FUNDAMENTALS OF DISCIPLESHIP
THE FIRST
PRINCIPLES - V
Hebrews 6:1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of
Messiah, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of
repentance from dead works, and of faith toward IAUE,
2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and
of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal
judgment.
FAITH
TOWARD IAUE – 2
Faith is a
strong conviction that forms a solid foundation
of belief that
the object of our trust is a proven certainty.
After
we have repented from dead works (turned our backs forever on the notion that
anything we might do could merit the approval of IAUE), and recognize that what
pleases IAUE is His son, our Master, Yahushua Messiah; our objective should
become to be IN MESSIAH, and to abide in him.
Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and
that not of yourselves: it is the gift of IAUE:
This
is going to come as a surprise to many; but faith is a gift. It is not something that is intrinsic to
humankind that man can activate or not activate at will. Man cannot rustle up faith and believe in
IAUE of his own doing. In fact, just the
opposite is true.
In
prior posts we have discussed the “Principle of First Usage,” which refers to
the first time a word is used in the Scripture.
The first usage often provides a special insight into the word and for
its concept throughout the remainder of the Scripture. It is interesting to
note this “first usage” of “faith” in both the Old and New Testaments.
Old Testament:
Deuteronomy
32:16 They
provoked him to jealousy with strange gods, with abominations provoked they him
to anger.
17 They sacrificed unto devils, not to Elohim; to gods whom they
knew not, to new gods that came newly up, whom your fathers feared not.
18 Of the Rock that begat thee thou art unmindful, and hast
forgotten Elohim that formed thee.
19 And when IAUE saw it, he abhorred them, because of the provoking
of his sons, and of his daughters.
20 And he
said, I will hide my face from them, I will see what their end shall be: for
they are a very froward generation, children in whom is no faith.
New Testament:
Matthew 6:30 Wherefore, if
IAUE so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast
into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
The
first time “faith” is mentioned in both Old and New Testaments, man’s
faithlessness is exposed and declared.
This represents a real problem when we understand that “without faith it is impossible to please
him: for he
that cometh to IAUE must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them
that diligently seek him.” (Heb 11:6).
This
second foundational principle of “Faith toward IAUE” contains a revelation of
the person of Yahushua Messiah as the location where faith is realized and
where IAUE is found.
Before
we develop that concept, it is important that we understand something else,
first. This principal is called, “faith
toward IAUE.” We have discussed in the
last post what faith is; and we know that faith is directional. It is toward IAUE. We have not yet discussed who is IAUE. We cannot truly understand faith toward IAUE
if we do not understand who IAUE is.
First,
let’s identify what IAUE is NOT.
- IAUE is not a man.
- IAUE is not an evolved being that
matured into His current power and greatness.
- IAUE is not an ancient powerful
alien.
- IAUE is not a member of a race of
powerful beings who is in charge of His own created universe.
- IAUE is not a god.
It
is difficult for many to comprehend IAUE for whom and what He is because for
centuries man has been referring to Him as “God,” or “the one true God.” The term “god” is a man-made construct of
some all-powerful being that provides a way of explaining how things came to be;
or to identify something outside of himself to do for him what he cannot do for
himself. Early man first thought the sun
was a god. Then the stars and
constellations were worshipped as gods.
It did not take long before stones and wood and precious metals were
shaped into figures that became the objects of man’s devotion as the gods that
provided for them and protected them.
These
concepts do not reveal who IAUE is. IAUE
is a singular being, probably very similar in appearance to the way Adam looked
when he was first formed of the dust of the earth and had life breathed into
his nostrils. IAUE created man in His
image and after His likeness (Gen 1:26). He
is not an ethereal wispy thing that occupies all of Heaven and Earth. As long as we are content to call Him “God,”
we will never truly appreciate just who He is; and our relationship with Him
will be limited.
When
we pray to “God” we are praying to a concept and not to a real being, a
singular being who has a name. From the
very moment we discontinue calling Him “God” (a term that all the world uses to
refer to their pagan deities and demons), and begin to relate to Him by name,
three things happen instantly.
- We are made keenly aware that we
are addressing Him personally; face to face, as it were; and a profound
sense of accountability for our lives and our words is awakened within us. There is no longer the ability to pray
cheaply before Him, offering our own selfish desires; or speaking to Him
pridefully or making a public show in the manner of our prayers to be
admired by others; or even to pray “filler material” because “prayer” is scheduled
on the church bulletin’s order of worship; because:
- We become acutely aware of the
FEAR OF IAUE. We are emptied of
both the games of pretend spirituality we have played; and of our own
sense of self-importance. When we
come to IAUE (not God) we are aware that He is capable of disciplining our
every act of disobedience; our every thought of wickedness; our fleeting
considerations of disobeying His will (please review the posts on 5/5/2013 and
5/12/2013 concerning the fear of IAUE). We will understand why Solomon
said the fear of IAUE was the beginning of wisdom and knowledge.
- We become aware that Elohim is One; that He has a name. He is not three in one. IAUE is a singular being, the Father of our Master, Yahushua Messiah; and IAUE’s Spirit is the medium through which He communes with man. We no longer have to ignore or to provide excuses for the multitude of times that Paul refers to IAUE as Yahushua’s Elohim and Father; or when he told Timothy that there is one mediator between IAUE and man, the man Messiah Yahushua (1 Tim 2:5); or the Master’s own words saying, “My Father is greater than I” (John 14:28). The simple use of the Creator’s name brings all of this into perspective; and demythologizes the greatest contamination of doctrine in the church, today; a contamination that simply did not exist in the first century church.
1
Corinthians 1:30 But of Him (IAUE) are ye in Messiah Yahushua, who of IAUE is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and
sanctification, and redemption:
Faith
toward IAUE is only found IN MESSIAH. Apart from Yahushua, man has no true faith. When IAUE draws a man to reveal His son in
him, He gives man faith to be born into Messiah. As with ALL things pertaining to life and perfection,
faith toward IAUE is Yahushua’s faith
of which we are made partakers as long as we are in him and abide in him. It is the very life of the vine.
John 15:1 I am
the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and
every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more
fruit.
3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of
itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I
in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
So,
faith toward IAUE is the strong conviction that everything necessary to please
IAUE is found in His son; and His son is within us, and we are in him. We need merely to attend to the flow of the
life of Yahushua Messiah within us to produce the life that is pleasing to
IAUE; trusting in the faith of Yahushua for everything we need in order to
humbly obey the will of IAUE.
Kingdom heart: a heart that offers no resistance to the performance
of the will of IAUE.
Even
though we have moved on to a different subject matter, we can never leave this
basic concept; for this is what IAUE desires more than anything else in all His
creation.
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