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This Is Faith

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Posted by Eric Clark on October 24, 2003 13:03:46 UTC

I am told not to cast pearls before those who would just trample them,
so I give you this imitation pearl.

RE:>> * Joshua lived for days in a large fish? *
That was Jonah, not Joshua.
The Bible (KJV) does not say Jonah “lived”,
but rather “was in” the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

Truly, it seems that all other “stories” pale in contrast if Jesus was truly resurrected.
If God can resurrect the dead, is anything impossible with God ?

Yes. It’s in the Book, but that’s not good enough.
God does not expect us to place our faith blindly, though I would agree that many seem to.
I am not in that category and you obviously will not allow yourself to be either.
That does not mean that you cannot place your faith in Him with confidence,
it just means you need to learn more of Him. This is His desire, that you learn of Him.
A study of the evidence regarding the resurrection of Jesus would put you on a good path.
If you are serious about wanting faith that is not simply blind faith, it is available.

Can faith be a struggle with doubt some times ?
Yes. But this doubt is not true rational doubt.

Based on the new GRID Computer architecture, the value of Pi can actually be computed soon.

Did just the slightest doubt about your knowledge of Pi pop into your mind
for even the slightest fraction of a second ?
But then you came back to what you knew to be true, right ?
What He says in the Book is truth that never changes.
The Holy Spirit will convict you of that truth, the rest is up to you.

Your flesh(sin nature) or an unseen (so-called)friend, such as one of the devil’s helpers,
may place a seed of doubt “as” or “like” a whisper in the ear of your mind.
This is not considered losing your faith, but IT IS a testing of your faith.
When you take that seed and compare it back to that Book which the Holy Spirit teaches you,
the doubt can take its rightful place.


RE: >> * faith - in my view –
is something of significance.
It is a stance on something that makes a difference in our lives or those whom we care about.
It is a testimony that speaks volumes of who we are and what we care about. *
Very good. Close. But these are the results of faith, not faith itself.


RE:>> * I think this trait is something that God wishes for humans to possess. *
God wishes you to possess it, but faith is not a trait.


RE:>> * I think, it is putting your trust in God. The currency says "In God We Trust", if this is a testimony that exhibits trust in face of doubt, then it is faith. If it is just words of belief having no cause for doubt, then it is not faith, it is a mere belief, perhaps not even worthy of mentioning. *
Now you’ve got it -- Except -- the “cause for doubt” is not a “real” cause, only imagined.

RE:>> * So, the question I have is why is this faith so hard to find among those who profess religious ideals? *
Answer: Because professing “religion” cannot produce faith.

RE:>> * It is just reciting statements of a book having little or no appreciation of what it really means to believe. *
Yes, this truly is religion. This is not a relationship built on trust.

RE:>> * If those statements were fully appreciated, there would be doubt. And, if there were doubt, there would be struggle. And, if there were struggle, there would be less thumping on a book and more sharing of their struggles. This is the basis of faith, I think. *
Wow ! You actually hit it right in the bullseye.
But your last little “, I think.” stands there between the basis of faith and faith itself.

RE: * It is a sign of loyalty and trust. *
Actually. Faith is not a “sign” of trust. Faith IS trust.
How do two people have a close personal relationship with one another ? A: Trust.
( Again, some may not see the context of this “trust”. It is the context of knowing (having a relationship with) someone whom you know was willing to die to keep that trust.

I pray for you to continue learning my dear brother.

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