We Believe God

"All of God's Word is defined by our relationship."

RULE OF FICTION. Avoid the use of “being” verbs. Am, is, are, was, were, and as much as possible, has and have as well. Don’t say, “She is tall,” or, “She was at the office yesterday.” These can be better expressed using an action verb and decorative adjectives. Clara stood next to the ladder and didn’t need the first three rungs. In dialogue, being verbs are more accepted because people talk that way, but in your story itself, don’t do it. Another rule of fiction. Body parts do not work independently of people. Do not write, “Her hands grasped the paper.” Her hands do not have a brain and eyes (there is cute clipart for this somewhere). Do not write, “Her feet climbed the stairs.” Just her feet? No, she picked up the paper, and she climbed the stairs.

King James wanted a Bible with His name on it, and he had the power to get it done. It took them seven years, from 1604 to 1611, to publish it, and it included the apocrypha. Considered the most accurate translation from the original language, though many read it almost exclusively, every now and again, something worded like King James just makes no sense. In short, we do not talk that way today. Or to day. And though there are many, many Hebrew scholars, the vast majority of the modern church do not read or speak Hebrew nor the style of Greek of the New Testament. (Side note, there are some fantastic Aramaic versions of the Psalms online, that being Jesus’ native language.)

Language has evolved. Words like “fantastic,” though they have a particular word origin, do not mean the same thing that they once did. There are wordsmiths online who have lists of word origins, and it will surprise you where some terms came from. Within the United States there are multitudes of languages. We were formed as a cultural mishmash of people. We have differing accents and word usages from north to south and east to west. Nobody speaks quite like a Cajun. Nor a man from Boston. Nor Polk (P-o-k-e) County. In my family, for instance, the children sit “in” the floor. We also “dip” our plates.

Point is, the words we read in the B-i-b-l-e (that’s the book for me) have meanings and usages in sentence contexts which often bear study. My story of the right-time gate (gate called Beautiful) from Acts 3:2 is an example. That revelation gives a new depth to the story. But words are just words outside of Jesus Christ. He is the Word of God of John 1 who was made flesh and dwelt among us. He also made it clear He spoke only the words of the Father and did the works of the Father. He was filled with the Spirit of God without measure and filled all the ministry offices. Nothing we read or study can be defined without Him.

READ “An Appointed Time.”
https://sdwauthor.blogspot.com/2024/03/an-appointed-time.html

Hebrews 11:1 is an example. Here is a definition of faith, much quoted in the church, and what has been said about faith (that I have heard) is accurate. From the King James Bible, we can define “faith,” “substance,” “hoped,” and “evidence,” in the original language and gain much light. When we read the passage, we can glean how faith was used by those who lived before us. But another verse in Galatians 5:6 tells us far more about faith.

“For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.” (Galatians 5:6)

Faith worketh by love. Or outside of love, faith doesn’t work. And that love which causes faith to work comes from Jesus Christ. He is God’s love expressed to us, His death and Resurrection is His love on display. He is “the measure of faith” given to all men (Romans 12:3). I have faith. You have faith. Every child of God has faith because they have the love of Jesus for them. But showing “great faith” as opposed to “little faith” comes because of our relationship with Him.

Our ability to use our faith comes because we know intimately God’s character and nature.

All of God’s Word is defined by our relationship. To preach faith without God in it, is to preach the glossary. There is a long line of Christian-isms that we should know – righteousness, sanctification, justification, etc. None of them mean beans without your knowing Jesus. And by knowing, I don’t mean knowing His name or even His story.

I have faith in my parents because I know them. I know their care for me and can depend on it 100%. My daughter can say the same of me. She comes to me with anything she needs because she knows I will listen without judgment, speak fairly, and give to my greatest extent. “Now faith is …” Yes. It is what so many translations have defined of it. But I like the EasyEnglish version best. “If we believe God, we can be completely sure about things. We will be sure about the things that we hope for. We will be sure about things that we cannot see.”

If we believe God, we can be sure. There is faith.

Jesus was never without faith in His Father and the work of the Holy Spirit in Him and through Him. It was an ever-flowing part of their relationship. He knew He’d been born on earth to die for sin. He knew He would rise from the dead after three days, and I suspect many, many other things not recorded in the gospels. He had no doubt about who He was, nor that His suffering would do what it was meant to do. He looked at the joy set before Him because He was sure of God the Father and the Holy Spirit (Hebrews 12:2). He laid down His life willingly knowing the Spirit in Him would take the weight of sin. He promised the thief they’d be in Paradise “today” because He was sure of what would happen after His death.

“I have told you before it happens, so that when it does, you will be confident that I do know the beginning from the end—and none of this has taken me by surprise—and your confidence in me will then increase.” (John 14:29, Remedy)

Faith should work in us as natural as breathing. At no point do I have to go back to square one and reacquaint myself with Wayne and Becky Combee. I know them today because I’ve spent time with them, and who they are is ingrained in me. I can show up at their house, and they will let me in. They will give me whatever I need during my time there. This never alters. Neither does the love of God for me. Jesus loved me before I was saved. He’s loved me since then, and He will love me far into the future. What His sacrifice did for mankind, it did for me. He forgives my iniquities. He heals my diseases. He redeems my life from destruction. He crowns me with lovingkindness and tender mercies. These never change.

Abraham was asked to do something unusual. God had given him a son, an impossibility at his age. Then God asked him to sacrifice that son on an altar. Abraham knew God. He knew God’s promise. He stared Isaac, the fulfillment of that promise, in the face day-after-day, seeing God’s love for him. So though this seemed like the wrong thing to do (why would God ask him to do this?), he did it anyway. Because he knew, if God had to, he would raise Isaac from the dead. Abraham loved God. He knew God loved him. He knew Isaac was the son of promise. And his arm raised to perform the sacrifice, He heard God call for him to stop, and there behind him, in the thicket, was a ram.

"Settle their minds so fully and completely into the truth that nothing can ever move them from it—your word is truth." (John 17:17, Remedy)

What do we know of God’s love for us? What do we know about Him that cannot ever be stolen? No word of the enemy in your ear will ever convince you Jesus did not die on the cross. Nothing any man ever says will convince He did not rise from the dead. These are concrete truths that are unalterable. Just as you know you inhale and your lungs expand, you should know that whatever you bring to your heavenly Father, believing that He is and He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him, that He will do it.

“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6)

Faith is not a definition. It is an outgrowth of love. Belief is not just a word applied to our prayers. The word “prayer” itself means worship. Our words to God for ourselves, for other people, our requests that He’s asked us to do, are our worship of who He is as merciful and generous and exceeding, abundantly above, and faith “just is” because of who God is to us and who we are to Him. Righteousness is what happens when you hang around Him, believing in His love for you. He makes you righteous, and your behavior changes then because of it. You don’t want to do unrighteous things. Righteousness makes us holy. Holiness isn’t an unreachable standard, but what you become because the Holy Spirit is now leading and guiding your footsteps.

All of it, every part, is relationship, and being honest, this is the most important realization to make. If you will focus on your relationship with God first, the rest will not only make sense but happen easily. Your study of the Word of God will be because you adore Him, and no amount of time is too much to spend with the One who gave all of His goodness to you. When you need a few dollars, you ask in faith because, of course, He will help you. When you need healing, you stand in faith because, no way He’s going to ignore His beloved’s health. Anything that speaks otherwise is from the devil.

The devil is doubt. God is love. We are children of God, born of love, in love with our heavenly Father, with our King who died and rose again for us, and with the Holy Spirit who lives within us. Everything we need comes from confidence in our relationship. We know that they love us and whatever we lack, we need only ask, and they will fill it. All of God’s truth begins upon this revelation, and the future He’s promised is truly glorious because of it.

"I do not want you to be my servants, because servants only do what they are told but do not understand what the master is doing, nor do they understand the master himself. Their hearts are not in harmony with the master, and what they do they do not do freely. I want you to be my friends—to understand what I am doing—and to freely choose to be in unity with me. That is why I have told you about everything the Father and I are working to accomplish, so your hearts and minds will be in harmony with us." (John 15:15, Remedy)

“For the new heart and mind that you received is not riddled and consumed with fear and doubt—No! Trust has been restored and you received the mind, heart and attitude of Christ himself—the mind of God’s very own child. And now we are not afraid to cry out to him, ‘Daddy, Papa, Father.’” (Romans 8:15, Remedy)

“How amazing is God’s glorious character of grace, that he has freely given us all heaven in the One he loves.” (Ephesians 1:6, Remedy)

Heart Circle Image by Michael Reichelt from Pixabay


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Suzanne D. Williams, Author
www.suzannedwilliams.com
www.feelgoodromance.com