Faith - just what is faith?

Good morning all! God is good all the time, all the time God is good.
TOO BLESSED TO BE STRESSED!

F A I T H ! What is Faith? I came across this in my studies this week and will copy/paraphrase what one study says about faith. I found this while studying Romans.

Faith is a word with many meanings. It can mean faithfulness (Mat 24:45). It can mean absolute trust, as shown by some of the people who came to Jesus for healing (Luke 7:2-10). It can mean confident hope (Heb 11:1). Or, as James points out, it can even mean a barren belief that does not result in good deeds (James 2:13-26). What does Paul mean when in Romans he speaks of "saving faith"?

We must be careful to understand faith as Paul uses the word because he ties faith so closely to salvation. It is not something we must do in order to earn salvation. If that were true, then faith would be just one more deed, and Paul clearly states that human deeds can never save us (Galatians 2:16). Instead, faith is a gift God gives us because he is saving us (Ephesians 2:8). It is God's grace, not our faith, that saves us. In his mercy, however, when he save us, he gives us faith - a relationship with his Son that helps us become like him. Through the faith he gives us, he carries us from death into life. (John 5:24).

Even in Old Testament times, grace, not deeds, was the basis of salvation. As Hebrews points out, "it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins" (10:4). God intended for his people to look beyond the animal sacrifices to him, but all too often they instead put their confidence in fulfilling the requirements of the law - which is performing the required sacrifices.

When Jesus triumphed over death, he canceled the charges against us and opened the way to the Father (Colossians 2:12-15. Because he is merciful, he offers us faith. How tragic if we turn faith into a deed and try to develop it on our own! We can never come to God through our own faith any more than his Old Testament people could come through their own sacrifices.

Instead, we must accept his gracious offer with thanksgiving and allow him to plant the seed of faith within us. Stay tuned as we break this down further this week. Love you all.

In Christ's Love and Grace
Johnny