The Faith
In the previous chapter I discussed how the truth needs to be refined in the fire, as Jesus counseled us
to buy from Him gold, refined therein. The Bible is the plumb line through which we measure the faith
that has been handed down to us throughout the centuries. We are exhorted to, “Examine yourselves
as to whether you are in the faith.” (2 Corinthians 13:5) But what is “The faith”?
Faith is the Greek word pistis, meaning moral conviction or persuasion of religious truth. “The faith,” is
the doctrine Christ and His apostles handed to us. It is what they believed, lived, and taught. The
apostle John closes many arguments when He says, "Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the
doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and
the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house
nor greet him; for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds." (2 John 9, 11)
“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed
to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared
with a hot iron.” (1 Timothy 4:1-2) The word “depart” means to draw away from. Now why would a
person withdraw? “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their
own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their
ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” (2 Timothy 4:3-4) The word, endure means to
“put up with” or “suffer.” They will not tolerate reproof or correction. In essence, they will hate the
truth! The faith of Christ will become nothing more than a romantic novel taught to relieve them of
guilt and shame for their stubborn and impenitent hearts. Having their spiritual equilibriums devolved
they will no longer distinguish good and evil under the guise that, “We are not to judge.”
In your congregation do lovers of pleasure outnumber the lovers of truth? If so, there is probably no
stigma attached to carnality, for most will have adopted the cliché, “Are not we all carnal at some
point?”
Jesus cautions us with a question, “When the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?”
(Luke 18:8) I might comment: or does our faith look more like the constitution of the United States,
full of changes? This happens as people pick and choose what scriptures they will follow.
How many Christian faiths are there? “There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one
hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism.” (Ephesians 4:4-5) Now, if there is only one
true faith, then there is only one true doctrine and one true way. Therefore, “The faith” is what Christ
and His apostles believed, lived, and taught. The faith is more of a way of life than knowing theology.
Again, “If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord
Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; He is proud, knowing nothing, but
engrossed about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings,
perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness:
from such withdraw thyself. But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into
this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith
content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful
lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which
while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many
sorrows.” (1 Timothy 6:3-10)
It appears that those who err in doctrine err from the faith. Err meaning to passively stray away from
reality. The doctrine of Christ is godliness. Godliness here has its origin in two Greek words “Eu”
meaning well, and, “Sebomai” meaning reverent. Godliness is then defined as devout, God fearing, or
well reverent. Any person who does not consent to this doctrine is proud, knows nothing, contentious,
full of envy, perversion, corrupted, deceived, and destitute of the truth. Those who weep over lost
souls, the moral depravity in the church, and whose hearts are ignited with loyalty, take heed and
withdraw yourself lest you be leavened with their erroneous doctrines. Those using godly principles as
a means of gain are diametrically opposed to the teachings of Jesus Christ and His apostles. They know
nothing. They lack reality. Their doctrine deprives them of compunction. Thus they will likewise
peacefully perish in their sins, passing into the eternal flames of torment with full assurance of
salvation. It will be a terrible day when they find the "Jesus" who comes to meet them was actually a
colleague of Satan, and not the Lord Jesus Christ.
Many pastors today are teaching their followers to covet after money under the guise that they can
reach more people with more money. They promote that which Jesus condemned by exalting those
who give out of their abundance. (Luke 21:4) Jesus called them hypocrites who outwardly appear
clean, but inside they are full of extortion and self indulgence. (Matthew 23:25) These same preachers
also parade the members on stages who exemplify their message. If they receive a raise, find a good
deal, or are blessed financially in any way, they attribute it not to the goodness of God but to the laws
of tithing and sowing and reaping. However they conceal the lies, by not displaying how the “devourer”
has ravaged the automobiles, health, minds, and bank accounts of those who have followed their fleshly
gospel or charge the loyal giver with not having enough faith because they were succumbed to nature,
as everyone else is. They exalt the rich and condemn the poor so that in them the proverb is fulfilled,
“Riches profit not in the day of wrath: but righteousness delivereth from death.” (Proverbs 11:4) They
are full of injustice that neglect the poor and bless the rich. The Day of Judgment is not before their
eyes and “He that giveth to the rich, shall surely come to want.” (Proverbs 22:16) It is only a matter
of time. The Lord will execute justice whether in this age or the age to come.
The scripture does not say that money is evil, but that the love of money is the root of all evil.
Nonetheless, how many folks who love money would even know it, much less admit it? For the pride
of life hardens the spirit every time a person’s heart is lifted up because of their own splendor! (Daniel
5:20) Hence, “They have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”
(1 Timothy 6:10)
Paul told Titus to speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine. (Titus 2:1) Sound meaning
uncorrupt, doctrinally true.
“O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and
contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge— by professing it some have strayed concerning the
faith.” (1 Timothy 6:20-21) Strayed meaning swerved, deviated from truth. I picture a person walking
on the Highway of Holiness, and coming to a stumbling block he swerves around it, but in so doing he
alienates himself further away from the path. The Highway of Holiness is the narrow way of truth, and
there are many points of doctrine where, because of the flesh, many will be made to stumble.
A few stumbling blocks for Christians today are: “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny
himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” (Mark 8:34) For, we cannot live for Christ until we
deny ourselves. “And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with
all your mind, and with all your strength.” (Mark 12:30) However, love begins to fade when it fails to
give of itself. And, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your
enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate
you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father
in heaven.” (Matthew 5:43-45) At what point does a person become an enemy? Enemy here is the
Greek word echthros, which meaning ranges from a person who is passively odious to the extent of
being hostile towards you. The legality of our heavenly kinship hinges on this commandment; hence,
that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:45)
Faith has an end therefore, he who endures till the end shall be saved, as it is written, “Receiving the
end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.” (1Peter 1:9) Faith is not any one particular act but
a life governed by persuasions of religious truth. “Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw
back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but
of them that believe to the saving of the soul.” (Hebrews 10:38-39)
Faith in God always has and always will be expressed through obedience. “And we are his witnesses of
these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.” (Acts 5:32)
and, “Then said they unto him, ‘What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?’ Jesus
answered and said unto them, ‘This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.’”
(John 6:28-29) Believing is the result of faith and faith is the gift of God. For, “God has dealt to each
person a measure of faith.” (Romans 12:3) And, “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.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Paul admonished the church to be established in the faith. (Colossians 2:7) The connotation of
“established” is stable, firm, and steadfast. “Consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—
as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all
his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which
untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.
You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own
steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked.” (2 Peter 3:15-17) Flee anything or person
which leads you away from the narrow path.
Today the faith of many denominational and non denominational churches are handed down by the
overseers and leaders who amend or annul statements of faith, much like politicians in congress, doing
whatever seems right in the eyes of the General Assembly or Convention.
Now if the leaders are in error, what will be the end of their followers?
“Therefore the LORD will cut off head and tail from Israel, Palm branch and bulrush in one day. The
elder and honorable, he is the head; the prophet who teaches lies, he is the tail. For the leaders of this
people cause them to stray, and those who are led by them are destroyed.” (Isaiah 9:14-16)
The kingdom of God is not a democracy! There is one King! Him we fear and Him we obey!
Many organizations aim to reproduce themselves, and because of the affectionate love of every
member for the institution they gladly cooperate, usually progressing no further than the leaders of the
organization. This affection is only natural, seeing that it was the place of their new birth, where they
have been nurtured, disciplined, and loved. But know for sure that almost all apostasy results from the
failure every individual not pursuing the knowledge of the LORD, loving the truth, and assuming
responsibility for their own course.
It is the duty of every member regarding matters of conscience to distinguish true doctrine and faith.
Relinquishing their participation is to place their confidence in man and to commit the offense that Israel
did in demanding a king. Listen to the heartbeat of the New Covenant, “I will put My laws in their
mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. None of
them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for all shall know Me,
from the least of them to the greatest of them. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their
sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” (Hebrews 8:10-12) Do I believe in teachers,
pastors, and etcetera? Of course! But for those whose consciences are being guided by scripture, they
must render to their conscience what it demands, regardless of popular opinion, or fear of being exiled
from the Synagogue “Church Affiliation.” However today, many of these affiliations are filling up in
their churches, what was lacking in the afflictions from the Catholic Church during the reformation,
rather than filling up in their flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body,
which is the church”. (Colossians 1:24) They are repeating similar mistakes.
Many today are still using scripture to execute their own desires, subtly programming the minds of the
people, like the public school system does the minds of children. Seldom ever are there brave souls
who search for truth beyond the confines of their institutions. For fear, wrapping around them as a
tourniquet, slowly cuts off the voice of their conscience, because they have not the courage to break
free from the cords of lies and manipulation.
But now beloved, “I exhort you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to
the saints,” (Jude 3) that is, all which Christ and His apostles lived, believed and taught. And as the
apostle exhorted us, “Giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to
knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness
brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.” (2 Peter 1:5-7)