Faith

Faith is in general the persuasion of the mind that a certain statement is true.

(Philippians 1:27) Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you stand firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel.

(Thessalonians II 2:13) But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.

Its primary idea is trust. A thing is true, and therefore worthy of trust. It admits of many degrees up to full assurance of faith, in accordance with the evidence on which it rests.

(Romans 10:14) But how are men to call upon him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without a preacher?

(Romans 10:15) And how can men preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach good news!"

(Romans 10:16) But they have not all obeyed the gospel; for Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?"

(Romans 10:17) So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes by the preaching of Christ.

Knowledge is an essential element in all faith, and is sometimes spoken of as an equivalent to faith

(John 10:38 but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father."

(John I 2:3) And by this we may be sure that we know him, if we keep his commandments.

Yet the two are distinguished in this respect, that faith includes in it assent, which is an act of the will in addition to the act of the understanding. Assent to the truth is of the essence of faith, and the ultimate ground on which our assent to any revealed truth rests is the veracity of God. Historical faith is the apprehension of and assent to certain statements which are regarded as mere facts of history. Temporary faith is that state of mind which is awakened in men (e.g., Felix) by the exhibition of the truth and by the influence of religious sympathy, or by what is sometimes styled the common operation of the Holy Spirit. Saving faith is so called because it has eternal life inseparably connected with it. It cannot be better defined than in the words of the Assembly's Shorter Catechism: "Faith in Jesus Christ is a saving grace, whereby we receive and rest upon him alone for salvation, as he is offered to us in the gospel." The object of saving faith is the whole revealed Word of God. Faith accepts and believes it as the very truth most sure. But the special act of faith which unites to Christ has as its object the person and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

(John 7:38) "He who believes in me, as the scripture has said, 'Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water.'"

(Acts 16:31) And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household."

This is the specific act of faith by which a sinner is justified before God
(Romans 3:22) the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction;
(Romans 3:25) whom God put forward as an expiation by his blood, to be received by faith.

This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins;
(Galatians 2:16) yet who know that a man is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ, and not by works of the law, because by works of the law shall no one be justified

(Philippians 3:9) and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own, based on law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith;

(John 3:16) For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
(John 3:17) For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.
(John 3:18) He who believes in him is not condemned; he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
(John 3:19) And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
(John 3:20) For every one who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.
(John 3:21) But he who does what is true comes to the light, that it may be clearly seen that his deeds have been wrought in God.
(John 3:22) After this Jesus and his disciples went into the land of Judea; there he remained with them and baptized.
(John 3:23) John also was baptizing at Ae'non near Salim, because there was much water there; and people came and were baptized.
(John 3:24) For John had not yet been put in prison.
(John 3:25) Now a discussion arose between John's disciples and a Jew over purifying.
(John 3:26) And they came to John, and said to him, "Rabbi, he who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you bore witness, here he is, baptizing, and all are going to him."
(John 3:27) John answered, "No one can receive anything except what is given him from heaven.
(John 3:28) You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.
(John 3:29) He who has the bride is the bridegroom; the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice; therefore this joy of mine is now full.
(John 3:30) He must increase, but I must decrease."
(John 3:31) He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth belongs to the earth, and of the earth he speaks; he who comes from heaven is above all.
(John 3:32) He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony:
(John 3:33) he who receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true.
(John 3:34) For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for it is not by measure that he gives the Spirit;
(John 3:35) the Father loves the Son, and has given all things into his hand.
(John 3:36) He who believes in the Son has eternal life; he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God rests upon him.

(Acts 10:43) To him all the prophets bear witness that every one who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name."
(Acts 16:31) And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household."

In this act of faith the believer appropriates and rests on Christ alone.

Christ is the Mediator in all his offices. This assent to or belief in the truth received upon the divine testimony has always associated with it a deep sense of sin, a distinct view of Christ, a consenting will, and a loving heart, together with a reliance on, a trusting in, or resting in Christ. It is that state of mind in which a poor sinner, conscious of his sin, flees from his guilty self to Christ his Saviour, and rolls over the burden of all his sins on him. It consists chiefly, not in the assent given to the testimony of God in his Word, but in embracing with fiducial reliance and trust the one and only Saviour whom God reveals. This trust and reliance is of the essence of faith. By faith the believer directly and immediately appropriates Christ as his own. Faith in its direct act makes Christ ours. It is not a work which God graciously accepts instead of perfect obedience, but is only the hand by which we take hold of the person and work of our Redeemer as the only ground of our salvation. Saving faith is a moral act, as it proceeds from a renewed will, and a renewed will is necessary to believing assent to the truth of God.

(Corinthians I 2:14) The unspiritual man does not receive the gifts of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.

(Corinthians II 2:4) For I wrote you out of much affliction and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to cause you pain but to let you know the abundant love that I have for you.

Faith, therefore, has its seat in the moral part of our nature fully as much as in the intellectual. The mind must first be enlightened by divine teaching.

(John 6:44) No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.

(Acts 13:48) And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of God; and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.

(Corinthians II 4:6) For it is the God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

(Ephesians 1:17) that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him,

(Ephesians 1:18) having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, before it can discern the things of the Spirit.

(Mark 16:16) He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned; not because there is any merit in it, but simply because it is the sinner's taking the place assigned him by God, his falling in with what God is doing. The warrant or ground of faith is the divine testimony, not the reasonableness of what God says, but the simple fact that he says it. Faith rests immediately on, "Thus saith the Lord." But in order to this faith the veracity, sincerity, and truth of God must be owned and appreciated, together with his unchangeableness. God's word encourages and emboldens the sinner personally to transact with Christ as God's gift, to close with him, embrace him, give himself to Christ, and take Christ as his. That word comes with power, for it is the word of God who has revealed himself in his works, and especially in the cross. God is to be believed for his word's sake, but also for his name's sake. Faith in Christ secures for the believer freedom from condemnation, or justification before God; a participation in the life that is in Christ, the divine life

(John 14:19) Yet a little while, and the world will see me no more, but you will see me; because I live, you will live also.

(Romans 6:4) We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

(Romans 6:5) For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.

(Romans 6:6) We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the sinful body might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin.

(Romans 6:8) But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him,

(Romans 6:9) For we know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him.

(Romans 6:10) The death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God.

(Ephesians 4:15) Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,

(Ephesians 4:16) from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every joint with which it is supplied, when each part is working properly, makes bodily growth and upbuilds itself in love, "peace with God".

(Romans 5:1) Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.; and sanctification

(Acts 26:18) to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.

(Galatians 5:6) For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is of any avail, but faith working through love.;

(Acts 15:9) and he made no distinction between us and them, but cleansed their hearts by faith.

(John 6:37) All that the Father gives me will come to me; and him who comes to me I will not cast out.

(John 6:40) For this is the will of my Father, that every one who sees the Son and believes in him should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day."

(John 10:28) and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand.;

(Romans 8:1) There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

(Acts 6:7) And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.

(Romans 1:5) through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations:

(Galatians 1:23) they only heard it said, "He who once persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy."

(Timothy I 3:9) they must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.

(Jude 1:3) Beloved, being very eager to write to you of our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.

(Hebrews 11:1) Now faith is the substance (assurance) of things hoped for, the evidence (conviction) of things not seen.

(Hebrews 11:3) Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

(Hebrews 11:6) 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.

Faith means being sure of the things we hope for and knowing something is real even if we do not see it or able to touch it. It is by faith we understand that the whole world was made by God's command so what we see was made by something that can not be seen.

Without faith no one can please God. Anyone who comes to God must believe that he is real and that he rewards those who truly want to find Him. (Hebrews 11:1, 3, 6)

(Romans 1:17) For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, "They just shall live by faith."

The Good News shows how God makes people right with himself that it begins and ends with faith. As the scripture says: But those who are right with God will live by trusting in him. Romans 1:17

Corinthians II 4:8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;

Corinthians II 4:16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day

Corinthians II 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;

Corinthians II 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

We have troubles all around us, but we are not defeated. We do not know what to do, but we do not give up the hope of living. We are persecuted, but God does not leave us. We are hurt sometimes, but are not destroyed. So we do not give up. Our physical body is becoming older and weaker, but our spirit inside us is made new every day. We have small troubles for a while now, but they are helping us gain an eternal glory that is much greater than the troubles. We set our eyes not on what we see, but on what we cannot see. 2 Corinthians 4:8-9, 16-18

Nahum's town, a Galilean city frequently mentioned in the history of our Lord. It is not mentioned in the Old Testament. After our Lord's expulsion from Nazareth (Matt. 4:13-16; Luke 4:16-31), Capernaum became his "own city." It was the scene of many acts and incidents of his life (Matt. 8:5, 14, 15; 9:2-6, 10-17; 15:1-20; Mark 1:32-34, etc.). The impenitence and unbelief of its inhabitants after the many evidences our Lord gave among them of the truth of his mission, brought down upon them a heavy denunciation of judgement (Matt. 11:23). It stood on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. The "land of Gennesaret," near, if not in, which it was situated, was one of the most prosperous and crowded districts of Palestine. This city lay on the great highway from Damascus to Acco and Tyre. It has been identified with Tell Hum, about two miles south-west of where the Jordan flows into the lake. Here are extensive ruins of walls and foundations, and also the remains of what must have been a beautiful synagogue, which it is conjectured may have been the one built by the centurion (Luke 7:5), in which our Lord frequently taught (John 6:59; Mark 1:21; Luke 4:33). Others have conjectured that the ruins of the city are to be found at Khan Minyeh, some three miles further to the south on the shore of the lake. "If Tell Hum be Capernaum, the remains spoken of are without doubt the ruins of the synagogue built by the Roman centurion, and one of the most sacred places on earth. It was in this building that our Lord gave the well-known discourse in John 6; and it was not without a certain strange feeling that on turning over a large block we found the pot of manna engraved on its face, and remembered the words, 'I am that bread of life: your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.'", (The Recovery of Jerusalem.)

A Roman officer in command of a hundred men (Mark 15:39, 44, 45). Cornelius, the first Gentile convert, was a centurion (Acts 10:1, 22). Other centurions are mentioned in Matt. 8:5, 8, 13; Luke 7:2, 6; Acts 21:32; 22:25, 26; 23:17, 23; 24:23; 27:1, 6, 11, 31, 43; 28:16. A centurion watched the crucifixion of our Lord (Matt. 27:54; Luke 23:47), and when he saw the wonders attending it, exclaimed, "Truly this man was the Son of God." "The centurions mentioned in the New Testament are uniformly spoken of in terms of praise, whether in the Gospels or in the Acts. It is interesting to compare this with the statement of Polybius (vi. 24), that the centurions were chosen by merit, and so were men remarkable not so much for their daring courage as for their deliberation, constancy, and strength of mind.", Dr. Maclear's N. T. Hist.

Luke 7:1 After he had ended all his sayings in the hearing of the people he entered Caper'na-um.

Luke 7:2 Now a centurion had a slave who was dear to him, who was sick and at the point of death.

Luke 7:3 When he heard of Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his slave.

Luke 7:4 And when they came to Jesus, they besought him earnestly, saying, "He is worthy to have you do this for him.

Luke 7:6 And Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying to him, "Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof;

Luke 7:7 therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed.

Luke 7:8 For I am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come,' and he comes; and to my slave, 'Do this,' and he does it."

Luke 7:9 When Jesus heard this he marveled at him, and turned and said to the multitude that followed him, "I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith."

Luke 7:10 And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave well.