RSMI's Believers Bible Fellowship Notes

February 23, 2011 Albert Lea, MN

What is Faith?  What is doubt?  To answer these two questions we can start by answering another quetion.

What is Sin?
Romans 7:11 "For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me."
 
Romans 6:6 "Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin."
 
Romans 6:14 "For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace."
 
James 4:17 "Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin."
 
Romans 14:23 "And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin."

Sin is not just a behavior
Sin is a thing, personality; and a verb, an action.
Whatsoever is not of faith is sin.

What is faith?
Romans 10:17 “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”


Faith believes Gods Word

Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

By Grace were saved through faith. Grace saved you not your good works.
Salvation is received through your faith, salvation is not earned through faith.

Galatians 2:16 … even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works..”

First of all faith is simply believing God and His Word.
Faith is not works or behavior. Faith is believing Gods Word!

James 2:17 “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.”

Secondly Faith will have works or corresponding behavior that expresses it.
The works are not faith, they are the result of faith.
So faith is believing and doing Gods Word!

So what is sin?
Romans 14:23 "And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin."

Not believing God and His Word is sin
Sin is not believing God and His word, and acting on that belief.

Where do we believe?

Genesis 2:7
Spirit contacts soul to work.
Soul contacts the body to work
Body contacts natural world.

John 7:38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

Belly= containing vessel, heart, middle.
Out of his heart shall flow living waters, or life.

John 4:14 "But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life."

Notice He said, shall be in us a well of water.
Water symbolizes spirit.

What does the well represent? The belly, or the heart!
The heart of a man contains the spirit of a man.

Romans 10:9 “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”

We believe in our heart.
When we believe in our heart, our spirit created in the image of God, flows out!

Faith believes God & His word
Doubt = believing something other than Gods word

How can doubt be formed in a persons heart?

Isaiah 53:3 prophesy of Jesus

The first place Jesus suffered was in his heart
Despised
Rejected
Sorrows; Pain
Grief’s Infirmities, sickness
He experienced no validation

Hebrew words have multi meanings
Hebrew Alaphet: each letter has a color and a sound that signifies that letter
Ex: the letter a means red and has a musical note to identify it as well

Isaiah 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions

Transgression = trespass; crossing of a boundary
The crossing of a boundary in our soul/heart or body

Ex: have you ever seen a NO TRESSPASSING sign? It means do not cross a boundary.
God created us with boundaries or needs.

Four Physical Boundaries or Needs
Air
Water
Food
Shelter

Four Heart or Soul Boundaries, or Needs
Feel Unconditional Love
Feel Safe and Secure
Feel Valuable, and validated.
Feel a sense of destiny or purpose.


John 4: 24 God is Love
We were created to give love to God and receive love from God
We are created to give love to others and receive love from others
Love Never Takes

There are 5 ways we give and receive love to and from God
And 5 ways we give and receive Love to and from others

5 ways God created communicates love to you: Five love languages.
Talk
Touch
Acts of Service
Gift Giving
Quality time together.

God communicates with us everyday in all 5 ways

Ex: We picture God high above us looking down at us waiting for us to screw up and we have to go to Jesus to get to God because Jesus will argue our case to Him so we don’t get into trouble.

The Bible gives us a completely different picture of Who God is. He is LOVE!

We have to train our hearts to hear Gods voice.
……………..close your eyes… quite your mind ….says softly, “Father, I love you.”………what did you hear?

God is always speaking to you through those 5 love languages

Isaiah 53:5 “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”
He was wounded for our trespasses’.

A trespass can take place in our lives when one or more of our heart needs are not met through one or more of these love languages.

How easy it is for a trespass to happen in a relationship because we don’t know how to communicate or receive love.

There is Silent torment when two people try to communicate with different love languages and aren’t even aware of what’s happening. Trespass = wounded hearts

Ex: subject A: love language is talk
Subject B: love language is acts of service

If A talks to B but B needs something done for them. B gets angry with A because a love language is not being met.

So, a wound takes place.
We are not responsible for wounding that happens to us.

We are however responsible for our reactions to that wounding.

Wounds are the result of transgression.
Transgressions are trespasses.
Trespasses’ are simply crossing the boundaries that God has set up for us.

When wounding takes place it can hinder our faith, and literally create wrong beliefs.

If Gods Word is not there to heal that wound, doubt, unbelief will the be the result. A wrong belief in something other than Gods word will be the result.

Isaiah 53:5 “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”