October 1 at 9:35pm
Sing F Lau
Saving faith is distinguished from historical faith.
Historical faith accepts the bare historical facts of a great man named Jesus.
Saving faith receives and rests in Christ Jesus and His righteousness alone for salvation.
Saving faith is a fruit and effect of the salvation that has been applied personally to an elect. Saving faith is often misunderstood and perverted into a faith that saves!!!
Historical faith is a fruit of the rational mind of a natural man, acknowledging the bare facts of history, the denial of which is sheer foolishness.
October 2 at 1:26am
Sing F Lau
Ro 4:16 "Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end THE PROMISE MIGHT BE SURE TO ALL THE SEED; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all."
Does your understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ meet this acid test: that the promise might be sure to all the seed?
If it does, then you have done your duty to believe rightly.
If it doesn't, then let your idea [yes, your idea, not you; you are precious, your idea is not] be damned, instead of having some of the precious seed harmed or injured or insulted and mocked by your idea.
Gal 1: 8 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.
Sing F Lau
"Therefore it is of faith, that it might be of grace..."
Therefore it is of whose/what/which faith, that it might be of grace, that the promise MIGHT BE SURE TO ALL THE SEED? Is it the so called God-given faith exercised by the seed?
If it is the faith ( i.e. a spiritual virtue worked in the seed by the indwelling Spirit) exercised by the seed, then IS IT still of grace, and will the promise be sure to all the seed? If it is that faith, will the promise be sure to those seed who are incapable of believing? Will the promise be sure to those seed that have no ability to hear, since faith cometh by hearing? Will the promise be sure to those seed that have no opportunity to hear? You may retort, "all the seed have ability to hear, and will have opportunity to hear; there are no seed among those who have no ability, nor the opportunity to hear."
Whose or what or which faith is spoken of such that it might be of grace, and that the promise MIGHT BE SURE TO ALL THE SEED?
Ro 4:13 For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.
The promise to Abraham and his seed was through the righteousness of faith, not through the law. What is the righteousness of faith?
Ro 3:22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
Note: the righteousness which is by faith OF Jesus Christ...
Ro 4:11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe,
Note: righteousness of the faith [of Jesus Christ] : the righteousness that comes from Christ's faithfulness to His work of redeeming His people.
Strong's G4102 - pistis πίστις
2) fidelity, faithfulness
a) the character of one who can be relied on
http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G4102&t=KJVNow, stop being so obsessed with the faith which you exercise!
Fix your eyes upon the pistis of Christ, i.e. His character of fidelity and faithfulness.
That alone guarantees that the promise of eternal salvation might be sure to ALL the seed, without exception!
"And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day." John 6:39. "I should lose nothing," not one less!
"As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him." John 17:2. "As many as," i.e. not one less, and not one more!
