The meaning of faith

WHAT IS FAITH?

Faith is obedient action in response to what God said. True is expressed in 1) Obedience and 2) Action, in response to 3) Hearing God's word (voice).

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see" (Hebrews 11:1).

Faith means having trust, assurance or confidence in another person or that person's words. Having faith in God involves an exchange of self-trust for God-trust.

We stop trusting in ourself and trust Him.

We abondon reliance on our limited source of knowledge and start receiving from His unlimited source.

TWO KINDS OF KNOWLEDGE

"My message and preaching were not with wise and persaustive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on MEN'S WISDOM, but on God's power.

"We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.

"No, we speak of God's SECRET WISDOM, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began" (1 Corinthians 2:4-7). See also verses 8-16.

1. Sense Knowledge

All knowledge that comes to natural man comes to him through the five senses _ seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling and touching. This is limited knowledge, described as 'man's wisdom.'

2. Revelation Knowledge

This knowledge is not based on the five senses, nor on natural reasoning but on an alternative source _ the TRUTH of the word of God. It is received through man's spirit, and is described as 'God's wisdom' _ "We live by FAITH, not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7).

THE BASIS OF FAITH

The basic of having faith in God is in three important realities:

1. The nature of God

"When God made his promised to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself (Hebrews 6:13).

a. He Cannot Change.

"I the Lord do not change... " (Malachi 3:6).

b. He Cannot Fail.

"I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted" (Job 42:2)

c. He cannot lie.

"God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promised and not fulfill?" (Number 23:19).