Are We Guilty of Prideful Knowledge?

[Alesaggio]

Consider the following, prayerfully:

There is a verse that tells us in a very forcible manner. "And if any man think that he knoweth anything, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know it" (1 Corinthians 8:2). How many people does that cover? "Any man," all of us that have come here. Thinks he knows what? "Anything." Does that cover all things then? Then the text covers all people and all things that may be known. Then if any one of us thinks he knows anything, what does he know? How much does he know? -- He knows nothing yet as he ought to.

If you came here thinking you knew all there was to know about ANY biblical doctrine, you must decide you do not know that as you ought to know it. All must come and say, "I do not know anything yet as I ought to know it; teach thou me." And we will learn. Even though one may fully understand the plan of salvation (Acts 2:38), nonetheless he must never feel that he knows all there is to know about salvation! And until all the depths and eternities are past we will never get to the place where we will have the right to think we know that thing and are done with it.

'The things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God'; 'for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.' And Jesus’ promise to his followers was, 'When he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth. . . . for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you.'

He gives us the Spirit of truth to guide into the truth. And that Spirit is such a perfect guide, such an infallible one that it will silence every other voice than that which comes from Him who is truth and life. And as it was said in the days of Job, and in the book, "Who teaches like him?"

So perhaps we apostolics need to remember that if any man think that he knoweth anything, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know it. Certainly, no new plan of salvation will be forthcoming (it was once and for all), but can anyone say that they know ALL there is to know of the unsearchable riches of Jesus Christ!

Humble yourself, and learn! “Come learn of me….”

[Alesaggio]

The Bible has a great deal to say about truth, particularly the truth about God and our relationship to him . On practically every page of the New Testament this emphasis is apparent. The gospel message concerning the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is spoken of as "the word of truth" (Ephesians 1:13; Colossians 1:5; James 1:18), or often simply as "the truth". Christians are spoken about as those who "belong to the truth" (1 John 3:19). God's word is truth (John 17:17); God declared himself to be the truth (14:6), and is spoken of as the "Spirit of truth" (1 John 5:6).

Warnings about false teaching, false teachers and wrong behaviour, both from Jesus and other writers of the New Testament, are numerous. Philemon is the only one of the twenty-seven books that doesn't contain such warnings. The connection between truth and behaviour is constant through the Bible. More of that later. False teaching, symbolised by the "false prophet" in the book of Revelation, is pictured as one of the four major enemies of God's people (the others being Satan, godless civil powers and corrupt values).

It is significant that the Greek word for "truth", used about a hundred times in the New Testament, also has the meaning of "reality". The Bible is a book about what is really real and truly true.

It is one of the ironies of history that when Pilate asked Jesus at his trial, "What is truth?" the one who is the embodiment of all truth was standing before him in person. There is some indication from the account of the story that Pilate sensed something of this. He was, however, unwilling to face the implications of it.

Socrates was put to death simply because he questioned the knowledge of those that were convinced they were all knowing, but Socrates might have been said to say in essence, "I am a fool, but I know I'm a fool and that makes me smarter than you." And for this they hated him. Much like they hated Jesus for upsetting the “authorities” of wisdom in His day. "I am the way, the truth and the life." And for this they hated Him!

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
Proverbs 9:10

Churchmen who look at God, so to speak, through the wrong end of the telescope, so reducing him to pigmy proportions, cannot hope to end up as more than pigmy Christians.
J.I. Packer

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth.
2 Timothy 2:15

For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
Hebrews 4:12

Your word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against You.
Psalms 119:11

Truth, as revealed in the Bible, is integrally tied to the fact that God Himself is true (Psalm 25:10; Isaiah 65:16; Titus 1:2). He is a real God, a God whose character is flawless, and a God who is faithful in all that He does and says. This God, the God of truth, is also a communicating Being. Through various channels, He has revealed Himself and His purpose. But the climax of His Revelation has come in Jesus Christ—God manifest in the flesh! (Hebrews 1:1-3).

In Jesus of Nazareth, God has become flesh. The God of truth has come to live among us and unveil His divine plan. Since Jesus is “the truth” (John 14:6), it is no surprise that He speaks reliable words. He promised to lead His followers into a fuller realization of the truth (John 16:12-14). This truth—found in its most clear expression in the biblical writings—provides both the pathway to God and a framework for living under His rule (John 17:17).

But unless the heart be in love with truth, it is not honest in the search of it, nor ready to embrace it when apprehended by the intellect. It is impossible for the mind to receive the whole truth without this state of heart. Some shreds of truth may be perceived by the mind, and many things about it may be known, while the heart is in an unsubdued state; but the whole truth in its bearings, relations, tendencies, and results, is never apprehended by a closed mind, or by a mind unwilling to know and do it.

“Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free”

[John Atkinson]

Ok I'll bite, anyone with a quote from consolatio philosophiae in their sig merits conversation.

Spirtual Arrogance is a crime that is quite prolific in this movement. It is one of the key reasons why many people who might be won to the beginning things of the truth shun us.

Acts 2:38 is not the end all completion of truth, it is the beginning, it is kindergarten. Truth is both journey and destination. All of it is contained in Jesus Christ, who is the express embodiment of truth.

I really enjoy the way you correlated false doctrine to the false prophet of revelation. I have long considered "the beast" to be the embodiment of humanity without God. The antithesis of Christ. And the mark of the beast to be sin. That false doctrine would be his prophet lines up nicely.

BTW, before the knowledge of Christ I considered myself a stoic and was fond of the writings of Epictitus and Marcus Aurelius.

[tufluv]

Wow, Bro.John
I have long considered "the beast" to be the embodiment of humanity without God. And the mark of the beast to be sin. That false doctrine would be his prophet lines up nicely.

I'm almost speechless, for I have long been saying this, to my husband, that to me the mark of the beast is the sin of humanity w/o GOD in their lives!!! Halleluyah! :bow:
I'm amazed someone put what I've been realizing into words, as succintly as you did, and the teachings above by Alesaggio WAS a hard act to follow!
Awesome thread!! :tup:

[Alesaggio]

Thank You Brother Atkinson for your well recieved thoughts. I would like to add a bit more to the subject. Please join with me by adding your comments, that invitation is, of course, open to all.


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, You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that, and shudder!"

In other words, if your faith or belief in a truth doesn't make a practical difference in your life, then it's no better than that the devil himself knows there is a God but that doesn't make a believer in the Christian sense. A knowledge of the truth that one cannot put into practice is a pointless excercise, a philosophy that may be logically consistent but nothing worth living or dying for!

Yet we must be careful to point out that if you do feel something is right, and even live by those assumptions, you may be sincere in your experience, but sincerely wrong.

It was the experience of sailors prior to Copernicus to see the horizon and believe sincerely the edge of world would await them if they ventured too far. This belief dictated the length of their voyages, they acted sicnerely on a belief that was simply not true, even if there was evidence to support it - inthis case the fact that often a sailor would not return after a long voyage.

It is because it's important to know about God. And God has revealed himself in Scripture.

If I really wanted to know Van Gogh, if I really wanted to understand him, I could watch what he does, yes; I can stare at his paintings and draw conclusions - that is reason and scientific observation. I could hear what others have said about him and read psychoanalysts that pondered his hidden subconscious, which is akin to seeking the traditions about Van Gogh. I see what emotions his paintings and insights about the man induce within me, that will help make my search for Van Gogh more meaningful. These are all good sources of information.

But if I really wanted to know Van Gogh, the best source of information is Van Gogh himself. By conversing with him I can learn more about him, his motivation behind making a particular painting, his reasons for leaving home, what drove him to cut off his ear, what is really going inside Van Gogh. As van Gogh reveals himself in conversation and in his personal writings, I can know more clearly Van Gogh and his character and personality than I can in any other way. The best place to check information about a person is with the person. If Van Gogh kept a journal, I could get more reliable insight on the man from this than from any other source.

So it is with God. From nature and reason we know that God is powerful, all powerful, for all that is was made by him, but in so knowing we understand that he must be far different from us. God is mystery. I can deep heartful and sincere convictions about the nature of God and my soul, but God is still mystery. Unless he reveals himself to me in some way.

The most ancient collection of god-centered writings, the Bible, is the truth about God. Within it are ample statements saying "Thus saith the Lord." The Bible offers the testimony of God himself, as an intelligent, just, loving, holy and altogether different being. It is, as you know, a collection of writings that took over 1,500 years to compile, written over three continents, in multiple cultures, in different languages. Despite this, this book, this collection of 66 books, offers a single, coherent picture of God. It is a miracle. It is in fact, his journal.

The problem of mankind in digesting truth is attributed to:
Materialism—Matter is all that matters.
Its Distortion—Deformed view of the world.
The Snare—I am what I own.
The Effect—Affluence, accumulation, occupied with things, consumer mentality, neglect spiritual things.

And Individualism—I must depend on no one but myself.
Its Distortion—Deformed view of self. Produces a me-ism society.
The Snare—I am the source of my own life.
The Effect—Loneliness, resistance to authority, inability to work on a team.

A biblical stance of these factors changes the carnal to the spiritual and makes:
Materialism—Spiritual and eternal values, treasures.
Responsibility—Renewal, reevaluation, trust in God rather than in things.
Result—Ability to follow God, ministry, laying up eternal treasures.

And also transforming Individualism—Body life, co-worker, no man an island.
Responsibility—Team work, submission to others, loving one another.
Result—Edification of the body.

True liberty and freedom only comes by knowing the truth and then acting upon truth received. Just knowing something is true will not make one free. It is what we do with the truth once it is received that truly makes us free.

Jesus came that we might have life and have it more abundantly. This abundant life is a privilege, presented to us by the Giver of good gifts, God Himself.

There are so many Christians living below their privileges because they do not understand that an abundant life in Jesus Christ comes only through receiving the truth. Truth is faithful and right. It is solid and will keep your steps on right paths even in the midst of trouble or confusion along the way.

So many are bound by legalism or what other people think of them. Opinions of people can cripple old as well as new Christians. Many want acceptance by others and cannot see God's approval comes first and is what will count in eternity.

God wants us to be concerned over what He thinks about us and how His Word judges us. When we worship the Lord it must be in "spirit and in truth" to be acceptable to Him.

"Ye shall know the truth ane the truth shall make you free"

[tufluv]

Excellent post, again!
I love how GOD reveals HIMSELF as HE truly is, if one is 'open' to receiving HIM, many live by presumptions about HIM.
As you said "It is what we do with the truth once it is received that truly makes us free".
I've been saying since I was baptized, that I never knew what was meant by 'an abundant life' until I was truly set free indeed! Set free to live in that knowledge of HIM. I have a 'peace' that passeth all understanding.

Thanks for your time and info on this great thread.

[Nawbee]

Quote:
"I do not know anything yet as I ought to know it; teach thou me."

Me:
Say this to whom?

Men or God?

And once God has Given you the answer, to whom then do we submit His Word? To whom then do we subject it?

Know only this:

James 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all [men] liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

[Alesaggio]

When Pontius Pilate interrogated Jesus before his crucifixion, Jesus proclaimed that "Everyone on the side of truth listens to me." (John 18:37). To this, Pilate replied "What is truth?" and immediately left Jesus to address the Jews who wanted Christ crucified (v. 38). As Francis Bacon wrote in his essay "On Truth," "'What is truth?' said jesting Pilate; and would not stay for an answer." Although we have no record of any reply by Jesus, Christians affirm that Pilate was staring Truth in the face, for Jesus had earlier said to Thomas, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life" (John 14:6).

If I say "Jesus is Lord" and you say "Allah is Lord" both statements cannot be objectively true because they describe mutually exclusive realities. Jesus is known by Christians as God made flesh (John 1:14), while Muslims deny that Allah incarnates. If "Lord" means a position of unrivaled metaphysical and spiritual supremacy, then Jesus and Allah cannot be both be Lord because "Jesus" and "Allah" are not two words that mean the same thing. If we mean to say that I believe in Jesus and you believe in Allah, there is no logical contradiction, since subjective states of mind cannot contradict each other; that is, it may be true that I subjectively believe X and you subjectively believe non-X. But X and non-X themselves cannot both be objectively true. When dealing with divergent claims to objective truth (as we often do in comparative religion and philosophy), contradictions emerge frequently. This principle certainly applies to the trinitarian vs the Oneness stance, both cannot be true!

When truth is deemed dependent upon the person or culture holding the belief, anything can become "true," which is absurd. Flat-earthers, geocentrists, cargo cultists, and phrenologists have been falsified by the facts. Relativism removes any reason, besides sheer whimsy, for changing one's beliefs. If my belief makes something true, there is no objective warrant to alter my beliefs in the face of argument or evidence. Unlike the correspondence view of truth, which seeks objective support for the truth or falsity of statements (whenever possible), relativism offers no means of verifying or falsifying any belief apart from discerning whether one holds the belief or whether a particular culture tends to affirm certain things. Such an attitude applied to medicine or science would be deemed ridiculous. Medical doctors have good reason not to bleed their patients, as was commonly done for centuries. Biologists have good reason no longer to believe in the spontaneous generation of insects from mud.

Human subjectivity untethered from objective constraints is a shallow and shabby thing. When it reaches a certain stage we call it stupidity or even insanity. Remember Heaven's Gate.

Moreover, relativism is self-refuting; it cuts its own throat. The statement, "truth is a matter of personal and cultural values, not a matter of a statement's correspondence with objective reality," is a claim about "the ways things are"; that is, it is a truth-claim about objective reality. But this is the very thing it cannot be. If truth is only a function of individual preferences, one cannot escape the prison of subjectivity in order to make objective statements that supposedly apply to all of reality. For these reasons, we can safely say that relativism is false; it does not correspond to reality.

What then, is the answer to Pilate's question of what truth is? The Bible does have an answer for it;
John 17:17. "Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.
This simply states that God's word is truth. This is as if God is the definer of truth itself. This is perhaps not surprising when it is considered that God is the creator. This view is shown in Psalm 100.

Psalm 100:1. A Psalm of Thanksgiving. Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands! 2. Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before His presence with singing. 3. Know that the LORD, He [is] God; [It is] He [who] has made us, and not we ourselves; [We are] His people and the sheep of His pasture. 4. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, [And] into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, [and] bless His name. 5. For the LORD [is] good; His mercy [is] everlasting, And His truth [endures] to all generations.

``We See''
One of the differences between Pilate and the Pharisees was in their view of the truth. Pilate asked ``what is truth'', whereas the pharisees effectively said ``we know the truth''. This suggests that there are at least two ways that people can fail to find the truth.
Still searching... and Believing a lie.
Both of these attributes appear in the views of society. There are people who are always searching, and unwilling to build a strong faith in anything, and there are other who are confident in the values of their own way of life.

2 Timothy 3 lists a series of attributes of people that ``resist the truth''. Amongst this list, both of these attributes are visible.

2 Timothy 3:1. But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2. For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3. unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4. traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5. having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! 6. For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, 7. always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 8. Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith;
These attributes are all seen in our society today. Some show faith in faithlessness, such as ``7. always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.'' These are the people who are afraid to say what truth is. They still have a truth though, and that truth is that they should be uncertain and uncommitted.

This attitude can lead to another of the attributes mentioned in that passage. It is said that people would have ``5 ... a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!'' The belief in unbelief among many churches has led them to dilute views about God and the Bible. The understanding of facts has turned to opinions and lifestyle choices. As a result, the form of godliness remains, but the power is removed. If the words of the Bible can't be decisive, neither can the power of God.

Other aspects shown in 2 Timothy point to people simply believing in a lie. People who are ``lovers of themselves'' set themselves up as a god, and the primary source of motivation. Similarly a love of money points to seeing possession and wealth as source of truth. If something can increase wealth, it is a ``good thing'', or if the decreases wealth, it is a ``bad thing''. If the wealth here is expanded from just money and possessions to other pleasures (such as the ``lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God'') then it covers many aspects of motivation in human society. It comes down to the principles a person uses for motivation. Is it for wealth? Is it for pleasure? Is it for God?

[tufluv]

Wow, Alesaggio, most interesting. :beammeup: Lots of TRUTH there :D
(btw, what does your username mean, if anything?) and don't feel you have to answer here or now, we do have a thread on that somewhere back.

[Alesaggio]

Thank you Tufluv for the generous remarks. I do trust that something that I have presented will be noteworthy.
As for my Name, it is who I am, is all.


When people are seeking truth, they are often seeking out a form of wisdom. It becomes a matter of choosing the basis of their faith, and this may mean looking at different philosophies and choosing the one that appears to speak truth.

The book of Ecclesiastes is a search for truth and meaning. In this case, the writer sought the truth in many areas. In chapter 2, this included pleasure and possessions.

Ecclesiastes 2:1. I said in my heart, "Come now, I will test you with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure"; but surely, this also [was] vanity. 2. I said of laughter -- "Madness!"; and of mirth, "What does it accomplish?" 3. I searched in my heart [how] to gratify my flesh with wine, while guiding my heart with wisdom, and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what [was] good for the sons of men to do under heaven all the days of their lives. 4. I made my works great, I built myself houses, and planted myself vineyards. 5. I made myself gardens and orchards, and I planted all [kinds] of fruit trees in them.

In many ways, this is one of the strongest ambitions of people throughout the world. Society is geared around people wanting to improve their position and gain more goods and happiness. In Ecclesiastes, however, the long term effect is considered, and it is found that there really isn't profit in this ideal.

Ecclesiastes 2:11. Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done And on the labor in which I had toiled; And indeed all [was] vanity and grasping for the wind. [There was] no profit under the sun.

The same idea is expressed later in the book, when the value of present pleasure and mirth is evaluated.

Ecclesiastes 7:4. The heart of the wise [is] in the house of mourning, But the heart of fools [is] in the house of mirth. 5. [It is] better to hear the rebuke of the wise Than for a man to hear the song of fools. 6. For like the crackling of thorns under a pot, So [is] the laughter of the fool. This also is vanity.

Pleasure may be pleasurable, but from a distance it can appear very empty, - ``like the crackling of thorns under a pot.''

The book of Romans looks into an example of cause and effect in people looking for truth in pleasure. The apostle Paul starts the section by considering the people who suppress ``the truth'',
Rom 1:18. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.

Paul then goes on to justify the wrath, showing that the people are without excuse,

Rom 1:19. because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown [it] to them. 20. For since the creation of the world His invisible [attributes] are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, [even] His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.

This is stating that God can be seen through his creation, so the excuse is not about a lack of knowledge of the existence of God. In fact they did know God.

Rom 1:21. because, although they knew God, they did not glorify [Him] as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

They knew God, but they didn't glorify Him. Instead of glorifying the truth of God, they looked for truth in their own wisdom,

Rom 1:22. Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23. and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man -- and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.

Their own wisdom had lead them away from the truth of God through pride. There had been a choice here, and the people had chosen to find truth in themselves. God's reaction to this was to allow them to have the consequences of their own actions.

Rom 1:24. Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25. who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

The passage goes on to show the level of depravity the people sank to as a result of this. They became,

Rom 1:30. backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,NKJV
Now the cause of this was twofold:

They chose to serve the creature rather than the creator. (ie themselves). The creator allowed them to suffer the natural consequences of the decision.

Luke 16 presents a parable that shows that we are given the opportunity to choose what truth we would like to live by. This choice also had consequences attached to it, however.

Luke 16:1. He also said to His disciples: "There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and an accusation was brought to him that this man was wasting his goods. 2. "So he called him and said to him, 'What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.' 3. "Then the steward said within himself, 'What shall I do? For my master is taking the stewardship away from me. I cannot dig; I am ashamed to beg.

A situation is presented here where the steward is in a difficult position. Whatever the outcome, he looks like finding himself in a poorer position. He made a decision, however, to cut his losses.

Luke 16:4. 'I have resolved what to do, that when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.'

The plan here was to use his present position to gain good faith among other people. By making friends, he could salvage some of his livelihood.

Luke 16:5. "So he called every one of his master's debtors to [him,] and said to the first, 'How much do you owe my master?' 6. "And he said, 'A hundred measures of oil.' So he said to him, 'Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.' 7. "Then he said to another, 'And how much do you owe?' So he said, 'A hundred measures of wheat.' And he said to him, 'Take your bill, and write eighty.

At this point, the steward had given discount debt clearances before he lost his position with the master. While not stated, this is likely to have been a dishonest dealing, and made the steward even more unjust. This is not the way that things are described, however,

Luke 16:8. "So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light.

Instead of being angry at the steward for a greater loss, he commended him for his shrewd dealing. This seems a little strange, until the context of the parable is revealed. The master is talking at a deeper level than the superficial loss of the debts. Jesus shows this as he makes his recommendations,

Luke 16:9. "And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home. 10. "He who [is] faithful in [what is] least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in [what is] least is unjust also in much.

Even this seems odd. Jesus is here making the recommendation that his listeners associate with the unrighteous. The recommendation, however, is based on the assumption of failure. What he is saying is that if you are going to fail, you might as well do it with style. The important point here is that it is no use being a partial believer. Such a person misses out on the glory of God, and may also miss out on the pleasures of the world.

Of course, a wavering person on hearing this, is going to feel uncomfortable with the idea of completely abandoning the belief, and is so forced into thinking about the situation. Later, the message is spelled out simply,

Luke 16:13. "No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon."

It is a choice between two masters. These masters represent the source and view of truth. A person can either see God as truth, or otherwise the concept of truth comes from worldly views.

This parable shows that the current pleasures are a true reward for seeking the pleasures of this world. Following the truth of God is a fair choice, because both sides have their rewards. The wicked who followed their own ways in Romans 1 found pleasure in what they did, and essentially received their reward. It was a mixed reward, containing pleasure, mirth, violence and death.

We have an option of who we will serve. It can be the truth of God, or we can search for our truth elsewhere. The book of Romans spells out the reward for each option.

Rom 6:16. Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin [leading] to death, or of obedience [leading] to righteousness?

[tufluv]

Wow, Alesaggio, this is sound teaching, I see this part:
Their own wisdom had lead them away from the truth of God through pride. There had been a choice here, and the people had chosen to find truth in themselves. God's reaction to this was to allow them to have the consequences of their own actions.
as the essence of what many professing 'christians' are living.
I think of my parents, especially, in that paragraph, its sad indeed. To get them or anyone so disposed, to ever accept this type teaching would certainly help., yet they won't admit to having made this choice. There are many I know of in this position, and I can tell you, they will never admit it nor work to change. Its a kind of bondage to their own pride. :cry:
This thread has certainly been very interesting and helpful., thanks! ;)

[Nawbee]

Truth is whatever God says it is.

There is no other source of truth.

Only by repeating God can men speak the truth. There is no truth apart from God.

If what you say isn't what God Gave you to repeat, it cannot be truth.

Simple...

[Alesaggio]

Instead of doing as Prov 23:23 states, "Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding." It seems we are selling it cheap.

The modern day church has come a long way from the words of John Huss (C. 1370-1415) who said, “Seek the truth, Listen to the truth, Teach the truth, Love the truth, Abide by the truth and defend the truth…Unto death.”

An alarming article in Charisma Magazine proves just that. The article entitled, “Truth Crisis Threatens Churches’ Future; Report Warns Believers reject moral absolutes for ’what feels right’,” paints a real picture of the betrayal of truth and moral absolutes by “Christians.” I am incredulous! How can it be that The authors presumptuously refer to people in this article as "believers" and "the church" “born again” and “Christians “and yet not accept the absolute moral authority due the scripture? The articles states,

“It’s not only the world that no longer believes in right and wrong - acceptance of absolute truth is fast disappearing in the church, too. Almost as many Christians are likely to base their moral decisions on what they feel rather than what the Word teaches, according to a new survey.”

One notable has warned of a growing crisis if churches fail to address the drift.”When a majority of Christian adults...as well as three out of four born again teens proudly cast their vote for moral relativism, the Church is in trouble," he said.

Scripturally, We know a true Christian would not base any moral decision on anything other than God’s word. The article continues,

"Continuing to preach more sermons, teach more Sunday school classes and enroll more people in Bible study groups won’t solve the problem since most of these people don’t accept the basis of the principles being taught in those venues," he commented. "The failure to address this issue at its root, and to do so quickly and persuasively, will undermine the strength of the church for at least another generation, and probably longer."

I stand with those who have said it before, that the nominal church is the greatest mission field of America today! When churches are attracted to the “Brownsville Florida Revival” and the “Toronto blessing” we may have misplaced our bibles. So called experiences are replacing scriptural mandates.

A recent revealed that among all adults, only 22 percent believed in moral absolutes, while 64 percent thought truth was always relative to the person concerned and their situation. Among interviewees identified as being born again, just 32 percent believed in moral absolutes.

The picture was even gloomier among teen-agers questioned in a parallel inquiry. Eighty-three percent of all teens thought moral truth depended on the circumstances, with just 6 percent believing in absolute truth. Only 9 percent of teens identified as being born again accepted the idea of absolute truth, compared with 4 percent of other teens.

The "alarmingly fast decline" of moral foundations among young people had culminated in "a one-word worldview: ’whatever.’ The result is a mentality that esteems pluralism, relativism, tolerance and diversity without critical reflection of the implications of particular views and actions.

Here is a classic example of antinomianism the definition for which is, “one who holds that under the gospel dispensation of grace the moral law is of no use or obligation because faith alone is necessary to salvation or one who rejects a socially established morality.” These people say they are Christians but have no law written on their hearts! Does we not understand the facts?

Let’s cut to the heart of the matter Many Pastors and teachers are NOT proclaiming TRUTH as absolute-that is why people are drifting! The prophets said it well:

Hos 4:6-9 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.
7 As they were increased, so they sinned against me: therefore will I change their glory into shame.
8 They eat up the sin of my people, and they set their heart on their iniquity.
9 And there shall be, like people, like priest: and I will punish them for their ways, and reward them their doings.

We need messengers appointed of God to preach and teach. The Father’s in homes need again to take up the spiritual, priestly role and return to the old fashioned principles found in the Word of God Teach it to their children diligently. Is this not a day when we should take hold of God’s covenant and teach it to our family in accordance with Deuteronomy 6!

[O2blikehim]

Alesaggio, EXCELLENT THREAD! THANK YOU!

Stephen

[ddc101]

As long as I have been around apostolics I want to say that some are guilty of pride WITHOUT knowledge.Its called a vain imagination......ha....sis.c

[tufluv]

Touche' Sister Cooper! :laugh:

[BroDane]

I see this scripture speaking of boasting in ones self, I believe it speaks of pride.

To think that we know something without boasting is what I call evaluation.

But then, what do I know...? ;)

[Alesaggio]

Does Truth Matter?

Apparently, this culture has forgotten that truth is important. Our society is currently tolerating if not encouraging, lies and deceptions where it used to insist upon truth. Some individuals, when polled, admit they believe lying to be acceptable if the situation requires it. Situational ethics seems to be a part of the new philosophy of our age, political correctness.

What are the consequences of tolerating lies and failing to lift up truth? Are there any?

The bible says "God sends a strong delusion to those who fail to receive a love of truth, so that they will believe the lie and thus be condemned." 2nd Thessalonians 2:11

God came in flesh into the world, but his own did not receive him. Jesus is called the Light of the world, but men preferred darkness to the light. They feared to come into the light lest their deeds be exposed as evil. Thus men reject truth, which God personifies as being his son. They fear shame over their deeds of darkness being exposed.

One sees all sorts of devices being concocted today so as to avoid this shame. False identities, phoney diagnoses, pills, talking away the guilt, blaming others, and shaking their fist at a Holy God who would dare to judge their behavior as being sin.

The bible says truth is absolute and as such, it doesn't change because a majority do not believe or accept it. Truth shall not forever be on the scaffold, the lie upon the throne. Truth may be dead and buried, but it will eventually rise to unseat the knave which has slandered the innocent, given false witness, and usurped authority.

Any who accepted a counterfeit in place of truth will have their shame exposed for all to see. Might it not be worth a bit of second effort now for us all to look beyond superficial appearances and claims to determine what really is the truth of the matter? When judging, Jesus said we should judge rightly, and not by mere appearances.

Jesus said those who are of the truth, will listen to him. He said to take the narrow way for the broad way leads to destruction. Many are on that broad path today. Few are on the narrow way which leads to wholeness and eternal life. Therapists are on the broad way along with their disciples.

Those who listen to the wrong counselors are still responsible for their resulting delusions and wrongful actions. Just as the first mesmerizing-therapist-serpent misled Eve, but still, God held her accountable. God also held accountable all those who sinned along with her, rather than loving truth.

Truth can be overpowered by deceit and lies. It is a precious "pearl" or "treasure" which must be guarded and protected. At the very least, truth deserves honor and respect and more than our lip service.

Nothing else is worth living for if truth is not worth dying for.

[tufluv]

AMEN!!

[Xerf]

H-E-A-V-Y!

great stuff! Keep it coming!

What we need is more truth, and that is no lie!


:rolleyes:

[dllong]

We are "Elitists".

Dave

[Xerf]

Speak for yourself dll........I am better than any Elitists I know! I would never lower myself to such a role!



:rolleyes:

[tufluv]

That you are, XERF, and MORE!!! ;)

[Alesaggio]

2 Thess. 2:10b “…because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.”

It is sobering to realize that this statement implies that we don’t naturally love the truth. Nor, for that matter, can we be saved without loving the truth. Jesus said in another place that no one can come unto God, except the Father draw him. We are helpless in our natural state. That fact is the truth.

We have a natural antipathy to the truth: it implies something about us that challenges our sense of independence. But the scriptures tell us emphatically that we are not independent.

We simply don’t like hearing the truth about ourselves. Pontius Pilate even attempted to engage Jesus Christ in a philosophical discussion of the nature of truth when he asked “What is truth?” Such a question springs naturally out of our hearts.

Our love of the truth causes us to "ask for the old paths, where is the good way." It directs us to the "strait gate" and "narrow way" that leads to life eternal. Because we "love the truth," we jealously guard against allowing truth to slip through our fingers to be "trodden under foot of men." "Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip" (Heb. 2:1). All this we do because we "love the truth!"

The accumulation of facts gives us science. Is this the truth? Or is there more? Facts mixed with educated guesses give us half-truths. Distortions that rely on fact to support corruption, are lies. And we are inundated both in the world and in the Church with partial truth. More often then not it is our own selfish desires that cause us to accept so much of what we want to be true. We choose what is comfortable, with a mind set what we agree with agrees with us. What we agree with or what we choose to believe to often departs from the truth.

We want to be agreeable.

We want to be accepted.

We want to appear reasonable.

And therefore our pursuit of the truth is tempered by our leaning toward disconcertion. We become half-hearted and without desire, for perfect truth; fading into a dim blindness. The truth does not elude us. It becomes obscure by our want of it rather then our need. We seek after it by gesture and innuendo allowing our hearing to be dulled. Our failure becomes complete when we reach that selective hearing state and hear only what we want. In our self-satisfied yet empty state, truth becomes that aloof phantom of spirituality we chase after but can never attain, perceivable but not livable.

Truth…

What I hear, does it make me feel good?

Does it please me?

Can I live with it?

Can I have it in small doses?

Will it cause me to change?

Is there an immediacy to act on it?

We may even laugh in the face of it! We ask more of the truth then it is, then we are willing to gain from its presence in our lives. Our selfishness out weighs reality and we can then become embroiled in rituals for the sake of security or we well up inside ourselves independent. Secure in ourselves. We lend ourselves without commitment or submission. There in is the middle ground; we are groundless. For without the truth to lead us everything is in a flux of what I want when I want it. How much I’m willing is the measure of how much truth we’ve allowed to effect us.

How can we become so blind?

How can we be so insensitive?

How can we run from rather then run to the truth?

How can we live without joy?

The results of selfishness is, we unknowingly become prisoners of ourselves. Bound up in cords of half-truths we suppress the desire to love… the truth…, which can set us free. We measure the ebb and flow of what we accept as truth. What we allow to touch our lives. What we want to believe… and no more or we would have to act on it. We come to believe we have control of our input and our output… self determined but alas self-deceived. Lost, we wonder in circles which become ruts. In self-assumed safety we dig deeper and deeper. This is at the heart of religiosity. If we all do it together and tell ourselves it will be ok… it will. Rote, rite and ritual do it again and again. Empty of love. We have left the truth for some semblance of order… and the hope of perfecting that order. We love to act in concert not for the love of others but to confirm; we must be right if others agree. We just love to go through the motions. We love the symbols of truth, icons or idols. We come to love every thing about it, but the truth itself.

Thank God the truth is greater than us all.

Greater then our certainty, greater then our foolishness. The truth is not a rule nor a set of rules nor a book nor any standard we can set or imagine… the truth is all the love there is forever… the truth is Jesus…

He and He alone is the truth the way and the life… who has set us free…

Seekers of the truth that have ears to hear… come follow… the truth… Jesus…

Still we continue to answer, with questions… rather then simply obey and follow…

We replace love with a carnal substitute; repetitions, knowledge, icons, anything we can call spiritual. And how wrong can we be amid the throng. The other alternative is denial we move away from the truth driving deeper into ourselves. Trusting our selves to no one. In a crowd we remain alone within our self. Who knows better than I. Self love keeps me attached to the God in me… who turns out to be me. Denying the truth for want of a greater love… myself. But the only answer is to “receive the love of the truth” which is Jesus Christ!

“Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free!”

[Nawbee]

The Truth is Absolute. That is what we reject in the flesh and spirit without Jesus.

In the Face of Truth, we have no authority.

To admit this is the only humility.

[tufluv]

JESUS = LOVE
JESUS = TRUTH

I LOVE JESUS!! :angel:
Simple, ain't it!? :bow:

[Bro.Steingass]

I ain't edgeecated on much of that there philosophy:

But, I know what my Grandfather said to me:

"If you ever think you know everything, you're a fool. If you ever quit learning, then you're dead."

My grandfather wasn't a philosophy student either, but he could build anything out of scrap metal....that's knowledge I'm proud of.

[Alesaggio]

Christians must develop a "Love for the Truth." It is the Rock that will withstand the forces of hell and deception. If we desire our own philosophies and selfish ambitions to cloud our minds we have constructed a trap for own demise.
"And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved" (2 Th. 2:8-10)
Christianity is the Word of God set free to reproduce the image of Christ in believers. Religion is man's attempt to control God, thereby imprisoning the very Word that has the power to set men free.
"For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you." I Peter 1:24-25

Just A Thought:
The "glory of man".... all our philosophies, ideologies, beliefs or lack of belief, no matter how noble, are destined to fail. We must develop the desire to know truth as defined by the Lord himself and choose freely to embrace it.
"... Except the LORD build the house, they labor in vain that build it:" Psalm 127:1

The Truth shall make you free.
"...Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:32)

Understanding the Salvation Process.
Salvation is a PROCESS. Faith in Christ starts the process in motion! Any person who suffers from the pain of sin can experience immediate help when they start believing in Christ. This is not to say that they have experienced full salvation. Faith must rise in one's heart before any other act of grace can be experienced. Faith truly is essential. Consider the following scriptures:
"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. . . . . 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. . . . 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." Heb 11:1,3 & 6
People who begin in faith enter into the provincial realm of God's promises. As long as they continue, they will enjoy total spiritual healing and salvation.
"Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:" Phil 1:6
Faith brings healing to a number of sin's injuries.
Faith fills the vacuum created by doubt.
Faith counteracts the negative influences of fear.
Faith reverses one's sense of worthlessness and unimportance. Faith helps build back self-esteem.
Faith dispels the clouds of depression.
Faith connects the heart and soul with God.
Faith pleases God. However faith is considered, it is wholesome, positive and good.

Repentance: The road to the presence of God.
The scripture teaches us that John the Baptist was given the ministry of preparation. John's burden was to reach the people with the message of repentance. Repentance prepares the heart to receive the Gospel! Notice the following scripture:
"In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, 2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 3 For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight" (Mat 3:1-3).
To understand the importance of repentance we need to understand our need for it. We all have sinned, we fall short of perfection. Each of us no matter how "good" we are, were all born in the flesh, and have caused people to be disappointed, or angry with us. But more importantly our "sinful" nature wars against God. So we must look at sin and its horrible effects to fully appreciate the gift of repentance.

Understanding Sin: Separation from God
"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:23). "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" (Romans 3:23).
SIN: The transgression of God's law. Actions by which humans rebel against God, miss His purpose for their life, and surrender to the power of evil rather than to God. The Bible gives no formal definition for sin. It describes sin as an attitude that personifies sin as rebellion against God. Rebellion was at the root of the problem for Adam and Eve (Gen. 3) and has been at the root of humanity's plight ever since.
Human sin is universal--we all sin. All persons without exception are under sin's dominion (Rom. 3:9-23). Since Adam and Eve rebelled against the clear command of God, sin has infected humanity like a dread malignancy. Adam and Eve introduced sin into human history by their rebellious actions. The Bible affirms that every person who has lived since has followed their example. Whatever else one may say about sin's origin, this much is surely affirmed throughout the Bible.

The Bible Views Sin from Various Perspectives: One concept of sin in the Old Testament is that of transgression of the law. God established the law as a standard of righteousness; any violation of this standard is defined as sin. Deuteronomy 6:24-25 is a statement of this principle from the perspective that a person who keeps the law is righteous. The implication is that the person who does not keep the law is not righteous, that is, sinful. Another concept of sin in the Old Testament is as breach of the covenant. God made a covenant with the nation Israel; they were bound by this covenant as a people (Ex. 19; 24; Josh. 24). Each year on the Day of Atonement, the nation went through a covenant renewal. When the high priest consecrated the people by sprinkling them with the blood of the atoning sacrifice, they renewed their vows to the Lord to be a covenant-keeping people. Any breach of this covenant was viewed as sin. (Deut. 29:19-21.) The Old Testament also pictures sin as a violation of the righteous nature of God. As the righteous and holy God, He sets forth as a criterion for His people a righteousness like His own. (Lev. 11:45.)

Any deviation from God's own righteousness is viewed as sin.
Notice these 3 Old Testament words dealing with the concept of sin. Chata: Means "to miss the mark." This word could be used to describe a person shooting a bow and arrow and missing the target with the arrow. When it is used to describe sin, it means that the person has missed the mark that God has established for the person's life. Chata describes the fallen state we were all born into. As humans we simply "miss the mark" of godliness and sinlessness. Notice though the path that sin will lead us to. The Hebrew language is so descriptive concerning the development of sin and its effects.

Aven:
Describes the crooked or perverse spirit associated with sin. Sinful persons have perverted their spirits and become crooked rather than straight. This word shows us the deepening effect of sin. The fallen nature if we pursue its wants and desires will begin to pervert our spirit . . . widening the gap between us and God. This shows the effects of a life committed to the practice of sin.

Ra:
Describes the violence associated with sin. It also has the connotation of the breaking out of evil. This is the end result of sin. Violent acts, evil pockets of anarchy and rebellion. This level of sin is the fruit of a life totally given to the perverse spirit in man. Society can and does follow these patterns of sin. Sad to say but we live in a society that has reached this deepest level of sin. Our youth who should be tender and innocent are the murderers and scourge of society. We devour videos that worship violence and lewd acts. We are guilty as a nation of drinking and lusting after the demons of our own demise, and shake our frail human fist in defiance in the face of a loving God.

[Alesaggio]

The New Testament Perspective of Sin The New Testament picture is much like that of the Old Testament. Several of the words used for sin in the New Testament have almost the same meaning as some of the Hebrew words used in the Old Testament. The most notable advancement in the New Testament view of sin is the fact that sin is defined against the backdrop of Jesus as the standard for righteousness. His life exemplifies perfection. The exalted purity of His life creates the norm for judging what is sinful. In the New Testament, sin also is viewed as a lack of fellowship with God. The ideal life is one of fellowship with God. Anything which disturbs or distorts this fellowship is sin. The New Testament view of sin. Jesus taught quite forcefully that sin is a condition of the heart. He traced sin directly to inner motives stating that the sinful thought leading to the overt act is the real sin. The outward deed is actually the fruit of sin. Anger in the heart is the same as murder (Matt. 5:21-22). The impure look is tantamount to adultery (Matt. 5:27-28). The real defilement in a person stems from the inner person (heart) which is sinful (Matt. 15:18-20). Sin, therefore, is understood as involving the essential being of a person, that is, the essential essence of human nature.

Sin's Consequences:
The Bible looks upon sin in any form as the most serious of humanity's problems. Though sinful acts may be directed against another person, ultimately every sin is against God, the Creator of all things. Perfect in righteousness, God cannot tolerate that which violates His righteous character. Therefore, sin creates a barrier between God and persons.

The Awful Consequences of Sin:
That person who constantly and consistently follows a sinful course will become so enmeshed in sin that for all practical purposes he or she is enslaved to sin. Another of the awful consequences of sin is spiritual depravity in society in general as well as in the lives of individuals. Sin also produces spiritual blindness. Spiritual truths simply are not visible to that person who has been blinded by sin. Moral ineptitude is another devastating consequence of sin. The more people practice sin, the more inept they become as far as moral and spiritual values are concerned. Eventually, sin blurs the distinction between right and wrong. Guilt is certainly a consequence of sin. No person can blame another person for a sin problem. Each person must accept responsibility for sin and face the guilt associated with it. Sin causes pain.

Sin compels people to seek relief from its horrible consequences. Ironically the very thing that is the core of their discomfort is the thing they use to find some measure of relief. From a spiritual standpoint, people must not seek relief from the pain of sin from any source other than Christ. Anyone who tries an eclectic approach and attempts to take the best of all worlds faces certain failure. We must not mix the blood of Calvary together with the wisdom of the world. Only a total renunciation of all this world's feeble efforts to find an eternal cure, however, will satisfy Christ. To put it plainly, we must confess that nothing else has worked or will work to take away sin or the effects of sin.
Alcohol has not worked.
Drugs have not worked.
Wild living has not worked.
Materialism has not worked.
Education has not worked.
Philosophies and ideas have not worked.
Friends have not worked.
Religion has not worked.
"Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).
Not only do attempts to find a cure from sin in sources other than Christ fail; they impede the true cure from moving forward in one's life. Physically, as long as the body is simply fighting infection, healing cannot progress. When the infectious agent is driven out, however, repair and regeneration can take place. Spiritually, deep and genuine repentance cuts out the infectious agent of sin. Christ did not come to save us in our sin. He came to save us from our sin. The deeper the repentance, the deeper the cure.

Death: The wages of sin.
One of the terrible by-products of sin is death. Continual, consistent sin will bring spiritual death to that person who has not come under the lordship of Christ through repentance and faith. (Rom. 6:23; Rev. 20:14)

Grace: Finding Favor with God.
We often define grace as the unmerited favor of God. Let us open that neatly wrapped definition and get a closer look at the word and work of grace. Grace is from the Greek word "charis" which means to rejoice, that which causes joy, pleasure, gratification, favor, acceptance, for a kindness granted or desired. Grace is a favor done without expectation of return; the absolutely free expression of the loving kindness of God to men finding its only motive in the bounty and benevolence of the Giver. God's grace affects man's sinfulness and not only forgives the repentant sinner, but brings joy and thankfulness to him.
"Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth" (Luke 15:10).
". . . . the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance" (Rom 2:4).
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them" (Eph 2:8-10).

[Alesaggio]

Conviction: The Work of the Spirit.
To feel conviction is to become aware of sinfulness or guilt. When the Lord shows us our sin, He does so with compassion and mercy. Godly conviction is always accompanied with the hope of His divine grace and forgiveness; condemnation on the other hand is void of that hope and only deepens the effect of sin. God uses conviction to motivate us to repent of our sins, ushering us boldly into His presence and deepening our relationship with the Lord.
"For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death" (2 Cor 7:10).
To Paraphrase: That is to say that "Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death."
The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. (Psalm 34:18)
"Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. 8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment" (John 16:7-8).

Repentance: turning from sin to God.
Repentance is not merely regret and remorse for wrongs committed, but a change of mind and heart. True biblical repentance involves a reorientation of the sinner from self-service and self-gratification to serving God, the desire to please the Lord and walk in harmony with His Word. Unfortunately, we usually cast repentance in a negative light. It does represent the bloody sacrifices at the BRAZEN ALTAR, Christ's death on the cross, humiliation, self-denial and a harsh change from a sinful life to holiness. Many people balk at the act of repentance seeing only the loss and discomfort associated with it. We cannot deny that repentance means death to the flesh. Far more important, however, repentance has several very positive effects. These positive results should inspire courage and confidence in us to follow through with repentance.

Repentance aligns a person with the true gospel.
"And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem" (Luke 24:47).

Repentance paves the way for the Holy Ghost baptism.
"Then Peter said unto them, Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. And ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost" (Acts 2:38).

Repentance is a gift of God.
"When they heard these things, they held their peace and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life" (Acts 11:18).

Repentance indicates God's love and good intentions. ". . . the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance" (Rom 2:4).

Repentance leads to reconciliation with God.
Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. (2 Cor 7:10) The first steps toward the cure of a disease or the healing of an injury involves pain. Dead tissue must be cut away, toxins must be drained from a wound, infections must be attacked by strong antidotes, broken bones must be reset, tourniquets must be applied, and shock therapy must be administered to restart vital signs. Whatever it takes to bring a diseased or injured person back to safe medical grounds must be done, often without regard to the pain that the procedure inflicts. Repentance truly symbolizes the crucifixion of Christ; it is good to remember that it is only a symbol. Christ absbed the full impact of the cross, the penalty for our sins, so that we could be spared from eternal death. Without that supreme act of love, we would have to bear our own penalty. How much better it is to repent than to be crucified!

Repentance heals because it stops the infection of sin in one's heart.
Repentance heals because it releases a person from the hold of sin.
Repentance heals because it alerts one to the root of spiritual pain.
Repentance heals because it establishes a connection with God himself.
Repentance heals because it changes a person's perspective of himself/herself.
Repentance heals because it removes the oppressive weight of guilt and other emotional baggage that one has carried around for years.
Repentance heals because it sets God free to operate in one's life. Nothing other than complete repentance can bring about such deep and profound positive changes.

Repentance is a vital part of our worship and walk with the Lord. We express our belief in God through our humility and our willingness to seek Him and please Him. "Not my will Lord, but thine be done". Repentance keeps the "door" open to the "throne room of grace".

[Alesaggio]

The Keys to the Kingdom.
"And I say unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. An I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever thou shalt loose on shall be loosed in heaven" (Mat 16:18&19)

What is baptism? Who is it for?
BAPTISM: From Greek BAPTIZO (bap tid zo) meaning to make fully wet. Baptism conveys a cleansing experience. Baptism was practiced long before Christ or even John the Baptist. Since baptism is a Greek word, we don't readily recognize it in the Old Testament. Usually, when we see references to "washings," they mean the same thing we understand as baptism in the New Testament. Old covenant believers viewed baptism as signifying spiritual change. Whenever repentance swept across the people, baptism meant a revived relationship towards God. Washings also were the means for ceremonial purification. New Testament believers should enter into baptism with strong overtones of cleansing and absolution. Corruption and impurity in the soul flee as a person is plunged beneath the baptismal waters. Afterwards, the baptized believer should glow from the experience. Baptism is intended to be a powerful healing agent for the soul.

John's Baptism John the Baptist immersed repentant sinners: those who had a change of mind and heart (John 1:6,11). John's baptism--was a baptism that signified repentance. Read Acts 19:1-6.

Jesus' Baptism John also baptized Jesus, who never sinned (Matt. 3:13-17; John 1:13-16). Jesus said that His own baptism was to fulfill all righteousness (Matt. 3:15). Thus Jesus acknowledged that the standard of life John demanded was correct for himself and for His followers. In this way He was able to identify with sinful mankind and to be a model for others to follow. In this way Jesus affirmed John and his message. The coming of the Spirit and the voice from heaven showed that Jesus represented another point in God's revelation of Himself and formed the connection between baptism and Christ's act of redemption.

Christian Baptism To be baptized is to clothe oneself with Christ (Gal. 3:27). Baptism refers to the suffering and death of Christ (Mark 10:38-39; Luke 12:50). Christian baptism is, in a sense, a sharing of this death. Baptism shows that a person has died to the old way of life and has been raised to a new kind of life--eternal life in Christ (Matt. 28:19-20; Col. 3:1; 2 Tim. 2:11). The resurrection from the water points to the Christian's resurrection. Baptism testifies that "ye are washed ... ye are sanctified ... ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God" (1 Cor. 6:11).

Apostolic authority. This simply means that the message that the apostles preached and taught is binding today. It is binding because all the authority of heaven stands behind the words of the apostles. Jesus told Peter that ". . . whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; . ." (Matt. 16:18). Paul's strong words in Galatians 1:8 pronounces a curse on any who would dare change the gospel or alter the foundation laid by the apostles. One of those foundational truths that the apostles taught and practiced was baptism in the Name of Jesus. The apostles understood the power of that name and what was accomplished through it. The following are only a few examples.

The Name of Jesus. A careful reading of the New Testament reveals that the name of Jesus Christ was used exclusively in Christian baptism. Notice closely the following scriptures:
"Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus)" (Acts 8:15-16).
"And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said Unto John's baptism. Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus" (Acts 19:3-5).

The name of Jesus confers salvation.
The use of the name of Jesus is highly significant, especially in terms of the healing of the soul. God always manifested His power on earth through the use of His name.
"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).

The name of Jesus puts devils to flight.
"And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour" (Acts 16:18).

Jesus’ Name holds power over physical ailments.
"Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and anklebones received strength. And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking and leaping, and praising God" (Acts 3:6-8).
Baptism places within our grasp the use of the name of Jesus. The very name, which wielded so much power in the early church, belongs to baptized believers. The healing effects of such power are immeasurable.

Baptism is for the remission of sins. According to the scripture, baptism is intrinsic to the remission of sins. Consider these Scriptures.
"Then Peter said unto them, Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. And ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost" (Acts 2:38).
"And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord" (Acts 22:16).
Baptism directly addresses sin in every aspect. First, it applies healing virtue to damaged emotions. Second, it erases the standing record of sin against the believer. Third, it absolves the soul of guilt. Fourth, it provides an eternal asylum from sin's destructive nature. Fifth, it breaks the connection between the sinner and the past.

Paul's Commentary on Baptism. A Look at Romans 6:1-10
"What shall we say, then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? 3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore, we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection. 6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. 7 For he that is dead is freed from sin. 8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him. 9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. 10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God" (Rom 6:1-10).

Notice these 7 things Paul lists in this Scripture:
We have died to sin. We should not "live" in sin. We are baptized into Jesus Christ, into His death. We are "buried" with Christ through baptism into His burial. Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father. If we have been buried in his death (baptism), we will partake of His resurrection. If we have been crucified and buried with him, we shall live with Him. Paul understood that baptism was more than ceremonial. Paul realized through divine revelation that baptism was absolutely necessary if we were to take part in the resurrection of the Lord. Jesus said in Mark 16:16, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned."

[Alesaggio]

The Great Commission: Matthew 28:19
"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name* of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:" (Matthew 28:19). (*Notice this is singular "name" not "names")
". . . Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: 47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 And ye are witnesses of these things" (Luke 24:46-48).
"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost" (Acts 2:38).
"Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? 48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days" (Acts 10:47-48).
"And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him" (Col 3:17).

After the Apostles Died, Truth Was Compromised
Regrettably, in the years after the Apostles' death, Christianity began to be viewed by the Roman state as a political movement. In the year 325 AD, Emperor Constantine called together the council of Nicea. The division in the Roman Empire was widening and Constantine saw the way to bridge this gap was through a unified religion. It was at this political gathering that the name of Jesus was rejected, the trinitarian dogma was created and the mode of baptism was to be changed to the man-made formula of father, son and holy ghost.

"Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands? 6 He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. 7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. 8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. 9 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition" (Mark 7:5-9).

Paul, in writing to the Galatian Church, warned that damnation and cursing would be on any who would preach another gospel than what the first church preached. This plan was bought with the precious blood of Jesus. Who are we to justify, teach or condone any form of baptism that was established through the political ambitions and sinful nature of man? Notice the strong words of Paul in Galatians 1:8-9. "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. 9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed" (Gal 1:8-9).

"The Spirit of Resurrection"
"Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ" (Gal 4:7).

[Alesaggio]

What is the Holy Ghost?
According to I Corinthians 15:1-4, the gospel consists of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. When we align these elements with the message of Acts 2:38, we discover that repentance answers to death, baptism answers to burial, and the baptism of the Holy Spirit answers to the resurrection. Since the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead embodies the ultimate victory over death, then the entrance of the Spirit of God in the believer's life activates the true dynamic principle of spiritual life. Power, life, light, revelation, spiritual motivation and many other attributes proceed from the Spirit of God as He indwells the believer. The gift of the Holy Ghost reverses every negative movement and consequence that characterizes sin. For weakness, He gives strength; for darkness, He gives light; for death, He gives life; and for sorrow, He gives joy.


1. The Holy Spirit generates power for spiritual healing.
"But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea and Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth" (Acts 1:8). The world has created and developed many sciences and therapies to help people. Often, health care professionals in physical or psychological fields can pinpoint disorders with great accuracy. They can trace the problems back to their beginnings, identify contributing factors along the way and project new courses of action to solve them. Unfortunately, it is at this point of implementation and sustained treatment that these programs falter. They cannot make anything happen. They have power to analyze, but no power to energize. They can offer suggestions and support, but the real results are left to the willpower of the individual. Because of this, the gift of the Holy Ghost was conferred upon believers by God to empower them to do spiritual feats. He takes up where religion and reformation fail. He supplies the power to actually implement the changes that must take place in a person's life, plus He gives them power to perform the will of God throughout their lives.

2. The Holy Spirit produces life.
Without God's Spirit in a person's heart, spiritual death has the upper hand. The Apostle Paul reasons this out in his epistle to the Romans. "For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: For it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be" (Romans 8:5-7). Unregenerate man is contaminated with sin. Death, then, is present in the soul. Eventually, the entire person will suffer decline and death. "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:23). When a person receives the baptism of the Holy Spirit, he/she is endued with eternal life. Jesus told the woman at the well, "But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life" (John 4:14). Eternal life does not begin when the last natural breath is drawn. It begins the moment the Spirit of God enters, by faith, into a believer's heart. The Spirit becomes a spring of living water that springs into eternal life.

3. The Holy Spirit connects one to the body of Christ. The scriptures clearly teach that the work of the Holy Spirit is to join a person to the body of Christ. The Holy Spirit gives birth to our relationship with the Heavenly Father. "For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, 'Abba, Father.' The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God. And if children, then heirs; heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ, if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together" (Romans 8:15-17). Also, the Holy Ghost baptism establishes common ground for the body of Christ and puts the divine features of Christ into us. "For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free and have been all made to drink into one Spirit" (I Corinthians 12:13).

4. The Holy Spirit reveals truth to the believer.
When the Holy Spirit fills our hearts, He also floods our minds and our consciences with light and truth. He provides this gift to us because, in our humanity, we are subject to error. "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come" (John 16:13). Sometimes our mistakes result from ignorance. Sometimes they stem from willful disobedience. In other words, our flesh may rebel against the leadership of the Holy Spirit in our lives. In this regard, the Spirit provokes not only our awareness of the problem, He also provokes our conscience to do the right thing. "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the sons of God" (Romans 8:14).

[Alesaggio]

5. The Holy Spirit defends us against the enemy.
One of the marvels of the Holy Spirit is His role as our advocate. In this aspect, He takes over our defense against Satan the same as a defense attorney takes over the defense of a client against a prosecutor. Indeed, Satan is called the accuser of the brethren, the devil, the tempter, the deceiver, the father of all lies, the Serpent and the Dragon. We need the Holy Ghost to continually fire back answers to the endless attacks the devil launches against us. "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him, for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless; I will come to you" (John 14:16-18). Our counselor never rests His case. He never tires of our defense. He never gets stumped or outflanked by the enemy. He provides a flawless defense forever. "Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens" (Hebrews 7:25-26).

6. The Holy Spirit refreshes our spirituality.
"But after that the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared, Not by works of righteous which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us. by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost, Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life" (Titus 3:4-7).

B. The Promise.
"And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you; but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high" (Luke 24:49).
"For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call" (Acts 2:39).

C. Why tongues?
It was prophesied... "For with stammering lips and another tongue will I speak to this people" (Isaiah 28:11). Also, Peter recalled the words of the Prophet Joel that it will come to pass in the last days that God will pour out His Spirit on all flesh. . .
"But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy" (Acts 2:14-18).

D. Tongues are Biblical:
Speaking in tongues "And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance" (Acts 2:1-4).

E. The Earnest of our Inheritance.
earnest2 (ûrnîst) noun. 1. Money paid in advance as part payment to bind a contract or bargain. 2. A token of something to come; a promise or an assurance.
"In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, Which is the Earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory."(Eph 1:13-14)
"To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me" (Acts 26:18).
"And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise" (Gal 3:29).
"But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God"
(1 Cor 2:9-10). "Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light" (Col 1:12).
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time" (1 Pet 1:3-5).

Illustration of God's Love A man on the east coast a few years back was the father of a 2-year-old boy. This man was a bridge operator whose job every day involved operating the levers that raised and lowered the bridge. If a ship needed passage, he would raise the lever that would in turn raise the bridge and allow the ship to pass through. When a train would pass, it was his job to lower the lever that would lower the bridge so the train could pass over safely. One day the man brought his young son with him, and as the day wore on the man became involved in his job. He heard a whistle, which meant a train was coming and the bridge needed to be lowered. To his horror as he glanced through the window towards the bridge, he saw his son playing under the bridge and knew that if he pulled the lever down, it would no doubt kill his son. With a moment's hesitation the father of that child, knowing that the train was a passenger train and the lives of many people hung in the balance, quickly pulled the lever and in the process killed his child. The man was near enough to the bridge that he could see the people in the cars of the train. In one car a party seemed to be in progress...people laughing, drinking...and through bitter tears he spoke these words as he watched those people pass "These people have no idea the price that was paid for their lives."

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).

Let us always remember the sacrifice that was made for our salvation and the price that was paid for our inheritance.

[Xerf]

WoW!
I know the bible says that knowledge puffeth up, that is speaking of worldly knowledge but spiritual knowledge leads to freedom!

[jhlent]

...*bump*..

[eagle5]

Consider the following, prayerfully:
So perhaps we apostolics need to remember that if any man think that he knoweth anything, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know it. Certainly, no new plan of salvation will be forthcoming (it was once and for all), but can anyone say that they know ALL there is to know of the unsearchable riches of Jesus Christ!
Humble yourself, and learn! “Come learn of me….”
I don't think that there is any way we as mortals can know all there is to know about any aspect of God. But I certainly love to study and learn as often as I can. I like very much that you say 'Humble yourself, and learn!' I think sometimes we may forget the first part of that. I know that there have been times when I did. My earnest prayer and desire is that spoken of in Psalms 119:11, "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." It's my desire and goal to work on that every day. But I'm only human and I don't always do too well some days. I thank God that he still continues to work on us if we let him though. Praise the Lord!

[BrotherBallard]

Bro. Alesaggio,
I just noticed this thread, I read almost all of it. All I can say is YOU ARE SO RIGHT!!! There is so much "Truth" just in this thread alone!

May I use some of the material you write in this post and in your other posts for teaching purposes, to add to studies that are currently being studied out?

Also, Bro. Atkinson, is there a way to make this thread "Sticky?" This thread needs to be read by all, Christians and non-Christians, who come to GNC.

In His Name!!!

P.S. Bro. Alesaggio have you ever considered writing a book?


Let’s cut to the heart of the matter Many Pastors and teachers are NOT proclaiming TRUTH as absolute-that is why people are drifting! The prophets said it well:

Hos 4:6-9 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.
7 As they were increased, so they sinned against me: therefore will I change their glory into shame.
8 They eat up the sin of my people, and they set their heart on their iniquity.
9 And there shall be, like people, like priest: and I will punish them for their ways, and reward them their doings.

We need messengers appointed of God to preach and teach. The Father’s in homes need again to take up the spiritual, priestly role and return to the old fashioned principles found in the Word of God Teach it to their children diligently. Is this not a day when we should take hold of God’s covenant and teach it to our family in accordance with Deuteronomy 6!
Just A Thought:
The "glory of man".... all our philosophies, ideologies, beliefs or lack of belief, no matter how noble, are destined to fail. We must develop the desire to know truth as defined by the Lord himself and choose freely to embrace it.
"... Except the LORD build the house, they labor in vain that build it:" Psalm 127:1

The Truth shall make you free.
"...Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:32)

"Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:" Phil 1:6
Faith brings healing to a number of sin's injuries.
Faith fills the vacuum created by doubt.
Faith counteracts the negative influences of fear.
Faith reverses one's sense of worthlessness and unimportance. Faith helps build back self-esteem.
Faith dispels the clouds of depression.
Faith connects the heart and soul with God.
Faith pleases God. However faith is considered, it is wholesome, positive and good.