In the School of Faith: Bible Study
From the s study of Charles F. Stanley
Date: 7/22/14
Week # 2
SUBJECT: Three Types of Faith
(II) Godly Faith:
Key Passage: Genesis 22:1-5
Supporting Scriptures: I Samuel 17; Matthew 9:20-22; 8:5-10; Hebrews 11:1, 6
This is the confident conviction that whatever the Lord has promised to do, He will absolutely fulfill. He has never failed to keep His word, and that will never change.
God's faith is when you believe in God's existence and His abilities. A person with this kind of faith possesses a confident conviction that God will fulfill what He has promised.
A mustard seed is a very small but powerful seed. The common mustard of Palestine is the Sinapis nigra. This garden herb sometimes grows to a considerable height, so as to be spoken of as "a tree," as compared with garden herbs. Mustard seeds of the various mustard plants are among the smallest of seeds. The seeds are about 3mm in diameter but can grow to a very tall height.
Jesus Christ spoke of the mustard seed in parables so that people could easily understand the Kingdom of God.
What is Faith?
The Bible explains faith in Hebrews 11:1 as follows: "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." (King James Version) Let's also look at another version of the Bible: "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." (New International Version, 1984)
Faith is described as "being sure" and "certain". Faith says "I have the thing I hope for now." It says assuredly and certainly I have it now and it exists now.
How Do I Apply Faith to My Life?
1) Be a born again believer.
Admit that you are a sinner and in need of a Savior. Repent of your sins, that is, turn from your sin. Then, confess and believe in Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior. Romans 10:9 and 10 reads, "If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."
This takes faith. Hebrew 11:6 says, "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."
2) Allow the Bible to be the ultimate authority in your life.
The Psalmist in Psalms 119:89 says, "For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven." The Word must be the final authority in your life as it is in Heaven and on the earth.
3) Know that whatever it is that you desire from the Lord must line up with His Word.
Study of the Word of God is very important.
For example, if a person is a narcotics dealer, he cannot pray and ask God for more finances. God would never condone the illegal sale of narcotics. Your petition must be what God would want for you or someone else. That means you must know what His Word says about your situation.
4) Pray believing that you have received the thing that you ask for in faith.
Mark 11:24 says, "Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them."
Faith is more than just having the thought or belief of something in your mind. It is an action word. It involves doing something. In James 2:18, it reads, "But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do." (New International Version, 1989) For example, a farmer may believe that crops will grow on his land but if he never plants the seeds, he will never have a crop. So, the farmer has faith by planting the seeds in the ground, watering them, weeding the soil and allowing the sun to shine on them. Then a crop will spring up. Praying in faith is saying what God's Word says about the situation. The seed is the Word of God. Your heart is the ground for planting the seed of the Word. Then keep trusting in the Word of God by confessing (saying or speaking) the Word of God. Keep out doubt and unbelief. Nourish the Word by protecting it in your heart until it comes to pass in your life.
"Believe that you have received it and ye shall have it."
The 11th chapter of Hebrews is known as the Hall of Faith in the Bible. It lists many men and women who showed faith in God and His promise. This wonderful chapter is an example to us on how we can, and should, have faith in God as well. Beyond reading the accounts of the people mentioned in Hebrews 11, we should look into the Old Testament stories which are referenced in this great chapter.
A simple definition of faith is given in verse 1, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." While faith is putting our trust in something we cannot see, it does not mean that there is no evidence for that faith. We believe there is a God, not because we can see Him, but because we have plenty of evidence that He exists. We have nature which tells us there is a Creator (Romans 1:19-23; Hebrews 11:2). We have God's Word, the Bible, which proclaims that God exists. There are plenty of evidences through history and science which proclaim the accuracy of the Bible. While we cannot see God, we can have faith in Him because of the proof that He has given to us through history, science, nature and His Word.
Beyond the simple definition of faith in verse 1 there is a practical application of faith in verse 6. It says, "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." We must have faith to please God. When we try to work out our salvation or our daily Christian walk in our flesh, that is not pleasing to God. Everything we do should be done in faith.
Hall of Faith
In this chapter there are various names of men and women of faith and snippets of their stories. To understand each of these it is necessary to read the account in the Old Testament where these stories originate.
While many of the stories point to specific actions that were done, it is important to see that their faith produced the action and not the other way around. We don't earn our faith because of good actions; right actions are a result of proper faith. Romans 4 tells us that Abraham was not saved because he obeyed God; rather, his obedience to God was a result of his faith. James 2 teaches that a man (or woman) who has faith in the promises of God will show their faith through their actions.
Here is the list of names mentioned in Hebrews 11 which make up the Hall of Faith: Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sara, Joseph, Moses, Rahab, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthae, David, Samuel and the prophets.
The Promise: A Redeemer
In Hebrews 11 there is a constant reference to the promise that God had given to various people. The initial promise was given in Genesis 3:15. God promised that there would be a Redeemer who would come and save humanity from the punishment of their sin. This promise was originally given to Eve when God said that from her seed the Redeemer, a Savior, would come. Throughout the Bible God gave more and more specifics for who the Redeemer would be and where He would come from.
The promised Redeemer was later defined as coming from the family of Abraham; specifically through the line of Isaac. Later God narrowed the promise through Isaac's son Jacob and then through the house of David. Through Hebrews 11 we can see that God takes a general promise and throughout history narrows down the promise to exactly where the Redeemer would come from.
Specific Examples of Faith
There are many stories mentioned or alluded to in these verses. Let's look at a few and see how their faith was manifested.
Abel: The first two children of Adam and Eve were Cain and Abel. They knew that God had promised a Redeemer and that the acceptance of the promised Savior was not through their works, but through faith. Cain brought a sacrifice to God which was based on his own labor: not based on faith. Though God had given a specific example—the slaughtering of a lamb to cover Adam and Eve's sin—Cain came to God with his own work. However, Abel sacrificed to God in faith trusting the promised Messiah.
Abraham: Most of the evidences of Abraham's faith that are mentioned in Hebrews 11 show that Abraham was trusting God for a promised inheritance. Abraham left his home to obtain land. He believed God when He said that Abraham's family would be multiplied like the stars of the sky or the sands of the sea. Abraham's faith in the physical promises from God were proof that he trusted in the potential promised Redeemer who would come long after Abraham's own death.
Moses: Though raised in the house of the Pharaoh of Egypt, Moses knew that his birth family was the people of God. You can read the Old Testament account of the life of Moses (Exodus-Deuteronomy) and see that Moses was not a perfect man; yet what drove Moses to obey and trust God was that he had faith in the promise of a coming Savior.
The Prophets: Though not mentioned individually by name, the prophets were each called to a task which was difficult and against the status quo. They proclaimed God's promises and His righteousness to a nation which wandered away from their God. Many of the prophets were ridiculed, beaten and killed for their faith in the promises of God.
The Results of Their Faith
After all these great stories of faith verse 39 tells us that these individuals never received the promise in a physical way. That promise was the future birth of the Redeemer Savior and Messiah Jesus Christ. They did not see the day of His coming. However, their faith in that promised Redeemer was counted for their salvation. Their faith was in something they never saw, but that does not mean that their faith was in vain. They believed God for something He promised.
Though we don't see Jesus Christ walking among us today, we can receive the promise in the same way these Old Testament believers did: through faith. We don't look forward to the future promise of a Redeemer, we look backwards through the written Word of God to see what God has given.
Is your faith in Jesus Christ for your salvation? He is the promised Redeemer that the whole Old Testament points to. These men and women in Hebrews 11 put their faith in the promise of a Savior that had not yet come. How much easier should it be for us who can put our faith in something that has already taken place?
"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1).
Faith is an integral part of every Christian's life. It's with faith that we overcome trials, it's with faith that we look ahead to our future, and it's with faith that we withstand our enemy.
Reflections:
1. What stage of faith are you currently experiencing?
2. What might you do to strengthen your faith?
3. Does your behavior positively reflect the Lord and His godliness?
4. Do you exhibit faith in a way that shows God's sovereignty in your life?
Questions:
1. What is Faith?
2. How do we apply our faith to our lives?
3. Who is listed in the Hall of Faith?
4. In order to have godly faith, what must we do?
5. In James 2, how do we show our faith in God?
6. Who is the Redeemer of our faith?
7. Explain one of the Hero's life in the Hall of Faith.
8. How does faith play a part in our life?
Multiple Choice Section: Week 2
1. The phrase "the just shall live by faith", quoted at least three times in the New Testament, is found in this Old Testament book:
A. Habakkuk.
B. Haggai.
C. Hezekiah.
D. Psalms.
2. Choose the most Biblically accurate description of the nature of the faith that justifies lost sinners.
A. The gift of God which must be cultivated by the sinner in order for him to be justified.
B. An imperfect work done by the sinner under grace which God accepts in the place of perfect obedience to the Law.
C. Recognition by the sinner of the truth of essential Biblical doctrines.
D. The gift of God which conveys His grace in Christ to a needy sinner.
3. Jesus commended a woman's faith when she compared herself to:
A. a goat.
B. a raven.
C. a dog.
D. a wild olive tree.
4. Which person's faith is not mentioned in connection with what God did in his or her case?
A. Sarah, in conceiving Isaac.
B. Enoch, when he was taken to heaven without seeing death.
C. The woman who said to herself, "If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well."
D. Lazarus, when he was raised from the dead.
5. Jesus illustrated the power of faith when He said that mountains could be moved by it. Similarly, He said that one with even a little faith would be able to:
A. Command that repentant sinners receive the Holy Spirit.
B. Walk on water.
C. Say to a mulberry tree "Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea."
D. Charm snakes
Prayer:
Father God, We come to You in boldness as Your Word has instructed us. Grant us the knowledge of this study to use for Your glory, Wisdom to use it when the enemy comes against us, and the understanding of it. Thank You Lord! Our faith is so important to us as we walk with You daily. Your Word teaches us that we must walk by faith, and not by sight. Whatever is not faith is sin, help us to strength our faith as we study this lesson on faith. We know that no faith, and little faith is not pleasing to You. We desire to please You in our walk today. Thank You for granting us this faith through our study. This we pray in Jesus' name, amen.
From the s study of Charles F. Stanley
Date: 7/22/14
Week # 2
SUBJECT: Three Types of Faith
(II) Godly Faith:
Key Passage: Genesis 22:1-5
Supporting Scriptures: I Samuel 17; Matthew 9:20-22; 8:5-10; Hebrews 11:1, 6
This is the confident conviction that whatever the Lord has promised to do, He will absolutely fulfill. He has never failed to keep His word, and that will never change.
God's faith is when you believe in God's existence and His abilities. A person with this kind of faith possesses a confident conviction that God will fulfill what He has promised.
A mustard seed is a very small but powerful seed. The common mustard of Palestine is the Sinapis nigra. This garden herb sometimes grows to a considerable height, so as to be spoken of as "a tree," as compared with garden herbs. Mustard seeds of the various mustard plants are among the smallest of seeds. The seeds are about 3mm in diameter but can grow to a very tall height.
Jesus Christ spoke of the mustard seed in parables so that people could easily understand the Kingdom of God.
What is Faith?
The Bible explains faith in Hebrews 11:1 as follows: "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." (King James Version) Let's also look at another version of the Bible: "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." (New International Version, 1984)
Faith is described as "being sure" and "certain". Faith says "I have the thing I hope for now." It says assuredly and certainly I have it now and it exists now.
How Do I Apply Faith to My Life?
1) Be a born again believer.
Admit that you are a sinner and in need of a Savior. Repent of your sins, that is, turn from your sin. Then, confess and believe in Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior. Romans 10:9 and 10 reads, "If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."
This takes faith. Hebrew 11:6 says, "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."
2) Allow the Bible to be the ultimate authority in your life.
The Psalmist in Psalms 119:89 says, "For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven." The Word must be the final authority in your life as it is in Heaven and on the earth.
3) Know that whatever it is that you desire from the Lord must line up with His Word.
Study of the Word of God is very important.
For example, if a person is a narcotics dealer, he cannot pray and ask God for more finances. God would never condone the illegal sale of narcotics. Your petition must be what God would want for you or someone else. That means you must know what His Word says about your situation.
4) Pray believing that you have received the thing that you ask for in faith.
Mark 11:24 says, "Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them."
Faith is more than just having the thought or belief of something in your mind. It is an action word. It involves doing something. In James 2:18, it reads, "But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do." (New International Version, 1989) For example, a farmer may believe that crops will grow on his land but if he never plants the seeds, he will never have a crop. So, the farmer has faith by planting the seeds in the ground, watering them, weeding the soil and allowing the sun to shine on them. Then a crop will spring up. Praying in faith is saying what God's Word says about the situation. The seed is the Word of God. Your heart is the ground for planting the seed of the Word. Then keep trusting in the Word of God by confessing (saying or speaking) the Word of God. Keep out doubt and unbelief. Nourish the Word by protecting it in your heart until it comes to pass in your life.
"Believe that you have received it and ye shall have it."
The 11th chapter of Hebrews is known as the Hall of Faith in the Bible. It lists many men and women who showed faith in God and His promise. This wonderful chapter is an example to us on how we can, and should, have faith in God as well. Beyond reading the accounts of the people mentioned in Hebrews 11, we should look into the Old Testament stories which are referenced in this great chapter.
A simple definition of faith is given in verse 1, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." While faith is putting our trust in something we cannot see, it does not mean that there is no evidence for that faith. We believe there is a God, not because we can see Him, but because we have plenty of evidence that He exists. We have nature which tells us there is a Creator (Romans 1:19-23; Hebrews 11:2). We have God's Word, the Bible, which proclaims that God exists. There are plenty of evidences through history and science which proclaim the accuracy of the Bible. While we cannot see God, we can have faith in Him because of the proof that He has given to us through history, science, nature and His Word.
Beyond the simple definition of faith in verse 1 there is a practical application of faith in verse 6. It says, "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." We must have faith to please God. When we try to work out our salvation or our daily Christian walk in our flesh, that is not pleasing to God. Everything we do should be done in faith.
Hall of Faith
In this chapter there are various names of men and women of faith and snippets of their stories. To understand each of these it is necessary to read the account in the Old Testament where these stories originate.
While many of the stories point to specific actions that were done, it is important to see that their faith produced the action and not the other way around. We don't earn our faith because of good actions; right actions are a result of proper faith. Romans 4 tells us that Abraham was not saved because he obeyed God; rather, his obedience to God was a result of his faith. James 2 teaches that a man (or woman) who has faith in the promises of God will show their faith through their actions.
Here is the list of names mentioned in Hebrews 11 which make up the Hall of Faith: Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sara, Joseph, Moses, Rahab, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthae, David, Samuel and the prophets.
The Promise: A Redeemer
In Hebrews 11 there is a constant reference to the promise that God had given to various people. The initial promise was given in Genesis 3:15. God promised that there would be a Redeemer who would come and save humanity from the punishment of their sin. This promise was originally given to Eve when God said that from her seed the Redeemer, a Savior, would come. Throughout the Bible God gave more and more specifics for who the Redeemer would be and where He would come from.
The promised Redeemer was later defined as coming from the family of Abraham; specifically through the line of Isaac. Later God narrowed the promise through Isaac's son Jacob and then through the house of David. Through Hebrews 11 we can see that God takes a general promise and throughout history narrows down the promise to exactly where the Redeemer would come from.
Specific Examples of Faith
There are many stories mentioned or alluded to in these verses. Let's look at a few and see how their faith was manifested.
Abel: The first two children of Adam and Eve were Cain and Abel. They knew that God had promised a Redeemer and that the acceptance of the promised Savior was not through their works, but through faith. Cain brought a sacrifice to God which was based on his own labor: not based on faith. Though God had given a specific example—the slaughtering of a lamb to cover Adam and Eve's sin—Cain came to God with his own work. However, Abel sacrificed to God in faith trusting the promised Messiah.
Abraham: Most of the evidences of Abraham's faith that are mentioned in Hebrews 11 show that Abraham was trusting God for a promised inheritance. Abraham left his home to obtain land. He believed God when He said that Abraham's family would be multiplied like the stars of the sky or the sands of the sea. Abraham's faith in the physical promises from God were proof that he trusted in the potential promised Redeemer who would come long after Abraham's own death.
Moses: Though raised in the house of the Pharaoh of Egypt, Moses knew that his birth family was the people of God. You can read the Old Testament account of the life of Moses (Exodus-Deuteronomy) and see that Moses was not a perfect man; yet what drove Moses to obey and trust God was that he had faith in the promise of a coming Savior.
The Prophets: Though not mentioned individually by name, the prophets were each called to a task which was difficult and against the status quo. They proclaimed God's promises and His righteousness to a nation which wandered away from their God. Many of the prophets were ridiculed, beaten and killed for their faith in the promises of God.
The Results of Their Faith
After all these great stories of faith verse 39 tells us that these individuals never received the promise in a physical way. That promise was the future birth of the Redeemer Savior and Messiah Jesus Christ. They did not see the day of His coming. However, their faith in that promised Redeemer was counted for their salvation. Their faith was in something they never saw, but that does not mean that their faith was in vain. They believed God for something He promised.
Though we don't see Jesus Christ walking among us today, we can receive the promise in the same way these Old Testament believers did: through faith. We don't look forward to the future promise of a Redeemer, we look backwards through the written Word of God to see what God has given.
Is your faith in Jesus Christ for your salvation? He is the promised Redeemer that the whole Old Testament points to. These men and women in Hebrews 11 put their faith in the promise of a Savior that had not yet come. How much easier should it be for us who can put our faith in something that has already taken place?
"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1).
Faith is an integral part of every Christian's life. It's with faith that we overcome trials, it's with faith that we look ahead to our future, and it's with faith that we withstand our enemy.
Reflections:
1. What stage of faith are you currently experiencing?
2. What might you do to strengthen your faith?
3. Does your behavior positively reflect the Lord and His godliness?
4. Do you exhibit faith in a way that shows God's sovereignty in your life?
Questions:
1. What is Faith?
2. How do we apply our faith to our lives?
3. Who is listed in the Hall of Faith?
4. In order to have godly faith, what must we do?
5. In James 2, how do we show our faith in God?
6. Who is the Redeemer of our faith?
7. Explain one of the Hero's life in the Hall of Faith.
8. How does faith play a part in our life?
Multiple Choice Section: Week 2
1. The phrase "the just shall live by faith", quoted at least three times in the New Testament, is found in this Old Testament book:
A. Habakkuk.
B. Haggai.
C. Hezekiah.
D. Psalms.
2. Choose the most Biblically accurate description of the nature of the faith that justifies lost sinners.
A. The gift of God which must be cultivated by the sinner in order for him to be justified.
B. An imperfect work done by the sinner under grace which God accepts in the place of perfect obedience to the Law.
C. Recognition by the sinner of the truth of essential Biblical doctrines.
D. The gift of God which conveys His grace in Christ to a needy sinner.
3. Jesus commended a woman's faith when she compared herself to:
A. a goat.
B. a raven.
C. a dog.
D. a wild olive tree.
4. Which person's faith is not mentioned in connection with what God did in his or her case?
A. Sarah, in conceiving Isaac.
B. Enoch, when he was taken to heaven without seeing death.
C. The woman who said to herself, "If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well."
D. Lazarus, when he was raised from the dead.
5. Jesus illustrated the power of faith when He said that mountains could be moved by it. Similarly, He said that one with even a little faith would be able to:
A. Command that repentant sinners receive the Holy Spirit.
B. Walk on water.
C. Say to a mulberry tree "Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea."
D. Charm snakes
Prayer:
Father God, We come to You in boldness as Your Word has instructed us. Grant us the knowledge of this study to use for Your glory, Wisdom to use it when the enemy comes against us, and the understanding of it. Thank You Lord! Our faith is so important to us as we walk with You daily. Your Word teaches us that we must walk by faith, and not by sight. Whatever is not faith is sin, help us to strength our faith as we study this lesson on faith. We know that no faith, and little faith is not pleasing to You. We desire to please You in our walk today. Thank You for granting us this faith through our study. This we pray in Jesus' name, amen.
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