouth and the reward for his tenacity of faith was unparalleled- His precious son. However, the sacrificial ram was accepted and gratefulness abounds.
What does this mean in today’s society?
Every person has an inbuilt sonar to detect the presence of Him who is waiting for our response. and He knows and understands our positions. This ability to connect with Himself is waiting for our ‘get go’. Let us understand this:
Abraham lived in Ur of Chaldea. A district if you like, south of Babylon. His father was an idol maker and there was a huge market for his product. Our inbuilt compass will always point to Elohim, to a relationship that most of us will not attain. Abraham heard ‘the call’ of Elohim and responded. So no matter where we are we have that ability to hear him and respond.
We live in a hedonistic world with a microwave, throw away mentality who will worship anything their hands will accomplish and their minds conceive.However, he who speaks the loudest or has a seemingly easy answer to our bothersome questions gets heard. Unfortunately this is also heard mentality(pun intended). The alternative is to sacrifice ourselves but for what and whom?
Can we bend the rules? Are there shortcuts? Many have tried and even more follow looking for easy faith or should I say lazy faith needing exercise?
The promise/reward for us passing a faith test is ‘an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled and unfading which is prepared for you in heaven’
Hebrews 12:2 “And let us look upon Y’shua who has become the beginning and completion of our faith…”
The currency of the Kingdom of Heaven is that of faith because
“it is not of ourselves but of YHWH.“
Faith comes by obedience. In offering our belief and trust like Abraham did because that is all we have to give, we sacrifice ourselves and submit to His requirements, Our heavenly Father, takes that belief and trust to Himself and from that exchange of action gives the result that is, true faith.
James 2:21 -22 “Was not Abraham our father declared right by works when He offered Yitshaq his son on the slaughter-place? Do you see that the belief was working with his work, and by the works the belief was perfected?”
“You see then, that a man is declared right by works and not by belief alone. “For as the body without the spirit is dead, also belief is dead without the works” (Verse 24, 26).
That is the testing of our faith and it needs to be perfected. It is tangible, solid and unwavering in belief. Now, we have a connection and can truly say “we know Him”.
“In Him we live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17:28 )
“For the just shall live by faith.” (Romans 1:17, Habakkuk 2:4)
Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the assurance of the things that are in hope as if they were in actual reality. “Faith is also the manifesting of the things that are (still) invisible.”
Heb 5:9 “And the result was that he (Yeshua) was perfected because of eternal life to all them who obey Him (Our Father). “ quoted from the Aramaic English New Testament Bible, parenthesis mine.
CONCLUSION
Faith comes from Elohim and is not of ourselves
- Belief and Trust are not enough they must be attached to the Word of Elohim and acted upon
- Faith must be tested to prove its validity (James 1:3)
- The Kingdom of Heaven is built on the solid Rock of our Father and His Son our Redeemer- the capstone. Only true Faith is rewarded because our belief and trust are of this earth and as such our opinions are as hay, wood and stubble that will be burned up as useless building materials.
- Our building likewise must not be fragile because when the storms, rain, hail push against us (they are our daily experiences) we must stand (firm in the word) (Mathew 7:24-27). The dross in our lives will be swept away in the last days and what is left is considered gold that is the investment of our spiritual lives (Revelation 3:18).
