FAITH

There are a few very important words which will always be worthy of our special attention. "Faith" or "Believe" is just such a word. The biblical word group "pistos," pistis," and "pisteuo," is translated into our English bible versions as "believe" and "faith." There is no more important teaching for us to grasp than this: -He who believes in the Son has eternal life (John 3:15-18). There is a difference in how some habitually use the English word faith/believe and the biblical meaning. In the scriptures to have faith, or to believe, is to have a loyal recognition or loyal acknowledgment. One important thing about this "loyal recognition" is that it is directed toward a person...in this case the personal God who is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and The God who is personally recognized in His son Jesus Christ. This biblical idea of faith as a "loyal recognition" is different from the modern idea of faith as a generic "positive mental force" or "optimism." Some teachers have mistakenly emphasized "faith," as something valuable in and of itself...for which the object of that faith is irrelevant. In many cases people mistakenly think of faith as a "mind over matter" self-exertion. When this happens the biblical meaning is lost. A few passages are normally misread by these teachers. I will add some to this post with a few observations about them soon; but know that faith is all about who you are having faith in. Faith is about having a loyal recognition of God through a loyal recognition of Jesus Christ, God's son.