Overview
Faith, in the biblical sense, is believing God: man does the believing, God produces the faith, and the two unite in a partnership, which is why faith without God in it is only believing. In this first of three Faith 2020 webinars, Rev. Rico Magnelli traces the word from its first Septuagint occurrence in Deuteronomy 32:20 through Hebrews 4:2, Matthew 6:30-33, Romans 3:27, Mark 11:22-23, Romans 4 and Hebrews 10 and 11. He shows that the Greek behind Have faith in God carries no word for in, that older translations read have the faith of God, and that God must give a man something to believe before that man can hold it.
Transcript
What Faith Means and Why It Must Include God
Well, God bless you in the wonderful name of Jesus Christ. My name is Rico Magnelli and welcome to all of those that have joined us from across the United States and international countries as well. Welcome to this Faith Webinar 2020.
When we read or hear the word faith, it can bring about different things to different people. And from my personal experience and study over many many years, that is exactly the case. It depends on who you ask what the meaning and application of faith is.
You hear terms like a person of faith or my faith or your faith or their faith. The meaning of faith has been the subject of sermons and discussions and debates among Christian friends for many many many years. Yet with all the communication, the core questions often remain unanswered.
And they are, what is the meaning of faith and how do I apply faith in my life? Valid questions. Well, with God’s help, we’ll discover the answers together and it truly does require and involve God to help us understand and open the eyes of our understanding. I do encourage you to listen to the whole webinar.
It’s broken up into three parts, but they do tie in to each other and have significant insight. Some will be new, some will be fresh for people, but all three together present the package. So we’ll break it up into three basic components.
We’ll look at faith, then secondly we’ll look at the faith of Jesus Christ, and then finally we’ll look at the household faith. So please turn to Deuteronomy chapter 32 and let’s begin to look at faith. Now for the Christian understanding faith, let me first say that it’s not just an academic exercise in semantics, meaning the meanings of words.
It goes a lot deeper than that. What we’ll see is that a basic understanding of faith is to believe God, truly believe God. So faith really is a matter of including God in this whole process, and as we work through this, this will become clearer and clearer, and certainly here in Deuteronomy chapter 32.
Deuteronomy 32:20: The First Occurrence of Faith in the Septuagint
I wanted to start there because this is the first occurrence of the word faith translated from the Greek Old Testament referred to as the Septuagint in verse 20 of Deuteronomy 32. And he said, I will hide my face from them. This is God.
He will hide his face from them. I will see what their end shall be, for they are a very froward generation, or perverse generation. Children in whom is no faith.
He’s talking about Israel. This is the first occurrence of the Greek word pistis, transliterated p-i-s-t-i-s, pistis, in the Septuagint, the Greek Old Testament. And Moses writes and shares this within the context of a song.
Yes, a song with Israel, and he writes and shares this song on the day he ascends into Mount Nebo to die. Wow. After leading Israel for 40 years on this final day, he writes and then shares this song, and this is a part of that song.
It says, children in whom is no faith. Now that can’t just be believing because basically everybody believes, but there must be something deeper here, and there is, because faith must include God. It must include God.
Just to save time, and you can go back over chapter 32, but in the context, Moses points out how those who reject the rock, which is referring to Elohim, the name, one of the names for God in the Old Testament, of Israel, are those that, quote, they have corrupted themselves, perverse and crooked generation, in verse five. Those who waxed fat and forsook God, of verse 15. Those who provoked God to jealousy with strange gods, with abominations, that’s in verse 16.
Those who sacrificed unto devils and not to God, in verse 17. It’s those who are unmindful and have forgotten God that formed them, of verse 18. Those are the ones that he’s going to turn his face away from.
Those are the ones who are children that have no faith. Why? Because they certainly believe something, but they didn’t include God. They rejected God.
Hebrews 4: The Word Preached Was Not Mixed With Faith
Hebrews chapter 4, please. Faith is when man believes God. That’s faith.
And then what happens is God produces that faith, and we’ll see that later on in the scripture. I’ll show it to you precisely. Man believes a lot of things.
Man can certainly be persuaded on an infinite amount of things, but the key to faith is literally believing God. Then God joins in with man’s believing and produces faith. That’s right.
There’s a connection made, if you will, with God when we believe him. There is a connection made. Now for some of Israel, that connection was never made.
Like for 40 years in the wilderness, they complained about Moses and wanted to return back to Egypt. Well, here in Hebrews 4, it says it another way. It says, verse 1, let us therefore fear or respect, lest a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.
For unto us was the gospel preached as well unto them. That’s that unbelieving Israel, primarily. But the word preached did not profit them.
Why? Not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. In other words, they didn’t believe God. It wasn’t mixed, or the word mixed could be understood as united.
They weren’t united with God in faith. It’s like a partnership, and that’s what happens with individuals. They come short of God’s rest.
They keep on trying to do it on their own, and exercise their believing, and so forth. But it doesn’t enter them into the rest that for the Christian believer was accomplished in Christ Jesus. See, the challenge with translating faith as believing is it removes God out of the picture, and it’s very subtle.
Matthew 6: Seek God First and the Things Get Added
Look at Matthew chapter 6, please. Matthew chapter 6. Very familiar section to us, but I think in light of our discussion here, it will have even more significance to us. What is believing, anyway? Believing is a conviction, being fully persuaded of something, and then action typically follows.
An individual is fully persuaded of something, and then action typically follows. The key to faith is that we apply believing to God, not necessarily things. I know for some that is going to be an interesting consideration, but here in Matthew 6, here’s how our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ presented it in verse 30.
Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, he’s discussing it with the individuals he’s teaching, and trying to draw the understanding that God takes care of the things in nature, why wouldn’t he take care of you? Which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? O ye of little faith?
See, some people in this crowd that Jesus is addressing did believe God, but the problem was is they got easily distracted with the things of this world, and that’s what he’s addressing, meaning their own needs.
Therefore, take no thought, and this take no thought means take no anxious thought, don’t get anxious, saying what shall we eat, or what shall we drink, or wherewithal shall we be clothed? These are all basic needs. God knows we have these things, and he has no problem supplying them whatsoever.
For after all these things, verse 32, do the Gentiles seek, that means they are, that’s their priority, stuff, things. For your heavenly Father knoweth that you have need of all these things. He absolutely knows everything that we need, and he has supplied it to the Christian believer in Christ Jesus.
Watch this, but seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. Our focus is the kingdom of God. Now the kingdom of God is not a place.
The kingdom of God is an understanding of his care and sovereignty over all things, and that’s what we pursue, his care, which includes you and I and what we need, but seeking God first is the key. Then the things get added, and from my perspective, it is very subtle, and the world is constantly endeavoring to mold us to focus on things, whatever it is, and then that becomes the object of our focused heart, and that is not going to work well. Don’t seek the things.
Seek God, and then you get the things, because seeking the things is a trap. You know, you’ve probably heard, or maybe perhaps you’ve even said, I’m believing, or I must believe, I must build my believing. That’s a mental cage that excludes God, and it’s so subtle, because you know what happens? Life becomes about me, and what I’m believing for, my world then revolves around me, when it should revolve around, for the Christian believer, the accomplished work of Christ.
Romans 3:27: The Law of Faith Excludes Boasting
This is so subtle, but it’s a worldly practice that leads to works, not grace. Look at Romans chapter 3, please. Grace is unmerited favor of God, and that’s what we want.
So believing is something man does. Faith is something God does, and they unite together when man believes God. Here’s the law of faith, Romans chapter 3, and there’s so much more in the context, but given our time, we can only handle certain aspects.
So these are highlights, if you will. Verse 27 of Romans 3, where is boasting then? That’s the question asked. Where is boasting? Boasting is bragging.
It is excluded. By what law? Of works? Nay, but by the law of faith. That’s right, because when we believe God, we’re not seeking our own glory.
We’re not focused in on us, we’re focused in on Him. So boasting is excluded, because it’s not about what man does or doesn’t do. It’s the law of faith.
It excludes boasting in ourselves, because in faith we partner with and give glory to God, and that’s the concept. Faith is not simply to believe, to be fully persuaded and take the appropriate action. Faith means to believe God.
God must be involved and provide man with something to believe. It’s a believing partnership with God, and whatever He reveals to you. Look at Mark 11, please.
Mark 11:22: Have Faith in God Means Hold the Faith God Produces
As I mentioned this earlier, believing is something man does, and we continue to believe to this day. But faith is something God does, and we’ll see how things pivot regarding the faith of Jesus Christ in our second segment, but right now we’re just focusing on generally on the concept of faith. Here in Mark chapter 11, Jesus is utilizing the example of the fig tree that He cursed the day before, and it dried up overnight.
And the fig tree here is a reference, a figurative reference, to the spiritual condition of the nation of Israel, because the nation of Israel was not going to produce any more fruit, because they had rejected God and His Christ, His only begotten Son. That’s why. Mark chapter 11, in verse 22.
So Jesus is responding. He’s using the fig tree, drying up overnight, as an illustration of faith. Verse 22, and Jesus answering saith unto them, His disciples, have faith in God.
Now the word in is not in the Greek text. Really it’s just three words in the Greek, have faith God, those three. And have is a verb, and it means to hold.
In its Greek grammatical construction, it’s a command to be undertaken continuously. In other words, keep holding it. You hold something, you keep holding it.
When God tells you something, when He reveals something to you, we don’t let it go. When God tells us something, we hold on to it. We keep holding on to it until it comes to pass, or He tells us something else.
Pistis as an Action Noun: What the Greek Actually Says
The example again is the fig tree, because He’s trying to teach His disciples a lesson. Faith here is what’s called an action noun, an action noun, and it retains its verbal root. Language is developed this way.
Language is developed typically as activity, or action is identified, and then later on it turns into a concept when you rehearse it. You’re not taking the action again of doing that, you’re just rehearsing it. And the word faith in the Greek pistis is what’s called an action noun, because it has a root in the Greek word peitho, which means to be persuaded.
That’s its root. The Greek verb peitho is, like I said, a verb. It means to be persuaded.
From that came the concept of pistis. Now pistis is what’s called, like I said, an action noun. It retains its verbal root at the base, but it’s not a verb, it’s a noun, it’s a concept.
Now the word God here is what’s called a subjective genitive in its Greek grammatical construction, and it produces faith. So it could be better understood, these three words, better understood as hold continuously the faith that God produces. That’s right.
How Wycliffe, Geneva and Young’s Render Mark 11:22
Mark 11 22. Have faith in God. We know in is not in the text, but a better translation is have the faith of God.
Have the faith of God, meaning the faith that comes from God. Man has to believe, but God has to provide something for man to believe. And this translation we can see in a number of biblical translations, like Wycliffe in 1382, his Bible, he translates this phrase, have ye the faith of God.
The Geneva Bible of 1599 reads, have the faith of God. The Douay-Rheims Bible in 1582, the New Testament portion, have the faith of God. Young’s literal translation of 1862, have the faith of God.
And even the Bible in basic English in 1941, have God’s faith. So what’s the point? The point is that faith comes from God. God has produced that faith.
Mark 11:23: Why God Must Provide Man Something to Believe
That’s right. Verse 23. Now Jesus is going to elaborate a little bit further.
For verily I say unto you that whosoever shall say unto this mountain, be thou removed and be thou cast into the sea, and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass. He shall have whatsoever he saith. When Jesus says, I say unto you, he’s talking to his disciples.
It’s plural. He says to all of them. And then he goes to an individual.
Whosoever shall say, that’s an individual. But this word say is different because it indicates potential. In its construction as a verb, it indicates potential, the possibility.
Well, why is it potential? Very simple. God has to provide what to believe. And then man has free will.
God provided for Jesus Christ regarding the fig tree. God has to provide the information to tell that mountain to be removed and be thou cast into the sea. Such commands don’t necessarily come from man.
God has to be involved. That’s the point. Because being removed and cast into the sea are commands, and God must provide man what to believe, just like the fig tree.
And then man has no doubt, and he holds the faith that God produces. He confesses what God shows him, and bingo. That’s the meaning here.
Romans 4:3: Abraham Believed God, Not Merely in God
And we see further elaboration and understanding regarding faith. Look at Romans chapter four, please. Now, faith prior to the accomplished work of Christ involved individuals being given a certain task or series of tasks or a special commissioning on God’s behalf, like we read throughout the Old Testament.
God provided the specific directed guidance to carry out what he set before each person. These God-inspired, quote-unquote, missions, if you will, were specific to them. A great example is Abraham.
Abraham believed what God promised him. At the time God revealed specific promises to Abraham, there was no written word of God. Yet what we have today, we have the scripture recording what happened.
What we want to note is Abraham believed God. So we can certainly learn and benefit from his example. He was strong in faith because he was fully persuaded that what God had promised, God was able to perform.
The focus is not even the promise. The focus was God. That’s the point.
Romans chapter four. Look at verse three, please. For what saith the scripture, Abraham, and what are those next two words? Believed God.
That’s what it says. It doesn’t say he believed in God. It says he believed God.
And what’s the difference? Well, to believe in God is to acknowledge his existence. And certainly things start there. So I’m not belittling that.
Plenty of people that believe in God. And that’s where it begins. Nature is a great example to get their attention, to believe in God.
But then there’s those that take it further. They believe God. They take him at his word with action.
That is what Abraham did. That’s the example that he set before us. He believed God, which is a wonderful definition of faith right there.
Romans 4:4 and 4:20: Works Are a Debt, Faith Is by Grace
And it was counted unto him for righteousness. Righteousness just means that an individual is right before God. They’re acceptable to God.
Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. So if you’re working for it, then something’s owed you. But faith is not owed you.
Faith is by grace. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him, that’s what it says, believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, who can that possibly be? God. God.
What’s this? His faith is counted for righteousness. It’s all about believing God. And it is so subtle, because we get sidetracked with the things of the world, and we focus our hard attention on things, or people, or whatever.
And really the rest that we’re looking for, the release from the anxiety, is to focus in on God and not on things or people. That’s right. He didn’t rely on his own works.
Works always make you tired. Grace doesn’t. It’s unmerited divine favor.
God’s gentle breeze just moving you along. Look at verse 20 of the same chapter. He staggered not at the promise of God, meaning he wasn’t having an internal struggle.
He didn’t separate himself from God in terms of his promise, through unbelief, but was strong in faith. Faith just to believe God. Giving glory to who? God.
And being fully persuaded that he, God, what he had promised, he, God, was able to perform. There it is. It’s beautiful.
Absolutely magnificent. He believed God. Now, it doesn’t mean that we’re not aware of the promise, or we’re not aware of things, but that’s not our focus.
And you know the difference, because when we focus on God, there’s rest. There’s peace. There’s tranquility of heart.
When we focus in on other things, and we start getting into works, and move away from grace, what happens is, is we get anxious, distracted, all sorts of negative things. That’s not the example we want to follow. Again, look at Hebrews chapter 10, please.
Hebrews 10:38: The Just Shall Keep On Living
I know I’m covering a lot in a short amount of time, but this will set some groundwork for understanding the whole topic of faith. Now, you recall I mentioned that faith prior, prior to the accomplished work of Christ, means everybody in the Old Testament, the Gospels, until the faith of Jesus Christ was offered on the day of Pentecost, as recorded in Acts chapter 2. So, those individuals prior to Pentecost were given certain tasks, or a series of tasks. Special commissioning on God’s behalf, or God provided specific directed guidance to carry out what He set before each person.
These were those, what I call, God-inspired missions. We’re very specific for them. And in Hebrews, specifically chapter 11, these wonderful individuals are utilized as an example.
They’re referred to as the great cloud of witnesses. They certainly had faith. Look at Hebrews chapter 10, verse 38, please.
Now, the just shall live by faith. This is important to understand. This phrase is used, I think, about four times biblically in the Bible.
And this phrase is very significant, because it’s referring to all the people that are going to be spoken about in Hebrews chapter 11. Every one of them were recognized in this category. And the word live, or shall live, is in a unique grammatical construction.
It’s what’s called a future progressive. And that future progressive could be understood as, shall keep on living. So, this is talking about into the future.
Talking about in eternity. Will keep on living. And they had this in their heart and minds as they believed God in the various situations.
Abel, and Enoch, and Noah, and Abraham, and Sarah, and all the rest. That’s right. But if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
We don’t. We move forward. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition, but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.
We continue to believe God. And that’s the point. We continue to believe God.
Hebrews 11:1: Faith Is the Substance of Things Hoped For
Then chapter 11. Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. The word substance here, physically it’s like referring to a substructure or a foundation.
We all understand that from a house or a building. Something solid underneath upon which you build. But mentally what it’s referring to is confidence, a firm trust, an assurance.
So faith is that confidence, that assurance, that firm, firm trust of things hoped for. The word hope here is referring to a positive expectation in the future. A positive expectation in the future.
And each one of these individuals had a positive expectation in the future because they knew that they would keep on living. That was their expectation. They looked for something beyond this life.
Something beyond their earthly existence. Every one of them. Very significant to understand this chapter.
Now faith is that firmness, that confidence of things expected in the future. For the evidence of things not seen. Wow.
The evidence means the demonstration or the proof. Some have used the term title deed, Fitz. It’s a demonstration.
It’s a proof of things not seen. And the thing that’s most significant that is not seen is God. He’s invisible.
God is spirit. John 4 24. No man has seen God at any time.
John 1 18 and other places. The great cloud of witnesses, the men and women, had not seen God. Yet they believed God.
I like the way it describes it regarding Moses. In verse 27 of this very chapter, it says of Moses, quote, For he endured as seeing him who is invisible. He endured as seeing him who is invisible.
We cannot see God. Faith involves our firm trust and assurance in something we cannot see. That’s right.
Like Moses did not physically see God. He saw his works and attributed them to the invisible God. Each of these individuals in chapter 11 believed God in particular situations.
Hebrews 11:3: Nature Is the Evidence of the Unseen God’s Work
By faith, they stood out from those around them. And together with God, carried out supernatural actions and feats as God guided and instructed them. Verse 2. For by it, the elders obtained a good report, meaning by faith they did.
Then to further make this point about faith, God is going to use his creation. Verse 3. Through faith, that means to believe God. Through faith, we understand that the worlds or the ages were framed by the word of God so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
Nature is an amazing example of the unseen God’s work. That’s the point he’s making. And it requires believing God to really see what’s behind nature.
The intricacy of the infinite layers that produce life on earth. Now the word, see the word word, w-o-r-d, word of God. The word word is the Greek word rhema, transliterated r-h-long-e-m-a, rhema.
And rhema does not refer to the whole word as a whole, but something that’s been stated like an announcement or a military order. And when we read the first chapter of the book of Genesis, you can see that very thing. Like a great example would be, let there be light.
That would be rhema. It was a command and the universe had to comply because it came from God himself. How wonderful this is.
Nothing seen that we look at each and every day. We have an example. You have it maybe outside your window right now.
Nothing seen came to pass by anything we see. In other words, it all came from the invisible God. That’s the point.
Hebrews 10:35: Cast Not Away Your Confidence
And this is the basis upon which then we build our understanding here in Hebrews 11 of these wonderful men and women that believe God in very unique situations and carried out what he told. And to close, let’s look at verse 35 of chapter 10. We’ll go back on these again, just to reiterate.
Verse 35 of chapter 10. Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath a great recompense of reward. For you have need of patience, that after you have done the will of God, you might receive the promise.
For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come and will not tarry. That is going to happen. Now the just shall live by faith or the just shall keep on living.
Just like the Christian believer has eternal life. We know we have eternal life. But if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition, but of them that believe to the saving of the soul. All these men and women in chapter 11 build towards the author and finisher of faith. Jesus Christ in chapter 12.
How the Accomplished Work of Christ Changed Faith Forever
The accomplished work of Christ, which we’ll get up into the next session, changed the nature of faith forever. Before Christ, faith was limited to each person’s potential, ability, or capacity to believe God. After the accomplished work of Christ, a believer’s ability to believe God became the same as Christ.
Oh my gosh. This potential is the faith of Jesus Christ to do the works of Christ and walk in newness of life as more than conquerors in our day and time. So that’s our first session.
The faith of Jesus Christ is where we go next.
Key Takeaways
- Faith is when man believes God. Believing is something man does; faith is something God does, and the two unite together when man believes God.
- The first occurrence of pistis in the Greek Old Testament is Deuteronomy 32:20, children in whom is no faith, said of an Israel that believed plenty of things but rejected God.
- Hebrews 4:2 says the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith, and mixed can be understood as united; they were not united with God, so they came short of his rest.
- In Mark 11:22 the word in is not in the Greek text. The three words are have faith God, God is a subjective genitive, and the sense is hold continuously the faith that God produces.
- Wycliffe in 1382, the Douay-Rheims in 1582, the Geneva Bible of 1599 and Young’s Literal of 1862 all read have the faith of God; the Bible in Basic English of 1941 reads have God’s faith.
- Romans 4:3 says Abraham believed God, not believed in God. To believe in God acknowledges his existence; to believe God is to take him at his word with action, and it was counted to him for righteousness.
- Hebrews 11 shows faith as confidence in what cannot be seen, and the most significant thing not seen is God himself, who Moses endured as seeing though he is invisible.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does faith mean in the Bible?
Faith is when man believes God. Rico Magnelli explains that believing is something man does, being fully persuaded of something so that action follows, while faith is something God does. The two unite together when a man believes God. That is why faith must include God: Israel in Deuteronomy 32:20 certainly believed something, but they rejected God, and so they are called children in whom is no faith.
What does have faith in God mean in Mark 11:22?
The word in is not in the Greek text. There are just three words, have faith God, and have is a verb meaning to hold, in a construction that commands continuous action. God there is a subjective genitive, so it produces faith. A better understanding is hold continuously the faith that God produces. Wycliffe, the Geneva Bible, the Douay-Rheims and Young’s Literal all render it have the faith of God.
What is the difference between believing in God and believing God?
To believe in God is to acknowledge his existence, and Rico Magnelli says that is where things begin; nature gets people’s attention that far. But Romans 4:3 does not say Abraham believed in God, it says Abraham believed God. Some take it further and take him at his word with action. That is what Abraham did, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
Scripture References
Deuteronomy 32:20; Deuteronomy 32:5; Deuteronomy 32:15; Deuteronomy 32:16; Deuteronomy 32:17; Deuteronomy 32:18; Hebrews 4:1; Hebrews 4:2; Matthew 6:30; Matthew 6:31; Matthew 6:32; Matthew 6:33; Romans 3:27; Mark 11:22; Mark 11:23; Romans 4:3; Romans 4:4; Romans 4:5; Romans 4:20; Romans 4:21; Acts 2; Hebrews 10:38; Hebrews 10:39; Hebrews 11:1; John 4:24; John 1:18; Hebrews 11:27; Hebrews 11:2; Hebrews 11:3; Genesis 1:3; Hebrews 10:35; Hebrews 10:36; Hebrews 10:37; Hebrews 12:2; Romans 8:37
This text was prepared from the teaching audio. Please verify scripture references against your own Bible.
