What is faith? How important is faith?


Video by Hal Lindsey
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVMqqHqZw3k

“Faith is the silver thread upon which the pearls of the graces are to be hung.
Break that, and you have broken the string — the pearls lie scattered on the ground.”

~ Charles H. Spurgeon (Nineteenth Century English Preacher)

Radical Faith in Jesus Christ


The words, Radical Faith in Jesus Christ, against a dark image of a wall. Original Christian art by Jim Sutton.


Radical faith is what Christians call, saving faith.

The faith of Jesus Christ is not like a religion, even though millions of very religious people claim to be Christian. Radical Christian believers do not go out to kill, bomb or maim unbelievers. For example, if you burn a Bible, you will certainly get lots of folks upset, but radical Christian believers will not threaten your life, riot in the streets or throw bricks at your home. Radical faith in Jesus Christ means a fundamental, down-to-earth, "at the very roots" of the Word of God kind of faith. To follow Jesus Christ in this way is to become like Jesus.

Jesus did not carry a sword out against the crowds of sinners in order to cut off the heads of people who opposed His message. And there were people who did oppose His message.

Jesus did not teach any of His followers to go on the offensive or to kill opponents of the gospel message. In fact the very word, "gospel" as many people know, means "good news." Jesus brought to earth good news about God's love and forgiveness, and then He sealed that message, making it valid, by dying on the cross for sins. He did not leave the cross until He had finished the work of taking away the sins of the world. Jesus died on the cross for your sins, my sins, for the sins of all people. You can make peace with God today because Jesus died for you and then rose again the third day. God forgives sin because of what Jesus did. No other reason.

There are many, many religions in our world. Quite a few even claim to be "Christian" in some way. And yes, "Christian" religious powers have committed crimes against humanity and crimes against God by tormenting helpless and innocent people. But don't let this confuse the issue. No one has never been promised by Jesus Christ or by any teaching in the Bible that they would enjoy some special reward in heaven for hurting other people. Religious people, claiming to be Christian, did evil things to other people because that's what people without God, without a living & radical faith in Jesus Christ, often do. All people are sinners. Even very religious people. That's why we need a radical faith in Jesus, and not a mere religion or philosophy.

Radical faith in God begins with a genuine faith in what He says. We know what God says because it is plainly written and wonderfully preserved in the Holy Bible. God's own Holy Spirit bears witness to the truth of God in the pages of the Holy Bible. That same Holy Spirit of God leads all human beings to follow Jesus Christ. Whoever believes and obeys God will follow Jesus.

Radical faith in God soon results in a life-changing, radical faith in Jesus Christ. This kind of faith has been around for centuries. Seldom in any kind of majority position, this kind of faith has nevertheless changed the face of the civilized world. Not through bloodshed or threat of war, but by the grace of God and by His saving power in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

http://www.bestfreechristian.com

with enough faith you could stop the world from spinning.

It is interesting to note that Jesus did not heal everyone. But He healed the ones who called out to Him. Forinstance there's this blind man who heard that Jesus was coming his way, when Jesus was passing by, he shouted with all his might calling out to Him to heal him. Someone told him to be quiet, but that made him yell even more. So Jesus heard his cry, stopped, and that man was healed.

Luke 18:38, "And he cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

And that's what i call faith.

Is All Faith in God the Same?


by Mike Ecklund


The world is making concerted efforts towards tolerance and understanding between all races and religions. While on the outside, this seems a worthy aspiration to achieve peace and tranquility, it overlooks the real problem with humanity: That we are a lost civilization, morally corrupt without any hope of a relationship with our Creator outside of Jesus Christ.

Some of the most well known fundamental preachers are inviting other faiths into their churches to share beliefs with the congregation. The United States has in its’ constitution the right to worship as its’ citizens desire. Though the foundations were laid on the Christian faith, the leadership of this country is gradually degrading its Christian heritage to reflect its move away from the God of our forefathers. The ground work for the universal false religion that will be under the antichrist is well underway. Ask many young people today and they will tell you that there are many ways to get to heaven; that the God of the Jews, Christians, Moslems, Buddhist or any other religion is the same. If this was true, do you think that God would have sacrificed his only Son if there were any other way to redeem man?

The battle lines were drawn long ago. Paul said in I Corinthians 1:22-24 “For indeed Jews ask for signs, and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block, and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” The antichrist and the false prophet will do signs and wonders that will deceive many (Revelation 13:13-14) and the science community continues to explain our existence (without explaining our purpose for being here) through earthly wisdom that is foolishness to God.

The pure faith of Christ crucified and resurrected from the dead for our salvation and eternal life is being attacked at every corner. Paul states in Galatians 1:8-9 “But even though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to that which you received, let him be accursed.” It was a threat that was worth repeating.

Jesus said in Matthew 7:13-23
“Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it. For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it. Beware of the false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor figs from thistles, are they? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit; but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits. Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?” And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you, depart from Me you who practice lawlessness.” Adherence to false religion will lead to destruction no matter how it appears on the outside. II Timothy 2:15 “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth.”


http://www.raptureready.com/soap/ecklund4.html

Faith is so important that God purposefully inspired those of the earlier time periods to write the Bible in the manner that they did so.

If faith was not important, there would be no room for doubt at all.