Introduction to Faith Studies
Volume 1, Number 1Vol 1 - No 1, January 1, 2004:Introduction:Greetings to all! After a great deal of study on the subject of faith in the Bible it is now time to reduce to writing some of what has been observed. My goal is to send out over the internet a short article every week. This study is based on the inerrancy of the Bible as being the actual Word of God, as originally written by the various authors as inspired by the Holy Spirit. The translation used in this study is the King James Version. We begin with the premise, and this... Continue reading →
Satan's Attack on Adam's Faith
Volume 1, Number 2Vol 1 - No 2, January 10, 2004:Satan's first recorded attack on God's Word and faith therein:In last week's study we reviewed Bible verses that teach, "the just shall live by faith," (Habakkuk 2:4 and quoted in Romans 1:17, Galations 3:11 and Hebrews 10:38.) "without faith it is impossible to please God," (Hebrews 11:6) and "faith by hearing and hearing by the Word of God," (Romans 10:17.) In light of these Biblical truths we look to the dawn of human history and to the first man, for in order to be in a right relationship with his creator and God,... Continue reading →
Abel's Faith - Cain's Lack of Faith
Volume 1, Number 3The Word of God to Cain and Abel; Cain rejecting and Abel receiving it by faith:In the fourth chapter of Genesis we read about the first two males born to Adam and Eve. You all know the story, Cain grew up and tilled the ground - he was a farmer, whereas Abel tended sheep. As we will see in Geneses 4:3 - 7, the Word of God had been revealed to both Cain and Abel to be received by faith. It is clear from this passage that in order to be in a right relationship with God they were to... Continue reading →
Enoch's Faith
Volume 1, Number 4Vol 1 - No 4, January 24, 2004:The faith of Enoch in the Word of God:We find in Geneses 5:3 - 24 and in Luke 3:37 & 38 that a man named Enoch is listed as the seventh man after Adam. (Seven in the Bible is the number for spiritual perfection.) The account in Geneses 5 indicates that all seven men, Adam to Enoch, fathered sons and daughters but it does not indicate how many. Since the record indicates that each of these men lived from 895 to 962 years of age, the number of sons and daughters no doubt... Continue reading →
Noah's Faith
Volume 1, Number 5Vol 1 - No 5, January 31, 2004Noah's faith in the Word of God.The account of Noah and the days in which he lived are found in Genesis 5:29 through 10:32. Since the purpose of this study is to investigate faith in the Word of God we won't go into all the details of this account. However, it is important to note Genesis 6:5, 11 & 12 to understand the environment in which Noah lived. That passage speaks of the people living whose "every imagination of the thoughts of the heart was only evil continually," "The earth also was corrupt... Continue reading →
The Faith of Abel, Enoch & Noah - Types of Christ
Volume 1, Number 6Vol 1 - No 6, February 11, 2004The faith of Abel, Enoch and Noah as types foreshadowing The Man of Faith:In our first five studies we observed Adam's lack of faith in God's Word, which he worked out in disobedience. As a result he became disassociated and alienated from his Creator. His sinful nature passed on to everyone born from his seed and his first son Cain also rejected God's Word and became a murderer. It went downhill from there as we saw that every imagination of the thoughts of men were continually evil. The earth was corrupt and filled... Continue reading →
Abraham Called Out of Paganism - He had Faith
Volume 1, Number 7Vol 1 - No 7, March 9, 2004:The Word of God to Abram, renamed Abraham, the father of all that believe - Romans 4:11 - Part One:Abram was an idol worshipper but God chose him as one of His own and for a unique and special place in history. Between Genesis 12:7 and Genesis 22:18 are records of God Himself speaking to Abram/Abraham at least twelve times, apparently either directly or through angels. The Words of God to Abraham are many and varied so more than one study will be necessary to learn something about his response of faith and... Continue reading →
Abraham's Faith Falters - Labeling Sarah as His Sister
Volume 1, Number 8Vol 1 - No 8, March 20, 2004The Word of God to Abram, renamed Abraham, the father of all that believe - Romans 4:11 - Part Two:Abram's faith tried.When 75 year old Abram, by faith in God's Word, left his home in Haran and went into the land of Canaan to a place called Sichem he took with him his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, their servants and all their property - Genesis 12:4 - 5. After arriving in the land he had been promised, Abram built alters to worship God. However, in this study we observe that the power... Continue reading →
Abraham & Sarah Attempt & Failure By the Works of the Flesh
Volume 1, Number 9Vol 1 - No 9, April 4, 2004The Word of God to Abraham, the father of all that believe - Romans 4:11 - Part Three:In this study we will examine how Abraham and his wife Sarah tried, "by the works of the flesh" to fulfill God's Word.Genesis 16:1 - 4: "Now Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by... Continue reading →
God's Covenant of Cirumcision with Abraham
Volume 1, Number 10Vol 1 - No 10, May 2, 2004The Word of God to Abraham, the father of all that believe-Romans 4:11-Part Four:God's Covenant of Circumcision with Abraham and his descendants-Genesis 17:1 -22.God had already made a covenant with Abram documented in Genesis 15:18 when he by faith and in obedience to God's Word offered sacrifice of a heifer, a she goat, a ram, a turtledove and a young pigeon - Genesis 15:9. In that covenant God promised Abram and his seed all the land between the Euphrates and Nile rivers. As to the sacrifices offered by Abram, it is important to... Continue reading →
Abraham - the Father of Isaac & All Who Believe
Volume 1, Number 11Vol 1 - No 11, May 10, 2004The Word of God to Abraham, the father of all that believe-Romans 4:11- Part Five:The promised son.Immediately after making the covenant of circumcision God promised Abraham a son born to Sarah and that she would be the mother of nations and kings - Genesis 17:16. Abraham's reaction to this news was joy - "Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?" - Genesis 17:17. It was... Continue reading →
Abraham's Faith Tested - A Type of God's Gift of His Son
Volume 1, Number 12Vol 1 - No 12, May 23, 2004The Word of God to Abraham, the father of all that believe-Romans 4:11- Part Six:Abraham's faith tested and the sacrifice of God's son pictured in type."And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of." - Genesis... Continue reading →
Sarah & Abraham's Faith
Volume 1, Number 13Vol 1 - No 13, June 10, 2004The Word of God to Abraham, the father of all that believe-Romans 4:11- Part Seven: Conclusion of The faith of Sarah and Abraham.Genesis 23:1 - 2 "And Sarah was an hundred and seven and twenty years old: these were the years of the life of Sarah. And Sarah died in Kirjatharba; the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan: and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her."Sarah is the only woman in the Bible whose age, death and burial are recorded. God chose her for a special ministry... Continue reading →
The Trial of Job's Faith by the World, the Flesh & the Devil
Volume 1, Number 14Vol 1 - No 14, June 17, 2004The trial of Job's faith by the world, the flesh and the devil.According to "The Student's Commentary" Job probably lived after Abraham and possibly during Moses' early life, so they could have been acquainted. The book of Job is believed to be the oldest book in the world and could have been written by Job himself, or by Moses. The lesson therein has applied to God's people since then and will apply until the return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.Since faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God,... Continue reading →
Isaac - Abraham's Son of God's Promise
Volume 1, Number 15Vol 1 - No 15, July 27, 2004Isaac, Abraham's son of God's promise.Genesis 21 records Isaac's miraculous conception and birth to 90-year-old Sarah, a woman who had been barren all her life. Isaac grew up to be gentle and meek in nature as evidenced by; 1) his willingness to submit as a sacrifice offered by his father (it turned out that God provided a substitute ram for the sacrifice - Genesis 22); 2) his closeness to his mother to the point that he did not marry until age 40, after she died - Genesis 25:20; 3) his willing acceptance of... Continue reading →
Jacob the Supplanter
Volume 1, Number 16Vol 1 - No 16, September 22, 2004Jacob the supplanter:Jacob is the most controversial, humanly speaking, of all the men examined in these Faith Studies to date. Conflict, deceit and contradiction filled his life but God chose and blessed him and he responded by faith in God's Word.God's election and plan for Jacob's life was evidenced before he was conceived. His mother Rebekah had no children after 19 years of marriage. Isaac prayed for her, the Lord answered his prayer and Rebekah conceived twins, Esau and Jacob. The grasping and conflict that marked Jacob's life started before he was born... Continue reading →
Jacob - The Ladder to Heaven - Rachael
Volume 1, Number 17Vol 1 - No 17, October 2, 2004Jacob becomes Israel:God promised to bless Jacob and he was intelligent and talented, a winning combination for success. He prospered greatly and his wealth increased but time after time he became embroiled in conflicts with others. However, God protected, reassured and pulled him through each crisis.After Jacob tricked his father into giving him the blessing instead of to Esau to whom it belonged, Esau purposed to kill him. As a result Jacob had to flee Beersheba and go to Heran. He stopped to sleep at a place called Luz, which means "separation." There,... Continue reading →
Jacob - Israel's Faith
Volume 1, Number 18Vol 1 - No 18, October 24, 2004Jacob's (Israel's) faith:The last two studies summarized some of what the Word of God reveals about Jacob's life, as found in Genesis 25:24 - 34 and from 27:1 through 35:29. Jacob contended with Esau for the birthright and succeeded - Genesis 25:29 - 34. He contended with Esau and Isaac for the blessing and succeeded - Genesis 27. He contended with Laban and succeeded - Genesis 31. In all his contentions with men he succeeded but when he contended with God he failed. God crippled his hip and changed his name to Israel.... Continue reading →
Joseph - A Type of Jesus Christ
Volume 1, Number 19Vol 1 - No 19, November 12, 2004The Faith of Joseph:God answered the prayers of Jacob's wife Rachel and she bore a son named Joseph (Genesis 30:22 - 24) but the Word of God does not introduce him until he was 17 years old and feeding his father's flocks (Genesis 37:2.) The record of Joseph's life forms a remarkable type of Christ. As Joseph fed his father's flocks Christ fed His father's sheep, the multitudes. Joseph was loved by his father and clothed so as to show his equality with his father. The "coat of many colors" was said to... Continue reading →
Israel - God's Blessing to the Earth
Volume 1, Number 20Vol 1 - No 20, November 25, 2004Faith and The Children of Israel:As has been observed, God promised Abraham the land of Canaan; that his offspring would be numbered as the sand of the sea and that they would be a blessing to the earth. His son Isaac was the immediate answer to the promise of progeny and blessing and he was a type of and pointed to God's own son Jesus Christ. God then chose Isaac's son Jacob as the vessel through which the blessings would flow. God changed Jacob's name to Israel and thus the descendants of Abraham,... Continue reading →
Eight Borne Witness to by their Faith in Genesis
Volume 1, Number 21Vol 1 - No 21, December 9, 2004Eight borne witness to by faith.The first 20 studies in this series have had to do with people living during the time described in the book of Genesis. We began with Adam and Eve who because of their lack of faith in God's Word introduced sin into the world and brought death on all their progeny. Then we examined the lives of a number of people, including eight (8) people named in Hebrews 11 that lived during that time who believed God's Word and thereby were borne witness to by their faith.Hebrews the... Continue reading →