That faith is itself the evidence of faith is the focus today along with more on confessing only to GOD and refusing confession to clergy, and others within the church. A “Yahoo! Answers” writer using the ID “Tzadiq” ( Level 6 with 13,644 points, a member since April 3, 2007) posted the following:
Christians: Faith is the evidence of things not seen, What is the evidence of our faith?
THE BATTLE AXE: Confessing Only to GOD? (04/08/2013)—(5.) Even many long-time believers within our congregations do not grasp the benefit from a discipline of confession to a figure who serves both as agent and spokesperson for GOD, and for the worship community. Behaving as if personally attacked, or as if their private access to GOD can be denied by people like themselves, such persons often are spiritually immature, reprobate and unregenerate. They identify confession, intercessory prayer, and seeking to speak personal truth in love as submission to ungodly authority; and fail to realize that their own spirit is one of bitterness, defiance and rebellion that, in fact, challenges all divine order. More correctly, clergy should be seen as embodiments and incarnations of divine law. See Psalms 19: 7-13 and James 5: 16, KJV. (6.) While Jesus taught that privacy and secrecy should be practiced in almsgiving, devotions and prayer, the Lord’s instruction was directed against religious externalism—observing ceremonies, practices and rituals to give an appearance of righteousness before GOD, while lacking faith and other sacred content. The Lord condemned such hypocrisy as “going through the motions,” flamboyant public displays, pretension, self-promotion, and showing-off. The course of the Gospel is to be one of making truth visible that was heretofore hidden (we say, revelation). All are to see visible fruits from our prayer life and service along with material and social outcomes. See Matthew 6: 1-18 and Luke 6: 43-45, KJV. (7.) Many believers in Christ do not correctly acknowledge the covenant nature of new life. As a sacrament of the church, confession is to further mold the collective consciousness and unity that must be established. To the extent one refuses all duty and obligation to the clergy and others of the congregation, and the salvation they seek is personal and specific to themselves, those wrongly insisting on “intimate salvation” have not yet put away pride, and surrendered themselves to Christ as their Savior. Such persons have no part in the body of Christ, and remain unsaved. See Numbers 15: 29-36, 1st Samuel 10: 17-27 and Acts 5: 1-11, KJV. (8.) In the same way, the home cannot replace the church, nor the church replace the home, private worship is not intended to totally replace gathering with others in public. Each setting is to supply unique experiences that are fitted together as completeness, spiritual maturity, and soundness. Relationship to clergy is not a substitute or replacement for relationship with GOD; and is understood as another divine tool along with baptism, penance, repentance and death. See Mark 9: 33-42, John 17: 14-23 and Hebrews 10: 24-26, KJV.
THE GOLDEN ARROW: Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. (Romans 5: 1-9, King James Version)
THE DOUBLE DAGGER: GOD Hiding in Plain Sight (03/26/2013); Given the Cloud of Witnesses (11/29/2012); A Golden Ticket? (11/30/2012); The Faith of Ones Parents? (11/18/2012); Reading Only The Red Part (11/19/2012); Why “Mysterious” (11/11/2012); Childlike Faith (10/18/2012); When Prayer Works (10/11/2012)
Tzadiq, many mature Christians understand faith as an aspect of divine person. In this view, GOD is a spirit, and we must worship him in spirit and in truth. As a feature that makes up divine being, faith exists only in GOD, not created beings and living creatures; and faith is inseparable from such sacred substance as forbearance, forgiveness, holiness, joy, longsuffering, love, truth, wisdom, and wrath against sin. Through the appearance of GOD in the person of Jesus Christ (called “Incarnation”), mankind receives an added measure of the spirit from GOD that was once provided to mankind in Creation. The holy spirit believers are to now receive is the same essence that operated in Creation; and serves to alter, change and transform human makeup.
Recognizing the presence and operation of divine substance is not accomplished merely by intelligence, logic, mental functions, and reason. Through baptism (we say death and re-birth), the spirit a believer was born with, and that becomes altered through sexual joining and repeated sins, is completely replaced by a fresh endowment from GOD that includes faith (we say, “divine DNA”). Existing with this spirit, believers are then sons and daughters of GOD, who must develop and mature after the dictates of their own sacred content.
Faith itself is the evidence of faith, just as righteousness is the standard for realizing righteousness, and truth is the verification of truth. For mature Christian believers, faith is acknowledged as present by its peculiar visible consequences and effects. Included are comfort, edification, and exhortation (called prophecy). Thus, faith from GOD appears in human action, attitude and utterance.
There is far more to be said, correctly applied, and spiritually apprehended. (For example, following judgment, mankind is to exist with GOD immortal and incorruptible. At this time, humans are not able to perfectly perceive and realize the fullness of divinity; and only those themselves having a mature awareness established through the many different gifts provided by the Holy Spirit correctly discern at all the truths of divine being and holy person.) Even so, I trust this fragment will be useful. Be it unto you according to the measure of faith you now contain.
THE BLACK PHOENIX
Washington, DC
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