Faith in God Versus Faith in Faith (Part 1of 2) by Allan Turner (http://allanturner.com/faith.html)
Faith is a matter of hearing testimony, examining the evidence accompanying that testimony, and then deciding "I believe it; it is true!" Contrary to what many seem to think, this is true whether one is dealing with scientific or biblical principles. The evolutionist believes that life came from non-life, not because he has observed this event taking place, but because he believes that the evidence demands such as faith on his part. Similarly, the theist believes in God, not because he has ever observed Him, but because he believes that the evidence demands such a faith. Specifically, in the context of one's relationship to God, faith is arrived at by hearing God's Word, examining the confirming evidence, and then deciding if one believes it: "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17).
The Value Of True Faith
Of course, in order to be classified as genuine faith, it must
lead us to obedience. In other words, genuine faith-the conviction
that God is right and His Word is true-will always lead to action
on our part (cf. James 2:26). Therefore, when one's faith is activated
by obeying the gospel and, as a result, one lives a daily life
of obedience to Christ, there is the remission of sins, as well
as all the good things that accompany salvation (cf. Romans 5:1-5).
By faith, one has the power to resist temptation. We know this
is true because the Word of God tells us that we can take up the
shield of faith and "quench all the fiery darts of the wicked
one" (Ephesians 6:16). By faith, one has the powerful avenue
of prayer (James 1:6; I John 3:22 and 5:14,15). By faith, one
has moral courage and stability (II Corinthians 1:24; James 1:3).
By faith, one has a foundation upon which character is built (II
Peter 1:5-11). By faith, one has an understanding that others
do not have, because by faith one understands the universe was
"framed by the word of God" (Hebrews 11:3). By faith,
one understands that man was created by God, is uniquely loved
by Him, and is a candidate for eternal fellowship with Him in
heaven. Thank God for the convicting power of His Word!
It is true then, and there must be no mistake about it, there is real power in faith. When we hear, believe, and obey the gospel of Christ; when we "walk by faith, not by sight," there is power available "in Christ" (Ephesians 1:3). Of course, it must be remembered that the source of this power rests in God and not man.
The Faith In Faith Bunch
Unfortunately, some these days are having a lot to say about faith,
but the faith they are talking about is not the faith spoken of
in the Bible. Some today are deluded by "deceiving spirits
and doctrines of demons (I Timothy 4:1)-and I am not just talking
about denominationalists-, and are teaching that the power of
faith is located in the human mind and not in God. Faith is seen
by these people as a power (i.e., force) of the human mind that
compels God to act on their behalf. The correct biblical concept
of "asking in faith, with no doubting" (James 1:6) is
wrested from the immediate context (viz., asking God for wisdom)
and is used to undergird the ungodly teaching that says one can
get from God any thing one prays for if possessed of a "positive
mental attitude" or "belief." This is not what
James was teaching. Instead, James was teaching that when one
who relies, trusts, and has complete confidence in God asks Him
for wisdom, he receives it. This is true because such a prayer
meets all the conditions stipulated in God's Word, including the
most important one: "If it be Thy will, Lord."
The Lust Of The Flesh And Eyes And The Pride Of Life
Turned-off by what they perceive to be a pie-in-the-sky-bye-and-bye
Christianity, many have succumbed to the you-can-have-your-cake-and-eat-it-too
philosophy of the modern day prosperity preachers. Subscribing
to what is called the "magic power of belief," many
have come to believe the blatantly false concept that says, "Anything
the human mind can believe, the human mind can achieve."
This idea is similar, if not identical, to the "you will
be like God" promise of Satan to Eve in the garden (Genesis
3:5). With this in mind, it is interesting to notice just how
far men will go to defend this erroneous doctrine.
In his book You Can If You Think You Can, Dr. Norman Vincent
Peale tells the story of a poor Chinese refugee who became a successful
business man after reading Philippians 4:13, which says, "I
can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." According
to Peale:
That struck him like a bolt of lightning. "All things"
seemed incredible, but in that flashing moment he actually became
a believer. He could-he knew he could-move up to better things.
But a believer in what? A believer in himself, of course; a
believer in his own abilities and mind powers. Such faith in faith,
you can be sure, was not what the apostle Paul had in mind in
penning those words. The faith Paul was writing about was faith
in Christ: the kind of faith that allowed him to understand that
he could overcome all obstacles to his apostolic mission as a
result of the strength he received from above. That is all Paul
was saying-nothing more, nothing less! He was not saying, "Your
unconscious mind... [has a] power that turns wishes into realities
when the wishes are strong enough." He was not saying, "You
don't know what power you have within you... You make the world
into anything you choose. Yes, you can make your world into whatever
you want it to be." He was not saying that all one needed
to do was have a "positive mental attitude" and "think
he could," and he could then do any thing he wanted to do.
Such thinking is carnal and promotes a materialism that is completely
contrary to the life of faith exhibited by Paul, namely:
Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever
state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know
how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both
to be full and be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I
can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Anyone, especially a Christian, who would attempt to accommodate
these verses to the if-you-can-believe-it-you-can-achieve-it gospel,
ought to be quite ashamed of himself. Such is nothing less than
the devil's doctrine and is a disgraceful attempt to justify the
lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life
(cf. I John 2:16).
[Editor's Note: Bro. Turner will continue these thoughts in next
week's issue.]
Good by Randy Harshbarger (devotional@biblical-insights.org)
"Depart from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it" (Psalm 34:14).
"That cake was good!" "That TV show was good!" And so it goes. We use the word "good" often. It is a handy word to have in one's vocabulary.
Overuse of certain words tends to nullify their true meaning and effectiveness; has this happened to the word good? The word good is often used on a deeper level than just describing a piece of cake. Good and its opposite, evil, occupy the minds of ethicists, philosophers, politicians, and economists.
We think of something being good when a favorable result is produced. For example, we judge it a good thing when the economy remains on solid ground. We may not think that a dip in the stock market is evil, but we do not think it is good. Another word, value, is a part of the economic picture; stocks are undervalued, overvalued, etc.
God's prophets often spoke of His goodness. How God acted in history on behalf of His people demonstrated not only His faithfulness, but also His concern for what is good. The principle of goodness emanates from Him. When the people refused to know God, they turned to murder, lying, stealing, etc., and thus brought judgment on themselves (Hosea 4:2-3). Knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings is still needed today (Hosea 6:6).
The quest for what is good is a much-desired goal for our world today. Our world is one of perverseness, lying, crimes against mankind, etc. Paul's litany of sins recorded in Romans chapter one reads like our daily newspaper. Men constantly call evil good and good evil (Isaiah 5:20). Men today, as did Israel of old, "spurn the good" (Hosea 8:3). The evil man in Ezekiel chapter eighteen did not do what was good (Ezekiel 18:18).
A few lines in an article about being good or pursuing good are inadequate for the job. To contemplate God's goodness is a much needed, but arduous challenge. In our pursuit of God, we must pursue what is good. "He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" (Micah 6:8).
I Am Thankful For... (Author unknown) contributed by L. Dillinger
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