Obedient Steps of Faith – BT3:  Faith is like a Light-Switch, the opposite of doubt, fear, and worry

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Trusting-relying-faith in the Lord Jesus “that comes from akouo hearing/listening-to-understand/know His phone Voice” (a) of directly-spoken/heard prophetic rhema words is like having ‘The Light’ Switch as Jesus (b) turned ON:  When it is ON, then God’s dunamis dynamite-like enabling-power of ‘electricity’ can flow from the Father as ‘The Original Power Source’ (c) ‘by the means, instrument’ (d) or ‘interface wire’ of the Holy Spirit to you.  When ‘The Light’ switch is OFF, the ‘electricity’ cannot flow – this is “doubt, fear, and worry.”  The switch can’t be half on or half off.  It’s is not a fader switch!  As we’ve seen in the previous BLOG, “faith” in Hebrew and Greek is “a deep-conviction that has the strength of certainty.” <Notes> a) John 10:27, b) Jesus: John 1:4, 9, 3:19, 8:12, 9:5, 12:46, cf. 2 Corinthians 4:4; 2 Timothy 1:10, c) pater:  father “is the senior, ancestor, elder, author, source, or originator,” d) en pneumati in the dative case takes on the ‘dative of means or instrument’ meaning per Douglas Petrovich in The Meaning of En Pneumati and Daniel B Wallace in Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics: An Exegetical Syntax of the NT.

Luke says in 1:4 that asphaleia “certainty or non-tottering firmness that equates to security” is the goal that he collected the facts about Jesus’ ministry and wrote Luke and later the book Acts as the history of the early Church.  He wanted 1 man Theophilus to know “for certain the things you have been taught” – he must have been a very influential man because we have copies of his personal writings!  So trusting-relying-faith is ON when you are certain, and OFF when you aren’t.  No political fence-straddling or ‘hedging of your bets’ will do!  If you doubt, “you should not suppose/opinionate that you will receive anything from the Lord – you are a double-minded man” per James 1:7-8.

Worry, dreadful-fear, and panic result from doubt but trusting-relying-faith produces elpis “confident-expectation of hope,” a childlike curios-bold-strength (a), and peaceful-rest.  Isaiah 28:16 says in reference to the Messiah that God has “laid a Foundation in Zion (Jerusalem), a Stone, a tested Stone, a precious Cornerstone, of a sure Foundation: whoever has trusting-relying-faith will absolutely-in-fact-and-possibility-NOT chuwh/kataischuno ‘hurriedly panic, resulting in dishonor, disgrace, and shame’.”  The pre-incarnate Christ came to Daniel:  “Again One having the appearance of a man touched me and/coupled strengthened me.  And He said, ‘O man greatly loved, fear in-possibility-NOT, restful-peace be with you; be strong and/coupled of good courage/boldness.’  And as He spoke to me, I was strengthened” (b). <Notes> a) Ephesians 3:12; Hebrews 4:16, 10:19; 2 Corinthians 3:4; 1 John 2:28, 3:21, 4:17, 5:14; Proverbs 14:26, b) Daniel 10:18-19.

We have to press in to akouo hear/listen-to-understand/know the rhema words of Christ!  Paul encouraged Timothy for his task of an evangelist in a hostile Roman world:  “God gave us a Spirit absolutely-in-fact-NOT of timid-fearful-cowardice but-instead of dunamis dynamite-like-enabling-power and/thus unconditional-love and/specifically sophronismos ‘moderation-like reasoning/persuasion that accurately fits the situation – as God sees it’” (a).  God’s perspective on our hostile world gives us powerful signs, wonders, and miracles along with God’s unconditional-love to effectively-persuade others with the gospel!  God is in control!  <Notes> a) 2 Timothy 1:7.

John warns about fear in 1 John 4:18:  “There is absolutely-in-fact-NO fear in The Unconditional-Love [of/belonging-to God], but-instead [the] telos consummating-ending-aim-of [this] Unconditional-Love casts out the fear, because this fear presently/ongoingly possesses/holds kolasis ‘punishment by beating’; but-on-the-other-hand, the [one] routinely/habitually fearing absolutely-in-fact-NOT has already had [with ongoing results] [the] telos consummating-ending-aim-of The Unconditional-Love [of God]” (a).

In context, John is saying, as little children of God (a), we can certainly have confidence for the Day of Judgment because the telos consummating-ending-aim for God’s Unconditional-Love is that we are like Him in this world in that His nature of Unconditional-Love (b) is meno abiding-remaining-alive IN US by His Spirit of Holiness (c) AND reciprocally-coupled we are meno abiding-remaining-alive IN HIM by our confession of trusting-relying-faith in His Son as the Savior of the world.  This is the ONLY door/way to the Father’s nature of Unconditional-Love (d).  Doubt and resulting fear is the switch OFF, resulting in NO enabling-power for The Light to shine.  <Notes> a) 1 John 2:28, 3:1, 10, 5:2, cf. John 1:12, 11:52; Romans 8:16, 21, 9:8; Philippians 2:15 – see Least Among You, b) 1 John 4:8, 16; Galatians 5:22, c) whose very nature is unconditional-love per Galatians 5:22, d) John 10:7, 14:6; Hebrews 10:20; Ephesians 2:18, .

Trusting-relying-faith is like a glass of water that is pleroma completely-full.  When your glass is completely-full – not 99.99% with 0.01% doubt – then you will have a ‘certainty’ of what He wants for you.  James 1:6-7 says “Ask in trusting-relying-faith, with in-possibility-NO doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven [by the wind] and then tossed back by the wind.  That person must in-possibility-NOT suppose/opinionate that he will receive anything from the Lord.”

Trusting-relying-faith and doubt and worry are thus opposites – if you have some doubt you have no trusting-relying-faith and vice-versa!  Jesus said answered prayer and miracles only happen “if you have trusting-relying-faith and/coupled DO in-possibility-NOT doubt” (a).  Paul redefines sin, missing the target of God’s holiness, from transgressing any of the OT commandments to:  “now any thing that [is] absolutely-in-fact-NOT ek out-from trusting-relying-faith is sin,” since “whoever is routinely/habitually doubting has already been condemned [with lasting effects] because it is absolutely-in-fact-NOT ek out-from trusting-relying-faith” (b).  We don’t want to be flicking the Light switch ON and OFF, nor be deceived that a partially-full glass is really “full” so it’s OK to doubt a little.  This is what leads to sin and condemnation! <Notes> a) Matthew 21:21; Mark 11:23, b) Romans 14:23.

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