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Subject: FAITH
Replies: 8 Views: 729
gbopp 9/13/2006 - 12:54:05
of his epistle is that man, left to himself, can never find God. Whatever its value, human wisdom cannot accomplish that. Only those humble enough to accept this truth and walk in the path that God shows them will enter salvation. The centrality of faith is seen in the way Paul uses it as more or less synonymous with Christianity. Thus he characterizes the Gospel as ''the word of faith, which we preach'' [see Romans10:8] and he gives the report of his conversion in the words ''He that once persecuted us now preacheth the faith of which he once made havoc'' [see Galatians1:23]. He speaks of the church as ''the household of the faith'' [see Galatians6:10]. Grace and apostleship, he says, are ''unto obedience of faith'' [see Romans1:5]. So he looks to the Colossians to continue in the faith, and to be ''established'' in it *
gbopp 9/13/2006 - 1:33:53
[Colossians1:23; 2:7]. And his discussion on the resurrection in 1Corinthians is concerned with the question of whether their faith was ''vain'' [eg; ''empty'' or ''futile''; see 1Corinthians 15:14-17]. Were faith to be emptied of its force in this way, the implication runs, then Christianity has become an empty shell. It is well-grounded faith which gives it content. Paul delights to dwell on faith and its consequences. Often he speaks of believers as being ''in Christ'', and sometimes also of Christ as being ''in them.'' Faith brings about a union that is so close that it is possible in this way to speak of mutual indwelling. This is a strong way of expressing the truth that the believer surrenders himself completely to Christ and the complementary truth that contact with the living Christ brings man into a new life. *
