Matthew1344
Puritan Board Sophomore
What is your definition of faith?
ME:
I thought it was an acting out of a certain hope. So, the Holy Spirit comes and gives a new heart and with this new heart comes a seed of hope in the gospel promises. Then faith is the acting out towards this hope, a coming to God in all that he is for us in Christ and trusting him.
My example was: See that chair? I used to think that that chair was no good. Now, I have a new heart that sees the truth of the chair. It is good and now I know that it is and it has become my hope. I can put my trust in the promise that the chair will catch me. So, I do the only rational thing that there is... i go over there and sit in it. My walking over and sitting in the chair was faith. It was the acting out trust in my hope.
HIM:
He said, as of what I can remember, that faith is different than belief. Belief is based on thinking. Faith is based on knowledge. Faith comes from God so it can never be wrong. Belief comes from your desirable ideas. Faith and belief are totally different.
His example was:
If I jump out of my window i believe that I can fly. I do not have faith that I will fly. It cant be faith, because faith is always based on knowledge. Belief is based on an idea that you have, not on solid evidence. So to say that someone has faith that the Yankees will win the World Series this year is wrong. He would say "You have belief, not faith." Can this distinction be made?
BIBLE:
We looked at Hebrews 11:1 and he didnt like the esv version that reads "assurance". He like "substance". So he doesnt define faith as "knowing of things hoped for" but, i think more so, "evidence of things hoped for".
CALVIN:
And today I looked at calvin's definition of faith: "A firm and certain knowledge of God's benevolence towards us, found upon the truth of the freely given promise in Christ,both revealed to our minds and sealed upon our hearts through the Holy Spirit."
Basically, I need help understanding what faith is.
ME:
I thought it was an acting out of a certain hope. So, the Holy Spirit comes and gives a new heart and with this new heart comes a seed of hope in the gospel promises. Then faith is the acting out towards this hope, a coming to God in all that he is for us in Christ and trusting him.
My example was: See that chair? I used to think that that chair was no good. Now, I have a new heart that sees the truth of the chair. It is good and now I know that it is and it has become my hope. I can put my trust in the promise that the chair will catch me. So, I do the only rational thing that there is... i go over there and sit in it. My walking over and sitting in the chair was faith. It was the acting out trust in my hope.
HIM:
He said, as of what I can remember, that faith is different than belief. Belief is based on thinking. Faith is based on knowledge. Faith comes from God so it can never be wrong. Belief comes from your desirable ideas. Faith and belief are totally different.
His example was:
If I jump out of my window i believe that I can fly. I do not have faith that I will fly. It cant be faith, because faith is always based on knowledge. Belief is based on an idea that you have, not on solid evidence. So to say that someone has faith that the Yankees will win the World Series this year is wrong. He would say "You have belief, not faith." Can this distinction be made?
BIBLE:
We looked at Hebrews 11:1 and he didnt like the esv version that reads "assurance". He like "substance". So he doesnt define faith as "knowing of things hoped for" but, i think more so, "evidence of things hoped for".
CALVIN:
And today I looked at calvin's definition of faith: "A firm and certain knowledge of God's benevolence towards us, found upon the truth of the freely given promise in Christ,both revealed to our minds and sealed upon our hearts through the Holy Spirit."
Basically, I need help understanding what faith is.