Kindle Notes & Highlights
It is the ability to endure in expectancy...
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(5) Gentleness
(6) Goodness ( agathos)
It makes us generous in attitude and profitable to the kingdom.
(7) Faith or Faithfulness
(8) Meekness
It is the ability to remain mild and gentle and forgiving under trying circumstances. It requires more strength than reacting.
(9) Temperance
Self-mastery is the result of discipline, but this is only successful when stimulated...
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Repentance is the negative or preparatory side of it; faith is the positive or receptive side of it.
Both repentance and faith are gifts from God, initiated freely according to His grace.
They are inseparable; one cannot exist wit...
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Logically, turning from something precedes turning to something else.
Experientially, repentance and faith work hand in hand.
2. What Is Faith?
Faith is the ability to believe God: both to trust His character and to take His Word as true and reliable.
Faith is our response to the persuading, convincing work of the Holy Spirit as He enab...
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A. Faith is a persuasion.
Faith comes from the Greek word pistis (pis-tis) which means “firm persuasion; strong and welcome belief; conviction of the truth of anything.”
B. Faith is substance and reality.
It is the conviction of truth by the inner working of the Holy Spirit, who only persuades us to believe what actually exists.
C. Faith is a gift from God.
The Holy Spirit must place the ability to believe God within our hearts.
D. Faith is the response to hearing.
God communicates His thoughts through His Word.
3. Does Faith Believe the Person or His Word?
Both. Unless we can depend upon the character of the one speaking, we cannot rely upon his word.
The Greek word for faith, pistis, includes both trusting God’s character and taking His Word at face value.
A. Faith takes refuge within the person.
B. Faith means relying upon someone who is completely trustworthy.
We only lean upon that which we are persuaded is dependable.
C. Faith means letting go of our burdens into the hands of another.
We will only let another take over our concerns when we are convinced he can handle them better than we can ourselves.
We allow God to take full responsibility for us.
Wow!
D. Faith frees us from our own efforts and enables us to stay put in God.
4. By What Means Does God Persuade Us to Believe?
God does not do everything from long distance, by simple decree. He uses means, very
often other people and cir...
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A. He uses the preaching of the Word.
Through the preaching of God’s Word, we are persuaded to believe and turn to God.
B. He directly works within us to convince us of truth.
The Holy Spirit works within us to convince us that God is true and that His Word is truth.
C. He makes the Scriptures alive to us.
D. The Lord’s miracles are meant to help our faith.
The Lord’s miraculous works confirm the supernatural source of His Word, thereby persuading us to believe His claims.
5. Can We Become Persuaded by Anything Other Than Faith?
Yes. There are persuasions which do not originate with the Holy Spirit and God’s living Word. Some of these other seeming persuasions may even quote Scripture, but not as God’s living Word to us now. We are exposed to many voices or impressions. If we expose our minds, emotions, and will to these, we can become convinced of something that is not true.
A. Presumption is not faith.
B. Assumption limits faith.
1. Why Is Faith So Basic to Redemption?
