Women received their dead
raised to life again: and others
were tortured, not accepting
deliverance; that they might
obtain a better resurrection: and
others had trial of cruel mockings
and scourgings, yea, moreover
of bonds and imprisonment:
they were stoned, they were
sawn asunder, were tempted,
were slain with the sword:
The wandered about in sheepskins
and goatskins: being destitute,
afflicted, tormented: (of whom
the world was not worthy:) they
wandered in deserts, and in mountains,
and in dens and caves of the earth.
Hebrews 11:35-38
Sorry no blog yesterday as I had an appointment to have blood drawn and a CT scan at Sacramento VA hospital. Next week I will not write at all as I will be going to Palo Alto VA hospital to have surgery for my melanoma. We all have something to deal with and the opening verses tell of those who faced trials due to their faith, and in this case my faith will be tested, not from some outside element, but within myself and my belief in God.
The Gospel in the New Testament is the prominent message in the foreground, and man's response to the divine revelation that assumes a somewhat different form, the form of "faith." The word "faith" serves to describe the religious attitude of man. By faith we accept the testimony of God in His Word as true, and entrust ourselves to Him, as He has revealed Himself in Jesus Christ. Another form found in the foreground of the New Testament is "trust." Those examples cited in the opening Scripture manifests that they had both "faith," and "trust" even in the face of death. We should be bolstered in our faith seeing that man can live through all sorts of problems and remain faithful.
Let us look at Scripture to determine words for "faith" so we have a clear understanding of that word and not be misled into some heretical teaching. The Old Testament does not have a word for faith although there are three words which denote various aspects of the activity of faith. The most common Hebrew word is "to believe" (he'emin) that stresses the intellectual element that signifies an acceptance of something as true on the testimony of another. The other two words (batach and chasah) emphasize the element of confident reliance on or of trust in someone else. In the New Testament the word for faith is "pistis," that denotes (1) general confidence in a person (2) the ready acceptance of his testimony on the basis of this confidence, and (3) the trust reposed in him for the future. Faith that is saving faith denotes a conviction respecting the veracity of God, to believe in His Word, and a deep trust in Him for the salvation of the soul. Greek has a corresponding word "to believe" and is used with several different meanings, in some cases it stresses the element of knowledge, and in others the element of trust.
Scripture speaks of faith in several ways and there are several distinctions regarding "faith." There is historical faith that is purely intellectual acceptance of the truth of Scripture without some moral or spiritual response. Many people have this type of faith as seen in their lack of actions that causes them to feel that just to have faith is enough, they believe and that is enough. Historical faith does not imply that it is only concerned with history and events with the exclusion of moral and spiritual truths as it may have reverence to present facts: "the same came to Jesus by night, and said unto Him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with Him" (John 3:2). This historical fact shows that one may accept an event, as we well may do, but unless that event has a spiritual element to change a person it is nothing more than a historical event. Nicodemus found this out: "Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3). Historical faith expresses the idea that this faith accepts the truth of Scripture as a person might accept a history in that one is not personally interested. What this means is: it is not taken seriously and awakens no real interest. (Matthew 7:26; Acts 26:27-28; James 2:19).
Examine your faith: is it based solely on an acceptance as truth history? Or, is it based on more, something else? Is your faith driving you to be what you would not be without it? Is your faith based on Scripture and not what some man has determined faith to be? A time will come when you will face a crisis of conscience and your belief in your faith will be tested to the utmost and only a true faith will aid you to survive. The men in the opening Scriptures had a faith that aided them in whatever circumstances they found themselves to be in and nothing would deter them in their belief in God, the God Jehovah. Not some god of the nations around them for they had history how that kind of faith affected the people of Israel. We have the history of those who have gone before us to show is the way, the way to true unyielding faith.
I will continue to address this thing called "faith." I will address the "faith of Miracles," and "Temporal Faith," and true "saving faith." The goal as always is: the change from the inside/out by considering "faith."
He that is of a proud heart
stirreth up strife: but he
that putteth his trust in the LORD
shall be made fat. He that
trusted in his own heart is a fool:
but whoso walketh wisely,
he shall be delivered.
Proverbs 28:25-26
True faith and trust is pleasing to God
Richard L. Crumb
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