What you said seems reasonable.
I will try to put together the words that will show a relationship between faith and theological beliefs.
I believe that God, as only He can do, speaks to everyone with a real and personal invitation to know Him. I believe some people walk away from that invitation, though it will not be God's last. Some will seek with interest to know more. Some even say "yes" from the first recognition of God's presence. There are many other possibilities.
I believe that initial act of faith is just that, faith. It is not based upon out personal theological beliefs. Once a person responds with a "yes" to God, I believe the Holy Spirit gives them new Spiritual life, and begins to enlighten them in the truth. Sometimes the person will allow theological beliefs to become a barrier to that truth. Our theological beliefs are of no value at all unless they are the result of the personal relationship and enlightenment of the Holy Spirit. That is why some people turn from the faith.
Our theological beliefs don't hold a candle to the truth presented by the Holy Spirit.
Faith that is real listens to God, is led by God, and grows as a result of receiving the truths that are offered as we seek Him. Sometimes truth makes us realize that some of our beliefs are really of our own making. For example, I used to accept the statement that the Bible is the inerrant, infallible Word of God, in the same way it appears to be presented by many Christian denominations. As I have walked with God, I believe I have discovered that the Bible is indeed without error in the message that God has delivered to us. When we are able to overlook things like "sunset," the "bat/bird" thing, the "rabbit chewing cud" thing, along with many other clearly incorrect observations of men who wrote the Word, and then to look directly at what God is saying in the Word to us, we sill discover the truth. Satan uses deception and divisiveness to damage our faith.
No, we cannot pick and choose what parts are to be believed, we are to seek God in that matter. The message in the Scriptures is alive and powerful, even to the working of salvation in the soul. Romans 1:16.
So it was a bat, what does that change about God's message? Nothing. The only thing we need to accept is what God convicts our hearts with, and we certainly better accept that. He will take care of teaching us what is real and what is not.
Our genuine faith, and our theological beliefs will begin to harmonize with absolute truth as we grow spiritually. It is absolutely amazing how God has woven together His mighty and powerful Word. When we focus on Him as we read and study it, it does come alive.
I don't believe we can know His word at all, with any consistency, without the Holy Spirit. When the connection kicks in, our faith begins to be more related to our relationship with God than our theological beliefs. Then we begin to become more like Him, and less like the organization that we call the church. We become the Body of Christ rather than the business of Christ. We begin to have a heart for what He has a heart for. We can actually love our enemies. We will reach out to the needs of the world, and will not demand that we have an opportunity to "witness" because we helped them. Our lives will be a witness, and we don't need a reason or a crisis to make that happen. Acts 1 says "we SHALL be witnesses." It will be that way because it is actually the Spirit in us that is living our who God is, and not our performance.
So, faith without works is dead because faith will work in us if faith is in us to do the will of God, if that faith is connected in the very real relationship with God. Show me a person who says he has faith and has no works, I will show you a person whose faith is dead.
Faith is far more than a belief. It is a living walk with God.
I will try to put together the words that will show a relationship between faith and theological beliefs.
I believe that God, as only He can do, speaks to everyone with a real and personal invitation to know Him. I believe some people walk away from that invitation, though it will not be God's last. Some will seek with interest to know more. Some even say "yes" from the first recognition of God's presence. There are many other possibilities.
I believe that initial act of faith is just that, faith. It is not based upon out personal theological beliefs. Once a person responds with a "yes" to God, I believe the Holy Spirit gives them new Spiritual life, and begins to enlighten them in the truth. Sometimes the person will allow theological beliefs to become a barrier to that truth. Our theological beliefs are of no value at all unless they are the result of the personal relationship and enlightenment of the Holy Spirit. That is why some people turn from the faith.
Our theological beliefs don't hold a candle to the truth presented by the Holy Spirit.
Faith that is real listens to God, is led by God, and grows as a result of receiving the truths that are offered as we seek Him. Sometimes truth makes us realize that some of our beliefs are really of our own making. For example, I used to accept the statement that the Bible is the inerrant, infallible Word of God, in the same way it appears to be presented by many Christian denominations. As I have walked with God, I believe I have discovered that the Bible is indeed without error in the message that God has delivered to us. When we are able to overlook things like "sunset," the "bat/bird" thing, the "rabbit chewing cud" thing, along with many other clearly incorrect observations of men who wrote the Word, and then to look directly at what God is saying in the Word to us, we sill discover the truth. Satan uses deception and divisiveness to damage our faith.
No, we cannot pick and choose what parts are to be believed, we are to seek God in that matter. The message in the Scriptures is alive and powerful, even to the working of salvation in the soul. Romans 1:16.
So it was a bat, what does that change about God's message? Nothing. The only thing we need to accept is what God convicts our hearts with, and we certainly better accept that. He will take care of teaching us what is real and what is not.
Our genuine faith, and our theological beliefs will begin to harmonize with absolute truth as we grow spiritually. It is absolutely amazing how God has woven together His mighty and powerful Word. When we focus on Him as we read and study it, it does come alive.
I don't believe we can know His word at all, with any consistency, without the Holy Spirit. When the connection kicks in, our faith begins to be more related to our relationship with God than our theological beliefs. Then we begin to become more like Him, and less like the organization that we call the church. We become the Body of Christ rather than the business of Christ. We begin to have a heart for what He has a heart for. We can actually love our enemies. We will reach out to the needs of the world, and will not demand that we have an opportunity to "witness" because we helped them. Our lives will be a witness, and we don't need a reason or a crisis to make that happen. Acts 1 says "we SHALL be witnesses." It will be that way because it is actually the Spirit in us that is living our who God is, and not our performance.
So, faith without works is dead because faith will work in us if faith is in us to do the will of God, if that faith is connected in the very real relationship with God. Show me a person who says he has faith and has no works, I will show you a person whose faith is dead.
Faith is far more than a belief. It is a living walk with God.
