Faith Is What One Does

"Now Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.  For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.  By Faith we understand that the ages were framed by the Word of Theos, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible."  Heb. 11:1-3

Hebrews chapter eleven present a summary on Faith-action.  Please note that in the New Testament documents the term faith (Gk. Pistis) is never a passive verb.  It is what is what has been called a noun of action. Much like the word for love (Gk. Agape) in the New Testament. It too is a noun of action.

The use of passive verbs in the New Testament have a very precise use.  For instance, to be filled with the Spirit is in the passive voice.  That is, one is acted upon or influenced in a particular way by an outside force or power.  Being filled with the Spirit of Theos prepares one for the active voice of the Spirit Filled life.

Divine success for the believer in this life is to be led by the Spirit.  This is the life of Faith without the smattering of pop-psychology added for flavor.  What the Spirit does is seasoned just right.  The Spirit filled life is approved by Theos for all believers.  The Spirit filled life is the ordinary life of Faith.

When believers 'live' outside of the sphere of faith they may appear not to be saved ones.  There is no vacuum in life.  This is a simple either/or proposition.  One cannot be a little bit filled with the Spirit, just as one cannot be a little bit pregnant.

Faith is a state of being that produces the action of  faith activity. Sin hinders the life of faith.  Sin muddies the pure and sacred water of Faith.  Faith is a conversation with Theos.  Faith has a presence.  Faith has a glory that does not fade away.  Right now you are working on your FAITH paragraph that is being recorded on high.  What is being written in your Faith paragraph by the Spirit of Theos?

Faith is instrumental or it is that by which something is done or accomplished.  What are you doing by the instrumentality of Faith?  

The writer of the Book of Hebrews also knew the word faith was not an Old Testament word either.  His view of the Old Testament was different.  He had no knowledge of how we have imposed the word faith upon the Old Testament.  The Old Testament did not use our English word faith. The world view of the Old Testament writers was characterized by dynamic encounter with Yahweh.  Even the famous passage of Exodus 3:14 wherein Yahweh reveals himself to Moses as the All Sufficient One is about dynamic being not a static entity.

The writer of the Book of Hebrews knew that Yahweh had revealed himself to the world in human form through the Iesous.  The Iesous is the Faithful One.  Faith is not a "leap of faith."  The A-Theistic ones must make a leap of faith.  Their major premise is inherently flawed because it is a metaphysical leap which is their starting point for a meaningless conclusion.  However, their burden of proof is untenable. They cannot disprove the existence of God.  They do not know all of existence for all of time in all the ages that have been before their birth.  They know too little to play at their own game.

Faith is a way of knowing.  Seeing with the eyes is the ordinary and customary way of seeing in our culture such as it is.  Seeing is believing in our culture. For the constantly believing ones, on the other hand, faith-ing is our vehicle of perception.  Or should be our vehicle of perception.  God wants to heal us of our useless dependence upon empirical perception.  Faith perception is divine viewpoint in action.

Faith is the substance of things hoped for is the premise of the writer.  He has come to know the vast superiority of faith understanding through walking with Theos.  The writer's statement is not mere intellectual knowing.  He has graduated from that level of understanding. He is now at the graduate level and he knows that a richer and deeper walk with Theos is built upon FAITH.

The substance of FAITH is God himself.  The substance of FAITH is the character of God.  There is no leap.  There is sufficient provision in the Graphe or writings of the Word of God to truth his character.  This is not the word of man.  The word of man is inherently selfish.  The word of man is contradictory and transitory at best.  We can go to the library or surf the internet and read the word of man and its results.

The word of man has no substance because his breath is in his nostrils and he is a temporal being who depends upon Theos for his breath.  The atheist must rely upon the breath of Theos to hurl forth his tiny and musty beliefs.  He must fill his lungs with the breath of Yahweh in order to preach his angst to the cosmos. He, too, needs God. God is not his enemy.

The evidence of Faith is what it produces in the lives of the believing ones.  Faith changes lives.  The object of Faith is the Iesous.  Faith must have a proper object.  Those who have placed their faith in the word of man do so at great peril.  Those who deposit their FAITH in Yahweh will yield a great return on their investment.  No prospectus is needed here.  Past results of FAITH ARE indicative of future returns.  The Fund Manager is God himself.  This is a front loaded fund. You must deposit trust in his Word to see your return.

The evidence of your return will be evident in a new walk by faith and not by sight.  You are to lay up treasures in heaven.  By Faith you can say to 'this mountain' be you removed into the sea and it will be done for you.  The faith walk is a walk of power.  There is nothing like it.  It is a radically different life.   Are you ready for a new life of faith?  Or do you really want the mere window dressing of this world of 'sound and  fury signifying nothing?'

The party is fast closing on the western world.  The Vanity Fair of indulgence is wearing thin in the west.  The pioneers of western sex play are aging. The door of meaninglessness is wide open.  Where do people who have thrown their lives away go from here?  Their youth has been sacrificed upon the altar of indulgence and nothing is left.

People of Faith have a different life.  They have not sacrificed their lives they have invested their live in the Ieosus.  Their lives have hope because they know God.  This makes all the difference. Or should I say He makes all the difference?  He does.

You can have FAITH today.  You can have a new life today.  You must confess your need of salvation to God and believe in your heart that the Iesous died for your sin and that believing on him you may have eternal life through his Name.  Blessings to You.    

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