I've been studying the Hebrew mindset a great deal lately... Hearing and believing to the Biblical Hebrew means much much more than what our Western mindset sees it as. Hearing to the biblical Hebrew is to not just 'hear' as we think of, but to understand in your heart and mind, and to DO what you hear. So to them, hearing means to hear, to understand, and to do.
In that concept, if I ask you to get me a glass of water, and you don't do it, you haven't heard me.
The same is true in the concept of belief. Belief to the Hebrew mind is trusting in... to grasp onto something and not let go. To fight tooth and nail to hold on to a concept. So, the biblical concept of belief isn't just acknowledging something is true-mental assent. It's latching onto it with all you have and not letting go.
Does that make sense?
If you believe, you will do, but it's the belief in Jesus Christ, who in turn, saves us. Not the doing. You 'do' because you believe (acknowledge, understand, accept and submit as absolute truth) first.
(written by Ron)
Mizpeh
This verse is what it is ...
John 3 ... which my sacrementalist friends love to misquote ... and read out of context .... answers a poignant question ... made by Nicodemus ... when he asks for the how and why of the New birth ...
9"How can this be?" Nicodemus asked.
10"You are Israel's teacher," said Jesus, "and do you not understand these things? 11I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.[
d]
14Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.[
e]
16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,[
f] that whoever
believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but
whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.[
g]
19This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God
This a trust and belief that Jesus Christ bore our sins ... and was resurrected unto new everlasting life ... and that this promise is for us .... for those who first believe and repents for the remission... blotting away ... forgiveness of sins ... and then move to making their genuine faith in Christ evident ... in OBEYING ... doing to us ... ALL OF HIS COMMANDMENTS ....
DAN
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