Possible Faith
(study – 14)
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Why is faith important?
Well in Hebrew 11 verse 6 we read:-
without faith [it is] impossible to please [him] Heb.11:6.
There is no pleasing God without faith,
It is therefore vital for every believer to really Understand and Apply FAITH.
So what is FAITH?
Well Faith is the same as Trust, which is the same as Believe..
And the meaning of faith is clearly outlined in both Hebrew and Greek.
Faith is not positive thinking -
Faith is not just ‘hanging in’ or just hoping for the best -
Faith is not ‘believing’ that God will do everything that WE want -
Faith is just trusting ALL God says in His Word -
i.e. trusting God’s character is true.
But Faith must have a valid object – on which to rest that trust…
And that object is God… His Character and His Word….
In Genesis 15 verse 6 we read that Abraham was given a promise..
Abraham believed (aman) God and God counted it as righteousness.
This words ‘believed’ (aman)- means to Prop Up or Support – to Carry
And Abraham believed (aman) GOD. Gen.15:6
We must have no other prop to support to rest on – than God and His WORD,
You see Faith is an objective act – it is making God your support – and trusting in Him.
Why is this important?
Well – because without FAITH (aman) we cannot please God,
Without letting God support us [it is] impossible to please [him].
In Isaiah 25 verse 1 we read:
O LORD, thou [art] my God;
I will exalt thee,
I will praise thy name;
-for thou hast done wonderful [things;
-Thy] counsels of old (i.e. His Word) [are] Faithfulness [and] TRUE. (oman) Isa.25:1
God is faithful and TRUE (omen) and we can trust (aman) Him – Who is faithful and true
The word “aman” in OT Hebrew means believe – it means to is depend upon God’s Word,
And that is what is required of ALL believers in the Lord – God’s Word is to be trusted.
In Isaiah 65 verse 16 we read:-
He who blesses himself in the earth
shall bless himself in the God of TRUTH (aman) Isa.65:16
ALL believers need to “aman” the PERSON – and the Character of God
This Hebrew word is the most commonly used word for ‘Trust’ in the O.T.
Why is this important ? – because without FAITH we cannot please God
Without letting GOD carry us [it is] impossible to please [him]:
In Job 13 verse 15 we read
Though he slay me, yet will I TRUST (yahal) in Him: Job 13:15
The word (yahal) means to be weak – in the sense of waiting long and patiently.
In our weakness we’re to wait long and patiently – exemplified by Job in his long, patient wait
Oh – he questions Why? – but he never questions God’s sovereignty,
Job has faith – he trusted (yahal) in the Lord, no matter what ……
Like Job – we are to trust in the Lord no matter what the pressure may be,
We’re to keep confidence in Him – even if there is no evidence that He’s working.
This Hebrew word is the one most commonly experienced by most people
– for without waiting long and patiently in weakness [it is] impossible to please [him].
In Psalm 119 verse 49 we read
Remember Thy word unto thy servant,
-upon which thou hast caused me to HOPE. (yahal) Psa.119:49
This is a word for faith in God – especially when things don’t happen quickly–
David like Job had to wait and hope (yahal) for the Lord,
And both Job and David were men of FAITH – both waited patiently (yahal) for God.
Why is this important ? – because without FAITH (yahal) we cannot please God
Without long, patient endurance in hope – [it is] impossible to please [him]:
Both men KNEW that God is sovereign, eternal, all-knowing and all powerful.
They knew God was to be trusted no matter what – and no matter how long ….
In Psalm 31 verse 10 we read
For my life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing:
-my strength faileth because of mine iniquity, and my bones are consumed,
I was a reproach among all mine enemies, but especially among my neighbors,
-and a fear to mine acquaintance: they that did see me without fled from me.
I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind: I am like a broken vessel:
For I have heard the slander of many: fear [was] on every side:
-they took counsel together against me, they devised to take away my life.
But – BUT I TRUSTED (batach) in thee, O LORD:
I said, Thou [art] my God. Psa.31:10
The word (batach) is a term that is used in wrestling.
It means to throw oneself down on ones face..
It means to mean to lie extended – to just flop right down – to just rest…. IN HIM.
Despite this enormous pressure that David faced – he laid it ALL out on God,
David TRUSTED (batach) the Lord – trusted in the weariness of his hurting soul.
If David hadn’t ‘batach’ – not only the world but GOD would have been against Him,
– because without FAITH (batach) we cannot please God
– without resting in Him – laying all on Him, [it is] impossible to please [him]:
In Psalm 37 verse 5 we read
Commit thy way unto the LORD;
Trust (batach) also in Him;
and he shall bring [it] to pass. Psa.37:5
And if we don’t have batach the Lord – we cannot Please God
– because without FAITH ( batach) we cannot please God
– because without resting in Him – laying all upon Him [it is] impossible to please [him]:
In Psalm 36 verse 7 we read
How excellent [is] thy loving-kindness, O God! therefore the children of men
Put their TRUST (hasah) under the shadow of thy wings. Psa.36:7
(hasah or chacah) means to seek a refuge or a shelter – and to do it quickly when in danger
In Psalm 57 verse 1 we read
Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me:
for my soul TRUSTETH (hasah) in thee:
yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge,
until [these] calamities be overpost. Psa.57:1
Oh yes – Faith has to have an object in Whom to trust,
And to TRUST (hasah) in the LORD is to believe His word- which pleases Him.
In Isaiah 40 verse 31 we read:
But they that WAIT (kawah) upon the LORD
shall renew [their] strength;
they shall mount up with wings as eagles;
they shall run, and not be weary;
[and] they shall walk, and not faint. Isa.40:31
This word (kawah) is to patiently wait for the Lord – to trust Him however long,
The word kawah does not speak of inactivity but of PATIENT ENDURANCE.
Why is this important ?- because without FAITH (kawah) we cannot please God
Without WAITING for HIM Patiently -[it is] impossible to please [him]:
To please God we MUST have Faith trust in God and in His Word
To please God we must aman – be supported by and rest on Him
To please God we must yahal – patiently endure and hope in Him
To please God we must batach – lie down and rest in the Lord
To please God we must hasah – quickly seek refuge in Him in danger
To please God we must kawah – wait patiently for Him- however long it takes.
For without faith [it is] impossible to please [him]:
There is NO pleasing God without faith… this sort of faith..
There is NO pleasing God without faith / kawah / hasah / batach / yahal / oman
It is therefore vital for every believer to really Understand and Apply faith
Faith = Trust = Believe.. in both the Hebrew and the Greek
Faith is not positive thinking or just hanging in and hoping for the best
Faith is not ‘believing’ that God will do everything that WE want
Faith must have a valid object on which to depend, on Whom to wait ….
That Object is the Person of God… on Whom must must trust with patient endurance
That Object is also His Word in Scripture… on Which we stand and rest and trust.
God is eternal – eternally-gracious / perfectly all-powerful / righteously-wise
God is perfect – in holiness / wisdom / mercy / justice / truth / love and grace
God is changeless – in love /power / knowledge / strength – in time /space /eternity
He’s unchangeably wise / eternally holy / supreme in justice /abounding in love
This is the God who requires us to trust Him – in everything,
This is the God that wants us to take Him at His Word – by FAITH.
– for “by Grace you are saved” – by means of exercising FAITH In Jesus
– and “My Grace is sufficient” – by means of exercising that same FAITH in Him
We must TRUST the Word of God – which outlines His Trustworthy Attributes,
We must Have Faith in Scripture- which outlines His Eternal, Holy Character.
Every individual perfect attribute of God – is multiplied by all His other attributes,
Each eternal, changeless characteristic – is magnified by all His other characteristics.
He is Eternally everything we need – and He loves with everlasting love,
But He will NEVER compromise His Word…
And He will not compromise on Hebrews 11 verse6.
FOR without faith it is impossible to Please God….
But – with faith His Faithfulness Word assures us that we DO please Him.
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- Possible Faith - part 14
- Full Study Index for ‘A Study on GROWING in GRACE’
- A Study : GROWING in GRACE
Elizabeth Haworth
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