Basic Christianity: Faith Toward God

Basic Christianity... Faith Toward God

Well here we are again! I hope you are ready for another in the series about the basic principles of the Doctrine of Christ. Please get YOUR bible and turn again to Hebrews 6 and verse 1.
"Therefore leaving the principles of the DOCTRINE OF CHRIST, let us go on to perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God," (Heb. 6:1....last part)

The way the original language reads here, according to many theologians and scholars, it seems to imply -- moving toward a position next to God. And, of course, those in the first resurrection will be in a position next to God. That is the position of the "Bride of Christ."

It seems that Lucifer (it means Light-Bringer) craved that position. He wanted to be like God, sitting in a throne at His side along with The Word (Jesus).

I personally believe this is where the idea of the Trinity comes from...and of course the idea of the trinity IS based on something, isn't it?

"How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, SON OF THE MORNING! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!" (Another meaning of Lucifer is "day star")
"For thou hast said in thy heart (mind), I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt MY THRONE (Lucifer was given a throne on and over the earth) above the stars of God (over God's angels): I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation (the place reserved for God's resurrected children), in the sides of the North:"
"I will ascend above the heights of the clouds (the clouds of this earth); I will be LIKE the Most High." (Isa. 14:12-14)

Some of us have been taught in the past that Lucifer was trying to knock God off His throne and take over everything. However, the wording of these scriptures seems to show that wasn't what was on His mind.

It seems here that Lucifer wanted to sit in a throne WITH God and The Word and be "at one with them," just as the Day of Atonement pictures us being AT ONE with God and Jesus. He wanted to actually be IN the Family of God, not just a servant to the Family. If this isn't the truth, then where did the idea of the "Trinity" come from? The idea of the Trinity certainly isn't scriptural, even if most of the professing Christian world believes it is.

Those who are in the first resurrection will be sitting in thrones with God and Jesus Christ as Children of God. One of their jobs will be to "judge angels" (those fallen angels).

"Know ye not that we shall JUDGE ANGELS? How much more things that pertain to this life? (1Cor. 6:3)

Those in the first resurrection will also help God and Jesus lead "the congregation" (or church-family) of those who are resurrected later.

AND ALL OF THIS THROUGH FAITH TOWARD GOD! What an AWESOME calling this FAITH brings us through and in to!

Basic principle number 2 then is FAITH TOWARD GOD.

WHAT IS FAITH?

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." (Heb. 11:1)

Faith is the TOTAL BELIEF AND CONVICTION that the Bible is the Word of God and that He will keep ALL the promises He makes in His scriptures.
AND HE DOES HAVE THE POWER TO KEEP THEM!

WHERE DO WE GET THIS FAITH?

"For by GRACE are ye saved through FAITH; and that NOT OF YOURSELVES: it is the GIFT of God:"
"Not by works, lest any man should boast."
"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus TO GOOD WORKS, which God hath before ordained that WE SHOULD WALK IN THEM." (Eph. 2:8-10)

Notice, SALVATION IS A GIFT OF GOD! However, we were created to DO GOOD WORKS! Yes! God will not give His Holy Spirit to anyone who will not OBEY him!

"And we are His witnesses of these things; and so is also The Holy Spirit, WHOM GOD HATH GIVEN TO THEM THAT OBEY HIM." (Acts 5:32)

Faith is given through The Holy Spirit to those who obey God. (Those who repent of sin...disobedience to God's commands). And that faith MUST BE evidenced to God BY GOOD WORKS.

"Even so faith, if it hath not WORKS, is DEAD, being alone (or by itself)."
"Also, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith BY MY WORKS."
"Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the demons also believe, and tremble."
"But wilt thou know, O vain man, that FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD?"
"Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
"Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith MADE PERFECT? (James 2:17-22)
"Ye see then that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only? (verse 24)
"For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." (verse 26)

Yes, if we have faith it will be shown by our good works because faith without works is a dead faith! This faith also comes by hearing, reading and studying the Word of God (our bible) and by prayer and fasting. All these things come in to play before God gives us much faith at all.

In Matthew 17 beginning in verse 14 a man came to Jesus asking Him to cast a demon out of his son. He said that Jesus' disciples couldn't do it. Jesus then cast out the demon and after a while the man and his son left. Then Jesus' disciples came to Him privately and ask Him why they couldn't cast out the demon.

His answer probably surprised them because I'm pretty sure they thought they had the faith to do it. Jesus said:

"...Because of your UNBELIEF: for verily I say to you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say to this mountain, Move from here to yonder place; and IT SHALL MOVE; and NOTHING shall be impossible to you!"
"However this kind (of faith) goeth not out except by prayer and fasting." (Mat. 17:20-21)

YES! They could not cast out the demon because of their unbelief!

There are four tools that scholars have taught we have available to use. They are Prayer, Bible Study, Meditation, and Fasting. These are the things that give God the opportunity to give us Faith and then MAKE IT GROW!

Hebrews 11 gives us an amazing look at what FAITH TOWARD GOD can accomplish.

"Through faith we UNDERSTAND that the worlds (planets and solar system) were framed by The Word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which appeared."
"By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain (did), by which he obtained testimony that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.
"By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God." (Hebrews 11:3-5)

Please read this whole chapter and see what these people did through faith! Magnificient things! Wonderous things!

Our faith allows God to work miracles for and through us much as He did through the Apostles and Jesus!

Jesus healed a blind man and said the faith of the blind man allowed Jesus to heal him.

"And Jesus stood still, and commanded him (the blind man) to be called. And they call the blind man saying to him, be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee."
"And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus."
"And Jesus answered and said to him, What wilt thou that I should do to thee? The blind man said to him, Lord, that I may receive my sight."
"And Jesus said to him, Go; THY FAITH hath made the well. And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus in the way." (Mark 10:49-52)

The faith of the blind man allowed Jesus to heal him. As He had earlier said to His disciples, unbelief hinders the doing of miracles.

I think this shows very clearly that our aim should be FAITH TOWARD GOD! Let's PRAY, STUDY, MEDITATE, AND FAST asking God to increase our faith and allow many miracles to be performed through us for His Honor and Glory.

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