SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 12/16/2016 11:10 PM
My Worship Time
Focus: (Faith’s Definition)
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Colossians 1:3-4a
Message of the verses: “3 We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus”
We looked at the beginning of the main point entitled “The Gospel Truth is Received by Faith” in our last SD and now we will look at the first sub-point under this main point in today’s SD entitled “Faith Definition.”
John MacArthur begins this section by showing us the Greek word for faith “Pistis (faith) means to be persuaded that something is true and to trust in it. Far more than mere intellectual assent, it involves obedience. Pistis comes from the root word peitho (‘obey’). The concept of obedience is equated with belief throughout the New Testament (cf. John 3:33; Acts 6:7; Rom. 15:18; 2 Thess. 1:8; Heb. 5:9; 1 Pet. 4:17). The Bible also speaks of the obedience of faith (Acts 6:7; Rom. 1:5; 16:26).”
We cannot think that faith is just a leap in the dark for when we look at the Biblical definition found in Hebrews 11:1 we can see that it is not a leap in the dark: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Hebrews chapter eleven is what is commonly called the “faith chapter” and the writer goes through many OT characters who acted on faith, faith in the Lord as they followed the pattern of what the writer writes in verse one of that chapter.
When we drive on roads that we have never driven before we are acting in a certain kind of faith believing that when we go around a corner that the road will not end and we fall off into a lake or river or onto a pile of rocks as we trust the highway systems in our country, and the same is true when we go to a restaurant to eat out, although that takes a bit more faith than driving on our roads.
The Bible teaches us what saving faith is and it also teaches us what it is not as James writes in James 2:14-26. True saving faith contains repentance and also obedience as its elements.
John
MacArthur gives us the meaning of the word repentance as it is an initial
element of saving faith: “The Greek word
for ‘repentance’ is metanoia, from meta, ‘after,’ and noea, ‘to understand.’
Literally it means ‘afterthought’ or ‘change of mind’ but biblically its
meaning does not stop there. As metanoia is used in the New Testament,
it always speaks of a change of purpose, and specifically a turning from
sin. More specifically, repentance calls
for a repudiation of the old life and a turning to God for salvation (1 Thess.
1:9) ‘9
For they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with
you, and how you turned to
God from idols to serve a living and true God.’ The repentance in saving faith involves three
elements: a turning to God, a turning from evil, and an intent to serve God. No change of mind can be called true
repentance without all three. Repentance is not merely being ashamed or sorry
over sin, although genuine repentance always involves an element of
remorse. It is a redirection of the
human will, a purposeful decision to forsake all unrighteousness and pursue
righteousness instead. And God has to
grant it (Acts 11:18; 2 Timothy 2:25).
In fact, God grants the whole of saving faith: ‘By
grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the
gift of God, not as a result of works, that no one should boast’ (Eph. 2:8-9
cf. Phil. 1:29).’ ‘29 For to you it has been granted for Christ’s
sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake.”
A while ago we looked at parts of a sermon that was entitled “Twin Truths” and in that sermon we learned that God is the One who calls us to salvation as Jesus spoke of in John 6:44 “"No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.” Also we have to look at what Jesus says in John 6:47 “"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life.” These are the twin truths of salvation and both are involved. Now we believe that the Bible teaches us that the faith that God grants to us for salvation is permanent as in all who receive it, faith will endure.
I have some more important quotes that we will look at in our next SD on this subject of “Faiths Definition.”
12/16/2016 11:42 PM
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