This is the 2nd in a series preparing for a nut shell commentary on Romans. This is a continuation of a definition of Faith.
To begin at #1, press HERE.
FOR YOUR INFO: Some have made the mistake of thinking this is an illustration of putting your faith in God for healing. It is not. Healing has noting to do with this illustration. It is describing and giving illustration of the act of faith itself.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BELIEVE AND FAITH cont. Although it is possible to use these words interchangeably, there is a very important difference in their definitions that causes confusion.
Let's say you shared with me that you were dying of cancer. I borrowed your x ray's and took them to a friend of mine, Dr Jones. When I returned I told you that my friend was an oncologist and after looking at your x rays reports he had healed many in your condition and invited you to come to his office.
You were very excited and thankful for the news. You rejoiced that the Dr promised a cure. You believed that he could cure you.
Several years later, as I passed through town, I stopp
ed by your house. Your wife said that you had been dead a number of years. When I expressed disappointment that Dr Jones had let you down, she said, "Oh he never did go to Dr Jones. He intended to. He was so relieved that Dr Jones was going to heal him, but . . . he just never got around to going to him."
You believed all the facts I told you ‛about' Dr Jones; but you never went to him and put your faith in him. You only believed that he was there.
Let's look at the story from another angle that sometimes causes people confusion.
CAN A DOUBTING THOMAS HAVE FAITH?
Let's say that I talked to you about Dr Jones confidence in his ability to heal you. However you were filled with doubt. You said, "Oh, I'm sure it's too late. Life just doesn't work that way for me. I'm sure he couldn't do anything for me."
But I encouraged you and you relented. "OK, I'll go, but I know he can't help me." You go to the doctor and he has you make an appointment with the hospital. "This is all a waste of time, I know I'm going to die."
But . . . filled with doubt, you go to the hospital, and you lie down on the operating table. Later, you wake up & Dr Jones says, "Good news! We got it all! You're cured!" Your response is "I know you're just trying to make me feel better. How long do I have to live? Etc. etc. etc." : )
Do you see what happened here? Here is a person filled with doubt that went ahead and put his faith the size of a mustard seed in the doctor in spite of his fears. His doubt didn't affect the ability of the doctor to accomplish the job perfectly once he put himself in the Dr's hands.
Doubt is a lack of knowlege. A lack of certainty. Faith is an action.
Faith does not have to be free from disbelief. (Or doubt.)
Many of us have been filled with doubt when we timidly ventured forward to ask Jesus to be our Savior and give us Eternal life. Jesus ALWAYS, WITHOUT FAIL responds to our faith when we turned from our own way and asked Him to take us and change us.
He is all the more tender because we came to him in spite of our doubt and fears. He knows it is fearful to turn our back on all that we've trusted in and walk up to Him all by ourselves, trusting in nothing but His Word. But once we have put ourselves in His hands, all will be well.
All over the world people are putting their faith in different gods. Their eternal destiny is determined by which god they put their faith in. They will be taken to wherever that god is going.
God tells us that all those that worship any god other than the God of heaven and His Son, Jesus (Who is God come to earth) will be thrown into the lake of fire with the demons that they worship. I have no idea what that is but I know I don't want to go there.
Putting our faith in anything besides God/Jesus, whether it is a certain religion; a certain preacher; works that we do or religious acts that we do is a ship going the wrong direction.
Who could have ever imagined that God Himself would come to earth as a human, carry our sins in His body and die for us? The moment we go to Christ and put our faith in Him, we change from being His creation to being His child; a child filled with God's own eternal life.
That's pretty much it for faith . . .
#3 will be a variety of short definitions of words commonly used in discussion of the book of Romans. Then we'll start with Chapter 1.
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Comments: 45
It is the same as the example of the 5 ships in the first article on Faith. Each person makes their choice of what they choose to believe ... puts their faith in the god or gods of their choice, alligning their lives with them as they move through time to a shared destiny.
We can each meet face to face phisically and yet be going in different directions completely spiritually. And of course we worry about those not going our direction :)
Thanks again for sharing your thoughts.
As far as your statement that :” God tells us that all those that worship any god other than the God of heaven and His Son, Jesus (Who is God come to earth) will be thrown into the lake of fire with the demons that they worship. “ Is purely based on your deep faith . As much as I would hate to go to that awful place , my own (albeit secular ) reliance tells me that I won’t go . My main reason is that no matter what your faith centers on (let’s say for the sake of making things simpler centered on Judeo –Christian principles), redemption is based on individual earthly transgressions or good deeds .
Thank you. It makes a difference.
Hmmmm, I think you pointed out a problem to me. Are you hearing me as focusing on the healing of this person? I intended to focus, not on whether or not God healed or did not heal, but was trying to focus on whether or not the person did or did not ACT on his BELIEF.
My subject is primarily ... What does it mean to exercise faith. I could have used any subject. One I have seen used is someone riding a bike across a tight rope. 10 people may say, "Yes I believe you can safely drive across the tightrope; but only one accept the offer to ride in the basket. 10 believed but only one put his faith in the driver.
Does God always heal us when we put our faith in Him to do so? That is another subject I will be glad to deal with at another time but not something I'm making a claim on here.
My favorite subject of all subjects is science. I'm reading one book by a physicist and one by a biologist right now :) Since I do believe God is the creator and the revealer of all knowledge, I agree with you that true and accurate science must be taken into consideration and acted upon.
I love you last paragraph. I keep copying one part after another to bring down here to respond to then deleting & starting all over :) For the sake of brevity, let me say my response would be too long ... as the whole book of Romans deals with that. So I will give a more complete answer over the next few weeks because you made great points that deserve a full response.
To zero in on my faith only right now I will say I always believed in the existence of God in heaven and His coming to earth as Jesus. One night, in hopelessness & fear I cried out & He came into me. Proof of His existence and love filled me. From that time I put my faith in His word ... the Bible ... as it was those words that He spoke to me. So yes, my faith is placed in the teachings of the Bible and one other thing.
You all will have to wait for the first chapter of Romans to find out what the 2nd things is. :) Ha ha.
It embarrasses me a little to bring up the lake of fire. If I were writing the Bible, I wouldn't include that little jewel :) but ... that's what He says so ... ?? :):) We'll get to that.
It means a lot to me that you have taken the time to respond to me . You are right , the first paragraph I interpreted as the healing process : long story short before we dance around existential theories (my minor in college was philosophy so I am fascinated by it still) : one can believe he or she is healing based on the doctor prediction (as in science) and also , the same person can have faith he or she will be healed solely based on spiritual core . Believe and faith are not mutually exclusive , rather parallel notions . The example with the bicycle is even for me to explain my point because I see gravity as the stronger force when faith and believe come into place I would not believe nor have faith that I ‘d make it on the other side alive or unhurt .
I really enjoy splitting the hair with you , you are a very skilled debater ?
:+)
But teen agers are my favoite :)
You write all the time for the Lord; and in a way that people of all persuasions, even those not too interested, hear truth. You can see that only a limited amount are interested in comeing to something this pointed.
Throw away any vision you have of what it means to be a teacher and let him use you to teach anywhere. Even why your line dancing or having other fun. That's where people first become interested. finding a friend that still has fun; clean fun & yet loves the Lord. You're there.
Thank you for your encouragment. I posted your poem in my folder so I can use it later :)
Are we not part of the whole? Do we not reside in God as he does in us? I carry him within me and try to let him write the script. In the end, I just hand everything over to him for does he not know, far better then I, what is good for me?
When my son was dying, I did not ask for a miracle. Instead I sat on the curb of a street in Boston and said, "He was yours, God, long before you handed him to me to be nurtured, your will be done."
People kept saying "It is youf faith that did it" We kept telling them no. We had given her up to Him. It wasn't our faith. It was His will. Our faith gave us peace. God chose her to live.
Your Will be done is always a wise prayer. He is God. Thanks elizabth.
"You believed all the facts I told you ?about' Dr Jones; but you never went to him and put your faith in him."
If Dr Jones is fictitious, then how can statements about him be fact?
(Okay, it's just me nit-picking again.)
Incidentally, I attempted to ~post~ my piece earlier today, but Gather wouldn't let me. Upon clicking on "Submit", I got a blank screen. After about 1½ hours of failed attempts, I decided to wait until tomorrow - perhaps before going to church. Heck, that might be a better time anyway.
I hope you copied your material before submitting. I don't know anything more defeating than losing what you didn't copy. I'll check you out ... I don't go to church as Mom isn't able. I'll have a heads up on you.
clear intended understanding put to action
if or if not with faith the n what !!!
He may have thought about it for a long time ... even gone to the hopital on the morning of surgery ... but turned at the last moment and gone home. He still fell short of putting his faith in the doctor and so he did not receive the gift of healing. I believe there is no third choice.
What an interesting question. Thank you. What are your thoughts on that question?
They also told my boyfriend at the time I would not live past 35. God is not done with me though. I'll be 57 in Nov.
I cannot see the Lord but I can feel him. Blessings to you and yours.
I emailed you before I knew you had posted here. I was just running through the series seeing if there were responses needed. Also, I often reread some of the comments.
Thanks for adding your thoughts. They're helpful.