7 Definitions of Faith

Faith = "Pistis" (Gk.) -> Persuasion AND Conviction

Heb 11:1 -> Now faith is the SUBSTANCE of the things HOPED for, the EVIDENCE of things not seen. (NKJV)

A few translations of Heb 11:1:

NLT - What is faith? It is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen. It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see.
RSV - Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the CONVICTION of things not seen.
GNT - To have faith is to be sure of the things we hope for, to be certain of the things we cannot see.
NIV - Now faith is being sure of what we hoped for and certain of what we do not see.

1. Faith is different from HOPE

1 cor 13:3
Faith is NOT hope but faith IS SIMILAR/RELATED to hope.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FAITH AND HOPE

a. Hope is for the FUTURE, faith is for the PRESENT.
-eph 2:8-9

-Hope is: I hope i can be healed, etc.
-Faith is: I receive my healing now, etc.

b. Hope is anchored in the realm of the HEAD, but faith is anchored in the realm of the HEART.
-1 ths 5:8, rom 10:10

Hope is: a mental attitude of expectancy
Faith is: a product of the heart

What does it mean to believe with the heart?

-The heart of a man is at the very CENTER, the core of man's being which is his "SPIRIT".
-rom 2:28-29, 1 pet 3:4, luke 16:19-23, 25

-To believe with your heart is to believe in your SPIRIT.
-1 cor 2:14, rom 7:22
-Your spirit man can See, Feel, Know and Analyse things apart from the mind.

HEAD-FAITH vs HEART-FAITH
-jhn 20:24-25, 29

-Thomas-Faith: see to believe.
-Abraham-Faith: believing to see.

Head-Faith: Exists only in the realm of the mind. It is an intellectual, mental acceptance of certain facts and doctrines. It is not biblical faith but human faith. Doesnt produce results and changes in the lives of people.

Heart-Faith: Built on spiritual truths and revelation. Doesnt mean denying weaknesses/circumstances, but looking beyond natural circumstances and weaknesses and looks to God's promises. If God says so, then it is so, PERIOD.
-rom 4:17-21

2. Faith produces a SUBSTANCE. (an INTERNAL INDICATION)

-When we have faith we have a substance in our spirit man.
-We are 'pregnated'/'birthed' with an accomplished reality that has yet to be manifested. -> You can feel it because you carry it.

This "substance" is described as:

a) A sense of confidence.
b) A feeling of confirmation, boldness, assurance.
c) A sure internal indication that it is done, you have grapsed it, you have the ownership or title-deed of what you want.

Phil Pringle - "If you dont have the 'feeling of faith', you will surely fall when you attempt something bigger than your abilities".

3. Faith produces an ATTITUDE. (In your spirit)

-Example: positive, joyful, confident, dont think that life is unfair, etc...a feeling of absolute confidence
-num 14:24, 2 cor 4:13, 16-18 -> Everything is subject to change. Facts are subject to change, only the TRUTH (God's Word) is final.
-Paul called his problems "light affliction'' and "for a moment".

4. Faith produces a FIRM FOUNDATION.

"Substance" = "hupostasis"(gk.) -> a support or a platform you stand on.
Faith is the BASIS or FOUNDATION for everything we hope for.

Faith is not trying to psyche yourself up to make what you wish for come true.
Faith is not mental concentration or mind control.
Faith is not mere positive thinking.
Without faith, our hope is mere wishful thinking, doomed to bitter disillusionment.

You can hope all you want, but it is faith that ACTIVATES!

Faith allows us to receive things from God. -> Without faith it is impossible to please God.
Faith is substantial -> we can walk, stand, build our lives on it.

5. Faith deals with DESIRES.

You can hope, you can desire but it is faith that allows you to receive.

HOPE: desires, visions, dreams
God wants to fulfill our desires and our goals AS LONG AS it tallies with His.
Be SPECIFIC with your desires or prayers. -> dun pray something like:

"God help me to desire what You desire so that Your desires can become my desires and that You will be happy when I desire Your desires...etc...." (bla bla bla...)
God is asking you today: What do you want? -> You do not have because you do not ASK, you asked but do not receive because you ask with wrong motives.

-Mk 11:24
-When you ask, BELIEVE you have received. -> as long as you dun go out of God's will.
-Definite things/Definite desires -> Definite faith.

6. Faith produces an UNSHAKABLE CONVICTION.

-Evidence is used to prove a case. Another word for evidence is CONVICTION.
-When God speaks a Rhema to you, there is an unshakable conviction in your spirit that indeed God has spoken and God will make it come to pass.
-Do NOT base your faith on other people's faith/conviction!

7. Faith reaches out to the INVISIBLE.

-Ish 55:8-9, Gen 15:1-3, Jhn 11:39-40, psm 27:13, rom 4:17-21, 11-12.

Faith deals with the things in the realm of visions, dreams and your IMAGINATION.
2 cor 5:7, heb 11:3, 1 cor 2:9-10, 14.
Faith is not the product of human reasoning.

Human reasoning is: See to believe.
Faith is: Believe to see.

-However, God is NOT AGAINST reason. He is simply BEYOND or HIGHER than human reasoning. -> God's Word EXPANDS your reasoning.

-Having faith doesnt mean you throw away your common sense/brain or to put your reasoning aside. We have to be WISE!
e.g. In e desert, Satan asked Jesus to jump off the roof.

If we are carnally minded, we can only accept what our natural senses reveal to us. But if we are spiritually minded, our faith will make the truths in God's word more real than what we see or experience naturally. (Seeing to believe).

If you can see it then there's no need for faith. We need faith because we cannot see it...YET.

BIBLICAL FAITH vs NEW AGE (Mind over matter).

Biblical faith: God-centered (With man it is impossible, but WITH God, ALL things are possible.)
New Age: Man-Centered (Mind over matter -> e.g. feel the inner man within you rising..etc.)
Its all about you, you and you.

Biblical faith: Word-Centered (Rhema/Promise) -> Logos is the written Word. Rhema is the SPOKEN Word.
New Age: Self-Centered/Self-Desires (All about I, Me and Myself...what I can become/do.)

Faith is more than positive thinking, it is hope with a positive thinking accompanied with an ACTION done after receiving a Rhema because you can hope all you want, but it is faith that ACTIVATES.


THOUGHTS

Bs was great....went to the foodcourt next to BayView Hotel to makan. Went with Bao, Pam, Kexin, HuiYing, Seth and Zack. had a good time. =)

Yea BS is always so exciting always learn new things :) We've got to expand our thinking cus when we limit our minds, we limit our life. Einstein was considered a 'PRO' simply because he used his brain 1% more than others. ;)

Its like saying, the food tastes great. People can believe or not. But only when you taste it for yourself, then itll taste really really good haha...jus eaten so....yea...hahahas ^^

You never achieve anything great if our minds are limited, our thinking is so narrow, if we remain comfortable where we are. We've got to change our thinking, enlarge our capacity and step out of our comfort zone. The grass is always greener on the other side ;) heex...=D

Cant wait for the churchwide conference on GOTP (aka the Tabernacle). indeed we shouldnt be feeding on milk or bread anymore...lets go on to perfection, having laid the RIGHT foundations and move on to SOLID FOOD! =)

Life is more than just existing or merely surviving. God has come to give life and life MORE ABUNDANTLY ;) In HIm, we have MORE THAN ENOUGH, yea..=))

Once again, happy bdae to Seth an HuiYing aka Will-Win..hahahas ^^

comb CG this friday at daryl's place...3 storey bungalow, private house..mans...imagine...jus his ROOM alone can fit a drumset! whoa...lol. and ill have to carry an amplifier...hahaha jus when i thought carrying a pail with 2 tongs and a knife was bad enough...hahahahahaha =p