Proofs of Faith

I have not hidden Your

righteousness within my

heart;

I have declared Your

faithfulness and Your

salvation;

I have not concealed Your

loving kindness and Your

truth

from the great assembly.

Psalm 40:10

     Faith has been examined from the standpoint of its definitions aligning with our psychological nature and we have concluded that the word faith carries definitions that can be found in its general use.  Further, there is faith, that which we all may have based upon certain conditions, and there is saving faith, a thing separate from the general use of the word.  Generally, the word faith cannot be found in the knowing of that which we can see or prove.  To believe anything that we regard as true is cognate only as to the authority of others.  Now it must be admitted that this is true also of what is called historical faith.  So what is historical faith?  The inclusion of such things as that which has is recorded of the past even the present actualities, those things that are not in our ability to observe.  The facts of sciences as received by the majority fall into historical faith.  This may surprise you, almost all of the Scriptures both Old and New Testaments.  This is because the Scriptures record history, i.e., creation, the fall, and of redemption.  It is in the Old Testament that its recorded history prepares the way for redemption and the history of the New Testament is the fulfillment of the promises and the types found in the Old Testament for these are to be found in the incarnation, life, suffering, death, and resurrection of the Son of God.  It has been noted that a seal is indication of authority, and we can put our faith, trust, and even belief in it; therefore anyone who believes this record as found in the Bible has also set his sealed that God is true, and only by the intervention, choosing of us, by God, that we are His child.

     Our faith considered in this manner is like water to a dying plant, it refreshes, enlivens, and strengthens our conviction that we have been chosen by God before the foundation of the world and that our faith is not in vain upon His authority, His revelation to us in His authoritative Word.  Faith is a gift from God, freely given, to whom He desires to give it, our faith in this fact is made sure from His Scriptures.

     It is our consciousness that is our teacher that the nature of faith includes historical facts as its objects are true, and that propositions when believed as are of the nature of faith.  There can be no separation of these two defining elements of faith, historical and propositional objects of faith.  Looking at this example: It is a fact that God is the creator of the world (I know that evolutionists will not agree, but I ask them to provide facts that there is not God)  and it is a doctrine (A proposition) and as the Apostle said, it is a matter of faith.  We believe in the creation as narrated in the Bible that the world was created by God: "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth" (Genesis 1:1), and our belief is based on the authority of God's Word.  Is it not also true that Christians believe on the propitiation of God's Son for our sins?  Is this not a propositional doctrine?  How can we then believe in its truth?  Our faith is based solely on the authority of God.  This is true of all the great doctrines of the Bible; regeneration, justification, sanctification, and eternal life.  Let me ask this: 'How do we know that God will accept all who believe in Christ?  Let me quickly add, that God accepts only those who believe, a subject to be examined in future blogs.  But as to the above question; we can only know the things of God by the Spirit of God, and that to whom He desires to reveal it: "But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit.  For the Spirit searches all things,yes, the deep things of God.  For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him?  Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God" (1 Corinthians 2:10-11).  It is by revelation that we can receive the things of God, His thoughts, purposes, and that reception is done on the authority of God.  They are objects neither of senses nor of reason.

     I have one more proof to expound upon, Scriptural proofs basing our faith upon its testimony and the authority of God.  This is the work of the next blog, not one to miss as the Scriptural proofs will aid us in considering our faith, determining our actions, giving confidence and assurance.

     I mentioned earlier that faith is a free gift of God, no one can by his own power conjure up faith so to save themselves from the sin that has beset them, inherited from Adam who was our legal representative and his sin was imputed to all his progeny:  "Now we (who is the we?  It is not the world for they cannot know, now or ever) have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God (God gave to those He chose to know the things of His Spirit), that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God" and "For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, 'Abba, Father" (1 Corinthians 2:12; Romans 8:15).  

     May this give you peace and comfort for what we have, our faith is given freely to those who He predestined before the foundation of the world (Romans 8:28-29; Ephesians 1:4) and build up our faith upon His authority, and His love.

"So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;

It shall not return to Me void,

But it shall accomplish what I 

     Please,

And it shall prosper in the

Thing for which I sent it.

For you shall go out with joy,

And be led out with peace; 

The mountains and the hills 

Shall break forth into singing

     Before you,

And all the trees of the field

Shall clap their hands."

                        Isaiah 55:11-12

Let us bless the LORD  from this time forward 

      and forevermore.  

Richard L. Crumb