old man joe
2009-10-13 11:12:56 UTC
the words of the Savior Jesus Christ...
" Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life. " Jn. 6:47
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the Holy Scriptures record two kinds of believing which are distinctly different from one
another although the word is translated into the very same English word ' believe; ' the
verb form of the word ' faith. '
the first kind of believing the Bible speaks of has to do with cognition; assent... the
comprehension of a matter in the objective sense. it is purely the rational understanding
the human mind discerns as we weigh the facts of a matter against our own learning of the
things of this world acquired as we go through life. it relates to the faculty of
discernment and is equal to the Bible word ' opinion. ' the Bible word " to know " has
the same import in that ' knowing ' has carries with it an objective sense as well as an
subjective sense.
examples of this objective knowing of matter's are recorded throughout the Bible. Adam
was told beforehand not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil...
that he would surely die if he did. the objective warning created in his mind by God that
in the day he ate of it he would surely die furnished him with a cognitive belief based on
assent. for a time, Adam could be said to have believed God in this realm of human
thought and did not eat of the Tree.
the day came when Adam no longer believed God in this objective sense concerning his
eating the so called ' forbidden fruit. '
this kind of believing lies solely in ones comprehension of facts according to the
individuals personal ability as conditioned by his entire emotional and psychological
makeup. in other words, one's perception of something is conditioned by all of the
previous knowledge one has accumulated as well as his emotional state bearing on his
resulting ability to comprehend the weight of a matter.
Adam had no prior experience from which to call to mind exactly what
" you shall surely die " meant until after he had eaten from the Tree. this subjective
knowing then taught him exactly what dying is.
we can then rightly say that this kind of believing is on a take it or leave it basis as
far as man's desires are concerned. the outcome of Adam's fall is still the same,
misery and finally death. Adam's dis-belief did not negate the Word of God. it is simply
stated here as an example that believing of this kind is assent... there is no power in
this kind of believing which overrules man's thoughts and actions which are contrary to
the revealed Law of God.
the fallen angels are recorded as having this kind of belief; ( Ja. 2:19 ) they are fully
aware that there is a Holy God under who's wrath they abide. Simon the magician wanted
the power to impart the Holy Spirit by the laying on of hands. ( Acts 8:9-24 ) it is
distinctly said that he " believed; " ( v.13 ) the passages which follow illustrate that
his ' believing ' was nothing more than assent... agreement with the facts but not the
believing which God gives at the instant He redeem's His elect.
this brings us to the second and most important kind of believing of which the Bible
speaks, it is that kind of believing which is given by God. this kind of believing is not
of this world... simply because the One who gives it is not of this world. ( Jn. 17 ) it
is given by God to those so chosen to be the objects of His love, mercy and grace wholly
without anything in man as a cause moving Him there unto.
this kind of believing is " the faith of Jesus Christ " ( Gal. 2:16 ) which is " freely
given " at the instant the Lord God redeem's an elect one whom He's chosen apart from good
works. since the voice of the dead is not heard from their graves, neither is the dead of
spiritual life heard by God so as to invoke Him to save. it is well revealed that... " as
many as had been appointed to eternal life, believed " the gospel Paul was preaching on
that occassion. Acts 13:14-48
this kind of believing knows the Lord Jesus Christ has redeemed him by the heavenly
assurance of the indwelling Holy Spirit. ( Ro. 8:16; Eph. 1:13 ) true repentance is then
granted by the Living God to the now made alive child of God's family. studying the Word
of God with intense desire to know as much as God's grace given him follows the giving of
life by God, thus educating him from of the Word of God to the work of service.
while Jesus says... " he who believes has eternal life " ( Jn. 6:47 ) He also says " This
is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have
sent. " ( Jn. 17:3 ) the kind of believing which ' knows ' God is not assent but is the
kind of believing which is heavenly, knowing God through Jesus Christ at the instant
redemption is given His chosen one. this kind of believing, which is given by God, is
exampled by Noah, Job, Abraham, all of the prophets and apostles as one of power; of
transformation of life from sin and death to life eternal since the One giving it is Life
Himself.
" Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life. " Jn. 6:47
*************************************************************************************************
the Holy Scriptures record two kinds of believing which are distinctly different from one
another although the word is translated into the very same English word ' believe; ' the
verb form of the word ' faith. '
the first kind of believing the Bible speaks of has to do with cognition; assent... the
comprehension of a matter in the objective sense. it is purely the rational understanding
the human mind discerns as we weigh the facts of a matter against our own learning of the
things of this world acquired as we go through life. it relates to the faculty of
discernment and is equal to the Bible word ' opinion. ' the Bible word " to know " has
the same import in that ' knowing ' has carries with it an objective sense as well as an
subjective sense.
examples of this objective knowing of matter's are recorded throughout the Bible. Adam
was told beforehand not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil...
that he would surely die if he did. the objective warning created in his mind by God that
in the day he ate of it he would surely die furnished him with a cognitive belief based on
assent. for a time, Adam could be said to have believed God in this realm of human
thought and did not eat of the Tree.
the day came when Adam no longer believed God in this objective sense concerning his
eating the so called ' forbidden fruit. '
this kind of believing lies solely in ones comprehension of facts according to the
individuals personal ability as conditioned by his entire emotional and psychological
makeup. in other words, one's perception of something is conditioned by all of the
previous knowledge one has accumulated as well as his emotional state bearing on his
resulting ability to comprehend the weight of a matter.
Adam had no prior experience from which to call to mind exactly what
" you shall surely die " meant until after he had eaten from the Tree. this subjective
knowing then taught him exactly what dying is.
we can then rightly say that this kind of believing is on a take it or leave it basis as
far as man's desires are concerned. the outcome of Adam's fall is still the same,
misery and finally death. Adam's dis-belief did not negate the Word of God. it is simply
stated here as an example that believing of this kind is assent... there is no power in
this kind of believing which overrules man's thoughts and actions which are contrary to
the revealed Law of God.
the fallen angels are recorded as having this kind of belief; ( Ja. 2:19 ) they are fully
aware that there is a Holy God under who's wrath they abide. Simon the magician wanted
the power to impart the Holy Spirit by the laying on of hands. ( Acts 8:9-24 ) it is
distinctly said that he " believed; " ( v.13 ) the passages which follow illustrate that
his ' believing ' was nothing more than assent... agreement with the facts but not the
believing which God gives at the instant He redeem's His elect.
this brings us to the second and most important kind of believing of which the Bible
speaks, it is that kind of believing which is given by God. this kind of believing is not
of this world... simply because the One who gives it is not of this world. ( Jn. 17 ) it
is given by God to those so chosen to be the objects of His love, mercy and grace wholly
without anything in man as a cause moving Him there unto.
this kind of believing is " the faith of Jesus Christ " ( Gal. 2:16 ) which is " freely
given " at the instant the Lord God redeem's an elect one whom He's chosen apart from good
works. since the voice of the dead is not heard from their graves, neither is the dead of
spiritual life heard by God so as to invoke Him to save. it is well revealed that... " as
many as had been appointed to eternal life, believed " the gospel Paul was preaching on
that occassion. Acts 13:14-48
this kind of believing knows the Lord Jesus Christ has redeemed him by the heavenly
assurance of the indwelling Holy Spirit. ( Ro. 8:16; Eph. 1:13 ) true repentance is then
granted by the Living God to the now made alive child of God's family. studying the Word
of God with intense desire to know as much as God's grace given him follows the giving of
life by God, thus educating him from of the Word of God to the work of service.
while Jesus says... " he who believes has eternal life " ( Jn. 6:47 ) He also says " This
is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have
sent. " ( Jn. 17:3 ) the kind of believing which ' knows ' God is not assent but is the
kind of believing which is heavenly, knowing God through Jesus Christ at the instant
redemption is given His chosen one. this kind of believing, which is given by God, is
exampled by Noah, Job, Abraham, all of the prophets and apostles as one of power; of
transformation of life from sin and death to life eternal since the One giving it is Life
Himself.