Belief Vs. Faith

Well good morning church, it is a great day to start a new series. I thought, why not do some education, verses doing an expository or textual sermon. I want us to do some study and discussion on “Church” words. Why? Well, I hear a lot of people in this world using words and not understanding what they mean. I hear Christian’s through around words like faith and belief and do not truly understand them, but the Scriptures tells us in : read

Prayer

Walk around the room and ask people what they think about the word belief and faith. You see, these words are confusing and in our walk with God we need to understand what they mean and what they are about. This series is all about understanding our Church words and how to apply them to our lives. The first word set is Faith vs Belief. We often use these words interchangeably, but I would challenge that we do this incorrectly. As a matter of fact, the Greek words are similar, but they are different. So, this is where I want to begin today, I want to start by defining first belief and then faith and then we will go from there. My prayer is that we all gain wisdom from understanding the words of our faith deeply and fully, which will then grow our relationship with God.

I. Definition of belief

JP Moreland defines belief as, “The acceptance of a proposition and is the way something seems to a subject when he thinks about the belief in question.”[1]

A. Scriptural reference –

1. Wanna take you back to OT

a. The Israelites at the brink

i. escaped Pharo

ii. Red sea parted

iii. Pillar’s of Cloud and fire

Two responses to going in – &

Failed to believe –

ii. No amount of miracle can make you believe

iii. Something you have to choose

a. As Caleb and Joshua chose

iv. Choice is your, believe or not

;

5. Sometimes a noun, most time an adjective or verb

B. How we use it in the US

1. I believe you

2. Believe me

3. Used interchangeable with Trust

4. Because I believe I have faith

C. This can become confusing

1. Belief is just the acceptance that something is true

2. Requires nothing from me, just acceptance

II. Definition of Faith

Walter Elwell defines faith as, “Term that denotes the many-sided religious relationship into which the Gospel calls people – That of trust in God through Christ”

A. Again lets go back to the OT

1. Story of Abraham

a. Two sons

b. Taking His son to the mountain

2. Counted to him as faith

a. can have a mistake

b. But that is what grace is for

Comes back to faith through his son –

a. Willing to trust God

b. Because he believed he had faith

4. Unlike Israel and Promised land

a. Did not believe

b. So they had no faith

III. What’s the difference

A. How we use it in the US

1. Not Scriptural

2. People believe our faith to be blind

a. It is not

b. Based on Scriptural truth

– Crush his head

c. Based on personal truth

i. Last time you gave up complete control

ii. stepped out

3. Learned a great truth this week

a. Difference between trying and trusting

b. Are we just trying to be better

c. Trusting Christ can make us better

i. We are already better

ii. Now trust His Faith

iii. Fruit comes from trusting, not trying

B. Need a volunteer (Do experiment)

C. Now do you understand

Faith is moving based on trust in Jesus –

a. Don’t know how its going to turn out

i. Substance of things unseen

ii. Don’t have to see to believe

iii. What Jesus tells Thomas

iv. What we can learn is true

v. Cannot have all the answers up-front

b. Like a staircase

2. Belief is the conviction that brings about faith

a. Belief convicts us through the Spirit

b. Faith is movement in that belief through the Spirit

IV. Why is this important

A. Can have one without the other

1. I can believe and stay on my couch

2. I can move in all sorts of unguided direction

3. Faith and belief together move us rightly

a. Faith without belief example

i. kids not doing as instructed

b. Belief without faith

i. Snake example while fishing

B. It will Motivate what you do

1. Say I believe

a. Show up once a month

b. Last thing on my mind

i. will be those who don’t believe

ii. They will be religious

2. Really believe

a. I will act on my belief – Faith

b. Example of kids

1. If you do dishes

2. They did and we go ice cream

C. In our walk

1. Truly believe

1. Convict us to action

2. Convict us to love

3. Convict us to care

4. Just like peter’s response

2. Truly have faith

a. We will show up

b. We will take part

c. We will want to

d. We will be excited

e. Just like peter going to death

Conclusion:

[1] JP Moreland, page 112

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