FAITH
Galatians
3:2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the
law, or by the hearing of faith4102?
Susie: Throughout
the book of Galatians, “faith” is the same Greek word:
The
New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible
4102
pistis – persuasion, credence, moral conviction (of religious truth, or the
truthfulness of God or a religious teacher), espec. reliance on Christ for
salvation: abstr. constancy in such profession: by extension the system of
religious (Gospel) truth itself—assurance, belief, believe, faith, fidelity.
Susie: Paul
contrasts faith with The Law, in other words with trying to earn God’s favor by
obedience and good works.
Susan: Faith
is relying on Christ and Christ alone for salvation.
Ephesians
2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith4102; and that not of
yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
BELIEVE
Galatians
3:6 Even as Abraham believed4100 God, and it was accounted to him
for righteousness.
Susie: To
believe is the verb form of faith. We do not say, “I faithed Jesus,” but “I
believed Jesus.” Abraham believed, had faith in God’s promise to him.
The
New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible
4100 –
pistĕuō – from 4102: to have faith (in, upon, or with respect to a person or
thing), i.e. credit; by implication to entrust (especially one’s spiritual
well-being to Christ)—believer (r), commit (to trust), put in trust with.
Susan: To
believe Jesus is to entrust our lives to Him. I have a “Special Needs Life
Trust.” Technically, this money was awarded to me as a result of a lawsuit, but
one of the stipulations was that it be put into a trust account managed by a
trustee. I cannot access it without going through this trustee. Of course, this
trustee is someone who I believe to be completely trustworthy and filled with
integrity. To place our faith in, to believe Jesus, is to put everything we
have, everything we are, and everything we hope to be in a trust account with
Jesus as the trustee. It is no longer ours to do with as we will but is
controlled by the one we trust to use it all for our good.
Susie: Our
Heavenly Trustee in turn gives us what we need and trusts us to be good
stewards of what we have been given back.
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