Pistis: A Comprehensive Survey Of The Subject Of Faith

By Michael Divine

The subject of faith is one that although is mostly spoken about, is also very much misunderstood. In this book, more light will be shed on this all-important subject while an in-depth look at the many aspects of the subject is considered. This book is a must-read for all. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookRix
• Release date: Aug 26, 2020
• ISBN: 9783748755029

Book preview

Understanding Faith

UNDERSTANDING FAITH

A COMPREHENSIVE SURVEY ON THE SUBJECT OF FAITH

DEDICATION

To Cosmos Okyere Yeboah-my friend, prayer partner and covenant brother. I dedicate this book to you. Only Heaven can quantify your faith experiences.

PROLOGUE

While it is common knowledge that the subject of faith has been extensively preached about, taught and written on by many great men and women of God, I felt like Luke when he stated in his treatise to Theophilus concerning the Lord Jesus Christ that, Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you…. –Luke 1:1-3.

Having said the above, I need to add that this book is the product of the many things the Holy Spirit has taught me personally, some encounters and experiences I've had and the teachings of many great teachers of God's word, chief among them being Prophet Manasseh Atsu, the General Overseer of Watered Garden Churches Worldwide.

I am strongly convinced that this book will immensely benefit anyone who desires to live by faith.

It is my prayer that the Holy Spirit will teach you beyond what this book says and bring you to the place where your whole life measures up to the kind that God wants for you.

And may you be immensely blessed in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ as you read. Amen!!

THE FIRST STEP OF FAITH

And there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.

He came to Jesus by night and said to Him, Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God; for no man can do these miracles which you do unless God is with him.

Jesus answered and said to him, Truly, truly, I say to you, Unless a man is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Nicodemus said to Him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb and be born?

Jesus answered, Truly, truly, I say to you, Unless a man is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

Do not marvel that I said to you, You must be born again.

The Spirit breathes where He desires, and you hear His voice, but you do not know from where He comes, and where He goes; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit. –John 3:1-8

In order for you to have a meaningful relationship with God, you must be born again. Being born again is another term used to describe the salvation experience. And salvation is by grace through faith, dear reader. Just imagine for once how Jesus responded to Nicodemus’ commendation of Him. The normal thing would have been for Jesus to receive the commendation by thanking Nicodemus. After all, most of the Pharisees spoke ill of Jesus’ ministry. But first things must be done first, and the most important thing Nicodemus needed to do at that moment was to be born again. I want to urge you to do same if you already haven’t done so.

You must believe on the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved because there is no other way, since He is the way.

I will therefore encourage you to say this prayer in faith before doing anything else. Let God’s love and peace come into your heart as the Spirit of Christ makes His abode in your heart.

Lord Jesus. I thank you for dying in my place on Calvary. I thank you for rising from the dead in order to give me the chance to live a new life. I confess that I am a sinner. I confess that you died for me. I believe and confess that you are my Lord and Saviour. So I ask you to cleanse me with your precious blood. Please come and make your home in my heart and write my name in the book of life. I thank you for hearing and saving me. Amen.

Welcome into God’s family, beloved. Find a Bible believing church and introduce yourself to the Pastor in charge. I pray for you that Christ will be formed in you and finish this good work which He has begun in your life today. God bless you.

CHAPTER ONE

THE INDISPENSABILITY OF FAITH

Faith is indispensable for two very important reasons:

1. Without faith, it is impossible to please God-Hebrews 11:6

It is ideally every husband’s desire to please his wife. And in order for that to successfully happen, the husband must first discover what things his dear wife likes and finds pleasurable. And the easiest way to find out what one’s wife likes is to ask her. If the man fails to figure out what pleases his wife, he may go out of his way to buy expensive gifts for her and still end up not pleasing her. The man therefore cannot please his wife on his own terms. His ability to please his wife lies in his doing so her way and not his way.

It happens to be the same with God. We can only be able to please Him on His terms. And the only way to please Him is by faith. When Adam, the federal head of the human race sinned, all of us sinned and so offended God. We chose to believe in what the devil told us in Eden, instead of having faith in what God had said. According to the word of God, eating of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil meant death, but instead of believing God’s word, we rather believed Satan’s when he told us that eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was indeed going to make us like God. Satan succeeded in convincing us that we were not going to die. And because we believed what Satan said, we made God a liar. Man’s lack of faith toward God in Eden displeased Him. And in order to please Him, God demands that we place our faith in Him again.

God has made it so, that faith is the only divinely approved means by which anyone can please Him. And that is why faith is indispensable when it comes to our relationship with God. Anything done outside of faith toward God is sin- For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin. -Romans 14:23(ESV).

According to the verse above, sin can be defined as anything which displeases God. Faith toward God is therefore the only remedy to the sin problem of the human race.

When Cain and Abel sacrificed unto God, the difference between their sacrifices was the element of faith: "By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain" -Hebrews 11:4(ESV). It is obvious from the text that Cain offered his sacrifice without faith. God was not pleased with Cain’s offering because he failed to offer it in faith. Cain made his offering as though there was no God, and so his sacrifice displeased God and so was not accepted- for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. -Hebrews 11:6(ESV).

Faith toward God can therefore not be taken lightly at all. That is why faith is considered as an elementary principle in the doctrine of Christ.

Faith is indispensable because it is the only divinely appointed and approved mode by which we come into a peaceful relationship with God. When man sinned, he strained his relationship with God- he actually died. Man got separated from God because of his sin. And so to get restored, man has to have faith in God again. Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. -Romans 5:1(MKJV).

Faith toward God brings us into justification. To be justified means to be declared righteous as if you never sinned. Without faith, justification cannot be possible, and without justification, peace with God cannot be attained. And without peace with God, man would still abide in death and fall short of the glory of God which he once had when he was in Eden. Our walk with God therefore begins with faith and that is why it is absolutely indispensable for the child of God and for anyone who wants to walk