Into The Spirit: FAITH

Friends, we are here today to discuss upon the subject of faith. Faith, being that which is a bridge between us and the divine. Faith, being that which is acquired by our EXPERIENCE of the divine.

It is written:

'How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not BELIEVED? And how shall they BELIEVE in Him of whom they have not HEARD? And how shall they HEAR without a preacher?

So then FAITH comes by HEARING, and HEARING by the word of God.' Romans 10:14,17

WHAT IS FAITH?

All throughout the scriptures we see marvellous examples of 'great faith' and 'little faith', through actions and deeds that express the faith a person possesses or does not possess.

Yes, it is clear that my actions can substantiate what I have faith in, but actions alone are not faith in themselves; seeing as actions are but a vehicle through which faith can be expressed.

What then is this faith and how is it acquired? What is the evidence and reality of faith, whether it be in God within or things external?

I would like us for a moment, for the sake of this subject, to delve into the original language and context in which the scriptures were written. I find it good to say that a translation is always an 'approximation' of an original idea, it is not the idea in itself.

For those of us who may not know, the Bible was not originally written in English, the books within it were not even arranged the way we have it today. The arrangement of the books in the order we see it today was commissioned by King James of the Anglican Church in the 17th century.

This does not make the King James Bible or any English Bible or set of scriptures bad. It simply means that water is purest the closer one is to the stream. In the cause of translation, many things are always lost; this is the truth.

It is not a good or bad thing, it is just what it is and it would profit us to know and understand this.

For this reason we can say that the English Bible is an 'approximated book'. An approximation of Jewish ideas, originally communicated via the Hebrew and Greek language.

We can even further say that the Hebrew and Greek texts are also translations and 'approximations' of the abstract ideas or spiritual experiences of its writers, which can only be truly understood when one EXPERIENCES within themselves the same things the writers experienced.

Ultimately, to understand a thing one must experience a thing; it is not enough to read about it. Nonetheless, if we are to read, it's best we study the 'closest approximations' to an original idea that we have access to. In this case that would be the Hebrew and Greek text.

We've discussed in the past how our modern languages can sometimes be limited in the expressing of spiritual ideas, as opposed to the more ancient languages which were built upon the backbone of wisdom and spiritual principles.

Hebrew and Greek are such languages, and we find in the english bible a limitation in the expression of the greek word 'pistis'; translated to english as 'faith'.

'How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not BELIEVED?

So then FAITH comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.' Romans 10:14,17

One might look at these two verses and assume that the words 'belief' and 'faith' translated here are two different words in the original Greek text, but this is not so.

Both words written as 'faith' and 'belief', are in fact the translation of the same Greek word which is 'PISTIS'. This right here is one little reason why going to the original text is very crucial in establishing contextual understanding.

Because of this, there are many arguments that try to make a distinction between belief and faith. One of them being that 'belief' is nothing more than sentimental attachment to something, even if they one hasn't experienced or known that thing firsthand.

Faith on the other hand being defined as confirmed assurance in something one has actually seen and experienced. Like we say, labels are labels and reality is reality. These two distinctions are true and if we choose to label them by calling one 'belief' and the other 'faith', that's fine.

The most important thing is to understand a reality, after we understand it we can choose to call it whatever we want. Nonetheless we shall proceed to explain the greek word PISTIS which explains a certain reality. If we choose to call this reality belief or faith or none of the above, that's fine.

The greek word 'PISTIS' literally means to be 'persuaded' or 'convinced' about a particular thing. Faith, we can then say, is a firmly rooted conviction, something I am absolutely certain about. What I am sure about will always express itself through my actions.

Based on this I can say that I have faith that fire will burn my skin if I touched it carelessly. That 'conviction' expresses itself as me being careful around fire, this is because faith always expresses itself; faith always produces an action.

The truth is we all have many things we have faith in, many things we believe in, many things we are persuaded by and the evidence of what we truly believe will be found in our mental, emotional and physical actions.

Paul said:

'Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. ' Hebrews 11:1

Faith is commonly looked at as something abstract, something without substance, something that isn't concrete but the truth is contrary. Faith, we can say, is the evidence of where our heart truly is and this always goes alongside with our actions.

Actions are not only physical but emotional, mental and volitional. Actions don't always produce faith but faith always produces actions, whether it be negative or positive.

Let us observe this scene from the book of Matthew:

'Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!”

But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. ' Matthew 8:25-26

In this scene we see that the fear and panic the disciples had was the 'substance' of their lack of faith in Christ, 'evidence' that they were more convinced and persuaded by the storm than they were convinced and persuaded by the power of Christ.

What they believed in propelled them to act the way they did. They didn't try to be afraid, fear was their natural response to that situation. This was because they were more convinced in the power of the sea to drown them, than they were in the power of Christ to save them.

When a person says something hurtful to me and my natural and immediate response is saying something equally hurtful to them, it shows that I believe hurting my friend in return is the right thing to do. No one ever does what they don't believe is right.

Our actions are evidence of what we believe in, not always what we claim with our mouths. What we feel is an action, what we think is an action, what we do physically is an action.

Sometimes we say "I know this is bad, but....". In truth, such thing is not possible. For us to do a thing, we must believe that it is beneficial to us in some way. That is what we truly know. What we know and what we are will always express itself; a mango tree does not produce apples.

It does not matter whether I have been informed that stealing is bad, if I steal, I don't believe that stealing is bad. I am not persuaded by that information because my actions are the evidence of what i'm persuaded by; what I am convinced of.

I might read 'lying is wrong' one hundred times and repeat it to myself 700 times a day, I might even 'try' not to lie but that does not necessarily mean I believe it. A goat doesn't 'try' to eat grass, a lion doesn't 'try' to eat flesh. These things are natural to them because they are persuaded by it.

Their persuasion expresses itself as the consumption of grass and the hunting of the gazelle. The disciples panic on the boat and even their abandoning of Jesus at the time of his crucifixion was evidence of what they truly believed in.

Faith in God or lack of it, always has substance and that substance is seen in our mental, emotional and physical actions.

This then brings us back to our original quote:

How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not BELIEVED? And how shall they BELIEVE in Him of whom they have not HEARD? And how shall they HEAR without a preacher?

So then FAITH comes by HEARING, and HEARING by the word of God.' Romans 10:14,17

THE WORD OF GOD

SOUND

It is something well known in nature that everything 'vibrates' at a unique and particular frequency, everything makes an individual and distinct sound. This we will find true from the miniature atoms in our bodies, to the stellar giants in the outer space.

Recently, NASA was able to record and compress the melody our sun plays into a digital format and the sound is truly majestic.

Everything in existence is playing a melody, a tune, unique unto itself. Everything in nature emits a sound unique unto itself. Why? This is because where there is sound, there is energy; where there is energy there is light; where there is light, there is life; where there is life, there is CHRIST.

For this reason it is written:

'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. ' John 1:1,4

Christ is the sound of God and this sound is light and life and all of nature collectively emits this sound, a universal symphony comprised of many distinct voices coming together to play one melody.

The melody of the cosmic choir, each voice a unique vibration unto itself; each voice a unique piece and expression of Christ unto itself.

Within every living thing exists this sound, for without it nothing can be alive; nothing can exist. What separates a man from an animal is his ability to HEAR THIS SOUND within himself, and 'consciously' harmonize himself to this sound; dancing to its melody.

To hear this sound is to hear the word of God; to hear the voice of God; to hear CHRIST inside of oneself. To dance to the melody is to align oneself with God's will.

Until a man hears this voice on the inside of himself, and live in obedience to it, he differs not from a beast. He will continue to live a life in reaction to his external environment and fleshly impulses, never becoming cognisant of his inner life and inner world. A wise man once said:

"That in which men differ from brute beasts is a thing very inconsiderable; the common herd lose it very soon; superior men preserve it carefully."

The disciples indeed proved themselves to be like beasts when they almost collapsed in terror at the sight of the storm. They proved themselves to be like beasts when they abandoned their teacher at the most crucial point of his life. They proved themselves to be like beasts when they were arguing between themselves who was greater than who.

Why? This is because they had NO FAITH in God. Why? This is because even though they heard the voice, the sound, the word of God, through Jesus of Galilee, they had not yet heard it in themselves.

"..And how shall they BELIEVE in Him of whom they have not HEARD? And how shall they HEAR without a preacher? - Romans 10:14

It wasn't enough to have read the Torah and the prophets time without number, it wasn't enough to even have been in the 'physical' presence of Jesus the Christ. Faith only comes by hearing the voice of God, the sound of God, the WORD OF GOD within oneself.

Faith comes by the first hand encounter and direct experience of our own inner Christ; our unique and particular only begotten son of God who indeed exists within us. This is the one who can save us; this is the one who can transform us; this is the one who can heal us.

It is good to read the prophets and apostles and take counsel from from elders but the most important 'PREACHER' of the good news exists inside us. This is why Paul said

"And how shall they hear without a PREACHER?"

"So then FAITH comes by HEARING, and HEARING by the WORD of God"

Jesus, the man of Galilee, did not do all he did because he had read the book of Isaiah or Joshua. Peter and the Apostles did not do all they did simply because they knew the physical Jesus Christ. The three years they spent with him meant nothing at the face of the Roman whip; the dreaded cat of nine tails.

How comes the very disciples who fled the Roman whip in Matthew chapter 26 were the same to celebrate being scourged by it in Acts chapter 5? The reason is clear. In Matthew 26 they had not heard the voice, the holy spirit of Christ within them. In Acts 5 they had.

'Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness. ' John 3:11

Moses, the prophets, Jesus and the apostles, were not going around speaking about someone they had not seen or experienced. They were not proclaiming a God they discovered on stone tablets or papyrus scrolls. They were speaking and acting from firsthand realities and encounter.

Yes, the scriptures do inspire and give contextual understanding to reality, however, unless I am taught by my inner Christ why anger is not beneficial to me in particular, through my journey and experience with him, it does not matter who says it isn't, that reality will not become an axiom in my heart.

There was something Paul saw and experienced that made him journey to Rome, knowing fully well that he would be executed. There was something he was persuaded by, beyond all odds, that made him steadfast in his cause.

It didn't come from books, dreams, visions or out of body experiences. Yes, experiences of such nature do boost an individual's confidence but the HEARING OF THE WORD is something that cannot be put into words, it cannot be explained; it cannot be accurately expressed.

It stopped Paul in his tracks and altered the trajectory of his life; It stopped Moses in his tracks and altered the trajectory of his life; It stopped Abraham in his tracks and altered the trajectory of his life.

Most certainly, it stopped me in my tracks and altered the trajectory of my life. Here I am, doing something I never believed I could or would do. Isn't God something? We will continue our discussion on faith and in the next write up I will narrate in some detail how it all began when I encountered my inner Father 8 years ago. Shalom.