Building up your faith?

[Tatu]

Do we already have all the faith we need, and now we are just training our mind, will, and emotions?

I saw something interesting from a wof pastor on tv recently.

He used Jude 20:
"But you, beloved, build up yourselves on your most holy faith praying in the Holy Spirit; keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life." Jude 20,21

He said praying in tongues does not build up faith, it builds up yourself (he believes the soul) to align yourself with the faith you already have. And he says you already have all the faith possible inside of you.

Anyone have any thoughts on that.. do we really have all the faith possible inside of us?

 

[Father Rick]

Scripture says "faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God." There is a verb tense we don't have in English at work there, which is an ongoing repetitive tense. Literally, "faith comes by hearing and hearing and hearing and hearing and hearing... by the the Word of God."

Think of faith like a battery. The more of the Word you have, the larger the battery.

Now, there are some with a huge battery, but no charge to it.

Scripture also says "build yourself up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost". Praying in the spirit charges the battery.

There are some who have a tiny battery--but lots of charge to it. This can be dangerous, as an overcharged battery can explode. (Ever seen someone get so "spiritual" that they're no good?)

When we have the 2 principles (the Word and the Spirit)working at the same time, then we have both the battery and the charge-- in other words, we've got what we need to get the job done.

 

[DiscipleWhomJesusLoves]

Do we already have all the faith we need, and now we are just training our mind, will, and emotions?

I saw something interesting from a wof pastor on tv recently.

He used Jude 20:
"But you, beloved, build up yourselves on your most holy faith praying in the Holy Spirit; keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life." Jude 20,21

He said praying in tongues does not build up faith, it builds up yourself (he believes the soul) to align yourself with the faith you already have. And he says you already have all the faith possible inside of you.

Anyone have any thoughts on that.. do we really have all the faith possible inside of us?

The short answer to that is that it is just not God to put a cap or limit on people.

He doesn't say, "For you, Tatu, that's all you are ever gonna have."

 

[Tatu]

Ok.

I guess the answer is both Romans 10:17 and Romans 12:3, not either/or. Everyone gets the same measure of faith, and then we have the option of getting more. Tongues helps build us up to access the faith we have.

Thanks.

 

[Optimax]

This verse tells us that each man (person) receives the (not a) measure of faith.

Ro 12:3
3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
KJV

That means we have all we are going to get. We do not get more we must learn to use what we have for it is more than enough.

This next scripture had been a problem for me for a long time.

Ro 10:17
17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
KJV

We just read in the scripture before this one that we were given the measure of faith, so we have faith.

How can something I already have “come” when it is already there.

This question kept nagging at me every time I read or heard this scripture quoted. “How can faith “come” when I already have it”?

The words “cometh” is in italics, which mean as we know that it was added by the translators to “help”. This is another place it should not have been added.

Remove the word that was added and the scripture reads;

So then faith by hearing and hearing by the word of God.

A word study on the two words “by”

Ro 10:17
The first "by" in this verse. NT:1537 ek (ek) or ex (ex); a primary preposition denoting origin (the point whence action or motion proceeds), from, out (of place, time, or cause; literal or figurative; direct or remote):
KJV - after, among, are, at, betwixt (-yond), by (the means of), exceedingly, (+abundantly above), for (-th), from (among, forth, up), grudgingly, heartily, heavenly, hereby, very highly, in, ...ly, (because, by reason) of, off (from), on, out among (from, of), over, since, thenceforth, through, unto, vehemently, with (-out). Often used in composition, with the same general import; often of completion.

The verse translated: So then hearing sets faith in motion

The second "by" NT:1223 dia (dee-ah'); a primary preposition denoting the channel of an act; through (in very wide applications, local, causal, or occasional):
KJV - after, always, among, at, to avoid, because of (that), briefly, by, for (cause). ..fore, from, in, by occasion of, of, by reason of, for sake, that, thereby, therefore, though, through (-out), to, wherefore, with (-in). In composition it retains the same general import.

NT:1537
90.16 NT:1537 (with the genitive): a marker of the source of an activity or state, with the implication of something proceeding from or out of the source - 'from, by.'
(from Greek-English Lexicon Based on Semantic Domain. Copyright (c) 1988 United Bible Societies, New York. Used by permission.)

Copyright © Me 1999 All rights reserved.

The verse reads;

So then hearing sets faith in motion and hearing by the word of God.

When we hear the word of God the faith that we already have, because it was given to us is set in motion. Our problem becomes learning not to apply the brakes of doubt and unbelief.

When you “hear” By His stripes we were healed, faith for healing is set in motion. Don’t apply the brakes by saying “Is it God’s will that I be healed”. Or, but I feel …….

Anytime any promise of God is “heard” faith for that promise is set in motion. Let your conversation be in agreement with the promise which keeps the faith for the promise heard in motion, growing so it can produce.

 

[Tatu]

good stuff

thanks

 

[sherri]

Scripture says "faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God." There is a verb tense we don't have in English at work there, which is an ongoing repetitive tense. Literally, "faith comes by hearing and hearing and hearing and hearing and hearing... by the the Word of God."

Think of faith like a battery. The more of the Word you have, the larger the battery.

Now, there are some with a huge battery, but no charge to it.

Scripture also says "build yourself up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost". Praying in the spirit charges the battery.

There are some who have a tiny battery--but lots of charge to it. This can be dangerous, as an overcharged battery can explode. (Ever seen someone get so "spiritual" that they're no good?)

When we have the 2 principles (the Word and the Spirit)working at the same time, then we have both the battery and the charge-- in other words, we've got what we need to get the job done.

Actually I haven't. You're implying that people can get so much of the Holy Ghost that they're 'no good'.

Since when is having any quantity of the Holy Spirit a bad thing.

I've seen people ignoring the natural order of a service because they 'believe' they're so fired up with the spirit that they can do whatever they want. Paul expressedly teaches against this. But thats their lack of spiritual maturity or disobedience. It has nothing to do with the amount of the Holy Spirit they have.