Faith & Belief
* we need them both *
January 10, 2008
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        I was thinking that belief was probably *something different* than faith. So I asked the Lord to show me if that assumption was true. Much to my surprise it's not, but they do go hand-in-hand and should be counted as inseparable in each believer's walk in the Spirit. An example: you can't have faith that part(s) of the bible is true and on the flip side then not believe ALL of it is true. It's either all true or none of it's true. For instance, you can't just think of the Old Testament as some sort of history that doesn't affect us in there here and now or future. It (the OT) is just as important to us as is the New Testament! If you only have the New Testament, as it's been said by some preachers and I agree, you only have half of the story! While I'm on this rant, I attest to you the bible in its entirety IS complete and whole, and every word of it is TRUTH & LIFE.

        OK back to the topic LOL ... I did another article called Tribulation, Faith & Hope on December 6, 2006 but this is not the same thing. Still, you might consider reading that also. All quotes (as usual) are KJV from BlueLetterBible.org, a direct link to the search I did for   faith* belie*   is here. All 15 verses, immediately to follow, contain some form of the word *faith* and some form of the word *belief or believe*. The one I find most potent is the one in red letters, spoken by Jesus Himself! Ready then? Let's go!  :o}

Jhn 20:27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust [it] into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.

Rom 3:3 For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?

Rom 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:

Rom 4:5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

Rom 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, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:

2Cr 4:13 We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;

Gal 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

Gal 3:22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.

1Ti 4:12 Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

1Ti 6:2 And they that have believing masters, let them not despise [them], because they are brethren; but rather do [them] service, because they are faithful and beloved, partakers of the benefit. These things teach and exhort.

2Ti 2:13 If we believe not, [yet] he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.

Tts 3:8 [This is] a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.

Hbr 11:6 But without faith [it is] impossible to please [him]: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and [that] he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Hbr 11:31 By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.

1Pe 1:21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.

        Now, if we carry on to just those word searches individually, we get a whole different aspect. Let's look into exactly what faith and belief are from the scriptures for those. Actually, I covered faith quite well in the other article I wrote, mentioned above, so let's just do *belief* here for the sake of space. You can also read the bible's *Faith chapter* Hebrews 11. According to my BLB search,   belie*    occurs 324 times in 289 verses in the KJV, I'm obviously not going to quote them all but I hope you take the time to look through them yourselves, here's the link to that search. Here are some that really stand out and hopefully drive my point home! Curly {bracket} comments are mine ...
*~* Belief *~*

Gen 15:6 And he believed in the LORD; and he {God} counted it to him for righteousness.

Job 9:16 If I had called, and he had answered me; [yet] would I not believe that he had hearkened unto my voice.

Isa 43:10 Ye [are] my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I [am] he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.

Isa 53:1 Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?

Hab 1:5 Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvellously: for [I] will work a work in your days, [which] ye will not believe, though it be told [you]. {written of Jesus, long before he actually came and did said works, and still is through His elect!}

Mat 8:13 And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, [so] be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.

Mat 21:22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. {See that?}

Mar 9:23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst {can} believe, all things [are] possible to him that believeth. {See that?} Mar 9:24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. {The child was healed as verses 25-29 record}

Mar 11:23 For verily {truly} I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Mar 11:24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive [them], and ye shall have [them].

Mar 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. {Think about this carefully, where you spend eternity depends on it! More from these verses shows below, and YES this means *us* today}

Luk 1:45 And blessed [is] she {Mary, Jesus' mother} that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.

Luk 8:50 But when Jesus heard [it], he answered him, saying, Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole. {Powerful eh? Just *believe* without doubt, without fear!}

Jhn 1:7 The same {Jesus} came for a witness {of God and the kingdom of God}, to bear witness of the Light {God is Light, read here in 1 John 1:5}, that all [men] through him might believe.

Jhn 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, [even] to them that believe on his name: Jhn 1:13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Jhn 2:22 When therefore he {Jesus} was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said. {This is important! It verifies that the scriptures ARE as valid today as they were when Jesus walked the earth as a man.}

Jhn 3:15 That whosoever believeth in him {Jesus} should not perish, but have eternal life. Jhn 3:16 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. Jhn 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. Jhn 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. {Read all of John 3}

Jhn 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

Jhn 4:48 Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe. Jhn 4:49 The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die. Jhn 4:50 Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way. Jhn 4:51 And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told [him], saying, Thy son liveth. Jhn 4:52 Then enquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. And they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him. Jhn 4:53 So the father knew that [it was] at the same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth: and himself believed, and his whole house.

Jhn 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

Jhn 5:46 For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. Jhn 5:47 But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?

Jhn 6:29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him {Jesus} whom he {God} hath sent.

Jhn 6:47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.

Jhn 6:69 And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.

Jhn 8:24 I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am [he] {Jesus, Son of God in the flesh}, ye shall die in your sins.

Jhn 10:26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.

Jhn 11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: Jhn 11:26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? Jhn 11:27 She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.

Jhn 12:47 And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.

Jhn 14:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater [works] than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

Jhn 17:20 Neither pray I for these alone {the disciples with Him at the time of this prayer}, but for them {Jesus prayed also for us believers today!} also which shall believe on me through their word; Jhn 17:21 That they all {believers} may be one; as thou, Father, [art] in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

        I could quote on and on, you should get the point by now though. You can look the BLB page up and check them all for yourself! It seems to me that faith is something you *feel* while belief is something you *do*! Lack of faith or belief results in lack of gifts and blessings from God as the scriptures above aptly say, in short *you have what you believe for*. If you call yourself a Christian and profess yourself a believer ... you might want to consider the following, Jesus said it ... not me! But I know this is speaking to me and I need to get on the ball!

Mar 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. Mar 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. Mar 16:17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; Mar 16:18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. Mar 16:19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. Mar 16:20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with [them], and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.

        What these scriptures are saying is "if I can do it, so can you!" ... our Lord tells us to go and DO these things, not pay lip service, not to be fearful even though we will be looked upon as He was during His ministry in the flesh ... we have innumerable rewards in heaven awaiting us whatever happens so we don't loose anything in the fleshly here and now. Or whatever seems loss won't seem so when we are rewarded with eteranl life, spent with our Lord & Saviour!

        By the way, the above scriptures are NOT speaking of those that tempt fate, as some finatical congregations do, but to individuals that are genuinely filled with the Holy Spirit and empowered to do the works that Jesus did ... Paul is an example of the serpent verse where a venomous viper bites his hand, he shook it off, people were expecting him to die because the snake was poisonous but he didn't even swell up (Act 28:3-6)! Paul did not purposely subject himself to a poisonous snake but rather he had an accidental encounter, at least accidental on Paul's part (but not God's, who used the occasion to prove Himself to the people that witnessed the event).

Are you *really* a faith-filled believer?
Read Luke 8:4-18, if you don't understand it seek the Lord in prayer!

Jhn 16:31 Jesus answered them, Do ye now believe?

 

 

 

 

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