1 Peter 1:7 - Meaning of word faith?

[Ben Collyer]

Hi all, I believe there is a difference between saving faith and the kind of faith that believes Gods promises

so in 1 peter:7 is the word 'faith' refering to saving faith i.e (Jesus is the son of God) or faith that believes (God loves me)

?

 

[Doug Melven]

1:7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

People like to talk about a difference between the faith whereby you get saved (born again) and the faith that a Christian walks by in his daily life.
But there is no real difference.
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please God for he that comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

God gives you faith. Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 12:3
This faith saves you, that is how you become born again. This same faith is also how you receive anything else from God.

 

[Monna]

saving faith i.e (Jesus is the son of God)

?? I don't think I was/am saved by believing Jesus is the Son of God. The demons He met believed/knew that - and they trembled.

Have I been deluded all my life?

 

[Ben Collyer]

saving faith i.e (Jesus is the son of God)

?? I don't think I was/am saved by believing Jesus is the Son of God. The demons He met believed/knew that - and they trembled.

Have I been deluded all my life?

i believe we are saved when we surrender to christ and confess him as Lord and ask him into our lives

 

[Ben Collyer]

I dont understand this passage, I know that I am a born again christian because of the fruit that I recognise and the testimony of my walk, my conviction of sin, my hunger to know God more etc

But, for example, I often lose hope and become despairing, I often do not believe God loves me, I often feel God has abandoned me, these things are termed as 'unbelief' yet these things are not salvation issues

so how do I know if my faith has survived the fire or not?

 

[Brian Mcnamee]

I dont understand this passage, I know that I am a born again christian because of the fruit that I recognise and the testimony of my walk, my conviction of sin, my hunger to know God more etc

But, for example, I often lose hope and become despairing, I often do not believe God loves me, I often feel God has abandoned me, these things are termed as 'unbelief' yet these things are not salvation issues

so how do I know if my faith has survived the fire or not?

Hi all, I believe there is a difference between saving faith and the kind of faith that believes Gods promises

so in 1 peter:7 is the word 'faith' refering to saving faith i.e (Jesus is the son of God) or faith that believes (God loves me)

?

Hi if you look at who Peter is talking to you see it is the saved and he is talking about the trials of suffering that come a Christians way he reminds them of the end of their faith in verse 9 receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.
He is preparing them for persecution that was coming and setting their focus on the eternal and not the temporary.

 

[dreadnought]

Hi all, I believe there is a difference between saving faith and the kind of faith that believes Gods promises

so in 1 peter:7 is the word 'faith' refering to saving faith i.e (Jesus is the son of God) or faith that believes (God loves me)

?

You must be talking about 1 Peter 1:7. I would disagree that there are two kinds of faith.

 

[Doug Melven]

I dont understand this passage, I know that I am a born again christian because of the fruit that I recognise and the testimony of my walk, my conviction of sin, my hunger to know God more etc

But, for example, I often lose hope and become despairing, I often do not believe God loves me, I often feel God has abandoned me, these things are termed as 'unbelief' yet these things are not salvation issues

so how do I know if my faith has survived the fire or not?

You need to look at the previous 2 verses.
1:5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
1:6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:

Notice whose power is keeping you.
By faith you were born again. But you don't stay born again by faith, you are kept by power of God.
You are His child now.
Then look at verse 6, You can rejoice, despite the fact you are in heaviness because of manifold temptations.
If you ever doubt His love for you, just look at some of the many verses that demonstrate God's love for you.
Isaiah 53, Zephaniah 3:17 and any of the Crucifixion accounts.
If you think God has abandoned you, read Hebrews 13:5.
Remember, faith comes by hearing the Word of God. Romans 10:17

 

[Theophan]

I dont understand this passage, I know that I am a born again christian because of the fruit that I recognise and the testimony of my walk, my conviction of sin, my hunger to know God more etc

But, for example, I often lose hope and become despairing, I often do not believe God loves me, I often feel God has abandoned me, these things are termed as 'unbelief' yet these things are not salvation issues

so how do I know if my faith has survived the fire or not?

You will know if your faith is legitimate on the day of Judgment when God rewards every man according to his works.

We walk by faith, not by sight.

And

The just shall live by faith.

And

For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?

So, stop trying to justify yourself. You are not the Judge. You do not have the authority or power to judge yourself. This is Christ's role, not ours. We who are truly Christians live by faith in the Son of God and His mercy, grace, and love.

Has God abandoned you? That is the wrong question to ask. It is irrelevant. Ask yourself, "Have I abandoned God?"

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.

 

[Theophan]

And we should never doubt God's love for us. Rather, we should doubt our love for Him and not delude ourselves into believing we actually have a deep love for Him when we sin hundreds of times per day without any contrition or repentance.

Yes, we know God is loving. God is love. Okay, good, we know and believe this. But when will we see ourselves for what we really are? A worm and no man; A man of unclean lips; A sinful man; Dust and ashes; etc. Let us repent, therefore, brethren. Although we have been called to the feast and to the wedding, this does not excuse us from putting on the garments of righteousness through repentance and faith in God's grace. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. (Rev 3:18-19)

 

[Ron Gurley]

To me, "Belief" and "Faith" as used in the New Testament are almost identical in meaning and synonomous.

"Believe" occurs 152 times in 140 verses in the NASB...mostly in the NT.

G4103 pistos ~= faithful, believe, believing, true, faithfully, believer, sure
G4100 pisteuo = ~believe, commit unto, commit to (one's) trust, be committed unto, be put in trust with, be commited to one's trust, believer

John 1:12 (NASB)
...But as many as RECEIVED Him (spiritually!), to them He gave the right to become children of God ,
even to those who BELIEVE (G4100) in His NAME,...

Romans 10:9,13-15 (NASB)
...that IF you confess (agree with God) with your mouth (mind) Jesus as LORD, AND
BELIEVE (G4100) in your heart (spirit) that God (the Father) raised Him (God the Son) from the dead,
you will (certain to) be SAVED (from eternal estrangement);
....for “WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.”
How then will they call on Him in whom they have not BELIEVED?
How will they BELIEVE in Him whom they have not heard?
And how will they hear without a preacher?
How will they preach unless they are sent?

"Faith" occurs 250 times in 232 verses in the NASB ...all but 4 verses in the NT.

G4102 pistis (pe'-stes) = ~faith, assurance, believe, belief, them that believe, fidelity

Hebrews 11 (NASB) ...Biblical examples of The Triumphs of FAITH...DEFINITIONS and EXAMPLES

1. Now FAITH is the (spiritual) assurance of things HOPED for,
the CONVICTION of things (+ truths) not seen.(nor proven!)
For by it (faith) the "men of old" (OT heroes) gained approval. ( AND mankind today gains salvation)

John 6: 28-29
28 Then they (disciples) asked him, "What must we do to do the WORKS God requires?"
29 Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to BELIEVE in the one he has sent." ...

John 3 ...extracts...Jesus to the inquiring Nicodemus
'You must be born again (spiritually).'
The wind blows wherever it pleases.
You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going.
So it is with everyone born of the Spirit....(NEED fulfilled...a NEW LIFE... CHANGED SPIRIT)
Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert,
so the Son of Man must be lifted up, (crucified ?)
that everyone who BELIEVES in him may have eternal life.

Ephesians 2 ...Made Alive in Christ
1 As for you (believers), you WERE dead in your transgressions and sins,
2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh (sin nature)
and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were BY (spiritual) NATURE deserving of wrath.
4 But because of His great (unconditional) love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,
5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions
—it is by grace you HAVE BEEN saved.
6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,(spiritual position)
7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace,
expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
8 For it is by (undeserved) Grace you have been saved, THROUGH (spirit-led) FAITH—
and this (FAITH) is not from yourselves,
it is the GIFT of God—
9 NOT by "works", so that no one can boast.(of their own FAITH or WORKS!)
10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus TO DO (unto) "good works",
which God prepared in advance for us to do.(will of God)


I adapt and rely on an excellent Bible scholar's statement:

"The CONDITION(S) for SALVATION...
Salvation is conditioned solely on FAITH/(BELIEF) in Jesus The Christ.
("repentance" may be a SYNONYM when understood to be a spiritual "re-thinking" and a "turning around")
Nearly 200 times FAITH (or BELIEF) is stated as the single condition in the New Testament.
That FAITH must be placed in The Christ as one's substutute FOR and Savior FROM sin (/sins)...
There are some FALSE additions to FAITH...
e.g. ritual water baptism, repentance by works, confession / purification, lordship, etc
REF: Ryrie Study Bible...expanded NASB...p. 2073

(Jesus to woman caught in sin):.... "Your FAITH has saved YOU; go in peace."...>Luke 7:50